My weirdo body reacts really unusual to most to things, but I am beyond desparate at 56 yrs of age. I just increased the Prozac dose to 20mg, 3 days now, too soon to tell if it might help. However, I know there are so many awesome folks out there that might be willing to give me some feedback? I honestly do not want medication, but things are so bad, I've been sinking for years now and I'm afraid I'm close to not making it anymore, to say I am barely existing would be an overstatement. I don't feel well at all, and sort of think there is a medical issue being missed, but? I'd give anything to be free of pain med to see if it's the cause but can't afford to feel even worse at work especially the pain? Sidebar question: I can barely stay awake or function, even if a million dollars was offered it wouldn't perk me up... Can Depression cause this severity of sleepiness? God Bless each of you and thank you for any input you might have...
Would Prozac be worth a try for med resistant Severe Depression/anxiety?
- Posted:
- 20 Aug 2012 by buzzlessbee
- Topics:
- prozac, depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety and stress
Answers (5)
balbanese20 Aug 2012
Yes indeed it can. I know for me the last thing I want to do is further my inner feelings of futility by walking with no destination. However, you would be amazed at what one (or better two) 30 minute walks can do. Much of what makes life all the darker is a low metabolism. It causes us to drag an already low chassis along the pavement. It is probably the most counter-intuitive thing to imagine, but if feeling better is the object, it is again amazing how much better we can handle things if we just get the blood pumping a little better. If not walking, then throwing a ball against the wall for 30 minutes, anything. No, I am not a health/exercise freak, far from it. All the meds or money in the world cannot reproduce this. It works. Best to you, hope this helps. As for not making it anymore? If I can, you can.
tejas12920 Aug 2012
Hello buzzlesbees. Depression can most certainly make one feel exactly as you have described. In fact, some of the meds that we are given can do just the opposite of what they are supposed to. Yes, even after having been on the same one for a long period. I myself am a real weirdo when it comes to meds,and I mean anything from antibiotics that make me hallucinate, to antidepressants, which have caused curious, strange, and deadly reactions in my body and mind. No one ever told me, that alot of the symptoms of depression,anxiety,BPD,OCD,PTSD and the list goes on as far as my "afflictions", that exercise,and PROPER diet,could do a better job of addressing many of my disorders than any medication could. I found this out, quite by accident in 2010.
RonMan20 Aug 2012
I am actually going to comment on the two answers presented so far; exercise can work miracles. Start slow if you have to, but you will be amazed it what your body can do.
Once you get addicted you brain produces opiate like chemicals that can regulate mood, weight and many other things. The need for medication most likely won't go away, but it will change if you get regular exercise.
Strangely, you have nothing to loose and getting healthier can only do good. At the very least you will feel better about yourself.
As far as staying awake, etc. The exercise will do wonders for that. Give it a try.
sara12345
23 Aug 2012
Re. EXERCISE: When I was severely depressed, I had to walk to get to work and to errands. I had no car. I always climbed the escalators at the subway instead of waiting. It made absolutely NO difference to my depression. And from what I've read in the past, exercise does NOT help someone with severe depression. If it's mild, then it can help.
pledge20 Aug 2012
Hello buzzlessbee. No, I doubt it. You are 56 years and all else to date has failed. SSRI/SNRI/CYLIC/ etc. No increase of Prozac is going to change, turn things around. (based on your age and being drug resistant) The next aid, step, is that of a MAOI. MAOI's do have a very high rate of success. There is a down side, that of a diet. A person has to avoid tyramine, which can be found in what a person drinks as well as eats. It is a trade of sorts, you need to watch what you eat and drink and yes, you are feeling a entire world better. From sorrow, sadness to the opposite. Its a try if you feel up to it. Your doctor can fill in the blanks, your concerns, reservations. Regards, pledge
Sunflower...21 Aug 2012
I know this freaks a lot of people out, but I still think ECT is a real life saver for treatment resistant depression. First of all, it's completely painless. I knew who I was when I woke up and knew where I was, etc. The only memory loss are just trivial things like forgetting movies I've seen. I have 3 college degrees in Music, Psychology and Music Therapy and there have been absolutely no memory loss with that. It's not near as barbaric as people think. Maybe it depends on the facility, but the one I went to was awesome. They're used to fearful patients and bent over backwards to decrease any anxiety. Oh, I had 18 treatments last year. It helped tremendously and almost immediately. I also react weirdly to all medication, but there are a huge bunch of SSRI's out there to try if ECT is too scary. Which I totallty get by the way. Everyone pictures One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest! ;) Plz nobody get mad at me - just giving a personal experience.
sara12345
22 Aug 2012
Thanks for sharing your experience.
buzzlessbee
22 Aug 2012
I thank you kindly for your sincere input. If I could, I'd try the ECT. It's time off work I do not have, and due to depression, don't have friends to rely on to give me rides home, my poor family is in crisis, almost everyone has a major health issue to deal with. I don't understand why i feel so sick, I want so badly to try exercise and make myself go walk around a store most days after work, but it takes effort to go see my mom an hour away who needs me so bad. If anything was going to SNAP me out of this it would be the fact my bonus dad was just diagnose with stage 4 cancer and I am the only one they have for support. All of you wonderful folks ... I cannot thank you enough for your input, and I am seriously trying to take your suggestions. I'm so afraid unless I somehow am not trapped in a job 730am 545 pm with driving time, I will never get the help I need. The stress of not being able to take off and feeling so sick all day, is becoming more than I can take. God Bless you!!!
