Hey Jill,

It seems like you’ve had some pretty intense side affects to those drugs. I thought I would list a few natural/herbal supplements that can work just as well but have basically no side effects (of course it depends on the person, but I’ve never had any side effects from these).

For depression- St. Johns Wort, Tyrosine, and 5-HTP, and SAM-E

For anxiety- Rescue Remedy (the Rescue Pastilles and the drops both work really well for me whenever I’m feeling a little extra anxious about something). Dietary changes such as cutting out high fructose corn syrup, refined sugars, and chemical dyes.

For sleep- Melatonin

Also Vitamin D and B-12 deficiencies are both linked to depression.

You might be thinking “STOP IT with all this herbal nonsense!” And that’s totally cool- just thought I would throw it out there!

Good luck, I hope you’re able to find something that really works- whatever it may be!

no, i appreciate it, maclove. that is what i did, when i got off of effexor, tried to clean out my system and did a vitamin regime, but CRASHED and really need big time therapy....lot's of repressed stuff coming out....but, i am a granola kind of girl, so, that could be a thought. am going to see my p next week again. i had a good ride on serzone and once on effexor, all WITHOUT therapy, so maybe with the therapy and one of those, i can ride this horrible wave out to vitamin land one day.

thanks for this insight, do you have good results with just vitamins as you mentioned?? how BIG are your needs?? (serious therapy, or a 'tune up'??)

don't mean to be insulting, just think i am a major 'wack-job' at the moment!!

jill

If I had only taken the vitamin D and B-12 I don’t think I would have been able to see a difference in my depression/anxiety at all. I think for people will chronic, debilitating depression you definitely need something like 5-HTP or St. John’s Wort that actually help your brain create more serotonin.

Five or six years ago my mom read something about how B-12 can help with depression, but she read it as that B-12 will be able to cure my depression- it turned out to be more frustrating than helpful because she would try and get me to take some whenever I was having a breakdown- like she thought that the B-12 would magically make me feel better! Yeah, so vitamins alone aren’t going to help unless you’re one of those people who just feels a little down sometimes and doesn’t actually have depression.

I tried SAM-E before 5-HTP and the SAM-E did help a little, but it wasn’t enough for me. I think it’s for people who are just a little down and don’t have chronic depression. I also tried St. John’s Wort, but I only took it for about 2 weeks because I got mad that it wasn’t working, even though it takes about 4 weeks to start working. I also tried taking green tea supplements and I didn’t really notice a difference with those (again, I think green tea supplements are for people who just feel a little down).

When I first starting taking 5-HTP I took 100mg because that’s what it said on the bottle, but that wasn’t anywhere near enough for me. I have to take at least 300mg and sometimes 400 if I can’t sleep. (I used to only be able to sleep for maybe 3 hours a night and now I sleep 9-10 with 5-HTP). Also, I don’t think that the 5-HTP alone cured my depression, it’s also the diet, exercise, and therapy. It’s not a cure all, but it took care of at least 50% of the depression so I felt that I was actually able to maybe start eating right and exercising.

So anyway, this is just my experience. I know 5-HTP doesn’t work at all for some people, and had to try a few things out before I found something that really worked.

wow, i am totally amazed. i just never thought this vitamin stuff could help my 'stuff', but, no offense, but none of us would be on this site if we were just a 'tad bit low', and really, i don't know that it is depression as much as it is anxiety, and this walking around from pile to pile (of stuff i need to do, laundrey, dishes, dinner...) and just feeling so OVERWHELMED with it all that i can't get started on anything, or if i do, i can't complete it!

anyway, i will try some of this stuff.

no one on anti-d's that has shopped around there and found anything good?? i have an 'edge' of borderline personality disorder traits, i would say. EMOTIONAL REGULATION would be nice, i am on the fence alot in my emotions. kind of ADD in that i can't seem to focus, that would seem to be the opposite of OCD?? i dunno, but, i need to pull it up a notch in my life, and i can't seem to get my brain to pull up to my logic.

thanks all!! jill

Oh ya, I forgot about Gaba. I've heard of it but never tried it.

Jill- Remember if you do want to try and of the herbal supplements you have to be completely off of any other antidepressants/anti-anxieties because it can cause serotonin syndrome along with other things. Just because its herbal doesn’t mean it can't interact with medications.

