Can anyone relate?

[sgrrsh26]

im sorry im gonna bore you. Im depressed 90 percent of the time. Fatigue causes my depression, as well as the fact that i cant socialize like i KNOW IM CAPABLE OF. once in a blue moon the "old me" comes back. Hyper, happy, energetic, quick witted and funny. Dont care what people think, and dont think what people care. I like that.

then back to depression.

My mind slows down. Avoid eye contact, avoid socializing. because i cant think as fast? the words just dont come as quickly?

So i said doc, mabye i have some mental fatigue goin on. i space out a lot too mabye its add?

ive already tried every ant depressant out there w. no luck. I need energy, and motivation! i cant take care of my hygiene! all i do is work and go home and sit around!

i quit the pot, it makes me worse.

so now im on focalin, i really wanted adderal.

its doing nothing for the motivation, thats why im here talking to you and not hot ladies. im a good looking kid, funny, but mabye i have SAD? i dont know. Its hard for me to talk to my own parents sometimes.

can anyone relate to what im saying?

Is it possible im a introvert, AND an extrovert sometimes?

chicks dont like that, my ex thinks im nutso.

i just dont understand why i get these bursts of energy sometimes. Almost hypomanic, but i dont know. one doc sais im bipol, other sais SAD, major depressive, add, i dont know what to beleive anymore. When i have this extra energy is when im happy. when im happy is when im social.

the focalin sedated me, then depressed me, then i was wired like a drank some coffee thats all.

ill try adderall next but again i just wanted to see if anyone here could relate.

[AirMarshall]

Hmmmmm. You are all over the board, and convincing your pdoc for stims, which doesn't help in diagnosing.

I recommend you try keeping a mood diary for a few months. I prefer the Mass. General one, but there are all sorts of paper ones and a couple online. From that you may find some patterns of moods, and how that relates to sleep, liquor, meds... Check the pinned Bipolar Resources I have in the bipolar section, or google it.

Best, a.m.

[olga]

I think AM's suggestion is a very good one. My advice would be the same advice I give almost everyone.

Are you exercising regularly? Like three times a week or more, at an aerobic pace? If not, you will never have very good energy levels because you need to get your heart and lungs going before the brain can engage.

Are you eating regular, balanced meals? If you overdo the junk food, your blood sugar level will be all over the map and you won't have a sustained energy level. You need protein, carbs and a little fat, and lots of fruits and vegetables.

How is your sleep pattern? If you don't go to bed at the same time every night and get a good 6-8 hours of sleep, you can't operate at peak efficiency.

All the drugs in the world won't change things if you don't also have good health habits.

If you're already doing all this stuff, just ignore me!

olga

[Trichotillomaniac]

I am on tyrosine supplement 500-1500mg/day, magnesium, zinc, b-complex and a potassium rich banana a day. I try to eat enough to keep my blood/sugar in line, also I drink a powerade/gatorade type drink for the electrolytes.

So, you could be depleting your dopamine supply. Try tyrosine and see if that helps. You may also be on too much amphetamine and be experiencing some of the symptoms of amphetamine psychosis.

Before I started taking the supplements my 20mg/twice a day of adderall caused a huge crash when it wore off bringing out the worst of my BPD. Doing much better now.

But, yeah, basically almost all problems can be solved by diet and exercise. Action speaks louder than words, and I don't exercise near enough.

Good luck.

[meg]

So, you could be depleting your dopamine supply. Try tyrosine and see if that helps. You may also be on too much amphetamine and be experiencing some of the symptoms of amphetamine psychosis.

I'm wondering where you're getting this hypothesis, Tric?

Is there some other post by this member about how they react to other medications or anything at all really that would indicate psychosis? I have to say that I seriously doubt (note that I'm not a doctor by any means) that taking a prescribed dosage of Focalin over a seemingly short period of time could induce stimulant psychosis. I would also encourage the OP to talk to whomever is prescribing his psych meds before he starts adding his own supplements. I'm not implying that they can't be helpful, but if used in conjunction with other medications you want to be consulting with a doctor.

Just for emphasis to the original poster, I don't think that you need to be worrying about psychosis unless there is a LOT that you are not telling us or left out from this post. You don't sound like you've overdosed or are a chronic abuser of stimulants.

This is from an article about amphetamine use and abuse written in 2000:

"Two distinct clinical thought disorders may be encountered with amphetamine abuse. The term "amphetamine psychosis" should be reserved for the non-confusional paranoid psychosis induced by chronic repeated intoxication. It should not be used to describe the acute clinical picture dominated by delirium and confusion followed by acute administration of very large doses of central stimulants (32, 108). "

http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000166/Default.htm

Everett H. Ellinwood, M.D., George King, Ph.D.and Tong H. Lee, M.D. Ph.D.

Anyway, back to what I wanted to say to you shgrrush,

I totally agree with the advice that you've been given so far about keeping track of your moods (how they are normally but also note when you take meds and any additional things like caffiene to see their impact as well) and that will really help you and your doctor begin to figure out what's going on in the first place-- you don't want to waste time treating one symptom but not doing your best to fix the underlying cause as well.

I think you should also take a look at your sleep patterns because just like diet and activity, having your sleep out of whack is a sure-fire way to mess with your mood and cause fatigue, mental 'fog', slowed reactions, etc. You could also log your sleep along with your mood. Listen to Olga, I know you've probably heard a lot of this before, but that's because it's important.

I hope you can be honest with your pdoc and take a look at the whole picture rather than going in there with a set idea of which prescription you need. Forgive me if this doesn't apply to you, but from your post it looks like you're looking for a quick-fix...that said, I don't know what you mean by "I've tried every AD out there." I bet there are solutions out there beyond just stimulants and I hope you can be open minded with your doc about other options.

