![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 23 of 23. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
I'd be curious to hear from people who suffered from depression back in the 70s or 80s, before Prozac or the other SSRIs hit the market. What medication(s) were you prescribed? Were you given a TCA or MAOI anti-depressant? If neither, what did you take? Most importantly-- Looking back on these years, do you feel that your depression was properly dealt with and the medications were helpful?
Posted by rvanson on November 25, 2004, at 5:02:26
In reply to Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
> I'd be curious to hear from people who suffered from depression back in the 70s or 80s, before Prozac or the other SSRIs hit the market. What medication(s) were you prescribed? Were you given a TCA or MAOI anti-depressant? If neither, what did you take? Most importantly-- Looking back on these years, do you feel that your depression was properly dealt with and the medications were helpful?
Yes I was.
Meds: TCA's, older AP's like Stellazine, Mao's like Nardil and valium.
No, the first med that was helpful was Xanax in 1982. The Pdocs handed it out like candy.
Now the Pdoc's don't like it as much, but it saved my life even to this day.
Probably a stimulant would have helped with the depression aspect, but even then many Pdoc's were scared of lawsuits from the use of stimulants, just as they are now of benzodiazapines.
Posted by awatts on November 25, 2004, at 5:26:34
In reply to Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
> I'd be curious to hear from people who suffered from depression back in the 70s or 80s, before Prozac or the other SSRIs hit the market. What medication(s) were you prescribed? Were you given a TCA or MAOI anti-depressant? If neither, what did you take? Most importantly-- Looking back on these years, do you feel that your depression was properly dealt with and the medications were helpful?
I tried two MAOIs and most of the TCAs that were available in the 80s. Nothing helped my depression. More resently, none of the SSRIs have helped. Effexor XR is the only thing that has ever been helpful, but I discontinued it because of sexual side effects.
For anxiety, Valium worked great, but tolerance forced me to take increasingly larger doses.
These days, Klonopin (.5 mg x 2) is working for anxiety with no tolerance after several years.
I still suffer from untreated major depression.
Posted by awatts on November 25, 2004, at 5:43:11
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by awatts on November 25, 2004, at 5:26:34
> > I'd be curious to hear from people who suffered from depression back in the 70s or 80s, before Prozac or the other SSRIs hit the market. What medication(s) were you prescribed? Were you given a TCA or MAOI anti-depressant? If neither, what did you take? Most importantly-- Looking back on these years, do you feel that your depression was properly dealt with and the medications were helpful?
>
> I tried two MAOIs and most of the TCAs that were available in the 80s. Nothing helped my depression. More resently, none of the SSRIs have helped. Effexor XR is the only thing that has ever been helpful, but I discontinued it because of sexual side effects.
>
> For anxiety, Valium worked great, but tolerance forced me to take increasingly larger doses.
>
> These days, Klonopin (.5 mg x 2) is working for anxiety with no tolerance after several years.
>
> I still suffer from untreated major depression.
>
Let me add that I will not try Cymbalta until I see some positive results - e.g. that it works as will as Effexor, but with no sexual side effects. So far, Cymbalta does not seem like a significant improvement over Effexor from what I read in various groups.
Posted by ed_uk on November 25, 2004, at 7:05:51
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by awatts on November 25, 2004, at 5:43:11
Hi,
If you lived in England you would have probably been handed a prescription for dothiepin (A TCA). It was the most popular AD in the UK for a long time. It's a bit like amitriptyline. Diazepam was also used to treat depression.
Ed.
Posted by Buckeye Fan on November 25, 2004, at 7:24:24
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by ed_uk on November 25, 2004, at 7:05:51
Very good question Cubbybear!
I only suffered one episode of depression in the 1980,s....but I had no idea what was happening to me..nor did the general non-medical counselor I talked to about it have any idea!~I just "rode it out" and over the next 6-9 months I cahnged my situation...moved back home ( I was in college) got a new job...and the depression lifted on its own after much suffering.
Posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 9:04:39
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by Buckeye Fan on November 25, 2004, at 7:24:24
> Very good question Cubbybear!
> I only suffered one episode of depression in the 1980,s....but I had no idea what was happening to me..nor did the general non-medical counselor I talked to about it have any idea!~
>
> I just "rode it out" and over the next 6-9 months I cahnged my situation...moved back home ( I was in college) got a new job...and the depression lifted on its own after much suffering.If you've never had another depressive episode since then, you're pretty lucky. For many of us, the first episode greatly increases the likelihood of a second,and the odds of recurrence get greater and greater each time. That's why I expect MAOI Parnate to be my friend for life.
Posted by Buckeye Fan on November 25, 2004, at 10:08:08
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s? » Buckeye Fan, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 9:04:39
Unfortunately...that FIRST episode was a pre-cursor of things to come.
I have,since the mid 90's experienced panic attacks, agoraphobia and depression.
At first I tried "toughing it out"...not realizing that as I aged my condition grew worse.
After a few years and a couple PDocs kept saying
I should try and AD...did I begin taking Zoloft and Xanax. As with these and other Meds, there are good and bad sides..but at least I know that there is a chemical and heridity component to depression and anxiety.
Like many...at first I thought I was the ONLY one
in the world feeling "different".
Now with age, research, the Internet, etc...the
whole subjext is being brought more out in the open.
One day perhaps the entire stigma of mental disorders and chemical imbalances will be accepted
just as other physical illnesses.BF
Posted by linkadge on November 25, 2004, at 12:02:42
In reply to Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
My mother said her depression was adequately treated with lithium and sinequan (a tryciclic antidepressant)
It is funny since, many docotors believe that a lithium tricyclic combination may be one of the most effective.
Linkadge
Posted by Rayray on November 25, 2004, at 21:21:13
In reply to Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
Good question! I was treated for depression on an outpatient basis at a world-renowned psych clinic. Meds were not offered for my agitated depression at all -- just talk therapy. That seemed to be the treatment fashion at that time -- a far cry from having participated in a Valium study at the same institution ten years earlier (1971-2)!
Since I worked in the non-psych part of the hospital, I managed to get hold of Valium on my own and that helped. My shrink hit the roof when I mentioned it and told me to get off it. Learning from this experience and not wishing to be left "defenseless", I thought better of mentioning how I was able to compensate for this loss with alcohol. But that's another story.
By the time I got sober some ten years later, thank God I got a good pdoc and the SSRIs had been developed! Recently, I've tried Cymbalta with very mixed results, mostly irritability (not good in a corporate environment). I may abandon it and go back to Zoloft.
Ray
Posted by cubbybear on November 26, 2004, at 0:47:14
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by Rayray on November 25, 2004, at 21:21:13
> Good question! I was treated for depression on an outpatient basis at a world-renowned psych clinic. Meds were not offered for my agitated depression at all -- just talk therapy. That seemed to be the treatment fashion at that time -
I really want to thank everyone who responded to this post, and hope that more people will reply. The main reason for my starting the thread was to see if anyone else was stuck unknowingly in the same situation I was. . .being steered to a psychologist in 1970 for severe anxiety attacks but unable to obtain medication from him. I was then compelled to get Thorazine (horrors!) and then valium by way of a family doctor (GP). The 5 mg. Valium made some of the hours more bearable but never got to the core of my problem. And the "talk therapy" did nothing, of course, to rectify chemical imbalances. Throughout the 70s and beyond, I would suffer from recurrent anxiety and get to try several other (useless) medications such as Triavil and Mellaril. When my first full-blown depressive episode occurred in 1984, I finally got to see a (fabulous) psychiatrist, who got me onto MAOI Parnate (after a failed attempt to squelch the depression through Xanax alone). So, looking back, I endured about 15 years of hell from inappropriate counselling and inappropriate medication until somehow, I was introduced to the "right" person who helped save my life and help me understand what anxiety and depression were all about, and what I could do about it.
