Depression Understood Forums

Quick background:
My mother suffered from major depression, and I carry the 'depression gene' according to blood tests (sorry, but I do not know the name of the gene). I have suffered from depression for as long as I can remember.

I finally went to a psychiatrist in 1990, and was given Prozac. It helped a little for a while. Then it stopped working, and I was given something else. Long story short, I have been on over 20 different meds for almost 25 years. Currently I am on 4 antidepressants and 3 more drugs to counteract the side effects of the antidepressants - 7 total. I manage somewhat, but I still feel as though I am in a dark pit. I've also had 15 ECT treatments, with no improvement.

I have a couple of questions I'd like to throw out there:
I'm currently on Riluzole - is anyone taking this? Have you noticed improvement? and, There's info on the web about N-acetal cystine (amino acid) helping depression - does anyone have experience taking this?

Thanks,
Juliew

BTW - this looks like a great forum, hope to visit often.

Hi. I am on seven meds because one doesn't work and so I have a cocktail of meds. Also, if your thyroid number is over two the thyroid adds to the depression. I am not familiar with the ones you mentioned.

Hi Juliew.

I'm thinking about taking meds. I don't know will they somehow improve my life. Psychiatrist's treatment is expensive also it can demand that I should try new meds on and on (nobody knows if they are able to help me). But, anyway, my depression will remain with me for the rest of my life.

I was taking meds long time ago, probably they were incorrect, I'm not sure that I lived happier at that time. I can say exactly that I was weak at that time and I could not work because of the meds.

Could anybody give me some advice? Should I try taking meds for improving my private life? Because it's definitely impossible to communicate with new people in such a somber manner as I'm used to do.

How can they prescribe more than 1 psychoactive drug when most trials research effects of 1 drug only. Are they doctors or henchmen?