, I am so glad you brought this up in the forums. I think depression can be a serious part of MS that may go undiscussed all too frequently.
It sounds like you have tried other medications and didn't like the side effects. That can be a real issue when trying to find the right medication for depression. Much like medications used to treat MS, it can be a lot of trial and error, which can be downright exhausting.
Please keep in mind I am not a therapist or medical professional, but I don't believe any person should just have to live with depression and assume that "that's all there is".
A positive attitude can help, but if you are truly dealing with a serotonin imbalance or other chemical issue, it can only help so much.
I personally am a big proponent or talk therapy and medication (if needed). Having someone to talk to and work through your problems with (preferably a professional) can really help make sense of what's going on in your life.
Here's some basic information on treating depression -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/symptoms/depression.
Also, depression is a well covered topic in this community, and I wanted to share a couple of articles on the topic that I thought you might find interesting.
Here's a recent one -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/emotional-changes. Here's a slightly older piece -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/dealing-depression-learning-unplug. And here's one more from one of our most prolific contributors -- https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/mental-health-depression.
I'm not trying to overwhelm you with information, but I wanted you to see that you are definitely not alone in feeling how you feel.
In the end, you have to decide what is the best treatment route for you. You know yourself better than anyone else does. And I think it's awesome that you have been open to trying medications, despite less-than-stellar past results.
I hope you get some helpful suggestions from other community members and please feel free to reach out if you have more questions.
Best, Erin, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member.