Am I suffering from depression or something else?


Question:
Have been treated for depression for the past 3 years.
Taking Wellbutrin XL and Paxil.
Unable to gain full mental clarity during the day, feels as though I am in a "haze" all day.
Don't feel sad necessarily, just feel bad because of the
mental clarity problem.
Have tried sleep medications such as Ambien and Lunesta with no good after affects.
Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Answers:
As a student nurse, I've just gone thru my psych clinicals, so I feel confident enought to offer this advice: There are many new antidepressant meds available today. If it was your regular doctor who prescibed your current meds, then I suggest seeing a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist will be completely up to date on all the meds out there, and will have vastly more experience with your specific issues. I truely believe that 99% of mental illness is biochemical in nature and can be managed by pharmacology.
As for your sleep problems, remember, depression is the cause of irregular sleep patterns and not vice versa. Ambien and Lunesta are great drugs for most people, but just not you. People with depression often experience anxiety as well, so perhaps another drug like Xanex will work better at night. Also you could just try 50mg of diphenhydromine hydrochloride, which is the generic name for Benadryl. That should get you to sleep fast. But be aware that it will dry out your nasel passages and if you take more that 50 mg., it could make you agitated. My mom did that (she thinks that if 1 pill works good, than 3 or 4 pills will work better).
Good Luck

Other Answers:
The combination of those medications can make you feel "hazy." The depression drugs may be preventing you from getting the really deep sleep you need to feel fresh in the morning.

I know you shouldn't just stop depression or other medications. Are they really doing the trick, or should you be thinking about asking your doctor to cut back your dosages - perhaps getting you off them altogether.

Try another doctor - one that will work with you to get off the drugs and treat your depression in healthier ways.



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