Posted by paul_d_234 on November 26, 2004, at 14:06:05
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s? » Rayray, posted by cubbybear on November 26, 2004, at 0:47:14
I had 2 espidoes of depression / panic attacks in the 70/80s - I was a teenager / young adult then.
The first time not knowing what happened I had panic attacks and depession for about 9 months and then they went away on their own. The second time I was in college and want to a pdoc - they treated me with Xanax and a TCA. That worked well, and when I felt well I stayed on the meds for 6 months and stopped. Side affects were not too bad - even the weight gain and sexual side affects cause meds were not given for life at that point by most pdocs.
in the early 90s I switched to SSRIs which work fine but have weight gain / sexual side affects for me.
two months ago I switched to Cymbalta which so far is working well for me with some minor sexual side affects but nothing else.
Posted by Iansf on November 26, 2004, at 17:32:38
In reply to Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
> I'd be curious to hear from people who suffered from depression back in the 70s or 80s, before Prozac or the other SSRIs hit the market. What medication(s) were you prescribed? Were you given a TCA or MAOI anti-depressant? If neither, what did you take? Most importantly-- Looking back on these years, do you feel that your depression was properly dealt with and the medications were helpful?
>Only once did a doctor or therapist ever recommend antidepressants to me, and she neglected to tell me about the side effects or explain how they work. After two days of trying Elavil, I stopped using it because it made me so sleepy and I didn't feel any better. It never even occurred to me to take it before going to bed instead of in the morning! And I had no idea it might take four to six weeks before I felt any effect.
It was 15 years before I tried them again, and when I finally went for antidepressants, it was only on my own volition. Neither my psychotherapist nor my doctor so much as mentioned the possibility, even though both (especially my therapist) knew I was deeply depressed.
Posted by cubbybear on November 27, 2004, at 5:39:21
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by Iansf on November 26, 2004, at 17:32:38
I think your post pretty much says it all-- how many of us suffered needlessly for long periods in different ways because ADs were UNDERPRESCRIBED, and even when they were, the doctors often failed to give a full briefing about what to expect.
Posted by KaraS on November 27, 2004, at 17:09:34
In reply to Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
Ironically, I had the opposite experience. I have been prone to depression since I was a teenager but around 1979 it became more acute and severe. I was also experiencing panic attacks for the first time which led to agoraphobia. After I had a meltdown at work and knew that I was no longer able to function, I saw a GP who someone at work recommended.
She gave me a handful of samples of different kinds of medications (75 mg. amitriptyline, doxepin (75 mg.?), a sedative, and a beta blocker) and told me to "be my own detective". She didn't know me at all so she couldn't possibly have known whether or not I was suicidal. She had definitely given me enough medication to commit the act were I so inclined. She told me to try the 75 mg. of amitriptyline first along with the sedative and the beta blocker. I only took the 75 mg. of amitriptyline fortunately. I slept for about 2-3 days straight on that. That was way too much of that medication to start out on.
The next doctor I saw was a psychiatrist. He was more like the ones in the rest of this thread. He told me and my mother that I was just a little girl alone in the world. He scolded me like a child and told me that if I didn't stop my crying that he'd have to hospitalize me. Fortunately I still had enough sanity to know what an incompetent moron he was.
At this point I figured out that I would have to educate myself. I got a book that explained some basic things about antidepressants (mostly TCAs at the time) and another book about panic attacks and agoraphobia. The next psychiatrist I went to was an older man. I told him what medication I wanted (Sinequan/ doxepin), in what dosage and on what schedule I wanted to build up. He was more than willing to comply with my request. He preferred to spend the hour talking about his son and trying to fix me up with him!!!! At any rate, the doxepin worked for my panic and agoraphobia (along with the book on the latter). The medication helped a little with depression but I was at least able to leave my mother's house, move back to the city I had been living in and function at my job again.
To this day, I insist on a psychiatrist who listens to me and works with me - probably to a fault. I have a good psychiatrist now but I am still reticent to relinquish too much control.
