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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 27 to 51 of 51. Go back in thread:
Posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 15:56:01
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone, posted by alexa35 on April 4, 2008, at 21:32:21
Alexa, I think I'm experiencing a little increase in my anxiety since beginning Wellbutrin. There have been some IRL issues occur, but still I am curious.
I don't know if this is a side effect; just got on to google it.
Anyway .. I may d.c. it if I find this to be true re: google or maybe others here who have experienced increased anxiety w/ Wellbutrin-XL.
justFYI, 5f
Posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 16:04:28
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone » alexa35, posted by SteelyDan on April 4, 2008, at 23:17:47
I was hoping someone w/ a prior suggestion would again suggest it here .. way to go SteelyDan.
I don't know if this is an answer for us. I don't know if I've enough courage to try lithium.
If you are saying lithium alongside an AD, I can't recall which AD you suggested, or if I am correct in getting this is what you are saying, SD.
I've got this dang dial-up service so never get to stay online too long, but if you've not time to answer this ?, I'll go up and re-read.
Again, if anyone above is reading this and saying to themselves 'she should listen to me', I think it's real nice to re-post your thoughts.
5f
Posted by alexa35 on April 5, 2008, at 16:18:00
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone, posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 16:04:28
I went to see my therapist (talk) and she agrees this is probably the worst off I have been with the depression. Psychiatrist can't see me until Tuesday. I stopped the Adderall. On 300 of Wellbutrin. Almost 4 weeks now. I am feeling the MOST depressed I ever have in my life and I have had major depression before. This actually feels scary and I'm anxious about being alone all weekend.
Could tihs drug be making me worse?? I have a message into my drs office but I am not sure he checks on weekends. If anyone can offer advice, please- I don't know why I am spiraling downward like this to the lowest I've ever felt......
Posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 16:34:32
In reply to Re: Please help. Help - I'm even worse today, posted by alexa35 on April 5, 2008, at 16:18:00
Oh dear.
I think we may be in the same boat alexa35.
I don't think I'm doing better on Wellbutrin-XL 150. It's been two weeks and I'm still pretty much bedridden! There, I said it. I'm admitting to being deeply depressed, probably for one of the first times here.
I do have anxiety medication though. Think already said I felt there's been an increase in this since starting the Wellbutrin-XL.
I want to help you alexa35, but am not sure what to say. Are you having a lot of anxiety, and if so, do you have anxiety medication?
Yesterday I had a 'panic attack' (crushing chest pain) which must have lasted 5+ minutes.
Sure as luck would have it, it's Saturday.
Do you have a call line, a nurse line? I often call mine here.
I'm not a nurse, but if you're experiencing hyperventilating, weakness, or uncontrollable crying, I'd say go to an ER. (I know. I hate 'em too!) Is there any way you can bypass the former where you are?
Pls do what you must to keep yourself comfortable and warm, and try not to panic, and make anyone involved in your healthcare aware of your situation by phone, as well as, maybe calling a nurse line where you can either speak w/ someone clinical, or just someone for listening and talking support.
I'll check back later.
thinkingofu, 5f
Posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 16:39:28
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone, posted by alexa35 on April 5, 2008, at 8:10:15
Hell!
I'm gonna' end up breaking a rule here pretty soon (three post rule blah blah blah).
Did I tell you I am on Provigil (modafinal)?
I'm following two different posts. o_o
Anyway, I am on this and it is probably the only reason I'm able to post today.
I can't really say any more about being on Provigil right now because it is kind of a sensitive subject and you do have to treat a stimulant w/ respect, but for now it's helping.
I'm not sure it's any 'significant long-term answer', at all.
5f
Posted by alexa35 on April 5, 2008, at 18:11:21
In reply to Re: Please help. Help - I'm even worse today, posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 16:34:32
Thank you for helping me. I'm glad you admitted it. That's a good step. I had to also to others when I started the rx last month.
Sorry you anxiety is so bad but you should get relief from the anti-anxiety med. I did read Wellbutrin can increase anxiety in some.I dont have much of an anxiety issue...I just feel anxious b/c I'm alone all wknd...Ususally my parents are around (and I am 30!) but it helps and they're not so..
