Anti-Depressants

January 6, 2007

That is exactly how I feel now. Like I am just a lazy ass when I have been a go getter all of my life. I just want to stay at home on the sofa. I have been to several Dr.s but have found nothing to help.

In a message dated 1/6/2007 11:50:59 A.M. Central Standard Time, jsousa8946@... writes:

I'm fortunate that I don't have problems with my sex drive, but we're all different. I'm on Celexa 40 mg, Remeron ( Mertazepine) 30 mg, which I started when the Celexa felt like it wasn't doing the job as well. Recently I added Ritalin because I didn't have the drive for life that I normally have. It's a wierd feeling that you start to percieve that you are lazy and don't feel you want to do anything, but it actually is a symptom of deppression. I've been on at least a dozen different antideppresants in the last 15 years, some of them never work while others just work for a little while. Believe me when I tell you that you have to keep trying, life is beautiful (of course also painfull sometimes). Think about different antideppresants that work on different receptors such as Serotonin or Nephinefforine (spelling???). It seems that it takes forever to reach the right combination, but it's worth it. One of the best I've ever tried was St s Wort But I always have to stop it when I go back on treatment because of the interactions. Keep a smile on your face.

Sousa

January 7, 2007

I finally had to take me off of my antidepressant, Paxil. It worked when I was at the lowest point in my life, but it kept me so very sleepy all day, and a feeling of being drugged. jsousa8946@... wrote: I'm fortunate that I don't have problems with my sex drive, but we're all different. I'm on Celexa 40 mg, Remeron ( Mertazepine) 30 mg, which I started when the Celexa felt like it wasn't doing the job as well. Recently I added Ritalin

because I didn't have the drive for life that I normally have. It's a wierd feeling that you start to percieve that you are lazy and don't feel you want to do anything, but it actually is a symptom of deppression. I've been on at least a dozen different antideppresants in the last 15 years, some of them never work while others just work for a little while. Believe me when I tell you that you have to keep trying, life is beautiful (of course also painfull sometimes). Think about different antideppresants that work on different receptors such as Serotonin or Nephinefforine (spelling???). It seems that it takes forever to reach the right combination, but it's worth it. One of the best I've ever tried was St s Wort But I always have to stop it when I go back on treatment because of the interactions. Keep a smile on your face. Sousa

SEIZE THE DAY! ENJOY TODAY, SMELL THE ROSES AND HUG YOURSELF __________________________________________________

January 7, 2007

I finally had to take me off of my antidepressant, Paxil. It worked when I was at the lowest point in my life, but it kept me so very sleepy all day, and a feeling of being drugged. jsousa8946@... wrote: I'm fortunate that I don't have problems with my sex drive, but we're all different. I'm on Celexa 40 mg, Remeron ( Mertazepine) 30 mg, which I started when the Celexa felt like it wasn't doing the job as well. Recently I added Ritalin

because I didn't have the drive for life that I normally have. It's a wierd feeling that you start to percieve that you are lazy and don't feel you want to do anything, but it actually is a symptom of deppression. I've been on at least a dozen different antideppresants in the last 15 years, some of them never work while others just work for a little while. Believe me when I tell you that you have to keep trying, life is beautiful (of course also painfull sometimes). Think about different antideppresants that work on different receptors such as Serotonin or Nephinefforine (spelling???). It seems that it takes forever to reach the right combination, but it's worth it. One of the best I've ever tried was St s Wort But I always have to stop it when I go back on treatment because of the interactions. Keep a smile on your face. Sousa

SEIZE THE DAY! ENJOY TODAY, SMELL THE ROSES AND HUG YOURSELF __________________________________________________

June 16, 2007

ABERRIES - u're probably right about the anti-depressants, also!! they prescribe them, maybe for a specific trauma in ur life; but never take u off them!! i just weaned myself off them, by the agreement with my new PCP, that i was too long on them!! would you believe 9 YRS.?? that's how long it's been since my husband died; and, although i've had several doctors since then, none of them recommended that i come off!! then, i read where anti-depressants can lead to bone density problems. don't need that; since i already suffer from osteoporosis!! one PSP told me i could take them indefinitely!! i'm off them altogether now, and so far, i feel just fine. after 9 yrs., they probably weren't doing anything anyway!! built up a tolerance, no doubt about it!!

marshiris@...

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June 16, 2007

Whoops! What if people stopped taking anti-depressants. Oh Noooooooooo, Mr. Bill. What would the stockholders do?