I shudder to think what life must have been like for people with depression and anxiety problems in all of the prior centuries before any of these medications were discovered.
Posted by linkadge on November 27, 2004, at 18:07:01
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by KaraS on November 27, 2004, at 17:09:34
My mom was depressed in 84, she took sinequan. Worked well but she became manic on it in the spring. She was later diagnosed bipolar
Personally, I take anyone who goes manic on a TCA with a grain of salt. There are tons of people who go manic on a TCA but not an SSRI, (i guess vice versa too).
I guess I'm just wondering if she'd be diagnosed bipolar if she was treated for depression in the 90's.
Linkadge
Posted by cubbybear on November 28, 2004, at 3:45:03
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by KaraS on November 27, 2004, at 17:09:34
> I got a book that explained some basic things about antidepressants (mostly TCAs at the time) and another book about panic attacks and agoraphobia.
> I shudder to think what life must have been like for people with depression and anxiety problems in all of the prior centuries before any of these medications were discovered.
Yours is an incredible story--just the type of experience I was wondering about when I started this thread. Do you happen to recall the title/author of the book you mentioned? I recall that a former high school friend recommended a book called "Feeling Good" that was an extremely good and practical self-help book on the role of negative thinking in depression. It also was quite encouraging and interesting on the subject of antidepressants.
As for your wondering what people did about depression in the centuries before medications, I automatically think of the painter Vincent Van Gogh who wrote tormented letters to his brother, cut off his own ear and then finally shot himself.
>
Posted by ladyofthelamp on November 28, 2004, at 4:23:04
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s? » KaraS, posted by cubbybear on November 28, 2004, at 3:45:03
Hi,i was depressed and passively suicidal in 1980's when i was only 16.Unfortunately i allowed myself to be admitted to psych hospital and altogether i spent over 3 years there with breaks of 4 months or so inbetween.The horrendous amount of seemingly randomly picked medication i was on is scary.At one point when i was 18 i was having depot injection of clopixol,temazepam,dotheiopin,valium and carbemazepine in tablet form 3 times a day.I have just come off effexor and believe i do not need this either.Yes i do suffer from a mood related disorder but i don't think it is severe enough for all of the medication i was on..I went cold turkey when i was 21 off all the medication listed before and had a few years of avoiding any psychiatric help as i was told that because i wasn't compliant enough the docs use medication to control you.I am now 35 and free of any medication with a supportive partner who accepts me for what i am.Yes i am a bit moody after recently stopping effexor but at least i am not so physically ill from the chemicals.Incidentally i have been abused by a psychologist when i was slightly manic after coming off a ssri and this wasn't believed.I don't know whether i will have this posting blocked for saying that!.I am now understandebly i think, avoiding the psych system.I have many awful stories from my time in the 'system' and feel a bit alone as it is not something you can discuss with just anyone.
Posted by cubbybear on November 28, 2004, at 10:51:25
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s? » KaraS, posted by ladyofthelamp on November 28, 2004, at 4:23:04
If this is your first time on Psychobabble, you must believe that what you said would not be blocked and people commonly say and report equally bad or worse things. Every so often we all get to read a horror story about the system. Everyone posting here is a friend of yours and you should not feel inhibited about telling your stories.
