I've taken one form or another for the past 13 or 14 years. Started with Prozac, tried Wellbutrin, then Luvox, then Lexapro, then Effexor...and for the life of me, none has had any monumental effect. Current psychologist thinks there may be some bipolar tendencies in there somewhere, and at least thinks that I need to try another med like Cymbalta, possibly before trying one of the meds prescribed for bipolar II.

So what's everybody else's experience?

11/6/2009 2:13:44 PM

I was on Wellbutrin for anti-nicotine treatment... worked well when I was on it... when straight back to tobacco as soon as my RX ran out.

11/6/2009 2:16:04 PM

I was on and off them for a number of years. None of them made me feel significantly better, and all of them flattened my emotional response. I'd much rather be up and down than flat, so I stopped.

11/6/2009 2:25:13 PM

My problem is definitely depression and lots of anxiety...but my emotions are way too up and down.

11/6/2009 2:47:16 PM

be prepared to feel like a zombie

oh yeah kiss sex goodbye too

11/6/2009 3:01:19 PM

That's one thing...there hasn't been an SSRI that has decreased my libido any at all, despite having been on high doses. So that's not really an issue. Hopefully the doctor I'm seeing next week will have some good input on the issues at hand.

11/6/2009 3:55:31 PM

^^

OH, NOT WITH WELLBUTRIN YOU WON'T

11/6/2009 4:21:00 PM

abilify?

11/6/2009 4:31:38 PM

That's actually been suggested. I'm gonna find out more.

11/6/2009 4:33:37 PM

I, for one, try to avoid medications where the doctors use phrases like, "...this drug is believed to work by..." I just don't like the idea that they don't fucking know what this drug is doing to my neurotransmitters.

11/6/2009 5:05:14 PM

I'll tell you this...I'm damn tired of feeling like this, and those are chances I'll take. Hell, I'd rather lop 10 or 15 years off my life than to spend it feeling like this and having to function at this level. I'd rather have a physical handicap. If God would let me swap a leg for full mental health...I'd be all over it like stink on rice, I mean white on shit.

11/6/2009 10:18:26 PM

prozac. i took lexapro at first, HATED IT.

i'm very happy with prozac. i'm on a very low dose (20mg) and it hasn't flattened my emotional response (lexapro DEF did - felt like i was floating around all the time).

i am really happy with prozac - it had helped me a lot (i mean i don't feel 100% good and i still get upset, but it has really helped to like even out my emotions, its hard to explain).

plus the generic is like amazingly cheap.

i'm actually going to get prescribed something for like incidental anxiety though for when i have like a "panic attack" (i use the quotes cause i use that term pretty loosely). i don't know what or when. something i have plans to talk to my doctor about. i don't think i need to up my prozac dose, just get something for like those panic moments.

11/6/2009 10:32:21 PM

I took generic celexa for a while which was pretty helpful for breaking the cycle at least. It made me sleepy all the time though, so I switched to wellbutrin.

Basically made me run like a hummingbird, and I stopped taking it in July. Worked great when I first started taking it, though.

Both meds kinda screwed with me though. Made me a bit twitchy. If anything, just keep trying medication. Make sure the first batch you try is the name brand, too. Celexa has a generic made by TEVA or something that's this big horse pill sized pile of crap. It doesn't work like the other generics or the name brand med and will probably make you feel worse than if you weren't taking anything at all.

Best thing for killing my depression was completely changing my life, which I did. Now I work for the Navy and have a pretty ballin ass time out here in Portsmouth, VA. Did more for me than the pills ever did... Though the pills prolly did prevent me from doing something unwise.

11/6/2009 11:09:29 PM

it never ceases to amaze me just how many of you guys are on psychiatric medicine.

11/6/2009 11:10:25 PM

omg i am so above everyone because i'm not on antidepressants!

11/6/2009 11:23:29 PM

Yeah, I've never been on a prescription med that wasn't either an antibiotic or a painkiller. Didn't even know what those abbreviations meant in the thread title, just clicked to find out why.

Nothing wrong with mood altering stuff, I've just never really needed it.

11/6/2009 11:25:24 PM

It's not so much that I think I'm above anyone - just shocked at the high percentage of mental mal-adapts in this community

11/6/2009 11:35:29 PM

That term "mental mal-adapts" definitely smacks of some sort of prejudice or preconceived notion.

