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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Racer on April 30, 2005, at 10:51:58
Even with upping the Wellbutrin XL to 300mg, I'm depressed again. The last few days have found me sitting around, on the edge of tears all day long.
And, being depressed, I don't want to call the doctor, I don't want to consider trying a different med, etc. I'm afraid that a new AD will cause weight gain, since basically all of them have for me so far. I'm afraid that I'll be too sedated by anything that works for me, which has also been my experience so far. Etc. I'm in that "it's not worth it, because it's just going to get worse, I'd rather just sit here and stare at the walls and wait 'til I die" place. It's not fun. (Although, for anyone who remembers the song, it might be better if I could get to my turntable and play "Kerosene" by Big Black a few times...)
I guess I'm hoping taht someone out there can suggest something that I haven't thought of yet, or haven't tried yet. That, of course, will be difficult.
Hell, I don't have it in me to list everything I've tried s ofar. All the SSRIs, two TCAs, etc. My blood pressure can't handle the TCAs, and I'm so damned fat now I can't stand the thought of taking something that will cause weight gain.
So, any useful suggestions? Sorry for being so damned negative. It's par for the course, but I hate it when I hear it in what I write.
Posted by BIGDaddyachmed69 on April 30, 2005, at 12:07:07
In reply to Here I go again..., posted by Racer on April 30, 2005, at 10:51:58
> Even with upping the Wellbutrin XL to 300mg, I'm depressed again. The last few days have found me sitting around, on the edge of tears all day long.
>
> And, being depressed, I don't want to call the doctor, I don't want to consider trying a different med, etc. I'm afraid that a new AD will cause weight gain, since basically all of them have for me so far. I'm afraid that I'll be too sedated by anything that works for me, which has also been my experience so far. Etc. I'm in that "it's not worth it, because it's just going to get worse, I'd rather just sit here and stare at the walls and wait 'til I die" place. It's not fun. (Although, for anyone who remembers the song, it might be better if I could get to my turntable and play "Kerosene" by Big Black a few times...)
>
> I guess I'm hoping taht someone out there can suggest something that I haven't thought of yet, or haven't tried yet. That, of course, will be difficult.
>
> Hell, I don't have it in me to list everything I've tried s ofar. All the SSRIs, two TCAs, etc. My blood pressure can't handle the TCAs, and I'm so damned fat now I can't stand the thought of taking something that will cause weight gain.
>
> So, any useful suggestions? Sorry for being so damned negative. It's par for the course, but I hate it when I hear it in what I write.To me, Wellbutrin has always seemed like a sh*tty antidepressant...it's good as far as providing the patient with energy, and lacks the sexual side-effects of the other antidepressants. It also seems to be good if weight gain is an issue, as it is with you. But the people here are always complaining that it makes them irritable, and worsens their anxiety. I know someone who was put on Wellbutrin purely for the energy boost, as she was on a very sedating antipsychotic at the time. I'm not aware that it helped her with her depression. Consider Parnate...you haven't tried the MAOIs. I know weight gain is a concern, that's why I'd recommend Parnate over Nardil. I'm sure they can be a pain in the *ss when it comes to watching your diet, but it's something many people have adjusted to. But then there's your blood pressure...if it can't handle the TCAs I would question whether or not it would be such a good idea to go on an MAOI.
Posted by MidnightBlue on April 30, 2005, at 12:13:58
In reply to Here I go again..., posted by Racer on April 30, 2005, at 10:51:58
It took 400mg or more Wellbutrin for me to respond. You might need less depending on what you combine it with.
Posted by divergent_reality on April 30, 2005, at 12:33:02
In reply to Here I go again..., posted by Racer on April 30, 2005, at 10:51:58
I've been feeling the same way ever since I stopped taking Cymbalta in January. The weight still hasn't come off with proper diet and exercise. My hot flashes are back again. The Cymbalta did help with aches, pains hot flashes and anxiety, but never touched the depression. I cancelled an appointment with my pdoc last Thursday for the same reasons. I too have tried so many meds. Most of them have caused me to break out in hives. Wellbutrin was wonderful until the hives appeared. Trazadone makes me feel great with no hangover in the morning, but my legs swell up and the weight gain is fast.
Currently I'm trying SAM-e. It's been a little over a week and I don't feel any different yet. It does seem to supress my appetite. I am also thinking of trying St. John's Wort again. It seemed to work, but I began itiching all over. It could have been that I was taking Ginko with it. I shouldn't have tried two different herbs at once, but I was desperate. I just need to find out if taking SAM-e and St. John's Wort, together, is safe and that the combination will work.
I just wish that there was something out there that you and I could take that would work without adding on the extra pounds. I'm so tired of feeling this way! I know that the extra wieght that I gained after taking Cymbalta is making my depression worse.
