Posted by Racer on September 9, 2007, at 23:26:58
In reply to social anxiety disorder, posted by flawed on September 9, 2007, at 22:10:33
Hi, and welcome to Babble! I hope you get some good answers here, and decide to stick around.
I'm not sure this is a good answer, but it is an answer:
Zoloft would be more likely to help an anxiety disorder than Wellbutrin. That apathy you described, though, mostly likely is from the Zoloft -- the SSRIs can cause apathy for some people. Wellbutrin is known to be much more activating than SSRIs are, and can actually increase anxiety for many people.
In reading your post, I notice you mention what you *think* your diagnosis is, but you don't mention what your doctor has diagnosed you with? "Manic depression" is a very distinct disorder, and is often made worse by antidepressants. I've heard many people, though, use "manic depression" to try to express "severe major depression" -- I think "depression" is used so often in common speech, that people forget it is also a very serious disorder. I wonder if you've been getting your medications through a GP, who may not have the skills necessary to treat you appropriately? The reason I say that is this: many GPs are trained to try antidepressants according to a general rule that basically says to try an SSRI first, and if that doesn't work, move on to Wellbutrin, or Remeron, or Effexor. A good psychiatrist/psychopharmacologist, though, can work to find a good balance that addresses your symptoms successfully. It's probably worth trying it.
If you're experiencing anger/irritability/anxiety on Wellbutrin, it's probably not the drug for you. Even at two weeks, you should be seeing some benefit -- although the discontinuation of Zoloft could also be a part of that.
If I were feeling like going out on a limb and suggesting anything, I'd suggest trying Wellbutrin along with Zoloft -- you can usually take lower doses of each if you take them together, and they affect different neurochemical systems, so they complement each other. There are also drugs that are similar to taking both, like Cymbalta and Effexor, and one of those might be a good option. It's probably also worth asking your doctor about a drug called Remeron. It's a good antidepressant with some anxiolytic effects.
Good luck, and again -- welcome to Babble.
poster:Racer
thread:781911
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070831/msgs/781922.html