[kkrrhh]

I've always had the problem where almost anything that helps my depression ends up being intolerable because of how it affects my anxiety. I always kind of "envy" people who just have to deal with one or the other, I know if I didn't have anxiety, just throwing in some stimulating meds would help my depression and fatigue. They just make my anxiety worse of course, which is enough of an issue, but then my anxiety being bad actually makes me more depressed too.

Even though I quit it for some other reasons, it seems like Emsam was going to help my depression in some ways. It felt pro-social, too, but it was almost like though it made me want to do things, it also made my anxiety worse (which sucked and made it harder/almost impossible to do things), so that depressed me more. I thought I'd try very low doses of selegiline (the med in Emsam), and tried that today. I felt noticeably more awake and a bit positive in the morning, while just at home before I actually had to do anything. Then when it got further into the day and I was faced with the prospect of having to face people and anxiety-provoking things, it all went downhill. I remembered, like I always do, why meds like this don't end up working out for me in reality.

Nardil worked on both somewhat, but it's not an option for me anymore. Years ago Prozac helped me a little but was a little too stimulating, though on a bearable level. Lamictal helps my depression and anxiety a bit, though not enough. I think part of the way lamictal helps is by helping me be a little calmly indifferent, which helps me just settle with things like the fact that I'm not really better.

It seems like I'm pretty much always just going to have to settle, being depressed but at least being more able to keep my anxiety in check at a somewhat bearable level. My anxiety, though still pretty bad, used to be quite a bit worse for the most part, so I guess it's kind of like, "hey, I lack a huge amount of motivation and drive and am not really happy, but I can go to stores without panicking and don't have 100% horrible anxiety attacks around people, so I'm scared to rock the boat."

Anyone else deal with this? I know it's a pretty common problem, I guess I just kinda wanted to complain and see if anyone else wanted to, too. Or, has anyone had this problem and found particular meds or anything that seem to help?

[jacky8807]

Seroquel helped both my anxiety and depression but I don't like the weight gain
I totally get what you are saying. I get both depressed and anxious at the same time most of the time. .it's a hard beast to tame!

[LucyG]

I'm sorry you're going through this, but I certainly don't believe you need to settle for being depressed the rest of your life.

Have you ever consider trying alternative treatment such as using amino acids to treat your depression and anxiety? If not, please consider it as it's extremely effective and fast acting with minimal side-effects because what you're actually doing is giving your brain the nutrients it needs to produce the neurotransmitters it needs to keep your mood stable and you relaxed and confident. Antidepressants don't enable your brain to produce fresh neurotransmitters, they just keep what you have from being reabsorbed [hence the name selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor] until it's worn out and worthless so a person ends up on another AD until they're on 4 or 5 meds that aren't working.

I was on meds for bipolar 2 for over 13 years with minimal results and a host of side-effects that made my life miserable. Finally when I developed a receding hairline, I freaked out and went off meds. Fortunately I stumbled on info about using amino acids to treat my bipolar, and have never looked back. I've been on them and lithium orotate, a mineral supplement used to control the hypomania for over 9 years now. My mood is better than it's been decades, I feel better and I'm not tied to a Pdoc who runs my life.

The only side-effects I've had is that the DL-phenylalanine [DLPA] has raised my blood pressure a bit, but I have low blood pressure so it isn't an issue. The 5-htp is known to cause stomach upset, but I've never had an issue with it although my husband did when he tried it once. DLPA is stimulating to the brain but not in a jittery excess caffeine way so it needs to be taken first thing in the morning. DLPA puts dopamine, norepinephrine and another neurotransmitter in the brain, and is used in pain clinic to help control chronic pain. It's used with dogs and horses, and I've given it to a couple of dogs who are now passed away as well as one who has elbow displasia. It's amazing how much more playful and happy she is on it.

I don't know if you realize that anxiety is a side-effect of a lot of meds. I had horrific anxiety when I went on a high dose of Lamictal to the point I was afraid to close my eyes. I remembered my sister mentioning that a neurologist told her that psych meds have anxiety as a side-effect so I googled Lamictal and found that anxiety is a side-effect of it. I suspect that's why you can't handle meds.

Here are some helpful links. Be sure and check out the brain function questionnaire as it will help you understand your feelings and emotions:

http://drjolee.com/Brain-Function-Questionnaire.pdf

Here are a couple of good articles on treating depression with amino acid therapy:

Amino Acid Therapy for Depression and Anxiety

https://www.integrativepsychiatry.ne...epression.html

[Ronan23]

I get this too. I'm sorry I can't offer advice but it frustrates me that most SSRIs are meant to be good for anxiety, yet all they ever do is boost my depression whilst ramping my anxiety up to the point that any increase in mood is negated by being scared of my anxiety. This is why I'm seeking non-medicinal methods to overcome my issues, and I've had some great success in that regard.