I think it is the med. I never cry and I can't stop crying the past hour. I don't know who to call. It's 7:00 and I'm going to go to bed to try to sleep this off..... My God this is beyond terrible.I'm sorry you're in a similar situation. If you feel worse, please call someone. Maybe I will find someone to call tomorrow.....
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 18:22:49
In reply to Re: Please help. Help - I'm even worse today, posted by alexa35 on April 5, 2008, at 18:11:21
Maybe lower the wellbutrin to l50? Some do better on low doses of meds. Phillipa. Guessing you're asleep now . Rest well.
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 18:26:50
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone » alexa35, posted by SteelyDan on April 4, 2008, at 23:17:47
Dan once worked with a pdoc he gave lithium to most of his patients and didn't like to follow levels he said whatever worked. But he did them if high of course cut back. At the time he was using a lot of paxil. Love Phillipa. ps once even said at PMS time to take a little lithium mixed in water and that would help. A long time ago. But didn't know it could be an ad on it's own.
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 19:15:14
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone, posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 16:39:28
FF it's three threads not posts to a thread. Love Phillipa
Posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 20:15:11
In reply to Re: Please help. Help - I'm even worse today, posted by alexa35 on April 5, 2008, at 18:11:21
> Thank you for helping me. I'm glad you admitted it. That's a good step. I had to also to others when I started the rx last month.>
> Sorry you anxiety is so bad but you should get relief from the anti-anxiety med. I did read Wellbutrin can increase anxiety in some.>I thought this might be so.
> I dont have much of an anxiety issue...I just feel anxious b/c I'm alone all wknd...Ususally my parents are around (and I am 30!) but it helps and they're not so.. >
Couple days ago my caseworker or someone over there in the office said it sounds like you're 'just lonely'. Yes, I am lonely, but these problems w/ anxiety and depression surfaced at times in my life when I had a lot of people around me. Actually began in the form of PMS. What followed the PMS was my husband at the time disliking the symptoms of PMS and he left me. I reacted with my first panic attack. Rejection has and has since been very difficult for me.
> I think it is the med. I never cry and I can't stop crying the past hour.>
I've been crying a lot as well.
>I don't know who to call.>
I'd be very surprised if there weren't a crisis line for you to call. You don't have to be suicidal to call a crisis line. The one I call has nurses, therapists, and peers.
>It's 7:00 and I'm going to go to bed to try to sleep this off..... My God this is beyond terrible.>
I really don't want to take my Wellbutrin-XL tonight.
> I'm sorry you're in a similar situation. If you feel worse, please call someone. Maybe I will find someone to call tomorrow.....>
I hope you do find a number, and hope you're sleeping now; always good for you. I'm in an earlier time zone, so not even dark here yet.
Are you aware you are not signed up for the babblemail feature. It would allow you to speak privately w/ another poster. Just wondering.
nite, 5f
Posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 20:17:33
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone » Fivefires, posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 19:15:14
Oh ... I guess this is correct Phillipa.
tks, 5f
Posted by Phillipa on April 5, 2008, at 20:45:23
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone, posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 20:17:33
FF I wouldn't take wellbutrin at night too stimulating for me. Love Phillipa
Posted by brooke484 on April 5, 2008, at 21:51:12
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone, posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 16:04:28
Why would you be scared to try Lithium? It could be the answer for you. I just started 300 mgs (600 gave me migraines) and have no side effects. It's also very cheap. It's still too early to tell what it will do for me, but I'm willing to try anything because I'm so miserable. You'll never know unless you try...
brooke
Posted by twinleaf on April 6, 2008, at 7:04:42
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works - Fivefires, posted by brooke484 on April 5, 2008, at 21:51:12
Yes! Having had a severe reactive depression to a rapid series of losses about twelve years ago, I have taken lots of tricyclics, SSRIs, SNRIs and APs since then. The things which have really helped the most (this is just me, of course) are 300 mg. of lithium (more makes me begin to stagger and be unable to write), thyroid replacement (synthroid and cytomel) so as to keep my TSH at around 1.00, rTMS about 2-4 times a year (most people haven't done this, as it's not yet an approved treatment), and, by far the most important over time, intensive PSYCHOTHERAPY. The physical and medication measures enabled me to take much more advantage of the therapy than I probably would have been able to do otherwise.
