![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lee on January 3, 2001, at 21:00:11
In December '00 my pdoc augmented effexor with 200 mg. provigil to treat major depression. The results were amazing: interest in life and a feeling of OKness. But within one week the provigil's mood brightening effects waned around noon. Then my pdoc perscribed adderall. Adderall is OK - certainly better than chronic thoughts and feelings of meaninglessness - but inferior to provigil. I asked my pdoc if I could alternate days on provigil with days on adderall in an attempt to keep the mood brightening effects of provigil 'fresh'. He said he'd think about it but in the meantime he wants me to trial ritalin.
Has anyone had experience alternating two different psychostimulants every other day?
Posted by Dwight on January 4, 2001, at 0:58:27
In reply to Alternating psychostimulants?, posted by Lee on January 3, 2001, at 21:00:11
> In December '00 my pdoc augmented effexor with 200 mg. provigil to treat major depression. The results were amazing: interest in life and a feeling of OKness. But within one week the provigil's mood brightening effects waned around noon. Then my pdoc perscribed adderall. Adderall is OK - certainly better than chronic thoughts and feelings of meaninglessness - but inferior to provigil. I asked my pdoc if I could alternate days on provigil with days on adderall in an attempt to keep the mood brightening effects of provigil 'fresh'. He said he'd think about it but in the meantime he wants me to trial ritalin.
>
> Has anyone had experience alternating two different psychostimulants every other day?No, I haven't alternated stimulants like that before, but I am currently taking adderall along with some other meds. In my experience, it doesn't have much of an antidepressant effect. It tends to make me more introverted--except when I first started taking it, then it made me more talkative. I wish I knew the answer.
Posted by anita on January 5, 2001, at 23:17:22
In reply to Alternating psychostimulants?, posted by Lee on January 3, 2001, at 21:00:11
Hi,
I've had a similar effect on several stimulants -- for the first 2 weeks or so it worked great, then either it stopped working or I got very irritable. I did try to take small "vacations" (with Ritalin, on 4 days, off 2 days, and so on), which helped keep the ritalin effect "fresh" at first, but eventually that wore off as well.
So, from what I know from my experience and my reading on stimulants, taking "vacations" or alternating stimulants probably will not work in the long term. The brain is very efficient at shutting down excess dopamine, it seems. That said, perhaps amisulpride, Wellbutrin, or bromocriptine might give you a long-lasting stimulant effect -- I've heard of it doing so for some.
anita
> In December '00 my pdoc augmented effexor with 200 mg. provigil to treat major depression. The results were amazing: interest in life and a feeling of OKness. But within one week the provigil's mood brightening effects waned around noon. Then my pdoc perscribed adderall. Adderall is OK - certainly better than chronic thoughts and feelings of meaninglessness - but inferior to provigil. I asked my pdoc if I could alternate days on provigil with days on adderall in an attempt to keep the mood brightening effects of provigil 'fresh'. He said he'd think about it but in the meantime he wants me to trial ritalin.
>
> Has anyone had experience alternating two different psychostimulants every other day?
Posted by Lee on January 6, 2001, at 10:41:25
In reply to Re: Alternating psychostimulants? » Lee, posted by anita on January 5, 2001, at 23:17:22
> Hi,
>
> I've had a similar effect on several stimulants -- for the first 2 weeks or so it worked great, then either it stopped working or I got very irritable. I did try to take small "vacations" (with Ritalin, on 4 days, off 2 days, and so on), which helped keep the ritalin effect "fresh" at first, but eventually that wore off as well.
>
> So, from what I know from my experience and my reading on stimulants, taking "vacations" or alternating stimulants probably will not work in the long term. The brain is very efficient at shutting down excess dopamine, it seems. That said, perhaps amisulpride, Wellbutrin, or bromocriptine might give you a long-lasting stimulant effect -- I've heard of it doing so for some.
>
> anita
>
> anita,Thank you for sharing your personal experience with psychostimulants. I too have taken two-day drug vacations hoping to kick start the dopamine - no such luck.
I may ask my pdoc to add amisulpride or Wellbutrin.
> > In December '00 my pdoc augmented effexor with 200 mg. provigil to treat major depression. The results were amazing: interest in life and a feeling of OKness. But within one week the provigil's mood brightening effects waned around noon. Then my pdoc perscribed adderall. Adderall is OK - certainly better than chronic thoughts and feelings of meaninglessness - but inferior to provigil. I asked my pdoc if I could alternate days on provigil with days on adderall in an attempt to keep the mood brightening effects of provigil 'fresh'. He said he'd think about it but in the meantime he wants me to trial ritalin.
> >
> > Has anyone had experience alternating two different psychostimulants every other day?
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.