S/O Antidepressants

[mommymilkies]

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[MomtoCandJ]

My dh takes Zyprexa and Celexa for his anxiety/depression

[mamajag]

There are more than a few bipolar people on SSRIs. I'm one of them. Other antidepressants didn't work well for me. Do you still want my input?

[SeaConquest]

Antidepressants are a standard treatment of bipolar. You should just generally not take them without a mood stabilizer, as they commonly trigger mania when used without. I have found SNRIs to be most effective for me (Cymbalta, Effexor, Pristiq, etc.). SSRIs just make me fat and frigid.  

[mommymilkies]

There are more than a few bipolar people on SSRIs. I'm one of them. Other antidepressants didn't work well for me. Do you still want my input?

Of course!  I just know a lot of bipolar people need a mix with mood stabilizers.  NOT that your opinion is any less important. :)

[mommymilkies]

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[SeaConquest]

Also, re alternative treatments, I have found St. John's Wort effective for mild depression. SAM-e can also be helpful, but may trigger mania in some people. Fish/Krill Oil would be another really good supplement -- I take around 3-4 grams per day. I also suggest that anyone dealing with a mood disorder should be screened for MTHFR mutations. I was positive for two mutations and now take a prescription supplement (Enlyte) to help with folate deficiency. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-integrationist/201310/depression-wont-go-away-folate-could-be-the-answer

[umsami]

I was first given imipramine.  It worked quite quickly on me…but it was scary.  Like I was happy….very happy….and almost too happy, so I stopped taking it.  

 

Next I went to Prozac.  It worked O.K.

 

Finally, I tried Wellbutrin.  Wellbutrin was not good for me.  I don't know if it was the drugs or not, but I had a lot of suicidal thoughts then.

 

 

 

I haven't been on antidepressants, though, since the early to mid 90s.  CBT worked better for me.  Also, I began walking…for hours each night….and that seemed to help.

[SeaConquest]

:lol: That's kind of what I'm trying to get away from. I keep hoping for some miracle drug I haven't heard of yet.  Or better yet, a simple weed that grows free in my backyard. 

 

Have you tried anything like Wellbutrin or any of the SNRIs I mentioned? I think that SSRIs are a great first-line treatment for a first onset of depression, but the side effects are intolerable for me (and they tend to poop out on me).

[mommymilkies]

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[mommymilkies]

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[VeganCupcake]

Cognitive behavioral therapy has worked wonders around here--with a therapist that you like and trust. Finding the right therapist for each individual can be really tricky.

[SeaConquest]

I am a big fan of Cymbalta. I think that my shrink prefers Pristiq, if your insurance will cover it. I forget why -- I think because it is more weight neutral. I am currently taking generic Effexor because it is cheap, but it does give me hot flashes,

[umsami]

I would honestly prefer the super happy feeling.  Prozac made me feel numb.  Weird, but I'd kind of prefer that right now. Wellbutrin also caused those thoughts for me. I have a CBT workbook but therapy is not really a choice here.

 

Imipramine is one of the earlier antidepressants.  (Tricyclic, if I remember.)   I had never drunk alcohol, never taken drugs…and it was weird to feel so different, so quickly.  I had been depressed for at least 10 years, possibly longer, when I took it.  The effects were very quick.  It really scared me.  I don't think it would seem as extreme now…but I had been so depressed for so long that feeling happy was scary.  NOt sure if that makes sense.

[Snow]

I was on Effexor xr for 12 years. I have been off for about 18 months now.

 

At the time I had a history of depressions, panic and anxiety. Like Monique said, it works on norepinephrine so it is supposed help with anxiety a little more. I tried cymbalta for a short time in there hoping to help the tEa side effects but alas, no difference at all. I've also been on Prozac before. Also, Luvox, which is supposed to help OCD symptoms a little, but I didn't notice any help in that area. I've also been on Xanax for panic. Um, actually I was on Wellbutrin too for quitting smoking. Sheesh, I didn't realize I had such a laundry list. I'd forgotten since I was on Effexor for so long!