Goodluck, let us know how things go.

m

ps- wanted to add a major kudos for not smoking anymore and recognizing it was making things worse--I bet that will make recovery from your depression a whole lot easier.

[Trichotillomaniac]

Good point Meg... I guess I still have some of my impulsivities out of control. I tend to make assumptions based on symptoms rather than admitted treatment, and assumptions are unacceptable in this industry.

P.S. I'm glad lamotrigine is working for your mood balancing, I've recently been diagnosed by a PsyD as borderline personality disorder, but I am on lithium as opposed to lamotrigine as a result in the price difference. It seems to be working, I still have episodes, but they are muted from what they once were. Also, seems to be reintroducing some emotions I thought I was incapable of.

Good luck everyone.

[ghost_train]

I think I might be able to relate.

You mentioned that the Focalin sedated you, then depressed you (do you feel that it was worse than your base level mood?) then made you wired. (Was it anxiety, or restlessness, or what?) And are you talking about this pattern happening within one day, or over the course of a week?

If the fluctuation happened within a week (several doses, as opposed to one), it could have been your body getting acclimatized to the drug. Wellbutrin made me sleepy before it started to make me alert.

It may also be that you're not on a high enough dose. When I'm on a half-effective dose of Adderall, I'm still sluggish, just calmer and hyperfocused - I can absorb text wonderfully, but it's very difficult to switch to a task that I actually choose to do. Unlike when I'm on an effective dose, when I do anything I tell myself to do. I think my body kept learning to metabolize the drug before it'd ever hit my liver each time we bumped it up - it'd be effective for about a week, then crap out until I increased my dose. (This is probably why my pdoc wants to try Vyvanse, anyway.) Adderall might elicit a stronger stimulating response, since it's an amphetamine. It may also trigger your anxiety, which your pdoc can also help.

Were any of the antidepressants more effective than the others? (Were they all SSRIs, or did they try Effexor and Wellbutrin, or some TCAs and MAOIs?) Did they try increasing your doses? Buspar? Strattera? Anticonvulsants like Lamictal? Um, what have you tried, and what did it do to you?

You mention anxiety. Um, have you ever been obsessive-compulsive? (It might be worth trying Anafranil, if this is the case...OCD is often caused by underactivity of a part of the brain.)

If you're curious, my Dx is in my signature. Having both anxiety and ADHD can be interesting, sometimes. I feel for you. You seem confident in terms of personality, but your brain chemistry seems to be bringing you down. I wish you luck.

I'd also like to add that I can relate to just knowing you're ADHD, and having people tell you you're just drug-seeking, or looking for a quick fix. (I've tried pot once. I've never otherwise done anything illegal.) It took me a year after seeking help to get a formal diagnosis via neuropsychological testing. And now I'm dealing with having people not believe I even have a problem; thus, I am a pill-popper. Adult ADHD is actually very underdiagnosed, and many people who are untreated are in working-class jobs and self-medicating with illicit substances.

[gagaMamaMe]

I think I might be able to relate.

You mentioned that the Focalin sedated you, then depressed you (do you feel that it was worse than your base level mood?) then made you wired. (Was it anxiety, or restlessness, or what?) And are you talking about this pattern happening within one day, or over the course of a week?

If the fluctuation happened within a week (several doses, as opposed to one), it could have been your body getting acclimatized to the drug. Wellbutrin made me sleepy before it started to make me alert.

It may also be that you're not on a high enough dose. When I'm on a half-effective dose of Adderall, I'm still sluggish, just calmer and hyperfocused - I can absorb text wonderfully, but it's very difficult to switch to a task that I actually choose to do. Unlike when I'm on an effective dose, when I do anything I tell myself to do. I think my body kept learning to metabolize the drug before it'd ever hit my liver each time we bumped it up - it'd be effective for about a week, then crap out until I increased my dose. (This is probably why my pdoc wants to try Vyvanse, anyway.) Adderall might elicit a stronger stimulating response, since it's an amphetamine. It may also trigger your anxiety, which your pdoc can also help.

Were any of the antidepressants more effective than the others? (Were they all SSRIs, or did they try Effexor and Wellbutrin, or some TCAs and MAOIs?) Did they try increasing your doses? Buspar? Strattera? Anticonvulsants like Lamictal? Um, what have you tried, and what did it do to you?

You mention anxiety. Um, have you ever been obsessive-compulsive? (It might be worth trying Anafranil, if this is the case...OCD is often caused by underactivity of a part of the brain.)

If you're curious, my Dx is in my signature. Having both anxiety and ADHD can be interesting, sometimes. I feel for you. You seem confident in terms of personality, but your brain chemistry seems to be bringing you down. I wish you luck.

I'd also like to add that I can relate to just knowing you're ADHD, and having people tell you you're just drug-seeking, or looking for a quick fix. (I've tried pot once. I've never otherwise done anything illegal.) It took me a year after seeking help to get a formal diagnosis via neuropsychological testing. And now I'm dealing with having people not believe I even have a problem; thus, I am a pill-popper. Adult ADHD is actually very underdiagnosed, and many people who are untreated are in working-class jobs and self-medicating with illicit substances.

wow you sound a lot like me. never thought I'd find someone that sounds like me. except I'd say I'm depressed like 80-85% of the time and the only time I am happy is when I have energy. Anyway I've never taken anything except some meds for anxiety a few years ago- I'm going to a psych tom. we'll see how this goes. And i'll take some advice of doing a mood journal...sounds good.

Anyway just thought I'd say I relate.