Antidepressants???

I really don't like them but I'm at my wits end with my depression. And I'm really struggling to come to terms with how to address the issue.

Since I was 18 (34 now) I have been on pretty much every ssri snri out there plus mood stabilizers and lithium. I've had some success with them in the past maybe but I always just assumed I cycled out of the depression and unwisely (call it naive youth) took myself off them.

And of course when good old lyme hit in 2008 the mental health went downward faster and was more extreme than I had ever experienced before. Being misdiagnosed for seven years with major depressive disorder and then eventually bipolar II somethings worked a little and others didn't. Although, I'm sure misdiagnosed is the right term because I was thoroughly depressed and anxious and panicked. No one knew lyme and co was behind the scenes. The best was when I was locked in the psych ward for two weeks.

At this point I feel like going down the antidepressant road again is tough one. I have tried a couple supplements but nothing has worked. (L-tryptophan, St. John's wort, increased vitamin D, and some others)

I have a prescription for Cymbalta which I think helped a bit in the past.
I'm hopeful that treating the buggers will help but is it worth it/helpful to use the antidepressant as a stop gap?

I know this is a decision I have to make but just wanted some opinions.

LG

I didn't do well on Paxil... twice. I had to do an outpatient therapy after being released from the psychward and a woman there said she took Paxil and it was like night and day for her so I thought I'd try it again (first tried it when I was in my early 20s maybe) and it didn't do anything. But it was pre-lyme diagnosis.

I'm really hoping that treating Bartonella will help