 

Unfortunately, no alternative medicine has come remotely close to helping me with this.

 

Feel free to pm me if you have more questions.

 

Hugs to you.

[Snow]

. I had been depressed for at least 10 years, possibly longer, when I took it. The effects were very quick. It really scared me. I don't think it would seem as extreme now…but I had been so depressed for so long that feeling happy was scary. NOt sure if that makes sense.

That's exactly how it was for me the first time I went on Prozac in college. I was failing out, couldn't get out if bed. Two days later, I had met with all my professors, filled out my withdrawal paperwork and packed up my dorm room. I didn't really feel happy, but it was shocking to be so functional!

[mommymilkies]

Ok, this is what I have for MTHFR - (C;C) so not (T;T) which is supposedly the "bad" mix.  http://www.snpedia.com/index.php/Rs1801131(C;C)

[mommymilkies]

Imipramine is one of the earlier antidepressants.  (Tricyclic, if I remember.)   I had never drunk alcohol, never taken drugs…and it was weird to feel so different, so quickly.  I had been depressed for at least 10 years, possibly longer, when I took it.  The effects were very quick.  It really scared me.  I don't think it would seem as extreme now…but I had been so depressed for so long that feeling happy was scary.  NOt sure if that makes sense.

That does.  Thank you. 

[SeaConquest]

I had the same experience the first time I took an antidepressant. I was in law school and was convinced that I had chronic fatigue syndrome, as I could not get out of bed. I would describe the feeling from the AD (the first one was Celexa) as euphoria, and it hit me very quickly. The SSRI use without a mood stabilizer eventually led to manic behaviors -- not that anyone recognized them as such until many many years later. 

[Corraleno]

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[mommymilkies]

For alternative treatments, a combo of St Johns Wort, SAMe, krill, megadoses of D3, and melatonin worked reasonably well to take the edge off of mild anxiety/depression, but the SJW took a while to work (maybe month?) and it was really hard for me to remember to take everything every day. I really need to get on top of that again, though. No luck with 5-HTP, which caused wicked stomach aches.

 

As for meds, I tried imipramine a million years ago when I was in grad school, and really hated it — lots of side effects and I felt unpleasantly "drugged." I tried Zoloft once, too, about 20 yrs ago, but I honestly don't remember it having much effect, and I didn't take it very long. The only thing that resolved my anxiety at that point was leaving an incredibly stressful job and moving thousands of miles away!

Yeah, definitely don't need stomach aches.  After years of guess work, mastic gum is finally helping my mess of a stomach.  I would totally be up for moving thousands of miles away.  Anyone have a winning lotto ticket or want to buy my house?  I think that's my #1 choice. :D

[Hunter's Moon]

I use Celexa (actually, the off-brand version - Citalopram) for generalized anxiety and OCD. 

 

It helped me get past the stage of just going through the motions. 

 

I had to start off very slowly due to adverse reactions (nausea and other GI symptoms) so the change was not immediate. It was very gradual, very controlled.

 

 

[Corraleno]

One thing about St Johns Wort — it made me very very sun-senstive. If I didn't wear heavy sunscreen and a hat, I would get a strange kind of sunburn, even if I was only in the sun for half an hour or so. It wasn't like regular sunburn, it was more like when your cheeks get red from cold or windburn or even from a fever. Like it was from the inside out, rather than the outside in — it's a little hard to describe, but it was a definite and noticeable side effect of the St Johns Wort.

[FaithManor]

Our niece was suicidal on Wellbutrin. She does much better on Lexapro.

 

My dad is very mild. He does well on St. John's Wort with a sleep aid plus very strict diet, folate for his deficiency, and full spectrum lights because he had seasonal depression. Again, his illness is very mild.

