Depression (the disease, not the economy)

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #1 02-01-2009, 01:26 AM

Is anyone else here dealing with Major Depressive Disorder? Are you being treated by your primary care physician or a psychiatrist? How long as your depression lasted? What drugs are you taking for it? Have you ever been hospitalized for depression? What are the side effects? Are you also doing a form of talk therapy?

I've been dealing with depression for a year and nine months. It was a side effect of the Depo Provera (birth control) shot, and it just snowballed out of control.

I started off with my primary care physician, but when it became obvious that I wasn't responding to several drugs the doc suggested I move on to a psychiatrist. I like her a lot; I feel like she really listens and acts on what I have to say. If I tell her a drug isn't working for me or the side effects are too bad to handle, she switches me to something else right away. No patting me on the head and telling me "we'll just wait another three weeks and see how you're doing then, hmm?"

I take Wellbutrin, Prozac, and Lithium. The combo seems to be working pretty well. The worst side effect is fine hand tremor (my hands shake). It drives me nuts. My handwriting is awful and I drop stuff all the time. Putting on mascara in the morning is an adventure. But I keep taking it because the shakes are better than those days when I couldn't get out of bed or eat.

I do go to talk therapy. I didn't want to go - it's pointless, I thought, since I don't have any big time problems in my life that would warrant counseling - but the more research I did the more I saw that patients who were treated with drugs AND talk therapy did much, much better than patients who were treated with one or the other. And boy did I want to get better.

I'm doing much better these days, although I'm still waiting for the go-ahead from the doc and the therapist for me to return to work. Makes for plenty of time to post on GC, though.

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #2 02-01-2009, 05:32 PM

No one wants to talk about this? Really? 17 million American adults are struck by depression each year and I'm the only one of them on GC?

Benzgirl · #3 02-01-2009, 06:13 PM

I think many of us are tired of all of your questions. Chill out and turn on the Super Bowl, like everyone else on this site.

KSUViolet06 · #4 02-01-2009, 07:23 PM

http://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=31346

You most likely are not the only one on GC, but alot of times, people are reluctant to share personal info about themselves and their medical history/conditions via the internet (especially with some of the batshit crazy people we've had here before).

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #5 02-01-2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

I think many of us are tired of all of your questions. Chill out and turn on the Super Bowl, like everyone else on this site.

I'm always like this. You should put me on "ignore".

libramunoz · #6 02-02-2009, 02:53 AM

I can understand your depression. This is something that I have suffered from and that tends to run in my family as well. My depression tends to be episode based and that last one was when my Grandfather passed away.
If the medication that you are on is working, continue to use it, it seems to do good for you. As far as the tremors in your hands, have you had your doctor look at your thyroid levels? This could be affected by the used of both Lithium and the Wellbutrin.

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #7 02-02-2009, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by libramunoz

As far as the tremors in your hands, have you had your doctor look at your thyroid levels? This could be affected by the used of both Lithium and the Wellbutrin.

I didn't know that - thank you!

libramunoz · #8 02-02-2009, 03:39 PM

Your welcome. I have hypothyroidism (which is the opposite of Grave's Disease, which my sister has) and before I had my operation (for the removal of half my thyroid) I took Cytomel and Armour Thyroid and would sometimes get the hand shakes (which is what I called them). It would be due to the thyroid acting up and acting crazy, primarily due to stress. Have them do the check specifically for your thyroid. Because the Wellbutrin and the Lithium can settle in the liver, they (if I'm remembering correctly) can also affect other areas of the body and the thyroid is one of them. When the doctor does your CBC, have her check.

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #9 02-02-2009, 04:37 PM

Ha! The "hand shakes". I like it.

libramunoz · #10 02-02-2009, 07:20 PM

It was easier calling it that than trying to describe it to my dr. at the time. Since I have had half of my thyroid out, I haven't had them anymore.

KSUViolet06 · #11 02-02-2009, 09:39 PM

I don't know that I would want people on GC knowing what combos of meds I take, but maybe that's just me.

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #12 02-02-2009, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I don't know that I would want people on GC knowing what combos of meds I take, but maybe that's just me.

Yup, that's just you.

I don't mind a bit.

DrPhil · #13 02-02-2009, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I don't know that I would want people on GC knowing what combos of meds I take, but maybe that's just me.

It's not just you.

This thread reads more like a PM convo between HotDamn and libramunoz.

libramunoz · #14 02-02-2009, 10:03 PM

I think that it's something that people may have but just don't want to admit to having or discussing. Depression isn't something that is easy to talk about because of the things that it can lead you to or lead you into doing.
It's like talking about drug addiction or alcoholism, it's the pink elephant in the room, but people don't want to admit that it's there.

DrPhil · #15 02-02-2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by libramunoz

I think that it's something that people may have but just don't want to admit to having or discussing. Depression isn't something that is easy to talk about because of the things that it can lead you to or lead you into doing.
It's like talking about drug addiction or alcoholism, it's the pink elephant in the room, but people don't want to admit that it's there.

Time and place.