Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jms600 on May 1, 2006, at 17:55:06
Hi everyone
I need to ask a question to some of the more 'advanced users' of anti-depressant medications. Hopefully, it will be not just me who will benefit from the answers, but others will too.
I've had depression for about 3 & a half years now. I also get some GAD & panic disorder as well as slight Obsseive Compulsive Disorder.
I've tried several medications but don't know what to try next as I'm still not getting great results from my current medication. I can't ask my doctor because he is unsure himself what else I can try.
I have tried Seroxat/Paxil - 30mg. My doctor later combined this with 2-4mg Stelazine. It worked great. So came off it (gradually) and my depression returned. When I went on the combo again it just didn't do a thing to help. It also had some horrible side effects too. So I went to my doctor and he changed the medication.
My doctor then tried me on Sertriline/Zoloft. That didn't do anything. Went up to 150mg but didn't feel any benefit from it at all.
Next I took Venlafaxine/Efexor. I went up to 225mg. It only helped very slightly and also maid me lethargic. So I had to try something else.
Finally my doctor has put me on Prozac. I take 60mg per day. It does help a little but still nowhere near as good. I've been on it for about 18 months now so don't think it's going to get any better.
I guess I need to try somethoing else, but what?? My doctor probably won't prescribe combos (apart from the Paxil/Stelazine combo he tried on me a few years ago), so I guess it might need to be a single drug.
My symptoms currently are:
1: Absolutely no interest in things. Everything just seems boring - obviously a symptom of depression.
2: A general 'black' feeling.
3: General neurosis - keep thinking I'm going to have a nervous breakdown.
4: GAD, panic disorder & social phobia. This is not severe but is causing problems & uncomfortable.
CAN ANYONE SUGGEST ANYTHING TO TRY NEXT??? Obviously drugs work differently for everyone but I am interested to know what has worked for you??I guess first & foremost I want something for the depressive symptoms. I can generally cope with the anxiety/phobia in my life but if the next antidepressent I try will also help anxiety / neurosis then thats a bonus!!
Thanks for your time everyone!
Posted by blueberry on May 1, 2006, at 18:30:01
In reply to What should I try next?, posted by jms600 on May 1, 2006, at 17:55:06
Lexapro? Probably too much pure serotonin to help by itself though.
Cymbalta? With its stronger action on norepinephrine and dopamine than effexor, maybe.
If your doc went for a combo once, maybe again. Add zyprexa to the ongoing prozac.
Though the side effects are too harsh for most people, desipramine added to prozac is a power combo.
Wellbutrin? Wellbutrin with prozac is common.
Ritalin or adderall added to prozac?
Really though to treat a wide variety of symptoms, I think it will be hard to do with just one med. Sadly.
Hey, I had the same kind of symptoms as you when I was on 20mg prozac, any more made me too agitated, but what I added to it worked fabulous for all of the symptoms you described...st johns wort. Sadly the combo pooped out in 4 months and I was left with some peace and calm I didn't have before starting it, but I was again blah and lifeless.
Posted by Phillipa on May 1, 2006, at 21:26:51
In reply to Re: What should I try next?, posted by blueberry on May 1, 2006, at 18:30:01
Not quite sure what you are looking for but luvox is the most sedating of the SSRI's at high doses it does give energy. I'm not good at combos. Love Phillipa hopefully more will chime in with better answeres than mine
Posted by RobertDavid on May 2, 2006, at 0:10:07
In reply to What should I try next?, posted by jms600 on May 1, 2006, at 17:55:06
I suffer from GAD, SAD and depression.
Without going into all that have failed I'm finally right with a klonopin 2mgs/EMSAM 20mg patch combo.
I've been on klonopin for years which really tackled the anxiety issues but did nothing for the depression. Just about a month ago I added EMSAM and it has knocked out my depression. Quite possibly it's the combo of the two that is my ticket.
That's what's worked for me, I wish you the best. Rob
Posted by circusboy on May 2, 2006, at 10:09:31
In reply to What should I try next?, posted by jms600 on May 1, 2006, at 17:55:06
During the treatment of my first diagnosed depression, my pdoc worked me up to 200mg Zoloft with no effect. Then he added lithium.
9 months of depression lifted in three days. It was fantastic. An SSRI + lithium is a pretty classic, tried-and-true combo, so even conservative docs are usually willing to give it a try (unless you're contraindicated in some way).
Why am I not still on that combo? Well, Zoloft at 200mg made me, uh... impotent, and lithium never came up in any pdoc's future brainstorming.
Another suggestion might be a noradrenergic, like desipramine. See my recent thread for my desipramine experiences -- I had to quit due to the side effects, but it certainly worked. My underinformed hypothesis is that a partial response to Prozac after other SSRIs failed may predict a good response to a norepinephrine drug, since Prozac's the most noradrenergic in its class.
Yes, there's Effexor...but as we've both experienced, it's just kinda no good for a lot of people. Cymbalta as well seems to be developing a similar reputation.
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.