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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 20 of 20. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
Hello,
Different doctors prescribe different antidepressants, and not one seems to work for some. I am personally familiar with Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor XR, and Cymbalta, and found that Effexor and Cymbalta were the most efficacious for me; however Cymbalta was more efficacious at a lower dose but had the most severe withdrawl effects. However, I have heard positive things about Wellbutrin (buproprion) aka Zyban, and also Paxil.
What antidepressant have you tried, and what seems to work the best for you? Also, which antidepressant seems to be the easiest in terms of withdrawl? If you remember the dosages, that would be useful info.
I am putting together this thread so that others can learn from each other which antidepressants may benefit them in the event that they are not feeling alleviation from depressive symptoms. Perhaps you can learn something about a drug that your doctor hasnt tried on you and maybe bring it up at the next meeting as a suggestion. I am a psychiatrist but licensed overseas (at the moment) and I can tell you that many psychiatrists out there may prescribe patients a certain antidepressant based on what the drug reps or textbooks say, and not what the actual patient may quote as being effective.
So put up your post, and share your thoughts about which antidepressants you prefer and why.
Yours,
V
Posted by willyee on October 28, 2005, at 5:07:12
In reply to Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
Lol favorite ?? I dont think thats exactly the term id choose to use....you have a favorite ice cream flavor,a favorite color,etc
Anyway to offer to the thread i responded horrably to ssris,and the fact i was put on all of them but would not be able to tell the difference because each one made aggervated my symptoms all the same,10 fold!
Finaly i came across Maois,and although it took a lot of hard work,i managed to get it prescribed.In 48 hrs the drug had a dramtic effect on me,motivation,confidence,i felt alive!
I can honestly say ssris provided ZERO benifit for me,none not a bit.They just made me suffer worse.
I guess the point to my input would be if one or two ssris are tried on a patient,and aside from not working actualy worsens the patient,i see no need to drag the patient through every new ssri which was exactly what was done to me.I understand each one differs,however they all lay on a similiar foundation,and if two worsen the patient i think the doc should immediatly discard that class of drugs as ineffective and begin to search other avenues.
Not to beat the drum over and over,but if this theory of mine was followed in my case,3 years of suffering....thousands of dollers....and lots of pain could have been avoided.
It took me finding the drug,gathering the info,having the company send me data sheets,etc to finaly get a drug which helped me through a entire 3 years of school and work.
I remember shelling out 140 cash to different docs for the inital visit,only to leave the office with my folder packed with parnate info in one hand,and a script for prozac PLUS luvox in the other.
Whew sorry for the long post,its just the truth,the story of my life,and if i can help one person avoid what i went through it would give it some worth.
BTW Everything here is my own sole opinion,nothing more.
Posted by Sonya on October 28, 2005, at 6:51:20
In reply to Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
Bupropion SR 150mg + Bupropion (plain) 75mg so far is working wonders where others (SSRI's, TCA's) haven't. Depakote 500mg is also taken to prevent mood instability (diagnosis: bipolar II).
Posted by SLS on October 28, 2005, at 10:01:37
In reply to Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
Bootstraps.
- Scott
Posted by fires on October 28, 2005, at 12:00:48
In reply to Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
SSRIs -- horrible for me
Parnate - 70 mg No withdrawal symptoms during slow tapering off.
Wellbutrin XL -- 300 mg, almost no side effects. Unknown how beneficial it will be.
Lamictal - 200 mg -- good for mood stabilization, unknown if it will help with depression.
Rozerem -- 8 mg for sleep. Could be big breakthrough for me.
antidepressants of the future: antiviral medicines!!!!
Posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 13:27:25
In reply to Re: Please post your favorite antidepressant! » Dr. Vijoy, posted by fires on October 28, 2005, at 12:00:48
Hello,
MAO inhibitors actually are supposed to be wonderful in terms of efficacy, many doctors are afraid to prescribe them because of the tyramine crisis that can develop when eating several different types of foods... also can develop when other particular meds are used in combination. So in response to willyee, I completely agree with what you are saying with the SSRI meds docs choose... if 1 or 2 dont work, why bother going down the line. When I was diagnosed MDD, that is exactly what was done to me, and moreso, the doc was trying to lead me into thinking the newer SSRI was actually working.
