Posted by Tony P on May 25, 2004, at 6:07:46
In reply to Re: STOPPING Effexor made easy, posted by Spinxxie on May 21, 2004, at 13:24:08
Re other A/Ds to try, ask your pdoc about Lamictal (lamotrigine). It is only recently becoming known as an effective anti-depressant. My pdoc uses it quite a lot, and his patients report mood-stabilizing, anti-depressant AND anti-anxiety effects. I have dysthymia on top of occasional major depression (also GAD), and I am finding it mild but quite helpful at 300 mg/day for last few months. Unless you get the dreaded rash :-(, usually avoided by s-l-o-w dose escalation, it has very few side effects. Lamictal plus a small dose of Effexor might be even more effective.
I am likely also BP3 - the new suggested diagnostic category for those who have had (hypo-)manic episodes only when on regular antidepressants. Wellbutrin alone at common doses (300 mg/day) made me literally crazy, according to my family, not to speak of anxious and insomniac, so it may not be the best choice by itself for dysthymic people like us. It made my natural highs into hypo-manic episodes or anxiety attacks. I had to take substantial amounts of clonazepam (Klonopin) and zopiclone (Imovane - related to Ambien & Sonata) to deal with the side-effects.
I am still on too many benzos as well as the Lamictal, but my MD wants to go slow on reducing them. I really want to know what I feel like on just the Lamictal, but am following doctor's advice!
Tony P
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> I am having to go off effexor because I started getting excrutiating headaches [...] The only prob is, which drug is next? I have been on luvox, wellbutrin, zoloft - sinequan - disipramine - and lithium.. all the ssris pooped out.. and.. lithium made me a zombie.. sinequan the same [...] I have had dysthemia with major depression on top of it.. and now I guess I am classified as resistant depression.. what to do? > S
poster:Tony P
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040521/msgs/350350.html