MY MEDS STOPPED WORKING....

[DANA]

For six months, I have been on antidepressants for depression and anxiety. I started by taking Prozac, but after one month my doctor switched my medication to Cymbalta because I have fibromyalgia. She said that the Cymbalta could help reduce the physical pain of fibromyaliga as well as help reduce the depression & anxiety.

One month ago, I noticed that I was experiencing much more anxiety. At first I thought that possibly it was only female hormones, but once the anxiety continued on longer, I started to become more concerned. My fibromyalgia doctor suggested that we increase the medication to a higher dosage. However, my medical insurance denied the increase and refused twice to increase my dosage. The bottom line is that medical insurance overrules what the doctor recommends.

In the meanwhile, my anxiety gradually changed and it turned into full blown depression. I was experiencing depression like I have never experienced it before. It was so much worse.
At first, I did not even recognize that I was in a full blown depression. Possibly, I was sleeping so much that I never had time to think about it or face it?

Nevertheless, I eventually was crying all the time, unable to get up in the morning, no longer going to church, no longer attending family functions, no longer putting on makeup and I simply quit caring about the things that I used to care about. This went on for many weeks and finally it hit me one day that the situation was out of control. Yet, during this entire time I have been taking Cymbalta on a regular basis.

I have only been on Cybalta for five months so I think that it is so early for it to not be working correctly. Typically, when I have taken antidepressants in the past, it would take at least 8-12 months for the medication to stop working.

Due to this medication to discontinue working as successfully as it did in the beginning, I started to take a better look at other area's of my health that could have something to do with the medication not working.

As it turns out, I just discovered that when a patient has hypothyroidism and is not being treated for it, they will never recover from depression if given antidepressants. An endocrinologist stated that it does not matter how many antidepressants the patient is offered, none will treat depression completely because the hypothyroidism is not being treated.

The endocrinologist went on to say that once a patient is treated with thyroid medication to treat the hypothyroidism, the depression will lift, the energy will return and the mood will be restored. The key is to recognize that depression could be rooted to another medical condition unrelated to ADHD.

In my case, I made an appointment to see a psychiatrist. We discussed my ADHD concerns, my fibromyalgia concerns and my depression. Then I mentioned that my thyroid has been enlarged for one year and it was diagnosed with several nodules, but my endocrinologist has not treated this condition.

I inquired about the depression being a possible symptom of hypothyroidism and my psychiatrist said that there is a possibility that I need thyroid medication. He decided to wait, until I have a sonogram of my thyroid before he changes my medication or adds new medication. The psychiatrist wants to see if there are any new changes in my thyroid. He wants me to return in a few weeks so we could discuss the results of the thyroid sonogram.

I am hoping that my psychiatrist agrees to start me on thyroid medication to see if it reduces my depression, low energy, lack of motivation and urge to sleep my day away.

Has anyone else started on medication only to have it stop working? Does anyone here have a thyroid condition? I would love to hear more if anyone is willing to share.

[Sally]

Dana, my daughter has thyroid issues and until she was diagnoised she had the same symptoms you are talking about plus she gained weight that she couldn't get off until it was regulated. Once they regulated it she is fine with all of the symtoms. When I took prozak I remember it working well and after about a year it wore off which was a bummer but I have been taking Effexor XR and( I take 400mg a day) I have been taking it for atleast 12 years or longer and it still works also Wellbutrin for a long time. I just started Vyvanse a month ago because my benifit program will cover it and I really like it better than Adderall, concerta, or Ritilin it doesn't make me nervous and it's time release I think. My mood seems to stay steady all day. Lately, for the first time the pharmisist at the benifit program was concerned about my dosages and wants to talk to my doctor about it and my doctor has to call them before they will send my med's. My doctor takes forever to do anything it seems like every medicine management doctor I've ever had screws up all of the time. Does anyone else have this problem? I think you are smart to check your thyroid tests out first that might help alot of things also do you think you should also check with your GYN about hormones and thyroid together? I don't have a clue but I have learned not to take any chances with medicines. I hope you start feeling better.:) One more thing, your message to Melissa was so nice you have a way with words. I feel really sorry for her I can't think of anything worse.

[DANA]

I do have medical challenges with my hormones. I am experiencing perimenopause and all of my blood work shows that I am deficient in estrogen. My menses are very irregular. My gynecologist does not want me taking synthetic hormones. I attempted bio-identical hormones, but he pharmacist would not listen to me. I started having worse symptoms and complained. I wanted the pharmacist to change the bio-identical hormones since they are compounded at his pharmacy, but he refused to listen to me. After three months of going from bad to much worse, I quit using bio-identical hormones. I think that it was probably just this company because I have heard such good reports about other women using compounded bio-identical hormones with excellent responses.

I made an appointment today with a new endocrinologist. I decided that I need to get another opinion about my thyroid, which will be #6 in doctors that I have seen over this. I am praying that someone will listen and start me on meds for the thyroid.