Depressive episodes symptoms and conditions

I wish I had read some more information before starting the Nuvaring. I read about possible mood swings but I never thought I would feel this DEPRESSED. I am going through a very stressful time in life but before I put the ring in I could at least control my worries, not cry too much, not be too angry. Now I feel as though I am going crazy- I cry so much, probably 6 days a week, I have lost motivation- like cleaning, taking my kids outside, even fixing my hair and things like that. Also I have these uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and then I begin to feel paranoid. This has caused numerous, pointless fights with my fiance- and he is wonderful and is sticking with me (the paranoia is directed at him and in my good moments I know there is nothing to be paranoid about). I told him I was taking it out and he 100% agrees. I have never even had to worry before in my life that I even in the slightest had depression or anxiety but now I would definitely say YES!! I really do think these feelings are caused by the ring. They are totally uncontrollable no matter how happy you try to be. So I would definitely say NO to Nuvaring. Especially if you have had depression in the past- or suicidal thoughts/tendencies. Yes those are included in these depressive episodes. I took it out and if this does not help I will be seeing a psychologist but I am really guessing my symptoms will get better. Otherwise the only other side effect I think is bloating. I hope this help someone!! I will post in a few weeks to let everyone know the results!!

I was on Doxy for a month and a half due to mild acne. For the first month, I felt fine, however when I went to refill, things became awful. Although I did not notice the nausea or tiredness (because I took it before going to bed), I began to feel episodes of dizziness, confusion, inability to concentrate, and anxiety. I continued taking it because I had not been informed that these might be side effects. Eventually I had 2 panic attacks where my legs shook uncontrollably, I felt I could not breath, became really cold and sweaty, had racing thoughts that I might die, and felt incredibly confused. The attacks really scared me to the point where I was afraid of having another one. When I went to the doctor, they ran blood tests, told me everything was alright, diagnosed me with panic disorder, and gave me medication. Even though I told them I was taking this medication, no one ever told me this might be side effects. I have never had any mental problems and am an upbeat, happy person. While taking this, I had severe anxiety and bouts of depression where I felt like crying for no reason. I was afraid to be alone, I was afraid to workout, and afraid to leave the house. I could not study and thought my entire life was spinning out of control. I've been off it for 2 days and am feeling much better. Anxiety has decreased and depressive episodes are also decreasing. There should be better research on these drugs to inform consumers!

The example that I am posting below is not the only patent for an aminoquinoline derivative that is proposed for the treatment of neuro-psychiatric disorders. Even though we are not comparing exact chemical structures, it is certainly worth considering how the quinolines relate to this receptor.

It is also worth considering why montelukast, a quinoline, seems to be causing some of the problems that this owners of this particular patent think that they can treat.

As I mentioned before, I have no answers. Regardless of how small Merck believes the population of Singulair patients who suffer neuro-psychiatric disorders is, I do not believe that any patient should be ignored. It also seems that many companies have studied this area in depth and more than one company knows a lot more than we know about why it is possible for these side effects to happen.

" The compounds of formula I have a good activity on the 5-HT.sub.5A receptor. Therefore, the invention further provides methods for the treatment of depression (which term includes bipolar depression, unipolar depression, single or recurrent major depressive episodes with or without psychotic features, catatonic features, melancholic features, atypical features or postpartum onset, seasonal affective disorders and dysthymia, depressive disorders resulting from a general medical condition including, but not limited to, myocardial infarction, diabetes, miscarriage or abortion), anxiety disorders, (which includes generalized anxiety and social anxiety disorder, panic disorders, agoraphobia, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, psychotic disorders (which includes schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders, bipolar disease, mania, psychotic depression, and other psychoses involving paranoia and delusions), pain (particularly neuropathic pain), memory disorders (including dementia, amnesic disorders and age-associated memory impairment), disorders of eating behaviors (including nervosa and bulimia nervosa), sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders (including disturbances of circadian rhythm, dyssomnia, insomnia, sleep apnea and narcolepsy), withdrawal from abuse of drugs (such as of cocaine, ethanol, nicotine, benzodiazepines, alcohol, caffeine, phencyclidine and phencyclidine-like compounds, opiates such as cannabis, heroin, morphine, sedative hypnotic, amphetamine or amphetamine-related drugs), motor disorders such as Parkinson's disease, dementia in Parkinson's disease, neuroleptic-induced Parkinsonism and tardive dyskinesias, as well as other psychiatric disorders and gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (WO 2004/096771). "

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Alright. After observing my daughter for two full weeks after discontinuing Singulair, I have decided to share our story.

