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How do you know if antidepressants working?

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Posted 10/14/2015 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
When switching meds, it goes that way. Up and down until the new med gets stabilized. Be patient.

With the pain killers, it sounds like you are dependent on them, which isn't the same as addiction, but I think your body sounds like it has gotten use to you having it in your system. As you said you feel normal when you take them. Sometimes they can give you a little energy too which makes you feel better.

I Hope you get things sorted soon. I Hope that the meds start working like they should. But sometimes it seems worse before it gets better.

Keep hanging in there, and know this too shall pass.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/14/2015 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks. Just have to keep telling myself it will pass. I do try and be careful with the pain killers, at most I have them once a day but can usually do without as I don't want to take them so much they lose effectiveness. They're only mild ones anyway, OTC stuff, but give me a little high I think which makes my nausea and stuff seem like its not the end of the world, I guess that's what ii mean by feeling more normal.

Post Edited (Andy1986) : 10/14/2015 12:23:24 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/15/2015 10:41 AM (GMT 0)
Well I managed OK on only 15mg of Mirtazapine last night, actually slept better than I have for a while and was in a decent mood when I woke. Thankfully today that hasn't dropped off a cliff this morning like yesterday and I'm feeling OK. In a bit of pain but nothing terrible so far so can't complain. Going to go into work this afternoon and hopefully be productive rather than procrastinate :)
Posted 10/15/2015 2:08 PM (GMT 0)
Awesome Andy,

Keep things positive. I think it is starting to work.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/24/2015 8:03 AM (GMT 0)
Urgh well I had a good few days but things are starting to get more difficult now. The last couple of days my sleep has been deteriorating again, I'm waking up frequently, I think the initial boost the nortriptyline gave me is wearing off as my body adjusts to it. I'm at least still able to sleep which I wasn't at first on this dose of Mirtazapine.

I'm still on 15mg of Mirtazapine, last night I had a difficult time falling asleep, was a bit stressed and very low mood during the day and then at night started to have a bit of anxiety about how i would sleep. I eventually dosed off for 4 hours then woke around 3.30 and started panicking and getting stressed, not a panic attack or anything that bad but it woke me right up. So I considered getting up and doing something but in the end didn't want to break my body clock so continued to rest in bed doing relaxation exercises. After an hour or two I eventually dosed off again for a bit and suppose I'm not feeling too tired this morning.

I'm supposed to be on 15mg for another 5 days before cutting down to 7.5 mg but for now want to get stable at this dose so will see how it goes. Not sure what triggered the anxiety in the evening or night, I did have a busy day yesterday and felt quite rushed, didn't have time to do any of my relaxation exercises during the day, maybe that is why I got stressed easily. Or perhaps it is just part of the withdrawal from Mirtazapine.
Posted 10/24/2015 10:34 AM (GMT 0)
I try to find things that I can do when I can't sleep. Mostly I get on the computer. Often I can go back to sleep for a bit. I try not to panic or get anxious about it because that just makes me feel worse. Is there something you can do when you can't sleep? Maybe read? Instead of struggling to fall asleep again. Meditation helps me.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/24/2015 10:47 AM (GMT 0)
In the past I've read and stuff but find it then gets me in the habit of waking up at that time every night. Now I just meditate, or if I'm in that annoying half asleep half awake phase I get up for a little bit til I come to my senses a bit then am able to focus a bit better on the meditation.

I know what you mean about panicking making it worse, usually I don't really panic but occasionally I start to get stressed and then my heart starts pounding and I know that's it then I won't be able to drift off again for a while until I calm myself down.

Luckily it's the weekend and I can rest a lot, and i can do my autogenic relaxation every couple of hours. Tbh I don't feel that tired which is good but feeling down and quite nauseous a lot, been getting some pain as well but that's also I think due to being a bit stressed yesterday and during the night, it usually magnifies my pain for a few days before settling down again.

Ah well just another rough day to get through, life feels like such a struggle at the moment :(
Posted 10/24/2015 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
Stress does effect our pain and make it worse. I am kind of going through that now. I am trying to stay relaxed and keep the stress levels down. In turn the pain will go down. I hope. We are getting rain here and that always makes me worse. I think it is the barometric pressure doing it. Not sure.

I hope that you get through the day and that tomorrow is better.
Posted 10/24/2015 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
Yeh thanks, it sucks that stress makes pain worse, which then makes us more stressed, and so it gets even worse, and on and on lol.

Tomorrow should hopefully be better, my parents are coming to stay so looking forward to seeing them and having some company
Posted 10/24/2015 5:50 PM (GMT 0)
Yes it can become a vicious cycle with pain and stress. Then depression starts, or gets worse. So keep life as stress free as possible. And don't forget the things that are out of our control, you sometimes just have to go with the flow. Worrying doesn't speed up any process. It just makes things worse. Wasted energy.

Mindfulness, that is the ticket. Meditation... It all helps. Breathing...

I hope you have a wonderful time with your parents. Let us know how it all goes. Relax and enjoy their company.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/25/2015 9:45 AM (GMT 0)
Thankfully slept ok last night, sleep is still very broken but I didn't feel stressed or panicked so managed to dip in and out of sleep so feeling a bit better today. Still got a lot of nausea and some pain though, I think it'll take me some time to recover from being stressed, plenty of anxiety still breaking through at the moment I think because my AD doesn't really seem to be doing its job.

