Hello! I have been suffering from severe major depression and anxiety since 3 years. I changed many doctors and medicines but to no avail. The doctor I am seeing currently diagnosed me with treatment resistant depression and bipolar effective disorder a year ago, even though I do not experience the manic highs or even hypomania. He put me through ect 22 times which only marginally improved my situation, before ect I used to cry and yell all day. I have extreme fatigue, low motivation, anger irritation, fear, loss of appetite, weight gain due to medications, tremors, loss of confidence, crying spells, blurred vision and extreme weakness due to depression. I am terrified of going outside and blurred vision adds to the fear. Doctors have tried almost all medications: venlafaxine, escitalopram, olanzapine, quetiapine, lithium, valproic acid, paroxetine, clomipramine, and anxiety meds like xanax, rivotril, amylene etc. Right now doctor has put me on clonazepam and prothiaden since 3 weeks, but I have seen no improvement. I took lithium and valproic acid for about 8 months and they only added to my fatigue and weight gain so doctor stopped them. I really need help in terms of medication as I am still hoping there might be one which could take me out of this extreme pain. I am terrified that if I do not get the right help or if there is not a cure, I will have to live like this for my entire life, in bed and barely able to think, eat, move or understand anything. I am 36 years of age, female and from pakistan. I have heard that indian doctors are good. Please help me out of this and suggest any medication and save my life. Thanking you!
Ask Free Question
Dear Sara, Your doctor at Pakistan is equally good and she/he has been trying good treatments like antidepressants, mood stabilisers and ECT. Please continue with her/him. Telemedicine in India has jurisdiction in the same country only. It is difficult for you to undergo treatment in India because certain basic tablets only can be prescribed through telemedicine. Intractable depression needs lot of experimental tablets as add on.
Ask Free Question
Better u may approach psychotheraphy if possible you may get free psychotheraphy from me later u try to take medicines
Ask Free Question
I think you are relying too much on medication alone for your problems. That is really insufficient. The very fact that so many medications have been tried, along with ect, and for so long, is an indication that this is not enough. I suggest that you immediately resort to therapy along with the medication. Anxiety and depression oftentimes go together and over a period of time it can manifest bipolar symptoms as well. It is likely that you show more depression than manic. At the bottom of all this is anger, probably from childhood that needs to be looked at in therapy. It is not sufficient to rely on medication alone for your recovery. In counseling, which incidentally will be a long term intervention, you will learn of a lot of ways to cope with life and make adjustments that are essential for normal living. Emotional therapy will alleviate a lot of the problems faced in this condition because it is a mood disorder. You must exercise regularly, eat healthily and sleep normally too. If your motivation and cooperation is good much can be achieved. You must have a time-structured schedule filled with interesting and reasonable activities and it must be monitored for compliance and delivery. In this combination of medication with therapy is maintained for at least three years without any episodes or breakdowns, it is possible to taper the medication in consonance with the doctor.
Take help from the best doctors
Ask a free question
Get FREE multiple opinions from Doctors