((((( Jill )))))

I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time right now (but it's understandable, considering what you've been going through recently!)

I don't have much experience of meds that work (rather a lot of those that don't lol) but one thing that did work for me almost miraculously and addressed overwhelming anxiety was one of the SSRI's - called Seroxat. Can't remember what it's called in the States. It's the only med I've taken (apart from sleeping pills) that had a definite positive result.

The way you are talking it sounds as if you are free to pick and choose what meds to take - or are you just trying to find suggestions that you can make to your Pdoc?

I'm really sorry it's all going so bad for you, running from one pile of things to do to another without getting anywhere sounds to me like you need to step right back and stop trying to do anything, give yourself a break, call in sick and put yourself first, look after yourself. You deserve to be looked after too!

LL

sorry to be a whiney one, but i don't want an anti-psychotic.

what ever happened to wellbutrin, and some of those...cylexa, i don't know, i don't like this ssri class, don't they have bad side effects??

how about back on effexor, why is she steering me to other things,

i am researching but finding little none pharmacy company information...

thanks all, got an appt on tuesday. feel like she is going to be 'mad' that i didn't give luvox more of a shot, but dang, i hate to take something to ruin my day!! jill

Hi Jill,

I don't know a whole lot about medications but just thought I'd add my experience. I am currently (supposed to be) on 150 mg of Wellbutrin 2x day. I have been taking it for about 5 years now by itself. My GP actually started me out on Wellbutrin, and it apparently helped alleviate my depression, so I haven't switched. The reason I say that I am supposed to be on Wellbutrin is because since I moved at the beginning of the month, I have been completely out of sync, and with how sporadically I have been taking my medication, it almost seems like I may as well not be on it. And even though I have definitely experienced depression before when I've missed my meds, I am not experiencing it now. Makes me wonder why I'm on it.

Anyway, that's not my point. I thought I'd just mention that Wellbutrin has worked very well for me, and I experienced very minimal side effects. I started out on the 150 mg 2x day, but my first side effect was that taking the second dose close to bedtime kept me up. So I went to 300 mg extended release where I took it in the morning, and that worked well for me for a long time. However, they phased out the generic version of the 300 mg XR, so I went back to 2x day and found that after about 2 weeks, I wasn't experiencing any insomnia no matter how late I took my second dose. The only other side effects I experienced were cotton mouth (pretty annoying at the beginning, but it went away after a month or so) and a small decrease in appetite. The track record of Wellbutrin not tending to cause weight gain was one of the main reasons that my GP recommended it to me first.

As far as pairing Wellbutrin with an SSRI -- my mother has taken Wellbutrin + Prozac for many years and it has seemingly worked well for her. I don't know her dosage, but I do know it took some tweaking of both to finally get the right combination.

I hope that helps a bit, Jill.

i hate to admit it, but i bit into my abilify, which the p gave me a few months ago. i took it for a bit, but was so afraid of the anti-psychotic alarm, that i quit. i did think it gave me migraines, but, i have been so desparate lately that i took .5 mg ( a fourth of the 2 mg usual dosage) and today i have had a bit of a clearer head.

i don't know, that luvox was pretty nasty on day one, and the mirtazipan, i don't know, i have taken it for nine months, and most days i am not in the gutter, but i am sure 'eyeing' it. wanna just roll over and play dead most days, many days.

that damned t3 sure screwed me, and i am still reeling from her.

such a shitty deal.

i am taking this quarter dose today of abilify, and the usual mirtazapine, and if i can get some stability, i may venture to try luvox again. i would like to try wellbutrin, i think my insane mom takes it, not that it has made her sane, but it sits well with our absurd mentality.

oh, guys, i am really low today. better quit before i trigger anyone, but

PLEASE keep posting if you have any word on meds, that wandering around from pile to pile and not getting anything done...ocd?? add??? what the HELL is that about!!

spinning, jill

Hi Jill,

Just wanted to say that I loved the Abilify while it worked for me. I took 2.5 mg for 2 weeks and then bumped up to 5 mg. Wish I had stayed at the lower dose because while I was there I felt fantastic!! I too feel like you describe with the ADD. In fact I have been diagnosed with it and have been prescribed Adderall, but haven't been taking that. Anyway, the Abilify had me feeling like a new woman and I wish I hadn't changed a thing with it, as once I did within 2 weeks I had completely flattened out, numb emotions, felt dead inside and was back to feeling like crap again. My doctor backed me down to the 2.5 mg dose hoping I would go back to feeling great again, but no such luck. It's worth a try. Just don't quit cold turkey if you decide to go off it. I wanted to die. It takes 2 weeks to feel Abilify's full effects, so don't judge until you've given it 2 full weeks. I LOVED how clear my mind felt and the fact that I actually WANTED to do stuff again, like clean my house! I hear you on how you're feeling right now, because I am there, too! It sucks! BTW, my doctor added it on to Pristiq (AD med) and Topamax (OCD med).

