Posted by atmlady on January 20, 2008, at 13:14:59
In reply to Dopamine, useful and whos tried it?, posted by Mikez on January 20, 2008, at 6:48:33
Hello, Mikez - I just switched from Welbutrin to the DA agonist Trivastal this week and am feeling great so far. Over a period of three days I ramped down the wellbutrin from 450mg to zero and ramped up the Trivastal from 50mg at night to 50mg at breakfast and 50mg at about 3pm. Not only did I not experience any withdrawal from the pretty abrupt discontinuance of wellbutrin, I experienced none of the expected nausea, anxiety or extreme sleepiness from the Trivastal.
What Trivastal does do for me is mildly stimulate me. I feel a calm alertness - no racing thoughts, no anxiety. Maybe because I am already so used to dopamine overdrive from the Wellbutrin I was on? Anyway, I feel a bit calmer, am sleeping better and can even take a nap during the day if I want, but I don't have to. Maybe that is from the absence of the NE boost I used to get from the wellbutrin? Not sure.
I am not physically stimulated - I don't experience the scalp chills, the dry mouth, the appetite suppression (darn) that I would on a stimulant, but I do have some motivation now - I went to the gym twice this week, cleaned the house, got some errands run. Not a whirlwind of activity like I might be with a stimulant, but not a lump on the couch, which I was with the wellbutrin.
As for the inability to feel emotions - I know what you mean. I often thought of myself as Dr Spock. Many times I would be intellectually happy, as in everything is going my way so I must be happy, but I couldn't feel it. I think this is the main thing that hurts me socially, because I'm just not on the same wavelength as other people - I try to act happy because I'm happy, really I am, but I just don't feel it and I know it and they know it any everyone is uncomfortable for a reason they can't put their finger on. Lexapro is the only thing that ever made me FEEL happiness, so you see I am a serotonin girl. But I refuse to accept the weight gain and anorgasmia, so I do without SSRI's- I'm used to not being happy anyway.
But to get back on the subject, if Lexapro / serotonin makes me feel happiness, what I think I might be experiencing with Trivastal is joy. Friday, first day of Trivastal only, I was running errands in the car and was actually singing along to the songs on the radio! Seriously (and I'm always SO serious), Dr Spock does not sing to the radio, no way!! And then Three Dog Night's "Shambala" came on and a got this RUSH of .... joy is the only word that explains it. I almost wept from the feeling and thought OMG, is this what joy is?!?!?!?! I think I might understand how the folks taking Mirapex become addicted to gambling, if this is what they feel when they win at Blackjack! Oh My.
Mind you, I am not feeling like this at every second. It's just occasionally. This Trivastal seems very mild all around - Mirapex may be more powerful.
My original plan was to experiment with Ixel (an SNRI) because I knew I needed serotonin, and I bought the Trivastal to augment it just in case I missed the dopamine effects from the wellbutrin. But the Ixel has not yet arrived (arg) and there was the Trivastal, calling to me from the cabinet and I thought why not see what all the fuss is about? I'm astonished that it actually worked! I feel good enough right now to hope that maybe Trivastal and a lightbox will do the trick for me for now. Still early, though. If the Ixel does ever arrive I'm sure I'll want to at least try it out.
Hope this info helps; and again, as to the sleepiness, like I said it stimulates me mildly, and with a cup of coffee or tea it's a real pick me up.
poster:atmlady
thread:807882
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080114/msgs/807934.html