Posted by conundrum on April 2, 2010, at 15:14:06
In reply to Re: Why is anhedonia regarded as a part of depress » conundrum, posted by Economist on April 1, 2010, at 13:10:46
Hi Economist,
I was going to reply yesterday but must not have confirmed the message. I haven't found anything that helps, but most of what I tried during my 7 years off Prozac was natural. The reason is that I was convinced these drugs were really bad and damaging. I do believe that SSRIs can be damaging if taken for along time. It took me a long time to feel comfortable trying drugs again. Basically after diet change, exercise, natural remedies, and meditation failed.
I just started with psych drugs again last summer and unfortunately they take long trials and dose titrations. There were some natural things that helped a tiny bit. The first thing that helped was neuro optimizer, but it made me ill after taking it, with diarrhea and constipation so I was affraid of the permanent effects of taking it. It only partially helped with certain symptoms. When I tried it again recently it did not work and just gave me headaches. In later years I tried chinese medicine and one of the herbal concoctions helped a little bit adding motivation.
So other than the TCM practitioner, I have seen a normal MD, who prescribed me Lexapro, budeprion, fluoxetine, buspirone, and pristiq.
I saw a psychiatrist that prescribed ritalin. It didn't do anything for me. Then when I told him what I thought I needed and the reasoning he said I have an obsessive personality. He then prescribed nefazodone, which I never took because of the liver failure thing, and haven't seen him since.
The only thing from those drugs that helped was 2.5 mg fluoxetine with 10 mgs buspirone. It helped improve motivation and a little with anhedonia. Pristiq 50mgs helped me feel more color for a few weeks before it started to feel just like an SSRI.
I think that antiserotonergic drugs that block post synaptic serotonergic receptors can help with motivation and that increasing norepinephrine can help with anhedonia. It would be nice if there was a DRI that worked for 24 hours and not week like wellbutrin. I'm wondering about Wellbutrin XL vs the cheap generic budeprion I took. Maybe I'll try adrafinil first.
Opiates, maryjane, and alchohol haven't helped at all.
I had trouble with school as well. Its amazing I graduated. Now im thinking of getting a masters. not sure how im gonna do that.
Post-SSRI syndrome: iatrogenic anhedonia, memory and concentration problems, sexual dysfunction. [NOTE no sadness or anxiety, this is NOT depression!]
Current med: 100mg pristiq
Location: USA
poster:conundrum
thread:887696
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100328/msgs/941805.html