Hang in there. Sometimes it takes a while to get the right combination of meds that work for you. Every person is different. It does sound like an awful lot of meds in such a short period of time, yes a year and a half is a short period of time in a life time and sometimes it helps to recognize that. Most antidepressants don't show full results for 6-8 weeks, sometimes longer.

Personally, I am a bipolar I with borderline personality disorder, post traumatic stress, anxiety/panic attacks and more. I was undiagnosed/misdiagnosed for at least 16 years from my first major symptoms(I tried to commit suicide at age 12). Once I was properly diagnosed it took another 8-9 years before we found the right combination of drugs for me. I know that sounds like a long time but the point is I found the right combination and in time you will too. I am med resistant which means it sometimes takes what seems like an un-godly amount of medicine to take full effect. I also learned that drinking too much(a gallon or more) of water or tea a day flushes your system making meds less effective. It also helped that for a while I had a wonderful doctor who listened to me. I have had a lot of doctors over the years, most of which I wouldn't send my worst enemy to. Some where so overworked that they didn't listen, some just didn't care which led to many, many hospitalizations. I wanted to give up so many times, I was sick of all the meds and med changes, nothing seemed to work for years, some actually made me worse. Prozac made me homicidal, I was hospitalized for 2 weeks over that. I told my doc that my rage was out of control and he's just nod his head, give me the same prescription and out the door I went. If you have a doctor like that, get another one.

I am doing pretty good now, much much better than most bipolar I's. I am now running my own online business, something I could have never done 5 years ago. I honestly never thought life would get this good. I am stressed over money and bills but most people are right now. 

Hang in there!! You will get there and when you do you will look back and say it's been a tough road but I fianally got there! Keep your eyes on the prize and you will make it.

JENNIFER TURNER

11/ 7/08 10:58am

HI, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT SOMEWHERE THERE IS A MED. THAT WILL WORK FOR YOU.OR IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL MEDS. TO TAKE AT THE SAME TIME TO HELP YOU. JUST DONT GIVE UP..ALSO THE COMMENT THE OTHER PERSON WROTE ABOUT DRINKING A LOT OF WATER  EVERYDAY FLUSHES YOUR MEDS. OUT OF YOUR SYSTOM, WOW, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT INFO. I HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT DRINKING A LOT OF WATER WILL DO THAT. THAT JUST MAY BE MY ANSWER TO WHY I AM SO DEPRESSED RIGHT NOW, AND, I,M STILL TAKING MY MEDS. I DRINK BOTTLED WATER ALL DAY, BESIDES MAYBE 1 CUP OF COFFEE, WATER IS ALL I DRINK...I TAKE ZOLOFT 100MGS. I HAD BEEN TAKING HALF A PILL FOR A LONG TIME THEN I STOPPED AS I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT IN MY SHAREPOSTS..I WAS FILLED WITH RAGE, ANGER, AND WAS SO GROUCHY I REALLY COULD NOT STAND MYSELF. SO AFTER 11 DAYS, I TOOK A PILL AND I SWEAR THAT BY LATER THAT DAY I FELT BETTER...I HAVE READ ABOUT ZOLOFT AND I THINK IT LEAVES YOUR SYSTOM AFTER SO MANY HOURS UNLIKE OTHER MEDS. THAT STAY AND CAN BUILD UP TO A POINT THA A PERSON CAN OVERDOSE AND NOT KNOW IT. VALIUM IS A DRUG THAT STAYS WITH YOU FOR DAYS...ANYWAY, PLEASE DONT GIVE UP IT MAY TAKE WHAT SEEMS LIKE A LIFE TME TO YOU, TO FIND THE RIGHT MEDS.  GOD BLESS YOU JENNIFER

Pam B

11/ 7/08 11:50am

When I learned that I was flushing my system I was drinking about a gallon and a half a day. I was about 4-5 years into my treatment with very little success when my aunt told me it sounded like I was flushing my system. She is a home health care worker for the mentally ill/challenged and one of her clients drank large amounts of fluids and was not responding to treatment like he should have.

I asked my doctor if that was true and he verified it was. When he asked how much fluids I drank, he was actually a little shocked I drank that much and stressed I had to cut back on my fluid intake. This is a little known fact and it needs to be made more public. I don't know why doctors and health care workers don't consider this more often, instead of prescribing more drugs. Once my aunt mentioned it, it made sense, especially considering a large number of phychiatric meds causes dry mouth as a side effect.

Once I cut back my fluids I started making some progress, it was slow going but it was progress! When I would get frustrated I would just think back a year or two and compare where I was then to where I was now and that would help. Someone once told me to think of it as baby steps, they may be small now but they will grow as you learn and progress.