Our daughter started taking Singulair last August (2007) to relieve her allergy symptoms. I'd like to add she is an identical twin, whose sister did not need to take the medication, for she had mild allergy symptoms that were easily relieved by taking Allegra. So we clearly have a side-by-side case study where one twin took the Singulair and the other did not. About two weeks later we noticed changes in her behavior and thought it was due to the new school routine and changes, etc. Then she started not eating, and when she did eat, she ate very little. Both girls are in a select soccer league are physically active 4-5 times a week.

Long story short - she stopped eating, lost weight, stopped growing and is now 2.5 inches shorter and 15 lbs. lighter than her identical twin. They are fifth graders, I might add, so 15 lbs is ALOT of weight at their age. She was withdrawn, known to have deep depressive episodes, reacted adversely to everything and, in general, wasn't acting herself since last August. She was not enjoying life at all.

She is usually a quick-witted child, one with a sunny disposition and who interacts with others very well. She is joy packaged in a colorful bottle, ready to share her thoughts with you.

We took her to her pediatrician, a nutritionist, a psychologist and all said she was clearly depressed and that is what led to her changes in eating. No kidding, I thought. But why? What has happened that could have changed her so drastically?

I had never felt so far away from my child as I had with her during this time period. We are a close family and we pride ourselves on being able to freely express how we feel.

My dear mother-in-law saw that the FDA was probing the side-effects of Singulair with children and she mentioned it to me, because she knew that is what my daughter was taking was taking. I never thought about the connection, because I take Singulair. I will add I also take an antidepressant and have made an appointment with my doctor to discuss all of this.

After talking with our pharmacist and getting an exact date as to when she started taking it, I called her pediatrician and discussed it with him. We had not been to him since October, because we took her to everyone else (psychologist, etc), so he had not known exactly what was going on with her mental health. He did, however write in his notes (and told me when I called), "Discontinue Singulair if symptoms persist." Hmmmm. Exactly why I wasn't told this from the beginning, I don't know and am very bothered knowing he wrote that on her chart.

Well, after taking her off it two weeks ago she is now back to her happy, connecting and eating self. People (her father, twin, and I included) noticed a change in three days from stopping use of Singulair.

She has changed IMMENSELY since getting off the Singulair that it has been easy to pinpoint her taking that medication as the reason she has been absolutely miserable for the past SEVEN MONTHS. I thank God it wasn't longer and that she didn't suffer any longer than she already did, but it was a true hell to watch her go through what she did and to watch her decline and to not know (professionals included) what to do. Words diminish how we felt and how we feel now after having her back.

So there you have a side-by-side comparison. One identical twin thrived while NOT taking Singulair and the twin who did take it suffered terribly, physically and mentally, while she was taking it.

The allergy relief she experienced was clearly not worth the internal suffering she endured while taking Singulair. I wish we could turn back time and give her those seven months back.

I think a very, very important thing to keep in mind is how differently medications will work for different people. While it seems many of you have had horrible experiences with it, I surely don't think this is the case for everyone, including myself. I've been diagnosed with bipolar-II and have been on Lamictal for several months, currently at a dose of 150mg. I've found it had dramatically brought down my rapid cycling and decreased the severity of my depressive episodes. Though I still have mood swings, they are less frequent and less intense/disabling.
As far as side effects go, I've never been one to experience many side effects from any medication I've been on. With Lamictal I've begun having headaches and also difficulty with focus, concentration, and short term memory. I'm much more spacey than usual and often will get distracted while having a conversation with someone and forget what we were talking about. My psychiatrist believes these indicate ADD and has prescribed me Ritalin, which I refuse to take because I'm convinced that these problems are side effects of the Lamictal. I've experienced weight loss, but this also may be due to the 200mg Wellbutrin I am also taking.
Although I've experienced more side effects with Lamictal than any other drug, for me I'm willing to continue giving it a try because of its effect on my moods.

