Completely agree :yes:
Well said, Jets.
In order reduce mental strain it would need medical related equipement to finish our task with more power one.To mitigate all stress and strain the medical equipement plays vital role in a different phase of time and …
to all of you who suggested vit b-12 and vit D for fatigue, how long does it take to feel a benefit if it is going to work? Fatigue is a constant companion for me, so I thought I would give it a try.
It’s a tough thing to try to tease out depression from bipolar. I have depression with panic disorder and that can cause problems with starting meds too.
Sometimes the meds themselves can really make you tired. I was on Lexapro for three years. At first I was OK with it, but the longer I was on it, the more tired I was. I got to the point that I couldn’t even do laundry anymore. Tried Wellbutrin with Lexapro, but still tired and the Wellbutrin killed my appetite. I stopped meds altogether in Jan and tried UV light therapy, fish oil, St. John’s Wort, you name it. The fatigue peeled away in layers, and I had a couple of good months before the panic and depression came back stronger than ever.
So I went back to the doctor. Zoloft was another med that didn’t work for me. On 50mg it didn’t really control the symptoms, and the therapeutic dose of 100 I literally couldn’t get out of bed. Went back and forth between being numb and feeling horrible. Then to Cymbalta, which is working well so far.
So the meds, as invaluable as they can be, can be a trial too.
This last bout with depression – my third – was the worst. I’ve never felt so sick in my life and that includes physical ailments. The depression is like a monster peering over my shoulder. Now that I’m on a medicine that works, I can’t sense it nearly as much.
Don’t know if this has been mentioned, but for many people, the effect of one or another of the anti-depressants wears off over time. You need to talk to your doctor about trying something else.
On the bi-polar front, you’d be surprised how much better you might feel if you started treatment for that as well as depression. There are many, many drugs out there, so just keeping trying them all until you find a combination that will work for you. You might gain a 30% of your body weight, though. The drug cocktail that works now likely won’t be permanent because of the wearing off thing, but then one just starts over looking for something that works well.
BTW, valproeic (sp) acid is a very dangerous drug, per my AARP magazine this month.
I hear you and I feel for you and I will pray for you. i am going through server health issuses and have not been able to work for the last two years. I am 50 and have been to every kind of doctor you can think of, surgery after surgery, medicine and more medicine and they don’t know what is wrong with me, therefore I am depressed and they say I may be bi polar. I am now living with my 80 year old parents trying to hang onto my two horses. Even though I have been ill all my life, I still worked, road my horses nearly everyday and attended at least 2 shows a month, took riding lessons, attended clinics. Now I am lucky if I make it out to feed and groom everyday, no lessons, no shows, no riding period and my family is supporting me, my horses and my dog. I have server itching, burning and stinging on my skin, along with auto immune (don’t know which ones) which make me very tired, and moody. I have not slept in 30 years due to the itching, I sit up alnigth and scratch/itch, pack my arms in ice, stick pins in my arms and rub until they are raw and bleed. I hate night time, and my skin feels like something is crawling on me 24/7. it drives me out of my mind and anything will set me off. I have not dated in 15 years and I do not socialize, I am too tired, plus you have to have money to be social most of the time. I am only telling you this because I feel like my life and my life with horses is slipping away. I just want one normal day and one nights sleep without itching. Please hang in there and think about what you do get accomplished and not the things you don’t . Thank God for your horses they are keeping you going. I am glad you posted I am really down on my self also and wondering why God put me on earth to be a burden to everyone? I am seeing a new doctor and she is doing new tests, one test to see if I have a blood disease which makes me allergic to the sun, which will mean no more horse shows or rides on a sunny day. I love the sun. Now I just need the money to build an indoor riding arena. Anit going to happen. I finally walked off my job while I could still walk. Maybe you could do the same if you have a place to go and let it just be your time to heal. I would also seek an attorney and file for disability. Very sorry for your illness.
There are some good self help books out there among them the Depression Workbook. http://www.amazon.com/Depression-Workbook-Guide-Living-Second/dp/157224268X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283400198&sr=8-1 Also in addition to individual therapy you might consider group therapy. It really seems to help people to know that they are not alone. Best of luck to you!
[QUOTE=CosMonster;5062253]
previously diagnosed as treatment-resistant depression but possibly bipolar as I not too long ago suffered a really frightening manic episode due to an antidepressant…[/QUOTE]
I too suffered from treatment resistant depression until the right doctor determined I have gluten intolerance and a host of other food sensitivities. Just something to think about?
