Was I misdiagnosed? Tolerance/resistance to meds…?
Since I was about 17 (23 now), I had started taking anti-depressants and occasionally anti-anxiety medications. I have tried Lexapro, Wellbutrin and Prozac. I have used them individually and together. I had taken them in low doses, and high. Nothing seemed to help, even with alterations to the schedule in which I took them.
I stopped taking the meds when I ran out about a year or so ago, and have not gotten back on. I feel as though my body just does not have a positive reaction to these meds. With the Lexapro and Wellbutrin (both when taken together and individually), I had very bad reactions, in that I felt horrible "electric shocks", horrible anxiety and had severe moods swings. I was weaned off of those and began taking Prozac (starting with 20mg and graduating to 60mg/daily) for over a year to no avail. It is possible that my body just does not acknowledge the fact that I’m taking them? Is it possible to have a resistance to them?
I am quite small (just over 5 feet tall and about 100 lbs.), but I have an extemely high tolerance for what seems to be all medications – OTC and Rx. I had ovarian cysts that grew to the size of baseballs and chronic migraines, and yet when administered Morphine, Tordol (sp?), or any other pain killer – narcotic or not – I feel no sense of relief…
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You very easliy could be misdiagnosed hon..Sometimes, the emotional pain we are suffering, is overwhelming…and can make us feel horrible…
Your sense of relief, lies here within:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might
He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31 NKJV
March 8th, 2010 at 2:17 amMeds don’t always work. In fact, doctors don’t even know why anti-depression meds DO work. About a year ago, the main scientific reasoning behind them was found to have absolutely no relevance, so now it’s unclear why they do what they do, sometimes
March 8th, 2010 at 2:17 amits definitely possible you have been misdiagnosed. it is also possible you just have a really high resistance to certain medications.
March 8th, 2010 at 2:17 amwhile i was on zoloft, i was up to 250 mg of medication. i started off at 12.5 mg, to give you an idea. after a few weeks or months of a certain dosage, it just stopped working for me. now im on lexapro, and the same thing is happening, however i feel better now than i did on zoloft.
i’m small too 5’1, 110 lbs, but at the time of that, i was under 100 lbs. my doctor told me my brain kept bulding receptors that warded off the seratonin coming from the meds.
i would say you should get a second opinion from another doctor than you have now.
It happens fairly often. ~~~ Ask yourself: "Why do I feel depressed, and when did I first start to feel this way: can I associate this with any recent change in my life?" (if so, it is probably situational depression: counselling, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is indicated). Or, was it a more gradual thing, with no apparent cause? (a nutritional deficiency, hypothyroidism, environmental toxicity, or reactions to some medications, etc., becomes more likely as the cause). Antidepressants work quicker than the following; 2 – 6 weeks, but you may have to adjust dosage, or types, whereas St. John’s wort is effective for most people, tolerance doesn’t develop, and the few side effects don’t occur often, and even then are normally not severe (neither should be relied on as a sole treatment).
It doesn’t cause sleeping problems, or weight change, but usually takes at least 2, and generally 4 – 6 weeks to become effective, but can work quicker than antidepressants, sometimes. A recent, independent German double blind study showed it to be as effective as Sertraline (marketed in the USA as Zoloft: a commonly prescribed antidepressant) in cases of major depression, with far fewer side effects, and those were generally better tolerated, with a lower rate of discontinuation. Unlike antidepressants, where sexual dysfunction is a common side effect, it happens much more rarely with St. John’s wort (I have noticed no effect in this area). Remember back to a time when life was full of promise, or a day when you felt particularly good, or possibly excited from a good result. Emotional states are associated with memories, and if it isn’t major depression, this method can help. A multidimensional approach to treating depression without medication follows. All except for no. (7.) are safe to use with medication, but not St. John’s wort, because of interactions, and it’s sensible to check out anything else first with your doctor.
(1.) Take 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily: (certified free of mercury) it is best if consumed with an antioxidant, such as an orange, or grapefruit, or their FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice. If vitamin E is added, it should be certified as being 100% from natural sources, or it may be synthetic: avoid it. In the winter months, replace 2 Omega 3 with a teaspoonful of cod liver oil, if not getting sufficient daily exposure to strong light (http://www.mercola.com/ SEARCHBAR: enter: "vitamin D"). Also take a vitamin B complex which is certified as being 100% of natural origin; a deficiency in vitamin B9 (folic acid, or folate) is known to cause depression. Around 30% – 40% of depressed people have low vitamin B12 levels. Depressed females using the contraceptive pill may benefit from vitamin B6 supplements. ~~~
(2.) Work up slowly to at least 20 minutes minutes of exercise, daily, or 30 – 60 mns, 5 times weekly. Too much exercise can cause stress, which isn’t wanted when dealing with depression. ~~~(3.) Occupational therapy (keeping busy allows little time for unproductive introspection, and keeps mental activity out of less desirable areas of the brain). (4.) Use daily, a relaxation method* and/or yoga*, and/or Tai Chi. ~~~ (5.) Initially, at least, some form of counselling, preferably either Cognitive Behavio(u)ral Therapy, or Rational Emotive Behavio(u)ral Therapy. ~~~ (6.) Maintain a mood chart, and daily activities schedule. ~~~ (7.) As options, if desired, either a known, effective herbal remedy, such as St. John’s wort, (get a German variety, if possible; local ones may vary in effectiveness. Take with a meal) or supplements, such as SAMe, or Inositol (from vitamin and health food stores, some supermarkets, or mail order: view section 55).
If 5HTP is used to boost serotonin levels, (which are low in depressed people) it is best taken with a high carbohydrate, minimal protein meal, like pasta, with tomato & basil, and avoid protein for 90 minutes, before, and after, to maximise the amount crossing the blood/brain barrier. Also, 80% of people in the Western world have low magnesium levels, and these are known to cause depression & anxiety. Try the magnesium supplement types shown in http://www.real-depression-help.com/ Some of these will be available in pharmacies, or supermarkets. Low levels of calcium, and potassium can also cause depression. Have your blood tested, and correct any deficiencies, preferably through improved nutrition.
An improvement can be noticed in as little as a week, if a deficiency is the cause. Also, use iodised salt, as many people are deficient, affecting thyroid function (one of the treatments in books on depression is iodine drops). Try to imagine, as vividly as possible, a time in the not too distant future, when you have overcome this temporary setback, and things are much better. *View section 2, on the first 3 pages, and also pages R, C, I, and section 11, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris and migraine is addressed in section 14.
March 8th, 2010 at 2:17 amI am not a physician nor a pharmacist so any opinion is based on experience. I am not familiar with these three medications but have taken SSRI anti-depressants for years but got off them a year ago. They are mostly ineffectual in my opinion. Depression is one of six to eight basic emotions you are born with so is necessary for life. If it gets out of hand psychotherapy may be necessary to get out of the rut of negativity and start thinking positively. I have great admiration for cognitive behavioral psychotherapy and disdain for medication to control depression.
Anxiety is from fear. As for any fear the way to overcome it is to identify it and face it. To identify it may be a problem as it may be an unconscious fear. Again I am not enthusiastic about medication to control anxiety but believe in psychotherapy for severe cases.
I am male (76 yrs. old) so can not really comment on your female problems but do not quite understand your resistance to strong pain relievers. The bodies response to medication is greatly influenced by subjective beliefs about the effectiveness of the drug.
Look up the subject medications in a Yahoo! web search for info on dosage and side effects but always consult your physician for any changes.
March 8th, 2010 at 2:17 am