Posted by blueberry on September 23, 2005, at 20:20:11
In reply to best drug(s) for anhedonia, feeling, and drive???, posted by iforgotmypassword on September 21, 2005, at 14:07:57
The absolute best meds I ever tried for anhedonia, feeling, and drive were two that I got mailorder.
One was adrafinil, which is a so-called smart drug that works by norepinephrine alpha-1 agonism and also hits the dopamine D2 receptor. Though it provided immediate stimulation the first day, the real benefits didn't show up until about 3 weeks later. They were renewed interest in things, depression vanished, and I became more talkative and involved, more drive, yet perfectly comfortable with no side effects. Very tame med too. No withdrawals on stopping. I was on it for two years and loved it.
Modafinil is a close cousin to adrafinil and is easy to get.
The other was low dose amisulpride, which is an antipsychotic. At low doses, all it does is cause more dopamine to be released, almost kind of like a stimulant would do. I had more energy, more focus, more interest, more drive, and socially comfortable. This one can have significant sexual side effect though because it raises prolactin levels.
I tried them both together for a few weeks and it was terrific. Talk about stopping anhedonia dead in its tracks. But the sexual side effects from amisulpride were too much for me.
I used them both at various times in combination with prozac and zyprexa as well. I would love to go back to adrafinil right now, but for some reason I am already way too stimulated from either anxiety or akathisia to begin with, so until I get that figured out I have to avoid norepinephrine meds.
But since you asked, out of the several dozen meds I've tried, adrafinil and/or amisulpride were the best for anhedonia, feeling, and drive.
poster:blueberry
thread:557669
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050921/msgs/558697.html