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Tuesday, September 09, 2008 hopefulmom asks

Q: I need help in finding the right medicine for my depression

I believe that I have been depressed for the last 4 years.  I turned to pain pills and other meds to deal with it.  I am now in therapy to learn how to deal with my problems but I still need some type of medicine and have not had any success with lexapro,cymbalta, or wellbutrin(which im currently on)  I feel that my doctor may not be prescribing the right medicine to me because of my past addiction issue.  I have a friend who is helping me get my life together and she would hold my medicine if my doctor felt that i could potentially abuse it.  Is there a website to help you find the right medicine?  Should I tell my doctor all of this? Or, is it just a hit and miss deal with the meds?  I don't want to give up but I'm feeling very discouraged with trying different meds and giving them time to work and such.  Can anyone offer advice?

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Answers (1)
9/ 9/08 12:10pm

Hey there Hopefulmom

 

First of all I want to say that I am so sorry you are going through all of this.  It is bad enough to be depressed but then you also have to take so much energy to find the right medication which will actually help. 

 

In answer to one of your questions, YES, definitely do discuss with your doctor, all of your concerns.  I don't know how long you have been on your current meds but most people will most likely tell you that it can take weeks or even months to truly get a good picture if they are helping or not. 

 

If you want to begin researching, Health Central has a ton information about the various anti-depressants which you can find here.  There is also a site I have found to be helpful for investigating the different meds out there because they give candid consumer ratings about each treatment or drug.  Sometimes it is really helpful to hear from people who are actually taking the drug themselves about their experiences.  You can find User Ratings and Reviews of the various treatments and drugs for depression here.  Please take everything with a grain of salt, however, as everyone is going to have a unique experience because everyone has a different chemical make up. 

 

I cannot readily answer your question because my experience is going to be different from your depression.  What works for me or someone else might not work for you.  I am afraid to say that you just might have to try different medications and over time, to see what works best for you.  In the meantime, do talk to your doctor and do read and research all that you can ahead of time so you are well armored with a good basic knowledge of choices. 

 

I sure hope this helps some.  And please do tell us how things go for you.  I hope you find a medication which is right for you.

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