Good luck!!

MTF

One man's meat is another man's poison!

quote:

but one thing that did work for me almost miraculously and addressed overwhelming anxiety was one of the SSRI's - called Seroxat. Can't remember what it's called in the States. It's the only med I've taken (apart from sleeping pills) that had a definite positive result.

Oh LL I took Seroxat ??I think it's Paxil in the States, at a pretty mega dose a few years ago and I swear it nearly killed me! Nausea, headaches, night sweats, zilch libido, violent nightmares and suicidal thoughts. Took me ages to get off it due to head shocks...I have told my T I will never take meds again, the depression was hard but made so much worse with the meds. It scares me to think I might ever need to again, but hopefully I can manage without now. But we are all different, our reasons for taking meds are different and our bodies react in different ways, so what's not good for one may be ideal for another. It just doesn't seem to be an exact science.

starfish

UV: "Okay, so after research, finding out all that is available..then realizing most of the studies are funded by drug companies anyway...I found this site to be pretty useful:"

www.askapatient.com

uv, did you know that you know just about everything there is to know for me!! thanks, best 'real' info on drugs i have seen. thanks for posting this, and to others, check it out!

still wondering about this all, i just wish she would revisit some of the past rx's that did work for me, as with therapy and the pill, maybe i can do ok. i functioned better than this without all the therapy i am doing and being on effexor, so, PLEASE, LADY, PUT ME ON AN ANTI-DEPRESSANT I CAN TOLERATE AND SEND ME ON MY WAY!! I DON'T WANT AN ANTI-PSYCOTIC OR THIS STUPID LUVOX PILL!!!!!!! JUST DO WHAT I WANT!!!! (yes, i know there is something wrong with my order!! )

folks, jill is having a mother of a rough day!! when will it get dark so i can go to bed!! aaagggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jill

Jill,

I would strongly recommend Milnacipran (Savella in the US). It's a very effective SNRI, marketed as a fybromyalgia medication in the US. It is becoming very popular in Europe where it is properly marketed as an AD. I suggest this one because if you feel tired, it's very effective against that. Also has a lot less side effects than other SNRIs. Should you choose to try it, I'd strongly recommend having an anxiolytic such as Xanax available since you may feel a bit 'hyper' in the first 2 weeks. From experience, people with severe depression respond well to it with a dosage of 150mg to 200mg/ day (75mg or 100mg twice a day).

UPDATE: Please keep in mind that this is ONLY a suggestion. It should NOT be used as a substitute for seeking professional care for the diagnosis and treatment of any medical/psychiatric disorder. Any new medication should be considered carefully AND ALWAYS prescribed by your Doctor.

Hi Jill,

I've been trying to stay off the chemicals, they make me feels weird. But, I have not touched sugar for 3 years after a 3month trial and that has been a major break through for me. I don't sink quite so low. Also, Chinese herbs have worked amazingly for me to help with anxiety and sleep, but you'd need to see a herbalist or acupuncturist to find the right stuff for you.

I hope life is easing up on you Jill!!!!
SB

The only ssri that's worked well for me was Lexapro. I was on that for a few years, but the problem for me is that I am a very passive person and it made me even more complacent. I was completly numb. Paxil was a nightmare. Everything else was just kinda meh.

If you're going to try herbals and vitamins, I suggest seeing a naturopathic doctor. They can take some blood tests to check your levels, talk to you about your diet, lifestyle habits, etc. A naturopath will also have access to good quality supplements from trusted manufacturers. You don't really know what you're buying OTC. My naturopath can also prescribe regular meds, too. The law may be different in your state.

I take a B vitamin complex, too. It is AMAZING for stabilizing mood. Completely cured my PMS, including the bloating and cramps. I recommend it to all my friends, and they are usually skeptical, but then tell me it works. Vit D is important, too. Most North Americans are deficient.