For some of us, it's possibly the one saving grace in life. I've come to the conclusion that a lot of folks will never have an inkling of what it's like...much like most of us Anglos will never understand the Black condition and often have preconceived notions that being black and being the object of racism is just the scapegoat used by all unsuccessful African American people so they don't have to try. Sure, there are folks who just don't want to make the effort to have a productive, drama-free life, but there are also lots who would never make it if they didn't have medication and psychiatric help.

It's much like a diabetic's need for insulin for some people. But just like I haven't expected so many other people to understand, I don't expect you too either. That's why, among most people, I just keep my mouth shut.

In an academic environment, even though TWW hardly qualifies in most circumstances, sometimes the collective knowledge and experiences of a group can be most beneficial. It's one reason I went through 4 years of group counseling...to help get over being a "mental mal-adapt"...and to help be a better part of society.

11/7/2009 12:00:33 AM

Quote :

"OH, NOT WITH WELLBUTRIN YOU WON'T"

qft

11/7/2009 12:39:08 AM

oh ffs, evan, you too? IS THERE ANYBODY ON HERE THAT DOESN'T TAKE PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE??

11/7/2009 7:32:00 AM

Quote :

"lexapro DEF did - felt like i was floating around all the time"

lol lexapro made me feel like i was about to bust out laughing/smiling all the time..it was really fucking annoying/fake feeling.

Quote :

"OH, NOT WITH WELLBUTRIN YOU WON'T"

i don't remember the sex drive side of it but i felt like i had somebody squeezing my head all day long..was weird as fuck. no likey.

11/7/2009 11:10:48 AM

I've taken different stuff off and on since I was about 13. Celexa made me yawn all the time, I don't really remember Lexapro. I've taken Prozac (generic, 20mg) for the past five or six years. Costs $4 a month, has no side effects, and on a scale of 1-10 puts my baseline mood at about a 5 instead of a 2.

11/7/2009 11:23:34 AM

I've been on most of the aforementioned drugs over the past 10 years, and so far Prozac is the only SSRI that has worked well for me.

Lexapro, even on stronger doses, was nothing more than a sugar pill + laxative to me. It gave me a temporary rush of energy, followed by a violent crash and a bad case of perpetual diarrhea. Celexa also gave me the runs, but also took away every bit of energy I had and could barely get out of bed.

I take 60mg of Prozac every day. I've tried reducing my dosage, which unfortunately didn't work. I still have sudden episodes of anxiety and panic, so I always have some xanax to help me get through it. I've found that shutting my office door, turning off the lights and lying on the floor helps too.

11/7/2009 11:43:15 AM

wow!!! joe numbers? spookyjon?


IS EVERYONE IN THIS NATION ON DRUGS? no wonder we're falling apart. I'm sorry you guys got depressed when reality set in and you realized you're not a special snowflake. That's no excuse to float through life on a Soma holiday

[Edited on November 7, 2009 at 12:56 PM. Reason : s]

11/7/2009 12:55:40 PM

Is this some sort of poor attempt at trolling?

11/7/2009 1:01:22 PM

11/7/2009 1:01:24 PM

No I just can't believe that so many twwers are medicated... When I have heard Michael savage rail against these drugs I thought he was exaggerating about how many people are on them. Apparently not

11/7/2009 1:18:32 PM

Well, I understand your opinion, and believe me, it's not something I haven't heard before hundreds of times. If you have nothing positive or worthwhile to contribute to this thread, I suggest you take your drivel elsewhere.

11/7/2009 1:33:15 PM

Do you have the same reaction to diabetics who take insulin?

11/7/2009 1:47:07 PM

BUT YOU WON'T DIE WITHOUT YOUR SSRI'S SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT NECESSARY

[Edited on November 7, 2009 at 1:54 PM. Reason : and for the record i take nothing now..but jesus solinari sounds ignorant]

11/7/2009 1:54:00 PM

nah... I think ssri meds are fine - just way overprescribed apparently... Or maybe there is some hardcore selection bias going on in message board communities

11/7/2009 2:55:42 PM

think about the people who post regularly on tww... not really an ideal sample population

so you can't assume what holds true for a lot of tdubbers will hold true for a normal population

11/7/2009 3:27:14 PM

Quote :

"wow!!! joe numbers? spookyjon? IS EVERYONE IN THIS NATION ON DRUGS? no wonder we're falling apart. I'm sorry you guys got depressed when reality set in and you realized you're not a special snowflake. That's no excuse to float through life on a Soma holiday"

certainly you're not serious

11/8/2009 1:32:35 AM

No, he's probably that much of a bigot, one who will never get as far as most of these "mental mal-adapts".

