Posted by KarenRB53 on August 18, 2010, at 20:16:10
In reply to Re: Pristiq to replace Celexa + Wellbutrin?, posted by ed_uk2010 on August 13, 2010, at 12:31:06
> > I was on Effexor a long time ago & I only remember the hellish withdrawal when I didn't have insurance.
>
> Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) is very closely related to venlafaxine (Effexor). The withdrawal symptoms are the same. Pristiq does not have any established advantages over Effexor.
>
> >I don't know how much/if Wellbutrin helps, but it probably helps a little.
>
> That is the norm I'm afraid. Psych meds can often help to relieve our symptoms to some extent, but they don't usually get rid of them completely. Sometimes it's best to settle on a medication (or a combination of a couple of medications) which provide a reasonable amount of relief without causing unacceptable adverse effects.
>
> >So my question is, how important is it to stop the Wellbutrin?
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> I don't think it is. On the other hand, I don't see any advantage in switching to Pristiq anyway.
>
> I would be very cautious of any doctor who was pushing Pristiq. It is an expensive new 'patent extender' which was developed to maintain Wyeth's profits when Effexor went generic.
>
> Celexa + Wellbutrin is an established combination. Have your doses been adjusted to get the best effect? Celexa tends to work best for depression at 20mg, 30mg or 40mg per day. Doses of less than 20mg are not consistently effective. Doses above 40mg are not usually any more effective than 40mg. It is necessary to try different doses in order to find out what works best for YOU. Wellbutrin is often given at around 300mg per day.
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> Tell us more.
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>Sorry for jumping here but I've been on combo of Celexa w/Wellbutrin and it really does work well except for the anxiety which is high. But my anxiety is always high. I do think the SSRI's make it higher though. When I was on just Celexa it did help with depression but I had increased anxiety and then after approx a year my pdoc added WellbutrinXL 150mg daily because of lack of motivation, energy etc on Celexa. So I wouldn's say my anxiety is worse with the combo but its definitely always there. I do take lorazepam 1mg nightly and 1/2mg during the day. But it doesn't seem to be enough. Just wondering if I should decrease my Celexa from 20mg to 10mg or should I lower my dose of Wellbutrin (but I'd have to go to SR instead of XL. Or I could increase the lorazepam or try another benzo. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Again, sorry for jumping into this thread but as soon as I saw Celexa + Wellbutrin I thought I'd try to get some help.
poster:KarenRB53
thread:958406
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100811/msgs/959107.html