| Topic: |
Sociology > Depression |
| User: |
"Billy Joan Kane" |
| Date: |
22 Jun 2005 10:47:17 PM |
| Object: |
Depresson meds? |
Hi - over the past years since 9/11 I suffered from moderate anxiety and
some depression:
I was initially on Celexa for almost a year but felt it was too dopey.
Then switched to Effexor for 1.5 yrs and really liked it but it switched off
my labido, made me kind of a little too carefree and still slightly dopey.
Plus no motivation. I ultimately became anxiety free and asked to be on an
antidepressent and was exicted that Welbutrin would help me quit smoking. I
liked the WB but did suffer from insomnia and was kind of wired. Now here's
the deal:
Over the last 2.5 months my brother almost died of menigitis, I lost a job
and started a new one, finished a major basement remodel and with three
little kids my wife of 13 years just told me that she no longer loves me.
Well Holy sh*t man! Talk about hitting a new low! So I go to the doctor a
wreck and ask for the 1st time for some sleeping pills. I got a two week
supply and only ended up needing 2 nights worth. Cool. I said I was a
little bit anxious so we decided to taper off the WB to 1 in the AM and then
1 week later start on effexor ER again. Ok, fine. Well a couple of days
later I go to my 1st appt. with a social worker. She is awesome! I totally
wanted someone goal and success oriented and she is it. Well she gave me a
quickie beck depression test and I scored um, a severe. She's like you need
to be on Paxil - for that is what she was on. Ok great. I call my doctor
and tell him the deal and he says that effexor is pretty much the same as
paxil and to chill and stick to the plan. Ok I'm cool with that. But here
is the deal. After 1 week of tapering off Welbutrin I am feeling pretty
good considering what I am going through. I made an appt. with a new doctor
in network and am thinking of staying on the 1 dose of welbutrin until I get
a 3rd opinion from him next week. I want the get off the couch and do
something feeling I get from welbutrin (which does little for my depression
I think) and the combination of another drug on top of it. What are some of
the popular combos I should be considering? Obvisouly I am going to go
through some major hell over the next year or so and I need to not be so
numb that I can't work on myself but yet able to keep the physical effects
of depression in check. Wow - any help/experience welcomed!
.
|
|
| User: "David" |
|
| Title: Re: Depresson meds? |
23 Jun 2005 03:50:06 AM |
|
|
It took my parents and I a long time initially to finally get on the
right combination, so I know how it can be a struggle. I am taking an
anticonvulant, two different types of antidepressants (ssri, and snri),
and an antipsychotic. Everyone's situation is different though, it
helps to have an open mind and to go along with what the doctor
recommends. If you have difficulty with some specific symptoms, it
would be helpful for him to know that instead of trying to change
things without his recommendation, that's sort of how I became
unstabalized the past year or so. Once you find the right combination,
it's good to stay on it.
We went through a lot of testing over the first couple of years, I had
an MRI, which was normal as well as an EEG, which showed some
abnormalities and is how we learned that the condition was
neurologically based and why they added the anticonvulsant. I also had
a cat scan, which was also normal.
For awhile I did pretty well on Effexor and Remeron, which seemed to
cancel out the side effects of eachother. I eventually changed it
though because I had some problems with the generic.
It sounds like you're doing well in getting the different opinions, it
might be helpful though to have someone else, like a family member come
a long with you to the appointments. I usually do this until I'm able
to handle things on my own again. Sometimes it's helpful to keep a
journal of how you're feeling and any symptoms you experience. Thereapy
might also be a good idea.
Good luck, I hope this is helpful.
David
Billy Joan Kane wrote:
Hi - over the past years since 9/11 I suffered from moderate anxiety and
some depression:
I was initially on Celexa for almost a year but felt it was too dopey.
Then switched to Effexor for 1.5 yrs and really liked it but it switched off
my labido, made me kind of a little too carefree and still slightly dopey.
Plus no motivation. I ultimately became anxiety free and asked to be on an
antidepressent and was exicted that Welbutrin would help me quit smoking. I
liked the WB but did suffer from insomnia and was kind of wired. Now here's
the deal:
Over the last 2.5 months my brother almost died of menigitis, I lost a job
and started a new one, finished a major basement remodel and with three
little kids my wife of 13 years just told me that she no longer loves me.
Well Holy sh*t man! Talk about hitting a new low! So I go to the doctor a
wreck and ask for the 1st time for some sleeping pills. I got a two week
supply and only ended up needing 2 nights worth. Cool. I said I was a
little bit anxious so we decided to taper off the WB to 1 in the AM and then
1 week later start on effexor ER again. Ok, fine. Well a couple of days
later I go to my 1st appt. with a social worker. She is awesome! I totally
wanted someone goal and success oriented and she is it. Well she gave me a
quickie beck depression test and I scored um, a severe. She's like you need
to be on Paxil - for that is what she was on. Ok great. I call my doctor
and tell him the deal and he says that effexor is pretty much the same as
paxil and to chill and stick to the plan. Ok I'm cool with that. But here
is the deal. After 1 week of tapering off Welbutrin I am feeling pretty
good considering what I am going through. I made an appt. with a new doctor
in network and am thinking of staying on the 1 dose of welbutrin until I get
a 3rd opinion from him next week. I want the get off the couch and do
something feeling I get from welbutrin (which does little for my depression
I think) and the combination of another drug on top of it. What are some of
the popular combos I should be considering? Obvisouly I am going to go
through some major hell over the next year or so and I need to not be so
numb that I can't work on myself but yet able to keep the physical effects
of depression in check. Wow - any help/experience welcomed!
.
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