Badly depressed

[boffin1252]

I can't seem to get ride of this depression. I'm a complete misery around my family just want to be left alone. I'm on 300mg quitiapine.

I thought it was supposed to help depression. I wish my mania would return. Getting hold of nhs psychiatrist is vertically impossible at mo. Are there better meds for bipolar depression?

 

[daffy]

Depression can feel like a deep dark pit but you can ease it by doing small things. Try and get your self out of your house and maybe some mindfulness . Both have helped me in the past. I hope the links i posted might be some help

10 things that have helped me cope with depression

Alice blogs about her experience of depression and the 10 things that have helped her cope.

www.mind.org.uk

 

[daffy]

This is the guided meditation that i use. Just get yourself comfortable and close your eyes

 

[boffin1252]

Thanks there's not much left of me

 

[HLon99]

Lamictal. Quetiapine is not bad, but Lamotrigine is the one.

 

[Wishbone]

Have you been offered a mood stabiliser Boffin? Lithium or Depakote, for example? The problem I had with Quetiapine was that it really knocked me out and left me so tired and drained that all I wanted to do was sleep. Too much sleep is just as unhelpful as too little sleep. If you're sleeping a lot then I'd definitely look at getting away from Quetiapine and towards something else. I take Depakote, which isn't too bad. Get those curtains drawn and let light in, or better yet get out into it, even for ten minutes here and there. Keep scrapping away.

 

[boffin1252]

No not tried the ones you mentioned. I'll phone my Dr 2 Mar again.

 

[keith74]

I can't seem to get ride of this depression. I'm a complete misery around my family just want to be left alone. I'm on 300mg quitiapine.

I thought it was supposed to help depression. I wish my mania would return. Getting hold of nhs psychiatrist is vertically impossible at mo. Are there better meds for bipolar depression?

How long have you been on quetiapine? My wife is also going through a depression and is also on 300mg quetiapine (in addition to 1000mg depakote). After about 3 weeks on it, her mood is picking up a bit. Still depressed but definitely improving.

 

[keith74]

Have you been offered a mood stabiliser Boffin? Lithium or Depakote, for example? The problem I had with Quetiapine was that it really knocked me out and left me so tired and drained that all I wanted to do was sleep. Too much sleep is just as unhelpful as too little sleep. If you're sleeping a lot then I'd definitely look at getting away from Quetiapine and towards something else. I take Depakote, which isn't too bad. Get those curtains drawn and let light in, or better yet get out into it, even for ten minutes here and there. Keep scrapping away.

Depakote is best for mania, not depression. The 300mg Quetiapine does treat bipolar depression so it is not a bad choice here. As HLon99 mentioned, Lamotrigine is the best option for depression along with Lithium

 

[Wishbone]

I'm not questioning the validity of what you're saying there Keith, but out of interest, do you have any studies or anything that would back that up?

 

[boffin1252]

Just need to get hold of my psychiatrist but can't. I could get those drugs online from united pharmacies UK. Sort of self prescribed.

 

[keith74]

I'm not questioning the validity of what you're saying there Keith, but out of interest, do you have any studies or anything that would back that up?

Regarding quetiapine:
https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/quetiapine.pdf (page 2)

Quetiapine for acute bipolar depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

My wife's psychiatrist also confirmed that 300mg quetiapine is usually the target dose for actute bipolar depression and that depakote does not really have anti-depressant effects, but more to treat mania. I've also read this elsewhere regarding depakote.

 

[boffin1252]

I'm not feeling depressed now. Feeling much happier.

 

[keith74]

I'm not feeling depressed now. Feeling much happier.

Glad to hear it!

 

[Wishbone]

Regarding quetiapine:
https://www.moodtreatmentcenter.com/quetiapine.pdf (page 2)

Quetiapine for acute bipolar depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis

My wife's psychiatrist also confirmed that 300mg quetiapine is usually the target dose for actute bipolar depression and that depakote does not really have anti-depressant effects, but more to treat mania. I've also read this elsewhere regarding depakote.

Interesting, thanks. Although I noted in the second link it said this, which is always something to look out for: "...nevertheless, most studies were sponsored by AstraZeneca (London, UK), a manufacturer of quetiapine".

I'll look into this further at some point though. I know it will be slightly different for all and that one thing will work better for one person and something else for another. Quetiapine, for me, was too much of a sedative and sleeping too much seems to marry with depression in me, so not helpful. But that's the trick, finding the thing, or things, that work for YOU.

I'm not feeling depressed now. Feeling much happier.

Good to hear Boffin, now try and stay on top of it and if you noticed anything specific that could have brought it on, learn from it and use it going forwards.