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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cgd092 on March 21, 2009, at 17:41:38
I asked my pdoc if she sees a lot of presentations quite like mine and she said not really. Here's what happens to me. Tell me if your depressive episodes are anything like mine:
With maybe only a day or two warning, I'll start feeling anxious. Usually precipitated by a life stressor like birth, pregnancy, moving, school starting, messing with my med dosage, interpersonal stressors, or illness like the flu.
Then, Ill have early morning wakening, marking the start of essentially a panic attack. Then within the day, I go straight into classic major depressive episode symptoms such as:
Extreme, inescapable sadness when there is nothing sad in my life, preoccupation with meaninglessness, exaggerated guilt, suicidal thoughts of escape, feeling like I cant cope with being alive if this is what I have to feel like, complete anhedonia, hard to make even simple decisions, early-morning wakening (4am wake with a panic every day), cant eat/have no appetite, and what feels like extreme anxiety and panic attacks about nothing.
It seems the average length of episode is a little over two weeks. It is acute for one week, and then starts sloooowly going away. I have been on antidepressants and do respond to medicines fairly well.
I think my presentation is unusual because of how quickly my episodes go down to suicidal thoughts and also how quickly I feel better (although at the time two or three weeks feels like forever).
When Im not in a depressive episode, I feel pretty darned normal. I dont feel dysthymic and I have never rated any mania or even hypomania symptoms.
Anyone else have a similar presentation? Thanks!
Posted by garnet71 on March 21, 2009, at 18:28:30
In reply to Does anyone's depression present quite like this?, posted by cgd092 on March 21, 2009, at 17:41:38
Hi there,
No-my conditions are not similar; however, I thought it was worth mentioning that several physicians have told me that anxiety can coincide with your menstrual cycle. Hormones play a role in mental health, maybe as much as the brain does.
Posted by cgd092 on March 21, 2009, at 18:31:47
In reply to Re: Does anyone's depression present quite like this? » cgd092, posted by garnet71 on March 21, 2009, at 18:28:30
> I thought it was worth mentioning that several physicians have told me that anxiety can coincide with your menstrual cycle.
Thanks for chiming in! Yes, I first got depression when I was pregnant for the first time, and then again really bad post partum after baby number two. I have noticed that SSRI's reduce my mental PMS symptoms. However, my last depressive episode was two years ago (I think medications helps keep them fewer and farther between) and my very last one is just now ending. So hormones may play a part, but my episodes aren't every month. Thank goodness!
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on March 21, 2009, at 20:02:02
In reply to Does anyone's depression present quite like this?, posted by cgd092 on March 21, 2009, at 17:41:38
Just an imput, is this a general (checkup) doctor.
Alot of times, feeling unstable about reality, or just the way you feel, mmmmm i can't say. It does relate to somewhat "inner unstablness". Which, you talk it out, but also, if you really want to get aggressive with it, you write it out at night. And....then, you look back and, the mind can "logically", say "ok, so this was happening, and i didnt like it, it made me irrtible"
You know back in the past, on PB, just told what it sounded like. But today, 2009, things are more conservative. But, i'm trying to imput, the best help i give from reading.
Take/care...
rj
Posted by Phillipa on March 21, 2009, at 21:55:05
In reply to Does anyone's depression present quite like this?, posted by cgd092 on March 21, 2009, at 17:41:38
Another thought you mentioned messing with my med doseage. What meds are you on and how do you mess with them? Not discounting hormones as they affect so many moods and they do fluctuate. Love Phillipa
Posted by raisinb on March 21, 2009, at 22:27:06
In reply to Does anyone's depression present quite like this?, posted by cgd092 on March 21, 2009, at 17:41:38
Mine has many of the same features--the shortness of duration of most of my episodes (like yours) meant I decided I could do without meds for most of my life. It took a major depressive episode of several months for me to finally come around on that issue.
Early morning wakening, panic/anxiety upon wakening, feelings of meaninglessness, and loss of appetite are symptoms of classic depression. I have it and a lot of others on this board do too. You will find lots of good support here.
Posted by cgd092 on March 21, 2009, at 23:22:22
In reply to Re: Does anyone's depression present quite like this? » cgd092, posted by Phillipa on March 21, 2009, at 21:55:05
Well, *this* time/episode, beforehand, I was on 20mg/day of Celexa and just 25mg./night of Seroquel to help fall asleep and counteract that SSRI thing where it's hard to fall asleep on them. Okay, so, I started sloooooly reducing my dosage of the Celexa. Then I had a depressive episode and so the pdoc is having me go up to 40mg/day Celexa. So, all in all, I didn't make any progress by messing with my dose to begin with. Altho who knows if just lowering the dose is what caused the episode. So *now* I'm on 40mg/day Celexa, starting up with a Lamictal starter sample pack, and up to 100mg/day Seroquel.
This is the end of the thread.
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