Posted by pellmell on May 10, 2001, at 10:08:08
Hello all,
I've spent five or six hours over the past few weeks searching through back postings on this board, so I know this isn't a new subject. Still, I'm feeling so indecisive right now that I'm willing to risk redundancy for fresh advice. :)I've responded well to SSRIs in the past (Prozac, Zoloft+Li), but I couldn't stand the sexual side effects. (I tried Serzone once, too, but it didn't do me any good). Also, Prozac was ah, enhancing my natural apathy. Fortunately someone came along in my life who I was willing to listen to about that... So I got fed up with prescription psychotropics and tried to go therapy-only for about six weeks.
Umm...that didn't work quite as planned.
So I tried Effexor XR, and responded wonderfully within the first week (felt much less anxious especially). It was definitely more than placebo effect. Unfortunately, I'm one of the unlucky ones who found their libido extremely blunted by it. I didn't stick with it long enough to see how much it affected my performance. (Oh, by the way, my depression/anxeity isn't *severely* debilitating, so I have space to find the best drug for me.)
My pdoc suggested I try Wellbutrin SR next. I've been on it for..nine days, and today will be my fourth day at 300mg (150mg in the morning, another 8 hours later). My first five days I took a single dose of 150mg. The side-effects, while they seem to have lessened /somewhat/ now, are very unpleasant: WAY too much nervous energy, racing mind, very apparent irritability (and I'm normally pretty laid back about other people's behavior! Of course, I have trouble being so easygoing with myself), and increased anxeity... I constantly have to be moving at least my toes or my fingers, preferably my entire leg. Heh. A brisk five mile walk doesn't even do much to calm me down for long. I haven't felt any antidepressent effects yet.
My pdoc said he'd try me on Remeron next if Wellbutrin didn't work out.
So, I suppose my questions are:
1. How many of you who have responded well to SSRIs (and SRIs like Effexor) have done well on Wellbutrin? Might there be something about or brain chemistries that make us less likely to respond to bupropion?2. Of those of you who have, how long has it taken for the irritability to go away? I'm distressed by this new drug-induced piece of my personality, and I'm not sure how much longer I want to wait that and the other side-effects out.
Thanks. . for putting up with my long-windedness. :)-pm
poster:pellmell
thread:62367
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010507/msgs/62367.html