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#1
Apr 24, 2006, 09:03 PM
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I thought maybe this topic might strike home for many. REFRACTORY or TREATMENT RESISTANT DEPRESSION is something I have been battling for many years. I have tried almost every medication and combination of medications and was wondering if any one else is sufferring from this frustrating condition.
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#2
Apr 24, 2006, 10:06 PM
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</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
VAQUERALOCA said: I thought maybe this topic might strike home for many. REFRACTORY or TREATMENT RESISTANT DEPRESSION is something I have been battling for many years. I have tried almost every medication and combination of medications and was wondering if any one else is sufferring from this frustrating condition. </div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> Yes, I do!  I too have tried many combinations of meds and had ECT about 30 yrs ago, I was only 16. Since I did have significant memory loss due to the ECT, so I am not inclined to try it again........even though it has been suggested. After reading some articles regarding "Deep Brain Stimulation" I approached my pdoc about the possibility...........to my surprise, and relief she referred me to a nuero who works with "Vagel Nerve Stimulation" as well as trials with DBS. I am currently having medical tests done to see if I qualify. Although I don't think I would consider VGS (funny it is the least invasive), but I am more than willing to try the DBS. Everything I have read seems to point to people with my type of depression .Anyway........enough about me.....gee, I seem to do that a lot lately  .What treatments have you tried? Any medication combos work better or just longer than others? have you tried AAPs along with ADs? What about mood stablizers? Are you in therapy? Enough questions...... Please take care and I look forward to trading ideas with you and others dealing with this illness. |
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#3
Apr 24, 2006, 11:04 PM
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Hi , glad to hear your reponse >>>>> You've hada lot of experience with this illnes. What is DBS, AAP's. My PDoc brought up the vagel nerve stim and I am very resistant to the idea of having that implanted. I know they SAY it's not invasive, but it's awfully new and I'm afraid to try that. I also don't even know that my insurance would pay for THAT ........... I've tried many different combination of meds. Right now, Cymbalts, Zoloft, abilify, dextrostat and ambien to sleep. I am not in any kind of talk therapy and i'm looking for a therapist to go too. I live rurally so it isn't easy. I find that I do better when I don't isolate myslef and get OUT of the house.... but good luck with me forcing me to do that enough........
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#4
Apr 24, 2006, 11:11 PM
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CAn you give me a description of your illness and how it's affected and is affecting your life?
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#5
Apr 24, 2006, 11:24 PM
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i just got on line and am so surprised to read your post, i too deal with the same for many years now. i had ECT which seemed to really help with the depression but all to soon brought about really bad PTSD activation so my pdoc stopped treatment. that was April 05 and now i'm going thru a really bad depressive episode. recently heard about the vagus nerve stimulation. Wikimedia.com is a good source of info on this with lots of additional resources. sorry to babble so long it is just so weird you would be talking about same stuff
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#6
Apr 25, 2006, 12:10 AM
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</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
VAQUERALOCA said: Hi , glad to hear your reponse >>>>> You've hada lot of experience with this illnes. What is DBS, AAP's. My PDoc brought up the vagel nerve stim and I am very resistant to the idea of having that implanted. I know they SAY it's not invasive, but it's awfully new and I'm afraid to try that. I also don't even know that my insurance would pay for THAT ........... I've tried many different combination of meds. Right now, Cymbalts, Zoloft, abilify, dextrostat and ambien to sleep. I am not in any kind of talk therapy and i'm looking for a therapist to go too. I live rurally so it isn't easy. I find that I do better when I don't isolate myslef and get OUT of the house.... but good luck with me forcing me to do that enough........ </div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> DBS is "Deep Brain Stimulation". This by far is the most invasive procedure, but the results have been great. What is done in the case of DBS is a stimulator (probe) (kind of like VGS) is inserted deep into your brain...I believe it is called "area 25" in some articles, and the stimulators are put into your chest wall like VGS. This procedure has had great results with Parkinsons as well as people with OCD. It is now in trials for people with Treatment Resistant Major Depression.......That's me  The reason I am more inclined to do the DBS is because it makes more sense.....medically to me. But I continue to read up on both procedures AAP's our "atypical anti-psychotics". Because the nature of my depression includes my strong suicidal ideation the AAP's help clear my thinking, which becomes quite disordered when I am severely depressed. No, I don't hear voices or hallucinate.......but that disordered thinking will get me everytime. My AAP helps the ADs work better for me......or at least that is what the Dr. said when he asked me to try them  . But actually, they have helped.Hope that helped...... |
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#7
Apr 25, 2006, 01:04 AM
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Vaqu, I have suffered from depression for so many years, and went thru an extremely extensive course of ECT last year. (i.e. instead of 6-8 sessions I ended up having about 26 all up). Yes, it has affected my SHORT term memory significantly (but my long term memory is great), but if I hadn't have had the treatment then I would probably still be locked up in the hospital or worse... This was also done with a new combo of drugs. Now, as more and more HUGE stressors are put on top of me I am falling again- rapidly-, and while I so don't want to have any more ECT it was the 1 thing that started my move into getting better I believe. While the memory thing is frustrating, there are diferent ways to cope- I feel stupid being a non-working, stay-at-home-mum but I have to carry a diary with me everywhere I go and write everything down, or get someone to write stuff down for me. I hope you can find something that will help you
 . p.s. my drugs include an AD, a drug for bipolar (even tho I don't have it), and 2 anti-anxiety drugs. I am on the max for the AD and the bipolar drug is at an optimum according to blood test results. Good luck...