11/8/2009 1:59:06 AM

Quote :

"think about the people who post regularly on tww... not really an ideal sample population so you can't assume what holds true for a lot of tdubbers will hold true for a normal population"

very true
i took 'em because i was a fatass and everyone made fun of me
that tends to depress anyone

11/8/2009 2:58:23 AM

I tried Prozac and it zapped my appetite. That's when I got down to 115 lbs or so.

I tried Paxil and it was awful. I felt angry (?) all the time. Withdrawal from it when I decided to try another med was pretty rough.

I was on Zoloft for 3 years before it started to lose it's effectiveness. The doc increased my dose, but it zapped my sex drive. The doctor suggested that I add Wellbutrin because there's strong evidence that it can increase libido and negate the sexual side effects of SSRIs. I felt so great with the addition of Wellbutrin that she lowered my dose of Zoloft back to where it was and increased my Wellbutrin dose. I'm very happy with the combination.

Zoloft was my miracle drug. I had clusters of panic attacks that were interfering with daily life. I was very nearly a prisoner in my own home because of the frequency and severity of the attacks. Zoloft all but eliminated my panic attacks -- I may very well stay on Zoloft forever.

11/8/2009 8:21:13 AM

11/8/2009 9:44:38 AM

Quote :

"i took 'em because i was a fatass and everyone made fun of me that tends to depress anyone"

well thanks for proving my point for me. you shouldn't take psychiatric medicine to feel better about things that SHOULD make you feel bad.

Some people truly do have medical issues - of course some people have real problems regulating their serotonin and all that which leads to chronic depression. A lot of the rest of you are just trying to avoid dealing with the crap in your life. Here's a clue - if you're depressed for a non-medical reason, you shouldn't be taking medicine to feel better about it, you should be be dealing with the damn reason.

11/8/2009 10:19:52 AM

Of course, you should be dealing with the damn reason...that goes without saying. Medication is often used as a catalyst in such cases where dealing with the reason is very overwhelming. Call it gaining momentum to make it over the hill. Some folks have chronic issues with depression and require medication for a long period of time. Some eventually grow out of it.

Now, smartass...there are no easy ways to determine whether or not it's a medical issue (i.e. chemical imbalance). How do you propose differentiating in such cases?

If you're truly going to be the devil's advocate here, you need to come to the battle armed with something other than a butter knife.

11/8/2009 1:08:40 PM

what exactly is a non-medical reason? i didn't know the line was that clear.

i have always had issues with depression/anxiety but never really felt like i needed medication until this year when my mom was diagnosed with cancer, hospitalized for 4 months, died, and while that was happening, my dad had 2 strokes and was in the hospital at the same time and i dropped out of school to take care of them because my mom obviously wasn't doing well and they thought my dad would end up in an assisted living home because his strokes were so severe (thank god that didn't happen). i didn't even start taking medication until august (my mom died in april, my dad had his strokes in march).

obviously this situation would make anyone sad/anxious but i think since i was already slightly depressed and VERY anxious (had seen a therapist for it, etc) it just like blew up in my face or something. i don't really know what "normal" is for dealing with these types of situations, but i didn't feel for like 6 months and this summer i started processing. i was too busy trying to deal with things for my parents (their care, bills, etc) to really feel until now even. and i still relive moments of my experience everyday and have nightmares even ON medicine, but it is a LOT better than it was when i wasn't taking medicine. no sleep, constant reliving of the events, no appetite, no desire to do anything, i was exhausted all the time. and yes, those are all natural feelings for someone who experiences death/traumatic event.

i think it is very hard to define "normal" in these situations or ANY situation regarding depression/anxiety/etc. you don't know how the other person feels. outside looking in it is easy to say "well just get over it." but i can't control my dreams (nightmares) or the guilt i feel etc. i try really hard to control my thoughts when they start spinning out of control and i start reliving events that happened during that time, but it is hard. i mean this was seriously interfering with my life and even ON medication i still experience nightmares, anxiety, bouts of sadness, etc, but it is just more manageable. it is hard to explain but now i feel more normal, not like out of control. my medicine doesn't make me feel nothing or making me happy all of the time. i'm definitely not numb, i think my emotions are just in normal doses now or something.