Used a bit of magnesium oil before bed last night and that might of helped, hopefully will help me go to the toilet as well as I haven't been for probably 10 days now! If I dont go today I'll just have to puts loads on tonight and live with the runs tomorrow.
Posted 10/27/2015 10:13 AM (GMT 0)
Well I'm due to reduce my dose of Mirtazapine again tonight, I'm a bit worried about it because I didn't sleep well last night and it makes it that much more difficult to deal with the nausea, pain and depression during the day, nevermind the extra stress not sleeping causes me.

I've decided to give up the magnesium oil as I think its making my reflux and nausea much worse, and also I think it is contributing to the very vivid dreams that are disturbing my sleep a lot. Anyway I'm going a week without it to see what happens.

Think I will just reduce the Mirtazapine by a 1/4 tonight rather than 1/2, my Dr wants me to come off it quickly so that we can get me up to an effective dose on my new one, but I dont feel strong enough to cope with insomnia at the moment so will take it more gradually.
Posted 10/30/2015 10:04 AM (GMT 0)
Well things have gone from bad to worse. I've been having trouble sleeping at 15mg Mirtazapine and my Dr increased nortriptyline to 50mg. The first night it seemed to do the trick and I got about 7 hours sleep.

But I didn't sleep at all last night, I took 50mg nortriptyline and still on 15mg Mirtazapine. I am getting very stressed when I go to bed now and it really isn't helping matters, I have now developed this negative association with my bed and lying awake all night. It reminds me of a very traumatic period in my life when I couldn't sleep, but strangely I have never usually had a problem with getting stressed when going to bed, just had problems falling asleep.

My relaxation exercises are not working like they usually would and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do. I am seeing my therapist today and will see what she says. I think I will try another night at 50mg nortriptyline and 15mg Mirtazapine and take some magnesium oil again, just a little, and if I still have issues I think I will have to go back up on the Mirtazapine, I won't be able to see the Dr until Monday.
Posted 10/30/2015 12:25 PM (GMT 0)
I've just had a panic attack, I really can't cope with the insomnia, too many traumatic memories for me, it makes me feel like i did during the worst ever point in my life. I'm going to go back up a dose on my old AD, otherwise I'm going to do something awful I fear :(
Posted 10/30/2015 12:45 PM (GMT 0)
Have you discussed this with your doc? Just curious...

I hope you feel better soon. Sorry you can't sleep.

Hang in there Andy...

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/30/2015 12:55 PM (GMT 0)
I called the office and begged them to get him to call me today so hopefully he will. Also seeing my therapist this afternoon.

I just don't have a handle on my anxiety at the moment, my coping techniques just aren't working for sleep and I've never had this before, I pray to God this is just because of the reduction in meds and that I can get back on the right track once I revert, I just cannot fall asleep no matter how much relaxation I do, its never been so bad, and its so traumatic for me, I can't cope without the sleep, too many horrible memories. And I'm getting pains from stress when I go to bed, again that's never happened before, usually going to bed is the one time I am always relaxed, even when I was having multiple panic attacks per day.

My mood will have to wait I think, I can't function with this level of anxiety and if my old AD is what I need to get it back under control then I'll have to go with it. In the UK the never give out benzos or other anxiety meds so I don't think I have any other choice. I don't want to end up on sleeping pills again.
Posted 10/30/2015 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
I am sorry that things are so difficult right now Andy. I hope your therapist visit helps.

Keep hanging in there.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/31/2015 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, was hard yesterday but I did manage to sleep but I went back to 30mg Mirtazapine. My anxiety is now pretty bad and I'm fretting over all my medication now but just trying to ignore all these negative thoughts. I need to reduce nortriptyline back to 25mg and my anxiety keeps telling me i wont sleep then, wish it would stop obsessing over everything! But thats how my mind works, it likes to find something to obsess over. My phobia over not sleeping is coming back bad and its bringing back a lot of painful memories. My mum is staying with me over the next couple of weeks because being on my own doesn't help the panic. For not at least, I seem to be able to not let the thoughts get to me so not panicking.

Man I hate anxiety, wish all these thoughts would leave me alone :(
At least it takes my mind off feeling nauseous all the time lol, but I know which I'd prefer right now. On the plus side despite all the anxiety and panic my chest pain hasn't been too bad. Today am managing to not panic at least, just putting all these thoughts to one side and going about my day.
Posted 10/31/2015 3:22 PM (GMT 0)
Keep putting your thoughts aside and go about your day. This could be a good coping skill Andy. One you have come up with on your own. Can you put on some relaxing music today? That might help.

Anxiety is ruthless. It can control our lives if we let it. I am glad you are feeling a bit better today with the chest pains at least.

Hang in there bud...

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/31/2015 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Andy, I took nortriptyline about 25 years ago. It worked very well then but I have been told by different doctors that wasn't being used because of its failure rate.
Posted 10/31/2015 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Yeh I think I'm only using it because I had good results with pain and depression with amitriptyline but the constipation side effects were too bad, so we're trying nortriptyline. For now I'll have to stay at 25mg which should at least help with pain.

Don't know what I will do about the Mirtazapine, I thought it wasn't helping with the anxiety and depression, and maybe I'm right because when I came off amitriptyline I had insomnia but I never had this extreme panic reaction and I'm not even at a low dose of Mirtazapine, it should still be effective for anxiety. It seems I'm stuck on the stuff until I can wean down without being unable to sleep, will have to take it a lot slower, but for now I need to get back into a comfortable position with regards to sleep and try not to let it stress me. Ive booked extra appointments with my therapist for the next few weeks to help me work through it.
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