Depressed?

[ShoeGirl]

I am not sure what is going on with me lately... I think I am starting to get depressed, I can't admit it to anyone in real life, I think I can fix it before it gets too bad but maybe I am wrong.

 

First of all I love my job, I love going to work every day and once I can get myself out of bed I am great, it's the problem of getting out of bed, I hit snooze 4-5 times after my 2nd alarm goes off then I finally get up usually around 7:00-7:15 then rush and get ready. When I get off work I come home and sit in front of the TV, I do my homework (I am back in school taking one class at a time to try and get into grad school in a few years) and I go to bed early. I rarely do anything on the weekends, I have been trying to go to a coffee shop and study for a few hours on Saturdays and get out and go walking in a park or on the beach on Sundays but that's it.

 

I used to get up every day at 6:30 on my own before my alarm went off, get home from work, go out to dinner or happy hour with friends, I used to go out to bars with friends on Fridays and Saturdays, I used to go running 3-4 times a week, but I don't want to anymore so I stay home and do homework and watch movies and read.

 

I started taking some migraine medications in December and that's the only thing that I can think of that has changed, and that's when all of this started to happen, it's gotten worse in the last month or so.

 

I don't know what to do, I want to call my doctor and ask about changing the medication but this is the first time in years that I haven't been paralyzed from pain, but I guess it's not worth it if I am not doing anything anyway.

 

Does it sound like I am depressed?

[D-Lish]

What medication is it?

 

Are you getting a good night of rest? Or a restless sleep?

 

What is your mood like?

[era]

Prescription meds can cause all sorts of unwanted side effects.

 

You need to check back with your Doctor...there are sometimes alternatives.

[ShoeGirl]

It's amitriptyline, it's technically an antidepressant, but I'm on a low dose, lower than the therapeutic level for treating depression, I know it causes drowsiness but me sleeping like that didn't start until the last month or so. I don't know if it's the med or not. It was added on top of my topamax to attempt to control my migraines and it's working so I am hesitant to stop it.

 

I am getting a good night's rest I am out until my first alarm goes off at 6:15 and it takes me until 7ish to wake up enough to get up. Sometimes I can get up when my alarm goes off at 6:30 but I have to force myself to get up then.

 

My mood is normal at work, I am happy and perfectly fine. When I am home I am a little tired mostly just kind of out of it if that makes sense.

[D-Lish]

It doesn't sound like depression.

 

The drowsiness could totally be attributed to the medication.

 

I took a drug called seroquel for my insomnia- and it used to knock me out so badly I couldn't get up in the morning and I still felt tired all day.... So for sure, meds can do this to you.

 

Hopefully your doctor will have some insight.

I can't imagine living with migraines!

[Trialbyfire]

Shoegirl, I don't know if it's your medication but if you're not exercising as much as you used to, like running, it can also be draining. Have you tried to go back to running or at least some other cardio type exercise?

[ShoeGirl]

Thanks D-lish and TBF

 

I know I need to be exercising more I just can't get the motivation to actually get out the door to go do it anymore. I used to want to all the time, I would make time to even when I didn't have time, now I feel like I have all the time in the world and I don't want to. It's strange.

 

I will try and get up and go running tomorrow! I will definitely call the doc next week whenever I have a break at work and see what they think.

[I'm Joe]

This advise might be considered old school in some circles but I think your first step to recovery should be emancipating yourself from the idea that you are depressed or suffer from any such thing. If you think you have some condition that is out of your control then you will of course not be able to do anything about it. I say this with a sincere heart, not in any way condescending or doubting.

 

I think you need a change of attitude. why don't you come over to my place. we will have some champagne and and I will turn that frown upside down... Just kidding!!! See, your already smiling!

 

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes. "Smile, It enhances your face value."

[ShoeGirl]

This advise might be considered old school in some circles but I think your first step to recovery should be emancipating yourself from the idea that you are depressed or suffer from any such thing. If you think you have some condition that is out of your control then you will of course not be able to do anything about it. I say this with a sincere heart, not in any way condescending or doubting.

 

I think you need a change of attitude. why don't you come over to my place. we will have some champagne and and I will turn that frown upside down... Just kidding!!! See, your already smiling!

 

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes. "Smile, It enhances your face value."

 

I think you are right I do need a change of attitude, I just haven't figured out how to do that, the things I have tried haven't worked, it seems that all I am doing the last 3 weeks or so is staying at work more, which isn't a bad thing. I have complete control over my hours and it just means I get more money... but that doesn't help what happens when I get home. I am considering taking a long weekend here soon and seeing if that helps me, maybe head out to the ocean by myself for a while and figure out what's going on with me away from my life.

 

As for the champagne offer... it sounds great if only I actually knew you Although the capital of Oregon is within a days drive from here... anyway

 

Thanks for the advice!

[I'm Joe]

I think you are right I do need a change of attitude, I just haven't figured out how to do that, the things I have tried haven't worked, it seems that all I am doing the last 3 weeks or so is staying at work more, which isn't a bad thing. I have complete control over my hours and it just means I get more money... but that doesn't help what happens when I get home. I am considering taking a long weekend here soon and seeing if that helps me, maybe head out to the ocean by myself for a while and figure out what's going on with me away from my life.