I'm summarizing this briefly here, because some of the things which turned out to be so helpful to me (thyroid replacement and rTMS) I first learned about here on Babble. Now that I have benefitted so much from them, perhaps someone reading here will give those same things a try and benefit also....I hope so.
Posted by MrAnon on April 6, 2008, at 17:45:32
In reply to Please help. No med at all is helping me!, posted by alexa35 on April 2, 2008, at 20:08:33
Sorry to hear of your struggle.
If you ever decide to try something completely different, here are my suggestions:1. Look for David Reynold's "Handbook for Constructive Living" for an approach to mental and emotional suffering not usually found in Western psychotherapy. http://boat.zero.ad.jp/~zbe85163/
2. Contact the REI Institute (www.reiinstitute.com) for Rhythmic Entrainment Intervention (REI). They will put together custom recordings for you for $495.00. (If that sounds expensive, consider all the drugs and doctor/therapist visits you or your insurance company have paid for etc.)
3. One of my favorite "outside the box" approaches:
*Find some music with great rhythms--whatever your favorite rhythmic music is that you can play for a long time or over and over. I find African rhythms best, but use whatever floats your boat and makes it impossible for you to sit still.
*Let the music work you into a frenzy of automatic movement for as long as you can go. Don't plan the movement or be concerned if it looks like dancing. Go until you sweat and get exhausted. If you get a burst of energy, get back up until exhausted again. Go all day or all night if you can; again, go until you are exhausted. How long that takes will vary for each person, of course.
*If you're physically disabled in some way, then move what you can until tired out.
All my best.
Posted by undopaminergic on April 7, 2008, at 6:00:18
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works. Thanks to everyone, posted by alexa35 on April 5, 2008, at 8:10:15
> Thanks Dan and Jedi-
> I do understand what you are suggesting.
> I recovered from an eating disorder last year and am *extremely* sensitive to weight gain. Since lithium and the other drugs are known to cause significant weight gain, especially in women, my dr. advised against it. I know gaining weight would just make me feel worse. :(
>Lithium can cause either weight loss or weight gain. You don't know which until you try it.
Several MAOIs (tranylcypromine, selegiline, rasagiline) are not associated with weight gain, and may in fact promote weight loss. (Phenelzine, on the other hand, is notorious for causing weight gain.)
Posted by Zyprexa on April 9, 2008, at 0:59:34
In reply to Please help. No med at all is helping me!, posted by alexa35 on April 2, 2008, at 20:08:33
A sedating anti-psychotic. If you are on wellbutrin, that may be why you are not sleeping. Adderal is for ADD, ADHD, and will not help with sleep. You should try some thing that will help sleep.
Natural things that I find work is the B-vitamins, which can help with anxiety, depression, energy, and much more. I take a B-100, folic acid and biotin. If any take the B-100, which I found works the best.
Posted by tunguska on April 12, 2008, at 3:53:12
In reply to Re: Please help. No med at all is helping me! » alexa35, posted by emme on April 2, 2008, at 20:28:37
5htp?
Estroven?
EFT?
light therapy?
Had your thyroid checked?
Got some root issue you just haven't adressed yet?
Posted by Fivefires on April 14, 2008, at 10:33:42
In reply to Re: Please help. No med works - Fivefires, posted by brooke484 on April 5, 2008, at 21:51:12
Sorry late response brooke84.
I thought lithium was for bipolar disorder.
I have PTSD w/ borderline personality disorder ... latest diagnosis anyway.
Since I've been so nervous and depressed so long all IRL support was just denied me. Even children want me in a hospital or home :(.
I haven't yet googled 'atypical' depression. What is this?
A person I know who is definitely bipolar, way manic, took lithium and said he just flipped out; prob' why scares me.