My naturopath also pushed me into CBT, which I know has a bad rap on here, but it really does work, and most people get relief of symptoms within weeks. No, it doesn't delve into the past and trauma and attachment injury, but it can help out with the day to day stuff while you're working through the big picture stuff with someone else.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. You can take herbs and vitamins, AND ad meds. You can try cbt AND psychoanalysis. Try eating a whole-foods diet, go for long walks, do some yoga? It can't hurt. FlyLady is awesome for ADD and getting over perfectionism.

Right now I'm not on any meds (except multivitamins), OR in therapy, and I'm feeling better than I have in a long time. I've been reading a lot about Buddhism, and came to realize that a lot of cbt and acceptance & commitment therapy is just Buddhism with a western slant. I'm finding it much more helpful to go straight to the source and just study Buddhist teachings, the meat of which is, "there is suffering, but it doesn't have to keep you down." PBS did an excellent documentary on Buddha, I highly recommend it. It's on netflix if you're interested. (I know a lot of you are Christians, so I just want to mention that buddhists don't worship a deity or have any views on an afterlife, so it doesn't need to contradict Christian views at all. It's all about peace and finding peace in our own minds - just like therapy!)

ok I went and wrote a whole book. Oops. Hope it's helpful.

amen on the mindfulness stuff, no, it is not 'non-Christian' any more than saying gravity is italian in that it was 'discovered' by galileo. (sp) i think they do not contradict each other, so thanks for that info, echo.

just a short reply, but thanks to all posting on this. i am going to take all your information and go to the health food vitamin store tomorrow and give some of this a go.

thanks, jill

Hi again MHP,

I will repost my other message below, as I see you have made the same drug recommendation here. I'm sorry (everyone) for the repetition, but I think this kind of recommendation needs cautious consideration wherever it appears.

Hi MHP,

I've been off-line and/or lurking for a little while, so I don't think we've met before, though I've read and appreciated some of your posts - welcome!

I understand you're a T/P yourself, and I (like others here, I'm sure) enjoy your presence for that perspective particularly. I hope it also helps you to appreciate some of the reasons why I would like to give you some feedback about your recommending specific drugs. I think this is problematic for several reasons.

1) You appear to have the authority of a professional in making your recommendations, so people are likely to take you seriously, but you are not in a professional setting, so you don't have the controls of a professional setting.
2) You don't know the people you are recommending drugs to or the specifics of their situations.
3) We don't know you or your credentials. We have had instances before of people "stealth marketing" services here on Psych Cafe, and it is not beyond the bounds of possibilities that drug marketers would be interested in these kinds of forums as high-visibility product placement opportunities. I am not sure, by any means, that that is what's happening here, but it could be. If it is, it's highly, highly unethical, and a cynical pollution of a community space, where people offer help to one another simply from the generosity of their personal experiences, without monetary motives.

Again, I am not at all sure that that's what's going on here, but I really hope that you can see how important it is for us to be wary of that kind of trend. It may well be that you make this recommendation simply from your professional experience, but even then, people need to be very clear about difficulties, limitations and even dangers of this kind of recommendation.

Usually people on the board simply recount their own personal experiences with drugs, and we know they have no other authority than their experience when they do that. Personally I would prefer it if that's as far as any drug discussion went, but I think you would be wise to issue a caveat, at the very least, when you make a recommendation. The caveat might remind people of the limitations of this kind of recommendation, and how important it is to fully consult in-person with their own doctors before making any drug decision. This is an anonymous forum, so you are not legally obliged to do this, but this is a matter of ethics, not law.

I'm sorry to come on so strong, but I think it's really important for people's overall health and safety that we are careful about how we discuss these matters. I meant what I said in welcoming you, and I hope my comments here don't deter you from posting.

Best,
Jones

Hello Jones,

Not a problem and sorry I didn't see your other post.

I am just suggesting this drug because it has been really good/effective in my professional experience. This is not a drug you can get over the counter, you'd need a prescription for it and I assume that the people on this board are serious enough to talk about it with their own doctors, to determine whether it would be a good medication for them or not.

Again, this was just a "suggestion"...

And no, I am absolutely not affiliated with any drug company. I just wanted to mention it because it is fairly new and since it is not marketed as an AD in the US, I just wanted to point it out as something to consider, another option.