 

As for the champagne offer... it sounds great if only I actually knew you Although the capital of Oregon is within a days drive from here... anyway

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

1. Going to the ocean by yourself? sounds like the start of a romantic movie.. Great Idea!

 

2. I assume you mean not withing a days drive. You can drive a long way in a day. I almost made it to LA once from here in a day.... a very long day.

 

I know its hard to just magically "make" yourself change. All you need to do is realize that you have the ability to get out of it, and that will put you on the road to recovery. And if that doesn't help, The Night with me offer still stands! lol

[ShoeGirl]

1. Going to the ocean by yourself? sounds like the start of a romantic movie.. Great Idea!

 

2. I assume you mean not withing a days drive. You can drive a long way in a day. I almost made it to LA once from here in a day.... a very long day.

 

I know its hard to just magically "make" yourself change. All you need to do is realize that you have the ability to get out of it, and that will put you on the road to recovery. And if that doesn't help, The Night with me offer still stands! lol

 

The ocean by myself was not intended to be the start of a romantic anything... although I suppose that couldn't hurt anything... I was more thinking that I could escape my life for a few days and think and read/write what ever I need to.

 

I don't know how far exactly the capital of Oregon is from here... more than I few hours, not longer than 8 I would guess... I have never driven there, or never stopped I may have driven through at one point... anyway thanks for the offer!

 

I am not expecting a magic over night change, I will start with calling the doctor on monday and asking about the medication, as much as I don't want to go off of it as far as my migraines are concerned... then I will see what I need to do next.

[I'm Joe]

I am not expecting a magic over night change, I will start with calling the doctor on monday and asking about the medication, as much as I don't want to go off of it as far as my migraines are concerned... then I will see what I need to do next.

 

 

Well whatever happens I will be pulling for you. Check back in after a while. Id like to hear if things pick up for you.

[ShoeGirl]

So I talked to my doc about going off the amitriptyline... she said that I shouldn't go off of it because I have tried everything and this seems to be the only thing that works for me. Well I know for a fact that I have not tried everything that you can take for a migraine, there are over a hundred medications that can be used for migraines and I have tried maybe a dozen. After much discussion and getting no where I decided to go to another specialist.

 

I called 2 weeks ago and have an appointment set for Thursday to go to the new neurologist. She specializes in headaches (as did the last one), and in talking to her assistant he got me in 3 week earlier than their next available appointment because I work for an office that refers to them often.

 

Needless to say, I have on my own started taking half the dose of the medication, which is what you would do if you were to go off of it, and I am starting to feel better. I have had a few migraines but nothing too horrible. So just waiting for thursday now

[D-Lish]

Needless to say, I have on my own started taking half the dose of the medication, which is what you would do if you were to go off of it, and I am starting to feel better. I have had a few migraines but nothing too horrible. So just waiting for thursday now

 

Shoe... you know what I am going to say.

Yes, that's how you would reduce your dosage without withdrawl... but shouldn't you wait to speak to this new specialist first? Get your second opinion.

 

You might find in a couple weeks that your migraines come back full blast.

Wait for the second opinion. Please.

[ShoeGirl]

Shoe... you know what I am going to say.

Yes, that's how you would reduce your dosage without withdrawl... but shouldn't you wait to speak to this new specialist first? Get your second opinion.

 

You might find in a couple weeks that your migraines come back full blast.

Wait for the second opinion. Please.

 

I'm going to talk to the specialist about it, as of tomorrow when I have my appt I will have taken half the dose for 6 days, and I did discuss it with a doctor first, the ones I work for who do prescribe it fairly often. I know it's still not good to do but I was miserable before and my job and everything else were suffering.

[Star Gazer]

First of all I love my job, I love going to work every day and once I can get myself out of bed I am great, it's the problem of getting out of bed, I hit snooze 4-5 times after my 2nd alarm goes off then I finally get up usually around 7:00-7:15 then rush and get ready. When I get off work I come home and sit in front of the TV, I do my homework (I am back in school taking one class at a time to try and get into grad school in a few years) and I go to bed early. I rarely do anything on the weekends, I have been trying to go to a coffee shop and study for a few hours on Saturdays and get out and go walking in a park or on the beach on Sundays but that's it.

 

That sounds exactly like me... when I'm inactive. I hate feeling that way.

 

Perhaps TBF is right. Perhaps you just need to force yourself into a bit more exercise.

[ShoeGirl]

I went to the neurologist, she is letting me go off the amitriptyline starting today She is also changing my topamax dose, she thinks I am taking too much, so I am going to decrease it slowly starting in 2 weeks (after the other is out of my system) and keep track of how I am feeling every day once I start feeling even the slightest bit worse again I am going to stop at the level above that and keep it there for a while. She also thinks that I might have something going on in my brain, possibly a deformity or something, so I am getting an MRI of my brain and cervical spine in 2 weeks after my insurance approves it.

 

 

Star- I have started running again since I posted the initial post on this thread, I probably only stopped running for about a month and I really don't feel any different. I wish that fixed part of it or all of it.

[Star Gazer]

I hope your spirits rise soon, SG.