 

My dad's oldest sister was suicidal as a teen but untreated. I don't think they knew what to do back in the 50's anyway. She struggled terribly her whole life was diagnosed in 1999, put on Prosac, and attempted suicide within six months. She nearly succeeded and has a permanent brain injury. I have heard others say that Prosac did not work for them. But then again, the brain chemistry plus compounding other potential physical problems make it so meds and dosing is highly individual to the degree that I do not know if one can draw any conclusions from others' experiences.

 

I do wish something could be found that would work for my dad's youngest sibling. She is schizophrenic and meds do not make it manageable at all. Sigh...

[SeaConquest]

Ok, this is what I have for MTHFR - (C;C) so not (T;T) which is supposedly the "bad" mix.  http://www.snpedia.com/index.php/Rs1801131(C;C)

 

I have the worst variant -- heterozygous to 677T and 1298C. The methylated vitamins do make me sick to my stomach, but I believe that is a common side effect.

[mommymilkies]

One thing about St Johns Wort — it made me very very sun-senstive. If I didn't wear heavy sunscreen and a hat, I would get a strange kind of sunburn, even if I was only in the sun for half an hour or so. It wasn't like regular sunburn, it was more like when your cheeks get red from cold or windburn or even from a fever. Like it was from the inside out, rather than the outside in — it's a little hard to describe, but it was a definite and noticeable side effect of the St Johns Wort.

Oh wow!  I already seem to be allergic to the sun (no joke-I got hives in FL being in the sun), so I'd have to live in a cave.

[Corraleno]

Also, re alternative treatments, I have found St. John's Wort effective for mild depression. SAM-e can also be helpful, but may trigger mania in some people. Fish/Krill Oil would be another really good supplement -- I take around 3-4 grams per day. I also suggest that anyone dealing with a mood disorder should be screened for MTHFR mutations. I was positive for two mutations and now take a prescription supplement (Enlyte) to help with folate deficiency. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-integrationist/201310/depression-wont-go-away-folate-could-be-the-answer

 

I have an appointment with my (totally worthless) GP next week for some blood tests — if I want to be screened for this, what specifically would I ask for? I read the article you linked, and I'm very very interested in pursuing this.

[sbgrace]

Lexapro helped a family member. Wellbutrin helped another. A friend is doing a traditional SSRI along with Wellbutrin, and needs both.

I know someone with moderate to severe depression who got good help from a combo if N-acetyl cysteine (worked up to 1200 mg twice a day) and Inositol (worked up to dose...I don't know what that one is). These don't have the side effects SSRI's have, and work in different ways. It might be worth trying. In anxiety anyway, it takes 12 weeks for NAC to kick in. I don't know how long for Inositol, but it works in the brain like an SSRI--so probably similar time to effectiveness.

[Slartibartfast]

I take Wellbutrin for anxiety/OCD SSRIs don't work for me.

[Slartibartfast]

One thing about St Johns Wort — it made me very very sun-senstive. If I didn't wear heavy sunscreen and a hat, I would get a strange kind of sunburn, even if I was only in the sun for half an hour or so. It wasn't like regular sunburn, it was more like when your cheeks get red from cold or windburn or even from a fever. Like it was from the inside out, rather than the outside in — it's a little hard to describe, but it was a definite and noticeable side effect of the St Johns Wort.

Unfortunately that is a common side effect. :(

[TeacherZee]

I do fairly well on Effexor but I've had to increase my dose of late (I was on minimum so no biggie really)

[Pawz4me]

Lexapro for anxiety.  I tried a few natural things -- St. John's wort, valerian, some kind of homeopathic that I don't remember the name of, and various "calming" blends.  None worked.  At all.

[Carrie12345]

For those that are not bipolar (as SSRIs are contraindicated), and if you are willing to comment.  

 

May I ask which medications or alternative treatments (like St. John's Wort)  you have used that worked, as well as how long until they kicked in? I am also talking about depression/anxiety and not just the blues. Not that the blues aren't valid, but I'm talking for when more than taking a walk or getting some sunshine doesn't get to the root of the problem. :)

 

 

I hope I haven't insulted anyone in my ramblings here, I'm tired and haven't had my cookie fix for the night. 