I guess my mistake was that I omitted to stress that any new medication should ONLY be considered through proper one on one medical prescription/supervision and I apologize for that.

Thanks for the heads up !

Dear MHP -

Thank you for this considerate & gracious response. I agree that many people on this board tend to be pro-active and are likely to talk things over thoroughly with their doctors - but I think caution is important, too, given how public this is. Anyway, I spoke only for myself, but I do really appreciate your added comments here.

J

how serious are the cautions to not mix 5-htp, st johns wort, SAM E...all these things with mirtazapine.

i feel like i am juggling so many options, and don't know where to begin, i feel exceptionally depressed (today) and the anxiety seems unbearable, treatable with clonozapine, but, i would love to find a way out of this depression...i am afraid to let go of the mirtazapine, and bought all these y'all mentioned at whole foods market, but don't know where to start.

doses? afraid to quit the mirtazapine,

i've read on the web stuff, about dosages, but thought i would run it by y'all.

circling the drain, again. jill

Well I’ve never heard of mirtazapine but I don’t recommend mixing any of those supplements with it. The only reason I felt safe taking those without seeing a naturopath is that I wasn’t taking any medications, and I had been off birth control for a couple months (St. John’s Wort interacts with birth control), and I did tons of research on any possible side effects of look out for, and I was also clean & sober.

I googled mirtazapine, and since it’s an antidepressant I think you would need to follow a withdrawal schedule since your body is probably addicted to it.

I’ve read stories about people being able to take an anti-depressant along with 5-htp, but since mixing anything that causes your brain to make more serotonin can cause serotonin syndrome- (which is deadly), I wouldn’t take that risk.
-M

didn't know that about serzone, i took that as well. actually, wellbutrin is what i would like to try, but she keeps pushing this damned ssri crap. i am sorry, really rough night tonight. i will try to get into her next week, crap, why is this so hard. life seems too much lately.

preppie girl, does the wellbutrin speed your system up alot? i am going in on tuesday, and would like to try this, but i ruminate alot...that is why the original p put me on mirtazapine...and i don't know if wellbutrin would speed that up even more.

i don't like or want to like the SSRI's, and would like to try it, and the not gaining weight profile of it is appealing, too.

thanks, jill

mirtazapine is an anti depressant used, he says, for ruminating thoughts.

is xanax for anxiety? i take clonosapan for that as needed, which is daily.

were you draggy before the wellbutrin? i can't focus, but, i think she thinks i am moving too fast in my head and is trying to sedate me more. it's like a diet coke and a beer, countereffective, but a great combo..

i may tell her i have tolerated it well in the past to kind of push the issue, effexor and serzone worked on me, before therapy, and now, with a year of therapy under my belt, they may be good too. i hear serzone is gone, so, i am aiming for more of what i have unless she opts for wellbutrin.

love the weight edge, did you stay the same weight or notice a change in appetite? i hate to skew the situation, but i don't want another ssri, don't need sex drive to die, or weight gain, that would just create a whole new palate of issues for this poor soul.

thanks for your response pg, jill

Hey Jill,

I'm on 150mg of Wellbutrin 2x day (am and pm), and it works well for me. It also slightly reduces my appetite, like PG.

going in tomorrow for rx checkup and refill and possibly switch to something new, and i don't know why i am posting, just need to vent, but, i don't know if i am depressed or crazy or what, she will think the later,

i can't focus, i run around in circles and get very little done and just want to avoid all i need to do and go to sleep and pretend everything is ok, highly anxious, yes, depressed, overwhelmed and blanking desparate for some help.

i don't know what medically can assist me, really interested in wellbutrin, but am afraid i am so aggitated that she will opt for a more sedating drug, and i will gain weight and want to sleep even more, i do have a problem getting continual sleep, wake up early and ruminate and do really poorly with staggered and slight sleep.

mirtazapine is not cutting it anymore, took half one day, though and the next day was really bad, even more irritable. i just wish i could find something that could even me out, she tried abilify, but i don't want an anti psychotic, just a good old all american anti-depressant!! is that so hard?????

agh! cross your fingers for me, pals, as i really need off of this high wire.

jill

one wellbutrin down the hatch and we will see!!