/WORDS.

11/8/2009 1:33:41 PM

Here's a clue - if you can identify an event which triggered your depression, then you should not be taking medication to feel better about things. You're supposed to feel bad when your mom dies.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. I think there really are people out there with true chronic innately physiological chemical imbalances. Those are the people that deserve the medicine.

11/8/2009 1:44:52 PM

but i had experience with depression/anxiety BEFORE that - if you read, which you didn't, because i stated that yes, most people feel bad when their parent dies, but if it is severely interfering with your life, then no, it isn't normal.

i don't think it triggered depression/anxiety, it made it unbearable. i had already seen a therapist (sans medication) for the problems before any of this happened. in high school, college, and grad school.

and another clue you didn't read - i don't feel better. i'm not taking medication to feel better. reading comprehension ftw.

also, a question i've been wondering, where did you get your medical degree from again?

i'm also interested to hear your thoughts on things like postpartum depression and post traumatic stress. because people can usually identify (duh) what causes these. so are they, too suffering from something from which they don't "deserve" medication?

[Edited on November 8, 2009 at 1:52 PM. Reason : .]

11/8/2009 1:50:00 PM

Like I said, "I think there really are people out there with true chronic innately physiological chemical imbalances. Those are the people that deserve the medicine."

If you have a real genetic medical issue, then more power to you. I hope the meds work and you get back on track.

Quote :

"i'm also interested to hear your thoughts on things like postpartum depression and post traumatic stress. because people can usually identify (duh) what causes these. so are they, too suffering from something from which they don't "deserve" medication?"

For the most part, no. However, there are always exceptions. Taking medication because you're fat and you don't want to feel bad about it anymore does not even nearly rise to the level of PTSD or Post Partum.

[Edited on November 8, 2009 at 1:57 PM. Reason : s]

[Edited on November 8, 2009 at 1:58 PM. Reason : s]

11/8/2009 1:54:11 PM

Quote :

"it never ceases to amaze me just how many of you guys are on psychiatric medicine. "

You are not alone.

I am absolutely amazed at how many people take these sorts of meds. The only time I take pills is some sort of fever reducer or cold medicine when I get sick.

[Edited on November 8, 2009 at 9:15 PM. Reason : ]

11/8/2009 9:14:28 PM

Consider yourself one of the lucky ones, and thank God for your good fortune.

If I didn't have to take one more goddamn pill in this lifetime, I'd shit all over myself in glee.

11/8/2009 9:18:25 PM

well can you at least admit that people SHOULD be depressed if they are a fatass and that "ur doin it wrong" if you take a happy pill to make yourself feel better about your lard instead of exercising??

11/8/2009 9:25:15 PM

any recommendations for S.A.D.?

11/8/2009 9:56:34 PM

Quote :

"well thanks for proving my point for me. you shouldn't take psychiatric medicine to feel better about things that SHOULD make you feel bad. Some people truly do have medical issues - of course some people have real problems regulating their serotonin and all that which leads to chronic depression. A lot of the rest of you are just trying to avoid dealing with the crap in your life. Here's a clue - if you're depressed for a non-medical reason, you shouldn't be taking medicine to feel better about it, you should be be dealing with the damn reason."

Quote :

"Taking medication because you're fat and you don't want to feel bad about it anymore does not even nearly rise to the level of PTSD or Post Partum."

yeah, see, i'd agree with you, except for the fact that i physically couldn't do anything about it.

11/8/2009 10:09:16 PM

What about Zoloft?

11/8/2009 10:33:33 PM

Solinari what the hell? If you've never experienced what these people are living with why comment at all. I have a lot of respect for those of you looking for help. Good luck. (Before you ask I'm not on anything but have considered a Dr visit for anxiety in the past)

11/8/2009 10:54:01 PM