 

*For me*, regular exercise (heavy weights, short-but-serious cardio) and a "real food" diet (I stuck to the clean eating principles that most people agree on, not all of the ones various people and websites make up for themselves) was better than any antidepressant I tried.  But I have to admit that it's been over a decade since I was on medications intended to treat depression and/or anxiety and about 6 years since I was on medication for adhd.

 

I don't think diet and exercise are enough for everybody, but it absolutely did for me, and I have to get back on the wagon.

I've also recently added chiropractic care in a practice that focuses on "total wellness".  I'm a little bit skeptical there, but my insurance covers it, so I'm giving it a go!

 

Like I've recently said in another post, I think health care providers play an enormous role in effectiveness, as well.  Someone near and dear to me has a psychologist who diagnosed them with severe depression and made a referral to a psychiatrist for medication.  They psychiatrist completely disagreed.  Now what does that person do, nothing?  Shop for the best 2 out of 3?  3 out of 5?  It's frustrating.

[Catherine]

Wellbutrin family here. Fortunately, I've been spared, but dh and 2 of our 3 kids (so far) have benefitted hugely from it-anxiety in one, depression in the other two. SSRIs did not cause SEs so much as just didn't work, though one kid did become very apathetic with SSRIs, which is probably more common than is recognized.

[lailasmum]

I take 5htp it just takes the edge off and makes me sleep better. My depression has been a lot less the last couple of years because I try and manage it a bit more, not sure it would do enough at other times. I did some life coaching type thing earlier this year that helped a lot too.

[kewb]

Years ago my dh was on welbutrin. It saved out marriage. He has self medicated at different times with st. John's wort, same-e, 5 htp, and inositol.

[swellmomma]

celexa is what I take when being medicated.  It works but I have to take at bedtime because it make me feel sick otherwise.  I would rather feel depressed than have nausea all day so it works better to take at bedtime.  Ds15 takes prozac, he also takes at bedtime to prevent that sick feeling (he used to take celexa and had that side effect too so it just became routine to take at bedtime)

[southcarolinamom]

I can speak for my dd...she has been on Prozac x 3 years, 20 mg once a day for clinical depression. It took less than 2 weeks before she/we noticed a difference in her mood.  (She stopped taking it for several weeks in college this past school year.  BIG mistake.)   When you find medication that works, that changes your outlook on life, take it!!

[dtsmamtj]

For me, Citalopram works.  I had major side effects when I first started this medication, but well worth it!!

[Dory]

I don't remember which ones I tried, but they both worsened my depression and ended me up in the hospital once.

[mrbmom77]

Cymbalta made me want to drive off a bridge - literally. I have mild depression that comes out as severe irritability, mood swings, exhaustion, and brain fog. Cymbalta gave me a taste of severe depression and it scared the hell out of me. Lexapro is much better - just 10mg/day and I'm me again. I think it's just a matter of trial and error to find what works with your body chemistry.

[maize]

A combination of Zoloft and Welbutrin (generics for both, anyway) works well for dh.

[mommymilkies]

I have an appointment with my (totally worthless) GP next week for some blood tests — if I want to be screened for this, what specifically would I ask for? I read the article you linked, and I'm very very interested in pursuing this.

I did genetic DNA testing anyway, and it was in the raw data for me to go through.  You can ask your doctor for the test, but if insurance won't cover it, it may be cheaper to do a test elsewhere-even through Ancestry-and then run it through Promethease. 

[LLMom]

Alternative things did not work for me.  Wellbutrin along buspar have helped me for depression and anxiety.  I tried Lexapro and Celexia and both made me want to sleep all day, gained weight, and severely decreased my libido and abilities.   Wellbutrin has the opposite affect on me:  I have a lot of energy, lost weight although I don't need to and gave my husband a run for his money.   :lol:  Sometimes it takes a while to get the right medication and dosage.