My dad has been taking metoclopramide (Reglan generic) for about 8 weeks for delayed gastric emptying. About 2 years ago he suffered a freak infection that left him paralyzed from the chest down. 3 surgeries and A LOT of therapy later, he has made good progress, until he started taking this medication. He has been struggling with ongoing fatigue, muscle weakness, minor episodes of confusion, and a few depressive episodes. I realized the connection when my mom had said he started having more trouble walking over the past 3 weeks or so. He has fallen 3 times in 2 weeks. He went to his primary care doc today and he immediately took him off of the meds. He told my dad "I have one word to describe this med. Nasty." We just pray that he gets his strength back after it works out of his system.

I have been taking Lamictal for just over a year. Some of the side effects have been noticable for a few months, but others seem to just be appearing and getting worse. I have loss of balance and coordination, my vision is gettng worse, I have a hard time concentrating and finding the right words, I forget how to spell common words, I have short-term memory loss and feel spacey. I can always figure it out, but it takes longer. I began doing Pilates every day about 3 months ago and still cannot get the routine down and it is just as hard for my muscles as it was in the beginning. I can't seem to lose weight and have horrible acne on my face. I had 2 seizures before beginning Lamictal and am suppose to be on it for 2 years before trying to go off. Without insurance though, I am unable to do follow-ups w/ my neurologist and she seems unconcerned and unsypathetic to my situation, not giving me the time of day. She never even told me all of these side effects could develop, much less that they might begin long after I started taking Lamictal. Has anyone had these side effects after having taken the Lamictal for so long then stopped taking the Lamictal? Will these side effects go away after I stop taking it??

I was put on Prozac in 1998 for a life-threatening bout with major depression. I also was diagnosed with panic disorder. Before Prozac, my dr. had tried Paxil (terrible dizziness), then imipramine (hallucinations). Prozac was the 3rd and final drug tried, and I am so glad it exists. All my life I felt like I was living in some terrible shadow. On Prozac, my life has become much better. I must add that the Prozac was in conjunction with a year and a half of seeing a psychologist. I do not recommend that ANYONE go on an antidepressant without conjunctive therapy. I am still on a 20mg/day dosage of Prozac because I battle with depressive episodes now and then. Although the terrible shadow still floats around out there, I don't feel oppressed by it any more. I know there are many bad things said about Prozac, but my experiences with it are positive.

51 year old female. I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

I just started Levothyroxine 75 micrograms last thursday. Immediately my constipation issues improved, my libido increased and I was more alert after taking it on an empty stomach in the morning. I have not experienced any joint pain or depression yet. Previous to diagnosis I had difficulty losing weight, dry skin, cold-natured, lethargy, experienced three major depressive episodes, two which were almost suicidal. My thyroid hormone levels were within normal range even though I presented with these symptoms of low thyroid function. My pregnancies were difficult (3 births but pregnant six times), with the third and last pregnancy resulting in three false labor trips to the hospital and a post partum depression that would not go away for 13 years. Accupuncture took care of the depression since i tired of the many years of antidepressant side-effects.

I finally went to an endocronologist because of the growing goiter on my neck and all the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

I'll post any negative side effects as time goes on. For now, I am happy with Levothyroxine since I have begun to lose weight slowly and do not have the terrible constipation. Previous to starting this drug, no amount of Weight Watcher meetings or exercise regimens would allow consistant weight loss. Only in the years before my enlarged thyroid could I achieve my weight goal. In 2000 I lost a lot of weight by running 5 miles a day and attending Weight Watcher meetings, extreme measures by any standard. Even then, my weight loss was much slower than the other attending members.

I was given depakote for bipolar disorder; it made me extremely shaky and weak, and also seemed to make me even more panicky and irritable that usual. I'm off it now and instead take a very low dose of an anti-anxiety med, which helps me sleep; I may have to take an anti-depressant in addition to this, to balance out the manic/depressive episodes. It is so scary and frustrating trying to find the right balance of meds, and it's different for everyone. I wish each of you the best of luck in finding what's right for you!