I think that my main problem was a norepinephrine imbalance since SSRIs werent doing the trick. When i switched over to Effexor and later Cymbalta only then did I see some improvement. But they are with their share of side effects the most notable for me being blurred vision, but there are others.
Anyways sorry to babble... and regarding lamotrigine (lamictal I believe)... it is supposed to treat manic AND depressive symptoms and is supposed to be similar to valproate in efficacy... good luck with the lamictal I know its hard to take a med that gets rid of the manic symptoms because they make you feel good,m but when you realize how self-destructive mania can be then it actually is a good idea to take something for it without sending you the other way into depression.
Oh by the way, in regards to Wellbutrin, different literature say different things, but from my understanding, does it inhibit reuptake of all 3 neurotransmitters: dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin? If someone knows please let me know, thanks.
Take care,
V
Posted by blueberry on October 28, 2005, at 19:39:22
In reply to Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
You have to go overseas to find my favorite...25mg-50mg amisulpride. But other than that, 20mg prozac + 5mg zyprexa combination was the best in terms of lasting the longest (5 years before poopout) and having no side effects.
Have tried most other ssri's and a couple tricyclics, as well as some other stuff like pindolol, buspar, naltrexone, lithium, lamictal, adrafinil, modafinil...all had either yucky side effects, didn't work, or pooped out quickly.
Oh yeah, forgot about ritalin and adderal. Those are great. It's just that the good effects fade real fast for me and I get up to a high dose real fast...tolerance sets in way too fast for me. If I were a doctor though, I would prescribe a stimulant right along with an ssri at the very beginning, to lift the patient up from hell fast, and then slowly withdraw the stimulant after the ssri starts working.
Posted by Phillipa on October 28, 2005, at 20:48:57
In reply to Re: Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by blueberry on October 28, 2005, at 19:39:22
Non of the SSRI's have worked for me. They made my anxiety worse and caused me to feel like a space cadet. It took 50mg of lopressor, xanax, beer 6 cans nightly to allow me to take paxil l0mg the first one I ever took. And for three months all I did was lie in a hammock. Then I felt better due to my dream job opening up. And when I wanted to stop the paxil I had brain zaps. it took a few months but I finally did. Decided that benzos are the only thing that helps . Valium. And now I'm moving to a new area and don't know how to find a new pdoc who will prescribe it. They all think a Ad will cure anxiety. But they just make it worse. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Muad' Dib on October 29, 2005, at 15:16:21
In reply to Re: Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Phillipa on October 28, 2005, at 20:48:57
NARDIL is the BEST MED overall!
PARNATE is good for resistant-depression.
AMISULPRIDE worked for me for a while, it was great anxiolytic.
SSRIs don't work for me.
I've tried MANY many more, if you have questions just ask.
Posted by pseudoname on October 29, 2005, at 17:47:37
In reply to Re: Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Muad' Dib on October 29, 2005, at 15:16:21
I haven't found my fave yet. Adderall XR works to a certain extent on my worst days; Ritalin did, too, up to a point. Neither's been exactly curative, but they're my best so far.
I remember "Wayne R", five years ago, raved about naltrexone 25 mg/day, as an adjunct to an SSRI. It was lifesaving for him. Didn't work for me.
I think Elizabeth, a couple years ago, found buprenorphine (Suboxone, I think) to be the one med that finally helped with her depression. I'm still hoping I might try it.
Posted by Phillipa on October 29, 2005, at 19:50:05
In reply to some others' faves, posted by pseudoname on October 29, 2005, at 17:47:37
So who is Elizabeth heard her name on here before. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Declan on October 29, 2005, at 21:16:29
In reply to Re: some others' faves » pseudoname, posted by Phillipa on October 29, 2005, at 19:50:05
Posted by pseudoname on October 30, 2005, at 13:34:42
In reply to Re: some others' faves » pseudoname, posted by Phillipa on October 29, 2005, at 19:50:05
Elizabeth posted prolifically here and on Usenet about psychopharmacology. She was apparently not a psych or med professional but called herself "an informed consumer." HIGHLY informed, others would say.