__________________
I know that behind every grey cloud there is a silver lining; I just need to be patient enough to find it!!! |
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#8
Apr 25, 2006, 05:13 AM
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Wow! You struck the mother load!
I don't, just (just-hah) major depression from PTSD,DID blah blah blah. But, I'm glad to see there are others (sorry for all of you, the big D bites) that have the same type of D that you can all share notes with. Hopefully, it will help all of you somehow. I hope that came out right - it was intended as a good thing for all of you - know what I mean? Good thoughts and prayers to all, Songbird
__________________
 "It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
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#9
Apr 25, 2006, 03:04 PM
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hAY.. IT SEEMS LIKE ect HAS BEEN A BIG HELP TO PEOPLE. i WONT DO IT, i'M afraid of it.......... I'm hoping to jsut somehow control the Depression with different medications. From what it sounds like that may be difficult. Has anyone gotten any great results from anything else??
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#10
Apr 25, 2006, 04:28 PM
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</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
VAQUERALOCA said: hAY.. IT SEEMS LIKE ect HAS BEEN A BIG HELP TO PEOPLE. i WONT DO IT, i'M afraid of it.......... I'm hoping to jsut somehow control the Depression with different medications. From what it sounds like that may be difficult. Has anyone gotten any great results from anything else?? </div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> I have had good luck with Effexor XR, but am currently at the top dose of 600 mgs...I know it is a lot to all you effexor users  ...I also take remeron, provigil and clozaril (my AAP). This combo has worked (I am still alive) for about a year, but I can feel the ground crumbling underneath me again .But...I just read an article that The Cleveland Clinic is doing clinical trials for DBS in people with Major Depression. Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer I qualify .Take care....... |
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#11
Apr 25, 2006, 04:36 PM
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Vaqueraloca
Did I say something to upset you? I don't understand your reply post? Songbird
__________________
"It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
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#12
Apr 25, 2006, 04:46 PM
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Actually I'm on Effexor XR also (375mg) plus novo-clonazepam, seroquel, and monocor and most of the time I'm ok.... unfortunately Im on a waiting list again for a T.... but I personally think the meds and a T is a good combo.
Patricia |
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#13
Apr 25, 2006, 04:56 PM
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</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
SongBirdandDaisy said: Vaqueraloca Did I say something to upset you? I don't understand your reply post? Songbird </div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> I have been on Effexor XR (after many, many other AD's) and undergone ECT and was still 'called', 'labeled' , 'told' I am treatment resistant. and I was about to add my ½ cents but I perhaps I'll wait ......
__________________
 Crying isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of having tried too hard to be strong for too long. |
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#14
Apr 25, 2006, 05:01 PM
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I can't really see how labels like that can possibly help anyone......and still they use them ggrrrrrr
 ((( Hugs )))
__________________
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#15
Apr 26, 2006, 03:41 PM
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SONGBIRD ............ no, you didn't say anything to upset me at all. I hope I didn't say anything to make you think I was upset. I'll go back and read it.........
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#16
Apr 26, 2006, 03:45 PM
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</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
SongBirdandDaisy said: Vaqueraloca Did I say something to upset you? I don't understand your reply post? Songbird </div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> my reply post was about ect ........ I'm not upset with you about anything at all. you didn't say anything to upset me....... we're kewl |
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#17
Apr 26, 2006, 07:43 PM
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I haven't been labled "Treatment Resistant" per se, I just have been in treatment off and I for so long I "feel" treatment resistant..........actually I prefer "refactory"....that way it sounds like it truely is the illness and not just me
.Take care everyone! |
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#18
Apr 26, 2006, 08:30 PM
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Hay Fuzzy............ it is kinda a drag to have to have any kind of label. However, if something is then it is. I think that the label or name of treatment resistant depression is just a description of a type of depression that isn't respondng to treatment that typically works. I've tried so many medication and therapy combinations for the past 20 years with very little success. Treatment resistant does kind of implicate that there might be no hope and in that vein I say Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr as well. But yah gotta call it something right? I never really thought about it until you mentioned it ......
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