[desperado]

Anyone here experience their meds stop working after a while of being on them? I have tried about a dozen antidepressants which have all crapped out on me after about (on average) 4-6 months (maximum dosage reached). What do you do then?? I'm afraid that no more meds will work on me. I've tried all the SSRI's, some old tricyclics, one MAOI, and some atypical ones as well. I do not want to go on anti-psychotics because of the weight gain side effect.

I am going through a very difficult time right now. My depression has almost lasted two years now. I am so very hopeless.

Any suggestions? Am I just a lost cause who is not treatable with meds?

[Amazonmom]

I wonder if mood stabilizers would work? Lithium can be used as an adjunct to antidepressants. Lamictal has worked for me and other folks I know.

You sound like me. I agree. Lamictal and lithium are possibilities, and not all anti-psychotics cause weight gain.

[Catherine2]

Originally Posted by desperado

Anyone here experience their meds stop working after a while of being on them? I have tried about a dozen antidepressants which have all crapped out on me after about (on average) 4-6 months (maximum dosage reached). What do you do then?? I'm afraid that no more meds will work on me. I've tried all the SSRI's, some old tricyclics, one MAOI, and some atypical ones as well. I do not want to go on anti-psychotics because of the weight gain side effect.

I am going through a very difficult time right now. My depression has almost lasted two years now. I am so very hopeless.

Any suggestions? Am I just a lost cause who is not treatable with meds?

desperado, no you are not a lost cause although you may feel that way right now...
Am I understanding you correctly that in the last two years you and your pdoc have tried all these drugs without success? And you are still under the care of this pdoc?

Many times it is necessary to add one or two meds to an AD to achieve results/relief. Being creative is very nearly a must when someone is not getting the desire effects.

The weight gain is not always a given with the APs.
Some people have actually lost weight while taking them...

Please keep posting and let us know how you are doing, ok? I hope you and your pdoc can find the right combo of meds for you...don't give up, sometimes it takes trying a few different combos before the right one works.

In Peace

[desperado]

Hi & thanks for the replies.

I was put on lithium roughly 20 years ago but I could not tolerate it, as I developed peripheral edema from it.

Isn't lamictal for bipolar? I have uni-polar. Do you know which anti-psychotics don't cause weight gain?

The last two years have been a long story. I had a useless doctor. I have just begun seeing a new pdoc. So far, he prescribed prozac again for me. I am reluctantly starting to take it again.

[tarabug922]

Though I've gained weight on Abilify it is an antipsychotic that is known for not having weight gain for most people. maybe you could try that?

Love and Hugs,
Tara

[phoenix47baby]

I hear you. I had a five year period where I was depressed and tried a total of 32 medications. There are plenty of meds and one will work for you. Keep the faith and work with your doctor. You will get it worked out.

[Catherine2]

Originally Posted by desperado

Hi & thanks for the replies.

I was put on lithium roughly 20 years ago but I could not tolerate it, as I developed peripheral edema from it.

Isn't lamictal for bipolar? I have uni-polar. Do you know which anti-psychotics don't cause weight gain?

The last two years have been a long story. I had a useless doctor. I have just begun seeing a new pdoc. So far, he prescribed prozac again for me. I am reluctantly starting to take it again.

desperado,
jmo/jme

Off label use for Lamictal is for mood stabilization, and most people have positive results. It is available in generic form and is much less expensive, but just as effective.
BTW, if you do take Lamictal please wear either a medic alert bracelet or info in your wallet, etc. that would alert emergency medical professionals that you are on an anti-seizure medication...that is standard for these meds and nothing to be alarmed about.

It's understandable that you are reluctant to start Prozac or anything other med for that matter...
Prozac is the "granddaddy" of many of the newer drugs...however it is still very effective and does not have the side effect of the weight gain associated with many ADs.

I sincerely wish you well in finding the right combo of drugs for you. Because they didn't work before does not mean they won't work now...many physical changes have occurred as you've gotten older and there is a possibility this will make a positive difference.

Are you doing anything else to deal with the depression?
Walking is good exercise for the body and soul.
Good nutrition also can influence your mood.
Mediation helps, and hobbies of any sort do also.
**Jme, but adding Omega Oils also helped me** Jme

It takes effort to do any of the above, and I'm speaking from my own experience. But I also know how much of a difference it can make...and they don't have to be done all at once.
Try one and stick with it for awhile and see if it helps...walking was very helpful for me. I also love nature so it combined two of my favorite things.

You'll find the ones that help you the most...
Please keep posting and let us know how you are doing.
We Care

In Peace

[desperado]

Holy crap! 32 meds! Wow. I have probably tried well over 20 in the past 20 years. It is very frustrating. Do you mind if I ask you which med(s) finally helped you?

Thanks for the other posts, everyone.

[VickiesPath]

I'm going to offer this for what it's worth.

There are two schools of thought on a depression that is non-responsive to medication.

One, there is an underlying medical condition that has not yet been diagnosed. Many years ago, I was unresponsive to antidepressants. After trying many different antidepressants with little or no luck in relieving my depression, a young, newly practicing psychiatrist decided to give me a TSH test. This is a blood test whereby the level of thyroid stimulating hormone excreted by the pituitary gland is measured in the blood. Prior to that, I had only been tested for the free T3 and T4 in my bloodstream. The test revealed that I had a thyroid deficiency which meant that the antidepressants were not being metabolized efficiently. Also, hypothyroidism itself causes depression. So, once I had begun thyroid replacement therapy, the antidepressant treatment improved.

The second theory is that for persons who have been previously diagnosed with major depression but have not been successfully treated, they actually may have bipolar II disorder. I'm not sure this is applicable because you said you once were treated with Lithium. But, there are other mood stabilizers so perhaps Lithium was not a good choice for you. I was misdiagnosed in 1985 with major depression. I was correctly diagnosed in 2004 with bipolar II. I read recently that this is very common.

JMHO.

Originally Posted by desperado

Anyone here experience their meds stop working after a while of being on them? I have tried about a dozen antidepressants which have all crapped out on me after about (on average) 4-6 months (maximum dosage reached). What do you do then?? I'm afraid that no more meds will work on me. I've tried all the SSRI's, some old tricyclics, one MAOI, and some atypical ones as well. I do not want to go on anti-psychotics because of the weight gain side effect.

I am going through a very difficult time right now. My depression has almost lasted two years now. I am so very hopeless.

Any suggestions? Am I just a lost cause who is not treatable with meds?

Yes, that was my experience exactly. I was never given MAOI's, but I see you were.

My pdoc put me on the Ensam skin patch. It is an MAO -B Inhibitor originally meant for people with Parkinson's Disease.

It has all sorts of other benefits as a nootropic ("smart drug"). Google "deprenyl" and "selelegine" (sp?).

I still have my days down the rabbit hole (like today), but I have noticed a big difference in my mood overall! Mike

[phoenix47baby]

Originally Posted by desperado

Holy crap! 32 meds! Wow. I have probably tried well over 20 in the past 20 years. It is very frustrating. Do you mind if I ask you which med(s) finally helped you?

Thanks for the other posts, everyone.

Yes, the meds that finally helped me are: lithium, 900 mg (it has literally kept me alive) and Effexor XR, 150 mg.