Also, I’ve never heard of someone being diagnosed as bipolar based on a reaction to a medication. The Dr’s load you up with all kinds of things when you do not respond to treatment and eventually you will stumble upon one or a mix that is likely to give you a serious side effect - like mania. I wish the medical profession would get smarter about some of this stuff. There are medical causes for serious depression that many of them don’t understand.
[QUOTE=sketcher;5069304]
Also, I’ve never heard of someone being diagnosed as bipolar based on a reaction to a medication. [/QUOTE]
It’s not uncommon and actually a good indicator.
[QUOTE=sketcher;5069304]
I too suffered from treatment resistant depression until the right doctor determined I have gluten intolerance and a host of other food sensitivities. Just something to think about?
Also, I’ve never heard of someone being diagnosed as bipolar based on a reaction to a medication. The Dr’s load you up with all kinds of things when you do not respond to treatment and eventually you will stumble upon one or a mix that is likely to give you a serious side effect - like mania. I wish the medical profession would get smarter about some of this stuff. There are medical causes for serious depression that many of them don’t understand.[/QUOTE]
totally agree, when i eat gluten I become very ill, if I eat anything with sugar I become very parinode and angry. Even if you test neg. to celiac you can still have gulten intolerance.
Check out the Dr. Oz Web site from yesterdays show and it talks about Gulten. Also stay away from aspertain (artificial sweetners) they will make the neurons in the brain pounce around and go crazy and will not help you with the the medicine you are taking.
Not much help, I know. But this is why I do the research I do. There is so much we do not understand about mental illness. I truly, truly hope the work that I do will yield benefits to all of you.
[QUOTE=Manes&Tails;5068960]
I hear you and I feel for you and I will pray for you. i am going through server health issuses and have not been able to work for the last two years. I am 50 and have been to every kind of doctor you can think of, surgery after surgery, medicine and more medicine and they don’t know what is wrong with me, therefore I am depressed and they say I may be bi polar. I am now living with my 80 year old parents trying to hang onto my two horses. Even though I have been ill all my life, I still worked, road my horses nearly everyday and attended at least 2 shows a month, took riding lessons, attended clinics. Now I am lucky if I make it out to feed and groom everyday, no lessons, no shows, no riding period and my family is supporting me, my horses and my dog. I have server itching, burning and stinging on my skin, along with auto immune (don’t know which ones) which make me very tired, and moody. I have not slept in 30 years due to the itching, I sit up alnigth and scratch/itch, pack my arms in ice, stick pins in my arms and rub until they are raw and bleed. I hate night time, and my skin feels like something is crawling on me 24/7. it drives me out of my mind and anything will set me off. I have not dated in 15 years and I do not socialize, I am too tired, plus you have to have money to be social most of the time. I am only telling you this because I feel like my life and my life with horses is slipping away. I just want one normal day and one nights sleep without itching. Please hang in there and think about what you do get accomplished and not the things you don’t . Thank God for your horses they are keeping you going. I am glad you posted I am really down on my self also and wondering why God put me on earth to be a burden to everyone? I am seeing a new doctor and she is doing new tests, one test to see if I have a blood disease which makes me allergic to the sun, which will mean no more horse shows or rides on a sunny day. I love the sun. Now I just need the money to build an indoor riding arena. Anit going to happen. I finally walked off my job while I could still walk. Maybe you could do the same if you have a place to go and let it just be your time to heal. I would also seek an attorney and file for disability. Very sorry for your illness.[/QUOTE]
I am so sorry to hear that. I hope you’ll find something that can be treated and continue hanging in there in the meantime. Good luck with these new tests.
[QUOTE=sketcher;5069304]I too suffered from treatment resistant depression until the right doctor determined I have gluten intolerance and a host of other food sensitivities. Just something to think about?
Also, I’ve never heard of someone being diagnosed as bipolar based on a reaction to a medication. The Dr’s load you up with all kinds of things when you do not respond to treatment and eventually you will stumble upon one or a mix that is likely to give you a serious side effect - like mania. I wish the medical profession would get smarter about some of this stuff. There are medical causes for serious depression that many of them don’t understand.[/QUOTE]
How do you discover if you have food allergies? A few months ago I started an ayurvedic diet which has me eating a lot more whole foods and things and for the most part (other than the last couple of weeks) I have been feeling a lot better. Are allergy tests reliable? I’ve never really had allergies before, but I do want to rule out physical causes.