I wish I could say or do something that would make you feel better. I'm hoping and praying that you find what you need.
Sincerely,
divergent_reality
Posted by partlycloudy on April 30, 2005, at 14:53:09
In reply to Here I go again..., posted by Racer on April 30, 2005, at 10:51:58
Racer, are you still taking the propanolololololol (sorry, got carried away - it's like spelling Mississippi) for blood pressure? It causes depression for me at low-normal doses.
BTW I think I have discovered that I can't take Klonopin for the same reason. Plus it's NFG for a panic attack.
still fishin,
pc
Posted by Maxime on April 30, 2005, at 16:02:33
In reply to Here I go again..., posted by Racer on April 30, 2005, at 10:51:58
Parnate. No weight gain and powerful. Or waiting a bit longer for the new dosage of Wellbutrin to kick in.
Are you able to tell if the the depression is from within or if it has to do with you weight gain and ED. I know you have been struggling with body image problems. Maybe dealing with those will help the depression (yes, I know I am being a hypocrite, but I may actually have a point ... I just can't apply it to myself).
Maxime
Maxime
> Even with upping the Wellbutrin XL to 300mg, I'm depressed again. The last few days have found me sitting around, on the edge of tears all day long.
>
> And, being depressed, I don't want to call the doctor, I don't want to consider trying a different med, etc. I'm afraid that a new AD will cause weight gain, since basically all of them have for me so far. I'm afraid that I'll be too sedated by anything that works for me, which has also been my experience so far. Etc. I'm in that "it's not worth it, because it's just going to get worse, I'd rather just sit here and stare at the walls and wait 'til I die" place. It's not fun. (Although, for anyone who remembers the song, it might be better if I could get to my turntable and play "Kerosene" by Big Black a few times...)
>
> I guess I'm hoping taht someone out there can suggest something that I haven't thought of yet, or haven't tried yet. That, of course, will be difficult.
>
> Hell, I don't have it in me to list everything I've tried s ofar. All the SSRIs, two TCAs, etc. My blood pressure can't handle the TCAs, and I'm so damned fat now I can't stand the thought of taking something that will cause weight gain.
>
> So, any useful suggestions? Sorry for being so damned negative. It's par for the course, but I hate it when I hear it in what I write.
Posted by linkadge on April 30, 2005, at 22:35:49
In reply to Re: Here I go again..., posted by Maxime on April 30, 2005, at 16:02:33
I would try the wellbutrin with a combination of a small dose of an SSRI. I think that adding say 10mg of prozac would dramatically enhance the wellbutrin efficacy while only effecting weight gain minimally.
Have you tried an SSRI/wellbutrin combination before ??
Wellbutrin, for many, does not hit the *core* mood problems associated with depression. It is certainly good to augment, and reduce side effects.
Many people notice that Wellbutrin will prevent the weight gain associated with SSRI's.
When I was taking Ritalin, 5-10mg of celexa was the difference between being depressed and not being depressed.
Just be flat out honest with your doctor. Just tell him/her that the wellbutrin is not tacking the depression adequately.Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on April 30, 2005, at 23:47:15
In reply to Re: Here I go again..., posted by linkadge on April 30, 2005, at 22:35:49
Gosh I'm so sorry Racer. I do hope a good night's sleep will help. BTW are you in the US? From watching the weather channel the weather is awful in most parts of the US except Fla. Could some of it be that? A very simplistic reason I know. But the weather really affects my mood. And May starts ---it is May lst and it's cold here in NC with a weather forecast of cloudy all next week. Fondly,Phillipa
Posted by JKL on May 1, 2005, at 7:08:34
In reply to Here I go again..., posted by Racer on April 30, 2005, at 10:51:58
You could go up to 450mg maybe? Back in the early days they even went as high as 600mg. Unless it's the wellbutrin itself that's making you depressed? I'm thinking though that even if you did raise the dose and it worked, that it could eventually lose effect at that dose too.
Maybe this is one of those situations where just a little of something else added in might turbocharge it and keep it working good. I know it sounds weird, but I would consider adding in Kira brand st johns wort (LI160, the same one used in clinical studies). It will boost what wellbutrin is already doing..norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibition...and add in some serotonin and GABa reuptake inhibition as well. Though anything psychiatric related can cause weight gain, sjw isn't known for that generally.
In my experience, sjw can have nice effects in just a couple days, or even the first day, and then it tends to fade but comes back slowly but nicely over about a 4 to 8 week period.
Just an idea. In your situation, that's what I would do myself. Actually, that's what I have done with good results. It's cheap, my doc says it's safe, and it's easy to try.
This is the end of the thread.
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