Discussion Another treatment method failed and wondering what’s next

[skybluesuicide]

So I've finished my 12th session of medical ketamine infusions and my doctor decided to not continue with it since there weren't any improvements. What now? I've done traditional therapy, TMS and ECT and all three also didn't improve my condition. I'm just wondering if any of you guys have been in a similar situation and what happened next after all these treatments failed. Do I just continue taking medication until I stumble upon some magic pill? I really hope that's not the case

 

[Bunnybrains]

I did an iop program, that was really helpful- before it put me in debt and limited my options. Maybe psycodelics?

 

[LittleJem]

what pills have you tried so far?
ps so sorry all of those failed you…

I failed rTMS. I wish these things helped more of us

 

[LaVieEnRose]

The limitations of all psychiatric interventions is that they can't fix your concrete problems and they don't necessarily make it any easier for you to do so either.

Are there any concrete causes of your depression that you can pinpoint?

 

[skybluesuicide]

what pills have you tried so far?
ps so sorry all of those failed you…

I failed rTMS. I wish these things helped more of us

As far as I can recall, I've tried: Wellbutrin, Seroquel, Quetiapine, Fluoxetine, Lexapro, Brintellix, Effexor, Diazepam, Propranolol, Lamictal, Depakine, Reagila, Serlift, Rexulti, Haloperidol, Benzhexol, Amitriptyline, Clonazepam, Olanzapine, and Abilify.

sorry to hear TMS failed you as well, treatment-resistant depression sucks. I remember being so excited about it since it wasn't just a new pill and thought it would help :/ It's infuriating when you read all these success stories and expect yours experience to be similar, then when you're done with it all you realise nothing has changed

 

[LittleJem]

Okay so you have:

Emsam patches (selegiline)

MAOIs Nardil or Parnate: these are old school but effective. Does anyone prescribe them?! They can work when nothing else can (apparently). Don't know which country you are in. Try begging for one of these.

Tramadol: they probs won't prescribe but some find it helps TRD when they are prescribed it for backache etc. I got it under the counter, it did help me out if bed. Felt a bit hazy and only used it occasionally…But check the reviews on drugs.com

you don't have lithium on your list - can be helpful combined with other meds. Is brain-growth fertiliser. You can also get otc lithium orotate. Do not combine with psychedelics as seizure risk:

psychedelics: shrooms, lsd (or ayahuasca). better with tour guide…Ayelet Waldman wrote book about microdosing lsd for depression. I've had some luck with regular doses at 150ug. LSD is the reason I can get out of bed and less weeping and desperation to hang myself. It is better with a friend/therapist. I had success with it on two different occasions, but when I used it alone it did nada. It's kind of LSD plus love is helpful.

Here's a little research on lsd boosting BDNF levels:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsptsci.0c00099

Freud used cocaine for depression. If only the effects were longer lasting

did you try cannabis-edibles have helped me

Did they test you for MHTR gene mutation?
Thyroid hormones?
(menopause if female- some women were given ect not hrt!)

Erm more niche treatments:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-level_laser_therapy there is small amount of research on this for depression (it boosts mitochondrial function). It needs a particular frequency and strength to use on head and I don't know where it's provided or if it's possible to self administer

FMT is a bit gross…has shown great results in one person with bipolar and some depressed mice:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8891755/

buprenorphine (less niche, but opiod, they probably don't prescribe but some research it helps)

https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2019.140202

Adderall/amphetamine:

Does Adderall help with anxiety and depression?

Official answer: Although Adderall is only FDA-approved for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and...

www.drugs.com

I hope something on the list or some magic pill/combo is helpful for you.

 

[skybluesuicide]

The limitations of all psychiatric interventions is that they can't fix your concrete problems and they don't necessarily make it any easier for you to do so either.

Are there any concrete causes of your depression that you can pinpoint?

People I've chatted to online about this suggested that I might have a personality disorder but I'm not sure, should I just bring up the topic to my psychiatrist? I had a healthy family environment growing up, though school wasn't the best. I was never bullied but eventually I had to be homeschooled due to social anxiety. Maybe the cause stems from psychological factors.

 

[noxu77]

So I've finished my 12th session of medical ketamine infusions and my doctor decided to not continue with it since there weren't any improvements. What now? I've done traditional therapy, TMS and ECT and all three also didn't improve my condition. I'm just wondering if any of you guys have been in a similar situation and what happened next after all these treatments failed. Do I just continue taking medication until I stumble upon some magic pill? I really hope that's not the case

it may not help but you seem like you are just brute forcing methods which is good try everything see what works, but it would not hurt just to look into this stuff ! again great you are trying things Thread

 

[LittleJem]

I forgot Sam-e which helps me sometimes (I am irregular at taking most things)

SAM-e for depression: Potential benefits and research

S-adenosyl-L-methionine, or SAM-e, is a natural chemical in the human body. Research indicates it has potential for treating depression. Learn more here.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

Also L-tryptophan can help a bit amd yhen some people like L-theanine

I think unfortunately for some people there is no cause. And then for those with a cause, it doesn't mean it's treatable. Like in my case, how on earth could living with an abusive parent when my brain was developing be cured by a therapist I have to pay to see once a week as an adult when my brain has now developed. Just how tje therapists make money.

it may not help but you seem like you are just brute forcing methods which is good try everything see what works, but it would not hurt just to look into this stuff ! again great you are trying things Thread

that's what you have to do with treatment resistant mental illness. Be a guinea pig for years and hope you get lucky.

Exercise for 'mild to moderate' depression. While sure it's worth trying exercise…mild to moderate is not what they treat with ECT…But sure, for those of us who can exercise it's a good thing.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

People I've chatted to online about this suggested that I might have a personality disorder but I'm not sure, should I just bring up the topic to my psychiatrist? I had a healthy family environment growing up, though school wasn't the best. I was never bullied but eventually I had to be homeschooled due to social anxiety. Maybe the cause stems from psychological factors.

What leads them to suggest that? Your lack of improvement!

 

[skybluesuicide]

What leads them to suggest that? Your lack of improvement!

Yeah that makes sense haha, I'll bring it up to my psychiatrist next week when we meet

 

[LaVieEnRose]

Yeah that makes sense haha, I'll bring it up to my psychiatrist next week when we meet

That was supposed to be a question mark, not an exclamation point. I don't think it can be concluded that you have a personality disorder just because you haven't seen improvement from these treatments. There are very specific diagnostic criteria. But you can bring it up with them to see what they say.

 

[skybluesuicide]

That was supposed to be a question mark, not an exclamation point. I don't think it can be concluded that you have a personality disorder just because you haven't seen improvement from these treatments. There are very specific diagnostic criteria. But you can bring it up with them to see what they say.

I was telling them about my social anxiety and I just mentioned things like social withdrawal, how I'm extremely sensitive, my struggles with intimacy, my low self-esteem, and my need for validation.

 

[nerve]

have you looked into inattentive adhd? there are a lot of overlapping symptoms with depression and the two get confused sometimes. thatd also explain why so many different treatments didnt work since depression and adhd are two entirely different brain problems. or people can also have both of them!

 

[catsandrocks]

That sounds incredibly overwhelming, and it sucks. I know you've mentioned traditional therapy. On the more non traditional side, have you tried EMDR or comprehensive DBT?

EDIT: there's also peer recovery support. It's a non-clinical way of support. In a super basic sense, it's support from someone with lived experience with something similar to what you are going through.