This shouldn't be taken as medical advice, but it might just help someone who finds that their depression doesn't seem to respond much to SSRIs, e.g, fluoxetine, sertraline etc. I've been on them for years but they haven't stopped me from having episodes like Turboprop's. I started taking quetiapine (aka seroquel) recently, as an adjunct to sertraline. After 2 months the depression has just disappeared - not a twinge. Of course this could be a coincidence, you can't deduce much from a research sample of one. But I asked the pharmacist about it and she said I'm by no means the first person to tell her that it's the only antidepressant that's ever really helped them. It's been prescribed for depression for about eight months. Before that it was only used as an anti-psychotic/mood stabiliser, for schizophrenia and other conditions. I really shouldn't be advertising it, but there are quite a few depressives out there who think they've tried all worthwhile medications. That's how I felt - I just couldn't see any escape. I've had frequent depressive episodes for 20+ years, and tried everything short of ECT or a lobotomy. But all of a sudden I feel completely normal. Stable. The real me, not a drugged-up me. So Turboprop, I hope you keep trying to find an answer. From what you say, you need to be seen by a senior psychiatrist. If you're not currently under the care of one I believe you have the right to insist. Earlier this year I got allocated to the consultant in charge of the CMHT, and last time I saw him we spent nearly two hours talking. So don't put up with 10 mins with a GP, you deserve much, much better treatment than that.
