![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by shar on March 15, 2003, at 23:48:05
I redirected this from Psycho Babble:
> I posted in a different area and am not getting answers I had hoped so I am doing new post to see if anyone else out there can help me. I have had clinical depression for 10 years, but for the last two May months, I have tried to overdose. The last one almost worked. The docs differ as to whether I am difficult to treat depression and anxiety or bipolar. I currently take 20mg lexapro in am and 1 mg klonopin in eve with 200 mg seroquel and just started 4 mg gabitril. I do not think the gabitril is doing anything and I sleep awful at night unless I sneak in some ambien on my own. Already I can see my thoughts changing to feelings of worthless and that everyone would just be better without me. This is really not the true me because I am a pediatric nurse, I raised a daughter with autism, I have a happy marriage of 34 years, a 31 year old son who is doing fine, and I am caring and compassionate. But my thoughts are getting so dark again. Any suggestions would really be helpful. I am also on hormone therapy so there really is almost nothing I have not tried. What is the drug duloxetine and is it available in US?
> Thanks for any input
Posted by beardedlady on March 16, 2003, at 7:29:08
In reply to HELP THIs is time of year I try suicide , posted by shar on March 15, 2003, at 23:48:05
Posted by Dinah on March 16, 2003, at 8:57:45
In reply to Who is the person we're helping? (nm) » shar, posted by beardedlady on March 16, 2003, at 7:29:08
Posted by gabbix2 on March 16, 2003, at 14:01:33
In reply to Who is the person we're helping? (nm) » shar, posted by beardedlady on March 16, 2003, at 7:29:08
Hi.
This is my worst time of year also. Actually from between March until August. My suicide attempt have always been in spring or summer. I also have had depression for 10 years. I've been on and off too many medications to count. Some have helped, but nothing ever really got rid of my anxiety/fear which I really felt I couldn't face another season of.
As a last attempt my Psychiatrist suggested a low dose of Zyprexa, about two weeks ago. Its been a miracle. It hasn't made me just so numb I feel nothing, its actually made me feel well, and things are in perspective. I really thought there was nothing left for me.
I would definately suggest it, but even if its not something you want to try, I want to at least offer you hope, because to say I was at the end of my rope is an understatement.
I'm sending you good thoughts, please check back and let us know how you are.
Posted by Pfinstegg on March 16, 2003, at 16:30:54
In reply to HELP THIs is time of year I try suicide , posted by shar on March 15, 2003, at 23:48:05
You sound so much like me- also with a good marriage, successful work in a medicine-related field, one 26 year old son doing well, but a 10-year history of depression with terribly low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts. Mine was not seasonal, however. I have a couple of thoughts- things which have helped me this past year. The first thing was adding Cytomel to my long-standing synthroid supplementation. I asked an endocrinologist to try this after I read the 1999 NEJM article about how helpful it can be in depression. We aimed for, and got, a TSH of close to 0.5; I do watch bone density but so far am doing fine with that. I tried to discontinue HRT last summer after the new information came out, but found that caused a paralyzing degree of depression. I have a wonderful gynecologist, and we are working together to see what the lowest possible dosage can be. He uses Ogen, a plant-based form of estrogen, and I am currently doing fine on about one-third of the regular dose daily.(plus a normal dose of progesterone)
I do pay attention to vitamins and minerals, and take a lot of all of them, the B's especially. I also added fish oil- enough to make 1000 units of EPH daily. Because the depresssion was still pretty severe despite all of these measures, I underwent a three-week course of TMS in January. It was an easy treatment to undergo, with no side effects such as short-term memory loss, and resulted in a complete remission- the first for me in ten years.
I didn't mention medications, but I tried a lot of them; they would usually help quite a lot initially, but none had any staying power.
I hope something in my post will be helpful- and do wish you the very best.
Pfinstegg
Posted by gabbix2 on March 16, 2003, at 16:57:22
In reply to Re: HELP THIs is time of year I try suicide » shar, posted by Pfinstegg on March 16, 2003, at 16:30:54
Oh I should have mentioned Cytomel as well.
That has been such a staple I forgot what a difference it made when I first started taking it
5 years ago.
Posted by sienna on March 16, 2003, at 21:05:33
In reply to HELP THIs is time of year I try suicide , posted by shar on March 15, 2003, at 23:48:05
Hi I dont know what duloxetine is.
I get really suicidal a lot too and it comes in waves for me not really around certain months. I was worse in august then ive benn in a while but its slipping again.
I dont have the best advice but i can say that it does get better. It might get worse again, but it will always get better too. And i belive that there are coping skills and resources to help us. I dont know what all of them are, but this board is very helpful. Its been helpful for me to read that other people go through what i do.It takes a long time to find the right treatment sometimes. I know i have been sick ever sincef i was born if that makes any sense. I cant remember a time when i wasnt ill.
But i do have some tiny hope and tiner belief that a treatment will work. Take care fo yourself and i hope you will come back and right more when you feel up to it.
sienna
Posted by Mandy on March 17, 2003, at 13:45:05
In reply to Re: Help , posted by gabbix2 on March 16, 2003, at 14:01:33
I am the one that posted originally on the med board. I appreciate everyone's input. But I have spent the last four days in bed. I worry about how long my husband can put up with this. I see my psych tomorrow and I do not know if I should ask to change meds and if so, what do I change to? I hate this feeling and it would be so much easier to just go to sleep and not wake up. I will keep trying. My husband lost his job in October and I guess that is what is saving me because he is around to keep me from doing anything. I had my a new knee at the end of January so I am still recovering from that but I cannot allow myself to accept that maybe it is okay to just be quiet and rest. All I do is "beat myself up in my mind"
Posted by shar on March 17, 2003, at 21:47:49
In reply to Who is the person we're helping? (nm) » shar, posted by beardedlady on March 16, 2003, at 7:29:08
I tried redirecting the post because it was on regular PB, and luckily Dinah posted the url for the original post (guess that would've helped, hm? If I only had a brain....).
Thanks, Dinah.
Shar
Posted by Dinah on March 18, 2003, at 3:28:49
In reply to Re: Help , posted by Mandy on March 17, 2003, at 13:45:05
I think it's important to explain to your doctor exactly what you are experiencing. That is your responsibility as a patient. He probably has some ideas on what med changes might help.
Is your husband supportive of you? I'm sure it's a stressful time in your house, and that can't help much.
Best wishes with your doctor tomorrow. Don't forget to tell him everything, even if you have to print out some posts to bring him to explain. There is no point to your suffering with this depression any more than you have to.
And please continue to post here if that helps.
Posted by Dinah on March 18, 2003, at 3:29:30
In reply to Who is the person we're helping? It's Mandy » beardedlady, posted by shar on March 17, 2003, at 21:47:49
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.