Posted by Christ_empowered on September 28, 2012, at 22:00:20
In reply to Re: Medication to increase levels of dopamine » whitmore, posted by phillipa on September 28, 2012, at 18:55:40
If you have good insurance, Provigil or Nuvigil might help...just throwing that out there (not traditional stimulants, but they do help depression and fatigue).
Someone mentioned methylphenidate (Ritalin, etc.) products. If you go this route, I'd strongly recommend a sustained release product AM and a tablet in the afternoon. Even if the dose is very low, this approach (in my experience as a patient--NOT a professional here by any means) helps keep blood levels more even, so you don't go crazy. Unless you just can't tolerate stims at all, in which case any dose might make you crazy, no matter the formulation.
Wellbutrin is a possibility. Works well with SRI drugs. My sneaking suspicion--again, as a patient, not a pro--is that the Zoloft is making matters worse. By boosting serotonin, you're dampening dopamine, which can flatten mood. Long-term, SRI drugs are a lot like taking very low-dose antipsychotics in terms of the way they can blunt mood and reduce motivation. They can also (rarely) cause tardive dyskinesia after prolonged exposure.
If you want to ditch the zoloft, there's EMSAM patch (again: you'll need good insurance for this one). Varying doses of an MAOI that lifts mood, helps Parkinson's, and has a mild stimulating effect. Initially, the patch was designed to avoid the (often difficult) "MAOI diet." Now, I think the official stance is that you have to do the diet with the patch, no matter the dose. Your doc will advise you on this.
Simply switching out the zoloft might help. Sorry...I just can't handle long-term SRIs myself, because they tend to be too dulling after an extended period. You could talk about starting another AD (again, wellbutrin comes to mind. If you have more severe depression, a stimulating TCA, such as Pamelor, might be appropriate, if you can handle the side effects) and taper off the SRI. Some people need temporary meds to help with an SRI taper, many don't (and many shrinks just shrug it off and expect the patient to deal with whatever happens).
Since you're into alternative health, I'd seriously suggest (again: because it worked for me, not because I'm some super-educated pro) an Orthomolecular approach. High dose niacinamide, C, E (or tocotrienols), B-complex, etc. Can be customized to work with your meds and maybe get a little more "oomph" out of your pharmaceuticals, while also improving mood and overall health. Just a suggestion.
Good luck!
poster:Christ_empowered
thread:1026936
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120922/msgs/1026977.html