Medication Advice

I had a coworker that used Lexapro and loved it.

I have experience in the field of psychology and have learned that depression cannot be treated with drugs alone. Rather, it is important to have a balance of medication and counseling. So, I think you will feel better once you start the counseling. Meanwhile though, ask the doctor for a different medication as depression medications don't always work the same for everybody.

Congrats on the little boy. My boy was born 1/16/08 too!

I have been where you are at. I had to go on meds as well and it actually took awhile before they found the one that worked for me. Zoloft was one but there were others they tried too. Then one day (about a year later) I realized that I needed to get off the meds because I felt like I was loosing myself in the process even though I was maintaining everyday.

So I found a good multi vitamin and increased my vitamin B -started exercising and eating healthier and I have never felt better.

The meds were good but it wasn't a road I wanted to be on long term. If you are finding they are not working I would talk it over with your physician and see if perhaps exercise, might be a good thing too add. You really need to increase your cerintonin (spelling?) level -that is what the meds do but if you stop taking them and your not exercising and taking care of the body - you will find yourself back to square one.

Hope that helps - hang in there - but get outside and enjoy the spring weather- I think that will help alot and your baby might like it too. Stroller walks are great exercise.

Have a great day!

Just personal experience...

Thats a hard one because everyone's chemistry is different. What works for one doesn't work for the other and also antidepressants can take so long to kick in. After having tried 4 different antidepressants I have finally found one that works wonderfully for me, effexor SR. For the panic attacks you might ask for alprazolam, that is what I have used (and many of my friends)and works well. Also, the alprazolam gives immediate (well within 30 min) relief whereas the zoloft won't work for the panic atttacks until after about 4-6 weeks (they are safe to take together).
Good luck,
Tam

As someone who has suffered from depression, anxiety, and at times insomnia, I can say that you should probably go back and see the doctor that gave you the Zoloft and tell him/her that it isn't working. Some meds work on some people, but not others. Being on psych meds is often a trial and error thing. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the right ones working well. There are antidepressants that also work very well for anxiety too. My doctor was very understanding with me and when someting didn't work, he gave me something else. If your doctor won't help you, then find one that will!! Hang in there, once you get the right medication things will get soooo much better!!!

When I had my first little boy, my son's pediatrician is actually the one that caught I had post partum depression. My OB and him worked out of the same office and they gave me Paxil. I did great on it. However, I was still on it when I got pregnant with my second son and had to wean off of it for him, so I was on it for a couple of years. I also started to suffer from it when I had my second son and I recognized the signs right away and I just did simple things, like instead of laying around and maybe feeling miserable I'd get up and shower and do my dishes or any simple household chore and stay busy instead of dwelling on feeling depressed.

On the insomnia, I've never really dealt with it much, but the day I had our 2nd son, they had pumped so many drugs into me that I could not fall asleep, that and the adrenaline from 36 hours of labor in a hospital. So, I finally asked for something from the nurse and she gave me Ambien or Lunesta. I fell asleep sitting up with my baby latched on nursing and my husband had to go get a nurse to help unlatch baby 'cause it just knocked me out.

Also, on anxiety I've never dealt with anything on it, so I'm sorry but I can't help you there. Hope everything works out.

I haven't had to deal with all that you mentioned, but whenever I can't sleep, Tylenol Cold and Cough always helps. It's Tylenol, Benadryl and something else. The side effect of the last two meds is sleepiness. Works well for my mom and my son as well.