150 a day for a week then 300, taper off the mirtazapine

i am thrilled to try it, and she said half her patients are on wellbutrin, so, glad to give it a shot...expensive, but sanity is worth it!! hopeful.

i presume take it in the am, as i hear it is an upper, we didn't discuss that.

thanks preppie girl and kashley, i hope to have the results you have had. i am so sick of being DEPRESSED!! jill

uv, i actually love the clonazawhatever...and i was afraid she would not put me on wellbutrin due to my anxiety, but i think my anxiety is due to my depression and my OVERALL INEFFECTIVENESS AT LIFE due to the ruminating and avoiding of life, so, if we can get the bad symptoms down, maybe the anxiety will lift.

i am in placebo time now, no headache or anything like i had quickly with luvox, so, i am optimistic. and of course i feel that 'it is working...' hmmm, i know most would say 'yeah right'...but, whatever...i am enjoying a good evening, placebo or not...i am just so hopeful...y'no, in therapy now, i don't have that much to talk about...she was alerted to that, as i was crying when i was talking to her, but i just told her i have no reason to be so depressed, and i've done this therapy for a year, and i actually don't have much left to say, but i am so depressed...wouldn't admit it for a while, just said anxiety, but, now i am DEPRESSED!! so, she seemed to think it odd to be crying and not have much left therapy wise to talk about...i told her i need her help, really badly, i reallly need her help....(pleading, yes, begging for meds!!!)

anyway, here i am...

and the bonus of maybe some adhd kind of help and focus?? wow, sounds like my gravy train.

i will ask her about the xanax tho next time i see her...in two weeks. glad to hear your anxiety decreased with therapy. that is what i think will happen here too. it is the chicken and the egg dilemma, and for me, i think the anxiety is a reaction to my inability to be effective at the day to day things i need to do.

yes, the antipsychotic abilify, i tried, helped with symptoms, but, headache and just the whole idea of it wasn't too good for me, so, i bowed out.

PG, 150 for a week with 1/2 dose mirtazapine, then 300 wb and no mirtazapine. but, i think i am going to leave the mirtazapine at full dose for a few days before i start messing with it...i know, i know...so do you just take 150 a day? i am pretty sensitive to meds, so i don't think i will need a mega dose. $177 for 30 150's...ouchie, i may price it around town.

so 300 had you bouncing off the walls?? i'm pretty jazzed right now, so i can imagine. thanks for the warning. i remember prozac had me all over the place...bouncing off the walls and ceiling. like a mega dose of caffeine.

i will enjoy a bit of a lift tho, and so far, no anxiety...yippee!!

((ya gotta wonder if i'll ever get to sleep tonight...oh yeah, got lunesta for that....geez, i am glad i am not in child bearing years!!))

thanks for the input, gals, and i will keep you posted. y'all are the best. jill

I hope the wellbutrin works for you Jill. -Mac

i guess i don't get what is meant by clonozowhatever being a dirty drug...does that mean addictive? or makes one not remember stuff? to me, it is just like the ease i feel about halfway into a friday night dos equis (mexican beer) just the relaxation in the shoulders and the irritability soothing.

maclove, what do you mean, you haven't gotten high off of it? are you on it? you mean 'high' as in not remembering stuff, or more mania type activities?

been so long since....uh, well....i mean, what do you mean, 'high'...???

sounds like alot of people are on it, it would be interesting to do a poll and see what meds more people take, which anti-depressants are most represented in our fine little group of therapy room visitors!!

i have always loved your tag, maclove...warm fuzzys all over with that...can you imagine GOING to one of the biggies in this field?? wow, to have a session (or many) with carl rogers, or freud, or this dbt marsha linasomething. wow. or, maybe they can teach and write, but aren't so good in the chair. i don't imagine so, though...ummmmmmm, jill

pg, yea, well 150 is about all i think this gal can take, yes, a nice ride, for the most part, but definitely need to keep caffeine to a minimum. mine is the xl as well.

mac love, curioius about long term effects, hmmm...we shall see, but no headache or anything...watching for mania signs (which i don't even know what they are...feeling euphoric, over spending type stuff i guess) but i would say my death grip on life is a bit less today, more laughter...kinda laughing about my issues rather than crying so much, in t today. she must think i am nuts. conflicted whether i shoulda joined the peace corps or whether i am a hypocrit...lots of judgments i make that she wants me to keep an eye on...