Glad you are off them and realized the scam. Better late, than never. We are stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

From: low dose naltrexone [mailto:low dose naltrexone ] On Behalf Of marshiris@...Sent: Saturday, June 16, 2007 11:21 AMlow dose naltrexone Subject: Re: [low dose naltrexone] ANTI-DEPRESSANTS

ABERRIES - u're probably right about the anti-depressants, also!! they prescribe them, maybe for a specific trauma in ur life; but never take u off them!! i just weaned myself off them, by the agreement with my new PCP, that i was too long on them!! would you believe 9 YRS.?? that's how long it's been since my husband died; and, although i've had several doctors since then, none of them recommended that i come off!! then, i read where anti-depressants can lead to bone density problems. don't need that; since i already suffer from osteoporosis!! one PSP told me i could take them indefinitely!! i'm off them altogether now, and so far, i feel just fine. after 9 yrs., they probably weren't doing anything anyway!! built up a tolerance, no doubt about it!!

marshirisaol

See what's free at AOL.com.

March 13, 2008

Hope for Antidepressant Effectiveness Test

By Steenhuysen,

Reuters

Posted: 2008-03-12 09:59:19

CHICAGO (March 12) - Changes in the location of a single protein in the

brain could be used to tell whether a person with depression is responding to

an

antidepressant within days of taking the drug, U.S. researchers said on

Tuesday.

People with depression now must wait weeks before they learn whether the

drug they are taking will bring relief.

But researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered

that a single protein in the brain changes its location within a cell membrane

when an antidepressant is working, and this change could be identified with a

simple blood test.

" The possibility there, is if we look at blood from a patient on day zero

and day four or five, we'll know whether the antidepressant would be

effective, " said UIC's Dr. Mark Rasenick, whose study appears in the Journal of

Neuroscience.

His team compared brain samples from depressed people who had committed

suicide with those from people who had no history of psychiatric disorders.

What they found was a key difference in the location of a signaling protein

known as Gs alpha -- which is important for the action of neurotransmitters

or message-carrying chemicals such as serotonin.

In people with depression, this protein is trapped in what Rasenick called a

" lipid raft " inside the cell membrane. While stuck in this thick, gluey area

of the cell, the signaling protein seemed less effective at directing the

action of message-carrying chemicals.

In tests on rats and in cell cultures done in Rasenick's lab,

antidepressants helped move the Gs alpha protein into an area of the cell where

it could be

more effective.

" The antidepressant causes this protein to move out of a little prison in

the cell membrane called a lipid raft so that it works better. That was all

established by very basic studies on rats or cells, " Rasenick said in a

telephone interview.

" What this study demonstrated in depressed suicides is that in depression,

you had exactly the opposite effect. This G protein was more than twice as

likely to be imprisoned in those lipid rafts. And then it didn't work as well, "

he said.

He said the method worked with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or

SSRIs, such as Prozac, as well as the older tricyclic antidepressants.

Rasenick said using this protein as a biomarker, a simple blood test could

be made that would confirm a depression diagnosis or determine whether an

antidepressant is working.

It also gives a clearer picture of the chemical changes in the brain

underlying depression.

" The notion here is that depression is really a biological illness. So many

people refuse to seek medical help for this. They talk to their bartender but

they don't talk to their doctor. Studies like this help to reinforce not

only that this is a medical problem, but that there is a clear chemical

change, "

he said.

(Editing by Maggie Fox and Philip Barbara)

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2008-03-12 09:59:19

" Ms. Michele "

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May 13, 2008

Just one additional thought: Anti-D's like Prozac,Paxil,Celexa and the 38 others on the market act (as you likely already know) on Seratonin in the body. Well....it turns out that 90% of your seratonin resides in your intestins and there are even seretonin receptors in your heart. NO ONE can tell you the effects these SSRI's will have on these other body systems with long term use.

In my case, I would rather deal with problems and work Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy for minor or moderate depression issues.

I think our host here...( are you listening?) may have information about the benefits of Omega3 and fish oil supplements that could benefit somene who is tyring to work out some of these issues.

Grant

May 13, 2008

Amen to that!!! I think much of America just wants some pill to take and make all the bad stuff go away. I think alot of people just don't want to deal with everyday life. Or for whatever reason did not deal with issues as a child so as an adult can not either!! We forget to tell our kids that life is not going to be perfect. That sometimes things don't work out for the better and we have to learn how to deal with that. That sometimes life just sucks for no reason at all and its no ones fault, that's just the way things are sometimes.

We have all these games for kids where they always win.....no games out there to show that sometimes you do loose...that you need to learn how to deal with things/issues/actions when you loose. I do believe that some people really do get benefits from antidepressants. But would they need to if maybe they learned another type of coping skill as a child??? Once you start that medication highway its most often hard to get off and most times you never get off it. It just becomes an crutch or an excuse to never really get to the bottom of the problem.