I haven’t been officially diagnosed as bipolar yet as from my understanding the process takes awhile, and I may not be. I do have a strong family history of it, though (two of my immediate family members have it as well as several others in the extended family), which combined with the reaction made my doctors think it should be examined. But I kind of feel the same way…seems like since I’ve never had a history of mania, I’m probably not bipolar. I definitely agree with you on the last bit, too. I’ve learned more about possible physical reasons for depression from this thread than from any doctor over the years. I have an appointment with my physician in 2 weeks and I’m going to demand some tests. 
[QUOTE=arabiansrock;5067274]
to all of you who suggested vit b-12 and vit D for fatigue, how long does it take to feel a benefit if it is going to work? Fatigue is a constant companion for me, so I thought I would give it a try.[/QUOTE]
I noticed a huge difference after about 4 weeks.
4 weeks!!! And here I was hoping for something like overnight improvement!!! Guess I will just keep taking it and hope for slow steady improvement.
thanks
Just a quick update since from the PMs I got I think some of you may be worried about me…I’m feeling a bit better. I took yesterday off from training and took my best trail horse out into the hills all day. It was supposed to be a quick jaunt through the foothills to stretch her legs but I just kind of kept going…and going… I did some major soul searching and worked out some plans and all that good stuff. Nothing really changed, but I’m not in that desperate can’t-get-out-of-bed depression that prompted my OP.
I also have a question about vitamin B12. I take a multivitamin daily that has 100% of the daily recommended B12 and 200% of D. Is that enough and/or a good way to get it? I know I’ve heard somewhere that it can be hard for your body to get all the vitamins out of the average multivitamin, and I know nothing about the daily recommended value stuff or how that is formulated.
Last year when I had my blood work done due to low energy, my doctor put me on 50,000 iu of Vit. D to be taken once per week.
He gave me a prescription. Now I take less, but I was deficient at that time. I think a blood test might be in order.
I also put myself on Super B Complex that has a mix of Vit. B’s.
Whenever I go to the Dr.s office I usually get a B12 shot.
I am supposed to take Calcium with Vit. D, but I am a bit lax with that.
The extra vitamins are very helpful when your energy is low.
Good luck!
Joyce
I take:
50,000 units of D every other week. (perscription)
1,000 mcg of B12 every day. (over the counter)
Calcium with added D daily. (over the counter)
1 womens multi vitamindaily. (over the counter)
I was taking the last two on a daily basis years before I was diagnosed as needing extra D and B12. After 3 months of adding the D once a week and the B12 daily the Dr tested and my levels were up so he had me stop the D and go to 3x week on the B12. Tested again 6 months later and found the levels were dropping again. So now I take as described above.
there are several different types of bi-polar. Type I is the classic mania kind. Look up type II and see if that applies to your situation. With such a strong family history and with bi-polar being a very heritable problem, it might be lurking in the background.
Now, my father ha a diagnosis of type II, whereas my brother (from whom I’ve learned the most about it by necessity) is type I. That makes a lot of sense. I can see myself fitting into type II much more easily than the “typical” type of bipolar disorder. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to self-diagnose and I’d really rather not be bipolar at all, but mostly I want to get the right diagnosis and get this under control.
I will have blood tests done in two weeks when I can finally see my PCP. Ah, rural health care! Was supposed to have an appointment on Monday but apparently they forgot it was Labor Day and the doc wanted a long weekend. That’s okay, gives me more time to prepare!
I try not to do too much googling or self-diagnosis/treatment, but this thread has really given me some good avenues to pursue. Thanks so much for advice/ideas/encouragement so far, and please feel free to post in the future. I also hope I’m not the only one benefiting from this, so if anyone has tangentially related ideas please add them. I started this thread, but I don’t want it to be all about me if other people can benefit.
Thanks for starting this thread.
I don't have any advice per se, but one thought - last year I was talking (OK, I was bawling) with my endocrinologist (I have had Type 1 diabetes 36 years) and she said that while studies show 85% of diabetics suffer from depression at some point, she thinks it has to be more like 100% "Look at everything you have to deal with, " she said.
Thinking about the lives of farm owners/trainers, I see some parallels to diabetics. There is always more we could be doing, and things which really need to be done which are undone. Many of those tasks are often quite visible, too - the broken board, the this that needs painting and the that that needs repair....
Makes me wonder what percentage of farm owners and trainers experience at least some depression at some point.
Sounds like you have done a superb job of assembling a support team and coping strategies for your depression. Think maybe you could arrange some similar help for running your place? Maybe scheduling in some small blocks of time to do some of the unscheduled maintenance work, or finding a student who will swap the occasional hour of fence repair for access to a horse to hack??-
