Being an advocate in my own care. . . .

[MS._Jen_RN, ASN, RN]

Ok, I've been putting off posting, but here goes. I'm an RN, a good pt advocate, I have a good PCP. I also have depression which, even though I'm on meds, get worse in the winter, every year. It's started about the last week or so. I would like to try increasing my SSRI dose, maybe only in the winter. I know that if I mention it to my MD she will suggest running or other exercise first. I don't know if this would work. It makes me anxious to think about an appointment with her. She's kinda old-school, minimal Rx intervention. I'm at a loss. Do I try exercise? Do I go talk to her? How do I advocate for my own health without sounding like I "know it all" and am Dx'ing myself.

~Jen

[mandana]

I think a lot of people with depression find that certain seasons exacerbate the situation. It sounds perfectly reasonable to increase your SSRI dose for the winter months (or on a trial basis) providing it's still a safe dosage. Everything you wrote sounds completely reasonable. If your PCP is not amenable to your suggestion, after explaining what you've written here, then I think a second opinion would be a good idea. I can almost guarantee you that exercise would help you feel better, but you'll probably still need a bit higher dosage, whether you are exercising or not. In fact, you might just want to approach the conversation with, "I've been exercising regularly, but I'm still feeling XXXX, perhaps we could increase my dosage a bit and see if that helps."

Best of luck to you!

Amanda

[PeachPie]

I get SADS. I've found that having lots of light helps. I bought a huge UV light that looks like a scanner on end, and it's great. My uncle swears by coenzyme Q10, a powerful antioxidant, which his doctor recomended. My uncle isn't one to fall for quacks and doesn't like taking medicine of any kind, but swears up and down that it works every winter.