Posted by Phillipa on November 28, 2004, at 20:05:41
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s? » ladyofthelamp, posted by cubbybear on November 28, 2004, at 10:51:25
I was "told" I was depressed in the 80's after experiencing severe panic attacks. I couldn't tolerate TCA's, so I was put on Valium 5mgs 3x a day, and Meprobomate 350mgs a daay. Along with this I ddrank 3 beers a night. After a while I was functioning well and cut out the meprobomate, and started jogging and teaching aerobics, along with taking care of 3 children. Then I cut down slowly on the valium and put myself through nursing school, while going through a divorce. I graduated magna cum laude and won 3 medical awards. I nursed for l5 years, the last 5 in psych. I was certified. Throughout this time I took low doses of ativan, and then xanax along with beer. Remarried x 2 short term, moved to Virginia from Ct., and thenn married again and moved to NC. One week later my thyroid became hypo and I was put on antidepressants and higher doses of xanax. Finally I was no longer able to work and was hospitalized. Gave up drinking beer (5-6 now), and have continuously gotten worse. Agoraphobia, no feelings ets. Have tried all SRI's and none work. Cymbalta the last which I am weaning off. Oh, I forgot cchloral hydrate for sleep. What happened to me? I try to figure it out every day and read this board looking for a possible answer. Was it the meds of the 80's? Who knows but I don't trust any of them. Phillipa
Posted by KaraS on November 28, 2004, at 23:34:53
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s? » KaraS, posted by cubbybear on November 28, 2004, at 3:45:03
> > I got a book that explained some basic things about antidepressants (mostly TCAs at the time) and another book about panic attacks and agoraphobia.
>
> > I shudder to think what life must have been like for people with depression and anxiety problems in all of the prior centuries before any of these medications were discovered.
>
> Yours is an incredible story--just the type of experience I was wondering about when I started this thread. Do you happen to recall the title/author of the book you mentioned? I recall that a former high school friend recommended a book called "Feeling Good" that was an extremely good and practical self-help book on the role of negative thinking in depression. It also was quite encouraging and interesting on the subject of antidepressants.
>
> As for your wondering what people did about depression in the centuries before medications, I automatically think of the painter Vincent Van Gogh who wrote tormented letters to his brother, cut off his own ear and then finally shot himself.
> >
>I think that the 2 posters following me had more dramatic experiences than mine. Unfortunately, there are a lot of horror stories out there. There are good psychiatrists out there too though. The trick is to find them.
As for the book that I read, it was "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" by Claire Weekes. It is very old and I would bet that there are much better books out there now on panic disorder that will give you more scientific information.
Posted by KaraS on November 28, 2004, at 23:37:46
In reply to Re: Were You Depressed in the 80s? » KaraS, posted by ladyofthelamp on November 28, 2004, at 4:23:04
Sounds like you've been through the ringer as well. It's not easy finding good care and/or medications and/or therapies that work. But the great thing about this site is that you are definitely not alone. Everyone here understands.
Posted by Noa on November 29, 2004, at 18:36:34
In reply to Were You Depressed in the 80s?, posted by cubbybear on November 25, 2004, at 2:23:07
Yep, depressed in the 70's and beyond. First started treatment in early 80's--therapy, not meds. After about 2 years, tried first med--amitryptaline. Took first starting dose, which was only a third of the regular dose and reacted very badly to it (once upon a time, I was very very sensitive to any kind of med!)--had simultaneous experiences of feeling very sedated and jumping out of my skin with hyperactivity--not a good combo. Even had slurred speech.
Got scared off meds for a little while. Then a few months later, doctor suggested Trazadone--tolerated this much better. Was on a relatively low dose for a while and I don't know how much it helped. I hit a kind of bottom, checked myself into the hospital for about a week, and this experience was a watershed for recovery for me. Continued taking the trazodone for a couple more months and then stopped. Continued to be fairly ok for a few years and then had a recurrence of depression around 1990, and started on Prozac, which definitely worked within about a week. At that time, recommendation was to be on Prozac about 6-12 months only (and not need it anymore!). I did this, only to have another relapse a few months after going off of it. Went back on Prozac for another year, went off, was fine for a year or more, relapsed again, went back on Prozac, which worked again but started to poop out after about a year, so had to raise dose, but didn't do so well in terms of SE's. Switched to Paxil around 1994 for about 2 years, needed more but didn't tolerate SE's, tried some combos with some success (thyroid meds) and some lack of success (adding welbutrin gave me tinnitus). Switched to Effexor in 1996, did ok with that for a little while but immediate release med was rather a pain in the neck because doses needed to be very consistently timed to avoid feeling ill. Continued to try augmentation strategies, etc. Very glad when XR came out. Continued augmentation strategies of various kinds, and there you have the entire history, pretty much.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.