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God Bless you for taking time for you detailed answer. I feel like a dummy becuase I just CANT seem to make myself exercise. I have tried and like you said, it backfires. I have back issue, but I know I should push, I have left chest /arm pain they can't figure out and any activity makes it worse, but in my heart I know you are 100% correct... how did you find the motivation to force yourself? I can't keep my eyes open, have chills, and I may be a hypochondriac, but I think they might be missing some kind of illness? I'm so ashamed and embarrrassed.
Don't feel embarassed,as there is no reason to be.How did I get the motivation??? WOW... I guess it was a good 2 years in the works.I was not doing well at all,even though I was taking my meds religiously. I was on Lithium,and as I've stated in other posts, drugs affect me in strange ways.The lithium was helpful, because I was in MY world,I did nothing but think through my issues and think,and think, about them,I lived in my little world.I did'nt realize it when I was taking it, but I had isolated myself from everyone,my entire family.One day I got sick of my husband treating me like a child,which in many ways I had regressed,not doing things for myself on my own,being in the room, but not really there.Oh, I was busy,THINKING,figuring out so many of the things that were standing in the way of me and the happy life I had known from the age of 20-38.One day,he said something to me,I can't even remember what it was now.
Expand this post...
But it made me very angry.Something to do with the lithium and how it affected me,I dumped the whole bottle down the toilet.The next morning when I woke up I felt this tingling in parts of my body,by that night I was tingling from head to toe, The next morning the tingling started in my brain,literally. It was like my whole body inside and out was coming alive again,and then I began to see that what my husband had been telling me was true.It took about a year before I felt "normal".I hadn't realized how much weight I had gained. I'm 5'1" and was 165lbs.In 2009 we went on a cruise,and I just kept thinking through the whole thing about the size of the swimsuits and evening dresses I had to buy.Thinking how embarrased I was to be wearing a size 16 in swimsuits and evening gowns I had never been so big in my life,not even when I was pregnant.That's when the self disgust started. I thought"well,I can't do anything about it,it's all the meds I'm taking".COP OUT!!! I was turning 50 in August 2010,I felt like a small beached whale.I could'nt even climb into bed without gasping for breath!! By March of 2010, I had come to the decision that even if I could'nt loose the weight, I could at least be healthier.It was hard going those first 3 months.I exercised my butt off,and did not loose one single pound.But as someone else posted, I had become addicted to the exercise,I craved it.By this time, I had come off 8 of the 12 meds I was on too,So I knew I could'nt blame them for the weight problem. Then I was looking around on the internet one day, for what might be stopping me from loosing, and I found a site called Sparkpeople.com.This site was full of information on metabolism,eating properly( i have had an eating disorder since I was just a small child),ways to jump start tyour metabolism,things as simple as eating breakfast,and a page where you could chart your calorie intake,carbs and over 100 other nutrients.So, I started listing foods,cals,carbs,sugar,you name it and I could log it. I realized after a few days that getting this eating thing down was going to be a real challenge for me,as I was eating less than 600 cals a day. Challenge motivates me like nothing else.So,I took the challenge. They also have a spot on the site to record your exercises and it can tell you how many calories you burn with each exercise that you do.Things changed after I started using those tools and taking up the challenge. In July I dropped 13 pounds,even though I was eating more than I had ever eaten in my life,I was just eating different things.Fruits,veggies,whole grains,fish. I eliminated sugar completely,stopped getting fast food,drinking sodas,and began exercising harder by taking up running. I added all these things plus the 90 minutes of circuit/interval training. By my 50th birthday in August 2010 I was down to 127 lbs.Still not my ideal wight,but I had found the right path for loosing the weight,and keeping it off. But the best thing I found was hapiness and confidence in myself again, a certain sense of winning,BEATING it, NO DRUGS.And those are the things that are still with me now.I did loose down to 111 Lbs and this 52 year old( as of today) can rock my bikini!!! I wear it shamelessly, with pride and confidence. Because I worked hard for it.Now that I've created a novel... the answer to your question?? CHALLENGE I realize that some can't do this due to physical problems. But there are exercises out there for EVERYONE!!! You just have to push yourself to JUST DO IT!!! Your mind,body,heart, and soul, WILL thank you for it!!