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Suggest Medication For Clinical Depression
Question: I am taking antidepressants, but they don't work. I think they worked at one point, but this year has been so bad for me that regular SSRI's are not enough. Also, I know that any new drug I would take would take weeks to "work." I am also in talk therapy, which helps a tiny bit.
Do you know anything about taking those stronger, old-fashioned drugs for depression, like morphine and other opioids. To use an analogy, sometimes vitamin C isn't enough and you need Tylenol. What are the best of these? Are there other strong, fast-acting drugs that would knock out the bad feelings for awhile?
It would help a lot if the person responding has actually experienced clinical depression him- or herself. This is almost as bad or maybe just as bad as actual, physical pain, and so many doctors have told me that I basically need to live with it. I don't want to live with it, and I will find a way to get the drugs regardless. I just want some advice on which is best, and if there is anyone in the SF Bay Area who would be willing to prescribe them. Thanks!
Do you know anything about taking those stronger, old-fashioned drugs for depression, like morphine and other opioids. To use an analogy, sometimes vitamin C isn't enough and you need Tylenol. What are the best of these? Are there other strong, fast-acting drugs that would knock out the bad feelings for awhile?
It would help a lot if the person responding has actually experienced clinical depression him- or herself. This is almost as bad or maybe just as bad as actual, physical pain, and so many doctors have told me that I basically need to live with it. I don't want to live with it, and I will find a way to get the drugs regardless. I just want some advice on which is best, and if there is anyone in the SF Bay Area who would be willing to prescribe them. Thanks!
Brief Answer:
My suggestions
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I am Dr Mittal.
I have read your message.
I think I can help you.
First, you are already on 2 major medicines - sertraline and buproprion. They are 2 of the most effective medicines.
And the older medicines have been in disuse for a reason. To use an analogy , the best medicines in seizure disorders are still the previous medicines cause they have a comparable side effect profile with the current medicines in use and are at least equally effective, and hence continued to be in use.
I suggest having a look at the side effect profile of morphine. you will find that itself morphine can cause depression.
If you still want to add a drug, 1st consider cymbalta. try it for a few weeks- you have correctly said that upto 6 weeks may be needed for full effects.
If this doesn't help, then possibly a combination of MAO- I and TCAs may be attempted eg elavil and emsam.
Psychotherapy sessions are usually helpful with some benefits recorded in chiropractic practices. So you may additionally try this. It helps relieve the pain.
As for the prescription, it's better you keep meeting the current prescribing doctor with the current suggestions because it will need tapering of the current medicines when the old ones come in use.
I have tried to make it as simple as possible. I hope that the information contained in this message will be able to help you find the best solution for your problem. Best of luck. Dr Mittal.
My suggestions
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I am Dr Mittal.
I have read your message.
I think I can help you.
First, you are already on 2 major medicines - sertraline and buproprion. They are 2 of the most effective medicines.
And the older medicines have been in disuse for a reason. To use an analogy , the best medicines in seizure disorders are still the previous medicines cause they have a comparable side effect profile with the current medicines in use and are at least equally effective, and hence continued to be in use.
I suggest having a look at the side effect profile of morphine. you will find that itself morphine can cause depression.
If you still want to add a drug, 1st consider cymbalta. try it for a few weeks- you have correctly said that upto 6 weeks may be needed for full effects.
If this doesn't help, then possibly a combination of MAO- I and TCAs may be attempted eg elavil and emsam.
Psychotherapy sessions are usually helpful with some benefits recorded in chiropractic practices. So you may additionally try this. It helps relieve the pain.
As for the prescription, it's better you keep meeting the current prescribing doctor with the current suggestions because it will need tapering of the current medicines when the old ones come in use.
I have tried to make it as simple as possible. I hope that the information contained in this message will be able to help you find the best solution for your problem. Best of luck. Dr Mittal.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Is there any drug that can get rid of depression within minutes or hours? Or even days? I read a couple of places online that ketamine is a "miracle cure." I don't really want to take any more meds that I need to wait weeks to kick in, because I don't even know if I would have felt better by then anyway. Also, most of my depression is situational: this year, I lost a job, got into a few scrapes while driving, and had a lot of family tension. I didn't feel depressed before that, maybe because of the meds or maybe not. I just need a quick fix.
Brief Answer:
Suggestions
Detailed Answer:
Ketamine is basically a pre anesthetic agent.
And it's Antidepressants effect is not really reliable.
Since you have conditional depression, behaviour therapy would be more advisable.
Best of luck. Dr Mittal.
Suggestions
Detailed Answer:
Ketamine is basically a pre anesthetic agent.
And it's Antidepressants effect is not really reliable.
Since you have conditional depression, behaviour therapy would be more advisable.
Best of luck. Dr Mittal.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I have tried talk therapy, in fact I am doing talk therapy right now. Regular antidepressants are extremely weak drugs: they take four to six weeks to work, the effects are *extremely* subtle if they aren't just the placebo effect, and I even scientific literature isn't completely sure if they work. The Internet is full of people debating whether the drugs they are taking are doing anything! I am increasing my dosage (with a doctor's approval) to see if it does anything. If I don't notice anything in a month, I might just taper off, because there's no reason to be on them.
I'm not looking for something to take and function on every day right now: just something for really low moods and acute stressful episodes, preferably not just something that knocks me out, but something that actually makes me feel happy. I don't want to have to go to the black market just to not feel depressed.
I'm not looking for something to take and function on every day right now: just something for really low moods and acute stressful episodes, preferably not just something that knocks me out, but something that actually makes me feel happy. I don't want to have to go to the black market just to not feel depressed.
Brief Answer:
Needs a different way
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Considering that the symptoms are episodic -there us a cause to them- I would prefer to taper the drugs soon too.
Such episodic symptoms need mood elation techniques. I for example prefer to go for a swim when feeling low. Doing such recreational activity would help. I know a patient who deals with the symptoms by working extra hours.
You will need to find such an activity.
Best of luck. Dr Mittal.
Needs a different way
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Considering that the symptoms are episodic -there us a cause to them- I would prefer to taper the drugs soon too.
Such episodic symptoms need mood elation techniques. I for example prefer to go for a swim when feeling low. Doing such recreational activity would help. I know a patient who deals with the symptoms by working extra hours.
You will need to find such an activity.
Best of luck. Dr Mittal.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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