5f
Posted by Fivefires on April 14, 2008, at 10:35:59
In reply to lithium, posted by twinleaf on April 6, 2008, at 7:04:42
How could we if we cannot access rTMS twinleaf?
5f
Posted by twinleaf on April 14, 2008, at 17:02:21
In reply to Re: lithium, posted by Fivefires on April 14, 2008, at 10:35:59
I think a lot of pdocs appreciate that lithium can have broad uses. It isn't just given for bipolar- It is one of the most neuroprotective agents one could possibly use- working to regulate the glutamate system, I believe. Even though I take only 300 mg., within a half hour of taking it, I always feel calmer and emotionally steadier. It's not a huge reaction, but it is reliably there every day-and has been for the past two years.
As for the TMS, that's a hard one, as it's not yet approved..You can go to Dr. Best in Chicago, or Dr. Hutto in Atlanta to get it privately, with self-pay.. In Canada, it is an approved treatment, and you can get it at a number of Mindcare Centers. I assume it is paid for by health insurance but I don't know for sure..
I'm very sorry that your family isn't more helpful. But I'm sure that if you could get adequate long-term treatment, you and they would feel much more positive and hopeful. Are you in a good therapy relationship?
Posted by Fivefires on April 14, 2008, at 19:47:55
In reply to Re: lithium » Fivefires, posted by twinleaf on April 14, 2008, at 17:02:21
> I think a lot of pdocs appreciate that lithium can have broad uses. It isn't just given for bipolar- It is one of the most neuroprotective agents one could possibly use- working to regulate the glutamate system, I believe. Even though I take only 300 mg., within a half hour of taking it, I always feel calmer and emotionally steadier. It's not a huge reaction, but it is reliably there every day-and has been for the past two years.>
>
> As for the TMS, that's a hard one, as it's not yet approved.>Is it under consideration by the FDA, do you know?
>You can go to Dr. Best in Chicago, or Dr. Hutto in Atlanta to get it privately, with self-pay.. In Canada, it is an approved treatment, and you can get it at a number of Mindcare Centers. I assume it is paid for by health insurance but I don't know for sure..
>
> I'm very sorry that your family isn't more helpful. But I'm sure that if you could get adequate long-term treatment>I have to wait two months to see my pdoc. Things are not good.
>, you and they would feel much more positive and hopeful. Are you in a good therapy relationship?>
I have a physical illness which often keeps me from seeing my therapist every week. I've been w/ this one for nearly a year and in that time there has been 'just one', revelation, for lack of a better word.
I need to google lithium re: glutamate system as is totally greek to me.
My dx is either PTSD w/ resultant borderline or atypical; I don't know anymore and I don'think anyone else does either. I've been w/ same pdoc 3yrs now. Pdoc WAY disagreed when I suggested try Nardil. I've never suggested lithium, and will have to wait 2mos to do so.
I'm really scared.
I don't understand how I became so unimportant that my suffering has become acceptable to so many people.
tks, 5f
Posted by elanor roosevelt on April 14, 2008, at 22:01:05
In reply to Re: Please help. Help - I'm even worse today, posted by Fivefires on April 5, 2008, at 20:15:11
for now it sounds like you need a sleeping routine
a warm bath (to get out of your head and into your body) and then to bed with a book
same time dailyand wellbutrin in the morning only
good luck
Posted by Fivefires on April 17, 2008, at 10:38:35
In reply to Re: Please help. Help - I'm even worse today, posted by elanor roosevelt on April 14, 2008, at 22:01:05
I'd been on Wellbutrin-XL for two weeks and nervousness (not anxiety) was terrible. I titrated off of it.
5f
Posted by Shadowplayers721 on April 17, 2008, at 10:54:24
In reply to Re: Please help. Help - I'm even worse today, posted by Fivefires on April 17, 2008, at 10:38:35
I couldn't take Wellbutrin. It works wonders for some. Everyone has their own unique chemistry.
I would call my doctor. After two weeks, I had to quit that med too, because I was itching all over & my tremors were out of control. :(
Please don't feel bad about needing to switch meds.
Please don't give up FF.
This is the end of the thread.
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