In 2001 she said she was avoiding Usenet because of libelous statements and "scary" personal attacks made against her in posts there. There is in fact a rather sad collection of obsessive posts about her in various places on the Web.
Elizabeth (at least as "Elizabeth") has not posted on Babble or elsewhere since about April 2003 despite a few desperate pleas from some fans.
Posted by ed_uk on October 30, 2005, at 14:23:40
In reply to Elizabeth » Phillipa, posted by pseudoname on October 30, 2005, at 13:34:42
Hi Pseudoname,
I really like Elizabeth's posts. Elizabeth's departure was a great loss to psycho-babble.
I never knew she posted anywhere else apart from p-babble.
It would be fantastic if she returned to p-babble. I'd like to email her if I could but I don't have her email address.
Kind regards
Ed
Posted by Phillipa on October 30, 2005, at 17:28:24
In reply to Re: Elizabeth » pseudoname, posted by ed_uk on October 30, 2005, at 14:23:40
Ed now I can see why you thought so much of her. She's awesome. Maybe someone can post an address for you Love PJ O
Posted by Declan on October 30, 2005, at 19:16:21
In reply to Re: Elizabeth » ed_uk, posted by Phillipa on October 30, 2005, at 17:28:24
I hadn't realised about those groups, I mean I read just a few posts, I don't have the inclination for more, and very different to my mental picture of her (of course).
Declan
Posted by Chairman_MAO on November 1, 2005, at 10:59:15
In reply to Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
Only one drug has ever given me full remission: 1mg/kg phenelzine. In second place, with partial remission whith intermittent tastes of full remission, is tranylcypromine. 120-200mg/day was better for social phobia and anxiety than the usual 0.7mg/kg dose. Buprenorphine is also a broad-spectrum antidepressant drug with analgesic, anti-addictive, and possibly anti-manic and anti-psychotic effects.
In a somewhat distant third is 300mg/day venlafaxine + 40-80mg/day d-amphetamine. Beyond that, nothing ever did enough such that I would genuinely consider it as having produced an improvement in my life.
Tranylcyromine is, incedentally, one of the most pro-sexual drugs I have ever taken, licit or otherwise.
Posted by pseudoname on November 1, 2005, at 11:27:52
In reply to Re: Elizabeth » pseudoname, posted by ed_uk on October 30, 2005, at 14:23:40
> >I'm going to try to get a buprenorphine doc.
>For unipolar depression, right? How do you respond to the MAOIs?
About 15 years ago I gave Parnate (tranylcypromine) and Nardil (phenelzine) a run for their money — without any good effect. I tried them solo and combined with, variously, lithium, tryptophan, Elavil (amitriptyline), and synthetic thyroid.
Ed, do you think there's some indication in an MAOI response to how buprenorphine might act? Or, why do you ask?
Thanks for any advice.
Posted by ed_uk on November 1, 2005, at 15:42:25
In reply to MAOIs and buprenorphine? » ed_uk, posted by pseudoname on November 1, 2005, at 11:27:52
Hi PN
>Ed, do you think there's some indication in an MAOI response to how buprenorphine might act?
I don't think so - I was just wondering whether you'd tried them.
Kind regards
Ed
Posted by irishcatholic on November 2, 2005, at 11:58:05
In reply to Please post your favorite antidepressant!, posted by Dr. Vijoy on October 28, 2005, at 1:08:21
Prozac for me (actually dirt cheap generic fluoxetine from Par Pharma - who my PDoc says is the best cloner of Proz)
Not perfect but good
20 mg/day for 2 days, skip 1 day, repeat.
(after MUCH experimentation)Others tried: Zoloft, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Lexapro
Best advice is find a PDoc that is humble enough to value your input, keep good records, daily journaling over long period to critically evaluate your results - don't expect anybody but yourself to be able to run a drug experiment on yourself.
This is the end of the thread.
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