Is it possible you are bipolar?

Often the case is that an antidepressant will trigger in a bipolar person extreme anxiety and even a bipolar episode.

If this is the so, most psychiatrists will instead prescribe what is called a 'mood stabilizer'.

[kkrrhh]

Thank you all for the replies!

LucyG - It's funny you posted that. I've recently been really considering, looking into, and trying to start natural treatment and using supplements/amino acids. And I actually remember seeing a post from you on the other treatments board and finding it very interesting. I always doubted that it would be "strong" enough to treat my anxiety and depression, and am still hesitant but feeling more open-minded.

I've been trying to do research but just kind of overwhelmed with the options. I know it may take some experimenting but can't afford to spend a ton buying too many different things to try, and it seems the opinions on the best or most essential supplements to start with vary. I've been taking vitamin d, occasionally (but not as often as I should) fish oil and a vitamin b complex, and more recently added NAC and l-lysine. The others that have stuck out to me are 5-htp, DLPA, phenyl-something (I get the phenyl- supps mixed up), St John's Wort, and a few others. Not quite sure which to pick. I'm also worried about the fact that I'll be starting a few things at once and won't know which could be helping, but ah well.
Thank you for the links!

justafriend306 - I go back and forth on that. Lamictal has been very helpful for me and I'm not sure whether that could be why. A therapist recently told me I probably don't have it, but still not really sure.

[Fuzzybear]

seroquel helped for a while
(Now I'm allergic to it.. )

[LucyG]

Originally Posted by kkrrhh

Thank you all for the replies!

LucyG - It's funny you posted that. I've recently been really considering, looking into, and trying to start natural treatment and using supplements/amino acids. And I actually remember seeing a post from you on the other treatments board and finding it very interesting. I always doubted that it would be "strong" enough to treat my anxiety and depression, and am still hesitant but feeling more open-minded.

I've been trying to do research but just kind of overwhelmed with the options. I know it may take some experimenting but can't afford to spend a ton buying too many different things to try, and it seems the opinions on the best or most essential supplements to start with vary. I've been taking vitamin d, occasionally (but not as often as I should) fish oil and a vitamin b complex, and more recently added NAC and l-lysine. The others that have stuck out to me are 5-htp, DLPA, phenyl-something (I get the phenyl- supps mixed up), St John's Wort, and a few others. Not quite sure which to pick. I'm also worried about the fact that I'll be starting a few things at once and won't know which could be helping, but ah well.
Thank you for the links!

justafriend306 - I go back and forth on that. Lamictal has been very helpful for me and I'm not sure whether that could be why. A therapist recently told me I probably don't have it, but still not really sure.

I've never tried St. John's Wort so I can't speak to that other than I saw that it increases serotonin levels which is why it helps depression. My husband and I take a lot of herbs, and have done well with them.

DLPA is the DL version of phenylalanine. I'm not a chemist so I don't fully understand the difference between it, L-phenylalanine and plain phenylalanine, but I can tell you that DLPA is what keeps my mood stable. Even with 5-htp, I get some low grade depression, but so long as I take DLPA, my mood is remarkably good unless something happens that upsets--like happens to someone who doesn't have a mood disorder.

I buy my supplements through Vitacost.com that is a private labeler of other top brands of supplements. The last bottle of DLPA I ordered was a buy one, half off the second so I got two bottles of 300 capsules of 500 mg each for $30 as it's $19.99 each. I take 2 a day [1,000 mg] unless I'm severely depressed for three days or more as it's stimulating so I don't take extra during the day like I do with other supplements as it can cause insomnia. At that cost, the DLPA costs me $0.14 a day which is nothing to keep my mood stable.

With reading stuff, my philosophy is to read stuff with an eye to what applies to me. It's impossible to read everything so I scan books and articles for what applies to me, and then read that in detail. If something doesn't work or I can't tolerate it, I move on.

[LucyG]

One other thought. If you don't have hyperthyroidism or Hashimoto's Disease, you might think about taking a high quality nascent [ionic] iodine to help stimulate your thyroid. Depression is also a symptom of low thyroid function, and most people are severely deficient in iodine.

I switched to nascent iodine earlier this year, and my hair that was almost completely white in the front [I started going gray when I was 21] is now turning a storm cloud gray! I know most people wouldn't want gray hair, but I'm thrilled that my hair has more color, and it's gone from being very straw like to much softer like when I was younger.

Here's a good video on the importance of iodine. I use Dr. Group's private label iodine called Survival Shield X2 Nascent Iodine.