When I was going through my crisis I did do medication but I also sought out professional help. I found an HIV/AIDS place that had physiotherapist donate there time. I talked with my lady there for 2 years. That was the best thing I think I ever did for myself. Yes the medication did help me to calm my fears and my panic attacks but the Dr. tough me skills. She helped me realize who I was and how I ticked. She helped me to learn about myself and that I was awesome!! To this day I still go back from time to time and take something from those sessions. I finally weened myself from my meds. I do take from time to time Remeron. A very tiny dose at night but that is mostly for appetite. I have a problem with that and Remeron seems to help with that.

Like the old saying goes " You give a man some fish and you feed him but you teach a man to fish and you feed him for a life time" or something like that LOL.....but you get my point!!

May 13, 2008

Apparently you have never experienced true depression, I have, and I can tell you fish oil didn't work for me. St-'s Wort worked sometimes. SAM-e never worked. I have been living with HIV for 23 years, HBV for over 25 years, HPV and HSV for over 20 years. Guess what, the disease I dread the most is depression. Can you and everyone else understand that life is not worth living with depression, it is the most horrible feeling to be in a fetal position in your bed without being able to move (the pain is horrible, but is not physical), crying without having anything to cry about. Having nothing that would bring you pleasure (even having sex with the most beautiful man in the world). You do not want to be alone but you can't stand to be with others (not even those you love). Depression is a horrible disease but some antidepressants work for some people some of the time. Others are lucky and the first one they try works. Others like me, it works for a few months or a few years, then the horrible back abyss again, and we try something else or a combination of different drugs. This can take months. Altogether it is years taken off my life, far more years than HIV will take away from me. Those lost years are full of suffering. No wonder people don't talk about depression, we know that people just can't comprehend what we are going through.

Sousa

In a message dated 05/13/08 22:16:57 Eastern Daylight Time, ggailey@... writes:

Just one additional thought: Anti-D's like Prozac,Paxil,Celexa and the 38 others on the market act (as you likely already know) on Seratonin in the body. Well....it turns out that 90% of your seratonin resides in your intestins and there are even seretonin receptors in your heart. NO ONE can tell you the effects these SSRI's will have on these other body systems with long term use.

In my case, I would rather deal with problems and work Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy for minor or moderate depression issues.

I think our host here...( are you listening?) may have information about the benefits of Omega3 and fish oil supplements that could benefit somene who is tyring to work out some of these issues.

Grant

Plan your next roadtrip with MapQuest.com: America's #1 Mapping Site.

May 14, 2008

I think there are MANY ways to manage depression. Pills can help --

and every body is different, as we all well know. I think for some,

short periods can be good.

The gloomy reality is most are approved on MAYBE 6-month clinical

trials, but then lazy docs just keep people on them for years.

Sometimes that may be necessary--but probably MUCH more rarely than

is the practice.

Other approaches, as some have so eloquently described, can help.

Cognitive therapy, meditation, St. 's wort, sleep management

(maybe with melatonin), allowing one's self to feel the pain and

grief life sends our way (god, the horrors of Burma and Szechuan are

poignant) without getting lost in those shadows, allowing ourselves

to feel joy in this brief journey, counseling, friends, music or art

(playing violin has been one of the greatest balancing joys of my

life) -- all of these can help guide us through those rocky phases.

With HIV, depression is clearly a serious issue. I think managing

oxidative stress that arises in the brain is an important cornerstone

of HIV therapy. Fish oils have been shown to help with depression.

Each of us must find our way through the thickets of our feelings and

thoughts. And having a community like this one I think is also a

great boon that can help folks share their pain and alleviate

suffering. Kudos to and all the others who help maintain and

keep this forum going!!

On a last note, it is so great to see all the options, caveats and

limitations notwithstanding, to help with facial lipoatrophy. It is

not merely a matter of " cosmetics " but one that strikes at the core

of who we are as we literally " face " the world.

Explore all options, I guess is what I'm saying, and find the right

mix that works for you.

M.

May 14, 2008

"In my case, I would rather deal with problems and work Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy for minor or moderate depression issues. "There are times when this is clearly the correct pathway, and there are others when not treating depression is to wish hurt and evil onto another human being.Maybe you should make your choices for yourself, and not judge other people who are in pain?JB

May 19, 2008

I agree with you . Like to add that a lot of times I've had depression

that I can't put my finger on. It can get confused with just HIV " disease "

and fatigue or medication side-effects. Pharmaceutical solutions are

sometimes the best choice with severe depression, as said. But with

that (hopeful) relief, pinpointing the issue underlying it is really

important (physical and emotional). And many of us are on an antidepressant

for a long time just because we finally found something we can live with,

and the prescribing doctor figures " if it works, don't try to fix it " , or

(as in my case), they're just not around any more.

Still, nothing better than healthy lifestyle with exercise, diet,

meditation, etc., once you're motivated enough. We need extra pampering with

this disease.

BG

Re: Re:anti-depressants