any hint to stop depression

[adel_ezz]

This year I didn't need any antidepressants for the 1st time in my 10 years illness. My concerns were and still are more about manic manifestations, not depressive ones. Which means I think my so called "hedonic setpoint" moves away from depression. Which is not bad, in my opinion.

However, a few days ago, I started to feel my dopamine is going down lowering my mood and energy. I am on risperidone 1mg, seroquel 150mg (a strange combo) which worked well. So i removed 25mg seroquel. I resemble this by throwing one bag of sand to lift the balloon.

My 2 questions:

-- If I keep throwing more bags, is it OK so long it lifts me up. But suppose this doesn't lift me up in the end, but
   helps me to survive, is this OK as far as BP handling is concerned, i.e. should I take anything even though I
   can more or less handle my problems. To put it otherwise, is there a minimum dose of anything that I should
   take because there is a common say, BP must be tackled aggressively i.e. great doses of drugs OR is it
   depending on the symptoms only.

-- My experience tells me that depression is better than mania for the brain but worse for the pt. DOES anybody
   know really something which works for depression apart from AD's.

thanks  

[Anneinside]

What do you mean by "depression is better than mania for the brain"? I know that when I am depressed I have trouble thinking but while in mania my thinking is sharp.

I do know that some studies, just some, have shown that the hypothalamus shinks during depression.

[Anneinside]

You have some good questions that need to be directed to your pdoc.

[Bubulous]

I haven't been dealing with my medication long enough to give any insight into how you will be affected.  I am impressed, however, as to how much you know about yours.  I am on Risperidone, Lamictal, Trazadone, Topamax, and many vitamins.  I started out on just the Lamictal, Trazadone, and Vistarel.  I am now concerned with the lack of knowledge I have about my new medicines (Risperidone, Topamax).  They weren't explained to me very well and my moods are so out of wack I can not tell what the effect of them are.  I hope everything works out for you....good luck.