Angela, I can relate to what you're going through with depression and problems with your medications. Since November 2000, I've been on 6 different anti-depressants and a few anti-anxiety medications. My diagnosis includes Major Depressive Disorder and Dysthymic Disorder. I was on Effexor for about a year until I had a Major Depressive episode and suicidal ideation. One day I had an impulse to slash my wrists. A few hours later I thought about buying a gun to shoot myself. Alarmed, I call the Suicide Prevention phone number and told the guy on the phone what I was going through. When I told him I was taking Effexor, he said, "Obviously, the Effexor is not very effective for you." That was when I knew I needed to switch my medication. I almost wound up in a psych ward but instead I went to an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). I switched therapists and meds. Since then I've been on an anti-depressant called Protryptoline (Vivactil) for nearly two years. I think it helped for a while, but I've been severely depressed for the past month and I'm thinking of changing to another anti-depressant. I think it helps to share experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Good luck to you. Take care, Craig

I am taking the maximum dose of Effexor. I have been taking (not the maximum) but Effexor quite effectively (until last summer) and now feel I am back to square 1. My family doctor thinks I should switch and I agree. Has anyone had any exeriences with getting used one medication (to where it is not effective) and then another one being successful.

I have been on many medications over the last 25years. Gee that makes me sound old, but I'm not ;) It all just started early with me. Anyway, what I was going to say is that a long time ago the medications they had for depression were not so great, they gave you lots of horrible side effects. Well for me they did anyway. For the last maybe 15 years or so the new line of anti-depressants has changed considerably, a lot less side effects, and you barely notice you are on medication. It took me years to find the right one for me, or maybe it was the right treatment too. I did have some excellent therapists to go along with the medication also, but what I want to say, is if the first one you try does not seem to help, don't give up. Try another one. We are all so different and what works for me may not work for you. There are some great med's out there now, and great resources, information and support, so don't be afraid to try medication IF you need it and your doctor has prescribed it. Take care Sunny :)

Hi Gail ~ Actually being on the medication has made me less fuzzy.... I suggest that you go ahead and see your doctor, he/she may or may not prescribe medication. For me the medication has helped a lot. For some people though it may mean being prescribed different meds until they find the one that works. I feel so much better now ;p I'm able to do my job with a much higher level of concentration then I could before. My doctor says that I may only need to be on the meds for 6 months, I don't think that is too bad compared the amount of time I spent feeling 'not quite right' ;) Good luck Gail!! Leslie :)

Hello Leslie. My name is Gail. I find I'm tired all the time too and wake up in the morning feeling I could sleep for another ten hours. Thank God for coffee. I drink about 12 cups a day. I took the test but I can't seem to get up the nerve to go to the doctor's. I'm so afraid of what pills will do to me. I have a good job and I work hard and I'm afraid that my boss will find out or that my work will suffer when I'm on pills. I don't want to be fuzzy thinking. I can imagine that it's a tough thing to deal with. Good for you for giving up the smokes, by the way. You must be a strong person.

Thanks for the post, Leslie. Our first poster. Welcome to the site!

Hello to All ~ I'm a member of the Stop Smoking Center and what I'm pasting here is a copy of what I posted in that support group concerning my smoking cessation and the unmasking of my depression since I quit smoking. [color=blue] 01-24-2003 @ 4:18 PM I had noticed since I quit (smoking) in February 2002, that I seemed to always be fuzzy, kind of a drain brain kind of feeling. Last month I went to my doctor for a checkup and we went down through the list of symptoms I was dealing with: * Fuzzy brain feeling * Forgetfulness * Mental shutdown over stressful situations (when a lot of stressful things would happen all at once I wouldn't freak out, I would in essence put the stressful stuff on a back burner sometimes when they shouldn't have been) * Inability to perform some of what used to be the easiest and necessary tasks (like typing - my job depends on my typing skills - I was hitting the backspace key more than the regular keys, when I should have been typing my usual 60 wpm) * Always tired (I could never seem to get enough sleep) * Always jittery (couldn't sit still for long periods of time) My dr. explained to me that I was suffering from dysthemia, a mild form of depression, I basically told him that he was nuts because I am one of the happiest people I know. He explained that not all people suffering from depression are sad or unhappy, that some are like me, I have a normal life but because of too many stressors at one time I subconsciously 'shutdown'. My dr. prescribed Zoloft for a trial period of 30 days. I am very happy to say that I have been taking the meds exactly as prescribed and within a week or two I started noticing changes for the good. He said that it would be gradual and it has. Next Monday will be the 30 day mark, I can now type as my normal speed without as many typo's, I can remember things ~ why I went into a room, why I was calling someone, who I'm supposed to e-mail....etc..., gone is the utter frustration I felt when I just couldn't seem to do everyday things. I prefer not to take meds unless it is absolutely necessary, and in this case it was absolutely necessary! Ok, now the main reason I am even bringing such a personal subject up is this: I suffered from these problems before I quit smoking,

Welcome everyone. This is the forum to exchange information about how your meds worked for you. However, remember to share only and not to give prescription or medical advice. We hope you will find this forum a useful one for you.