yes, carl rogers seems like the man to beat...y'no, just to trust, really trust, that you are in good hands therapy-wise would feel so good. i am on my best behavior, for fear of getting kicked out, what would it be like to be able to be, and have someone 'stand it' with you. how much an hour is THAT!??

still on my placebo high...of hope, that wellbutrin could help my stuff....jill

ok, med update. day three on wellbutrin. not rose colored glasses, but pretty little side effect. main thing is, i wake up early in the am (4ish) and toss and turn and dream vividly and just don't feel as rested as i would like. taking lunesta, too, but that doesn't carry me through the night like it did.

but, i think it is ok. but still at 150, and will only try out 300 when i have a day i can afford to 'give up' to maybe being too hyped up.

if 450 is the standard dose, is 150 enough? i am 130 pounds, if that matters.

my hands don't shake, but still tears daily, i am optimistic it might help me though. definite little interest in eating, which is fine, being thinner helps with mood...being bloated sure makes me a grump!!

jill

Hi Jill - what time of day are you taking your Wellbutrin? I actually began Wellbutrin at 150mg 2x day (300mg total) and found that the evening dose, if I took it within a few hours of sleep, kept me up or my sleep was really restless. Long story short, I did get used to it after a few weeks, and it no longer matters what time I take it. It doesn't effect my sleep anymore. If you do take it in the evening, try taking it earlier, like late afternoon, so that those immediate side effects may not disturb your sleep as much.

I know it's hard when things are so dark, but it will take a week or two before you'll be able to tell if you feel better emotionally. I had a few small side effects (that went away) from day one, but didn't feel a difference in my emotions for a couple weeks.

Hang in there, Jill.

kashley, i guess i think i'll notice things more immediately, so thanks for your words, and i'll stay tuned for a few weeks. i just take one 150 a day for the first week, then second week start two, and i take it as soon as i wake up to try to get the max sleep i can.

what emotionally did you feel that was a relief? just the dark cloud, or, i feel i grip life so tightly...afraid...

thanks, jill

pg, i may try to get a NON xl rx, wellbutrin, but this 4am waking up is not too fun. and a couple of weeks to kick in, a day at a time, but, maybe i'll get there, and the dark cloud will lift somewhat...is that what it felt like?

i remember p1 who put me on remron told me he COULD put me on something that would be like rose colored glasses, but he liked me where he had me (saddist!) and he thought i needed to somewhat FEEL the pain to work out in therapy what i needed to work out. i am just convinced he hated me and wanted me to be miserable.

i hope he pays the price for being a lousy dr.

Jill,

I was on 300mg XL (once a day) for a while until they phased out the generic version of it and I couldn't afford it...I took that in the morning. I'd imagine that when you're upped to 300mg it will also just be a 1x day dosage so long as they keep you on the extended release.

The time period when I was in the midst of my depression is pretty fuzzy in my mind, so I truthfully can't tell you how exactly I felt before and how I felt after. I just know it worked. I think that it felt a little less like the world was closing in around me, I could breathe, and I could do a slightly better job handling day-to-day 'stuff.'

thanks kashley, yep, i am up at 6am, 6 hours sleep, can't do that forever. going to call her about a 'non' xl, but not generic. don't think i can try 300 yet, and yes, i would take both in the am.

doing day to day stuff better would be an improvement.

thanks, jill

ok, went in, stay at 150 wellbutrin, she suggested a mood stabilizer for sleep, which would work 'in tandem' with my wellbutrin.

i cringed.

she said SHE would rather take this mood stabilizer, i forgot the name, but i can't do it. sounds too big for me, right now, anyway.

recommended melatonin liguid form and magnesium, and yesterday, the melatonin picked up (kept it on my nightstand and dosed up at 3 am) when the lunesta wore off.

are there long term problems with lunesta 3mg?

anyone here on mood stabilizers??

i don't think i am there, yet.

frustrated as hell, tho. good alot of days, dbt session today, as always, pulls my strings...

any herbal treatments, vitamin treatments for mood stabilization that can be used with wellbutrin?? i bought all the HPT 5, etc. but afraid to use them with wellbutrin. st. john's wort? i read so much about NOT mixing them all, seems either your on the natural stuff OR the rx's.

thoughts??

Did you see my post about mixing prescription with anything herbal? I think it’s on the previous page. Definitely don’t want to do that- can cause serotonin syndrome which is deadly.