Posted by atmlady on January 25, 2008, at 23:57:55 [reposted on January 26, 2008, at 9:22:39 | original URL]
Feeling pretty darn good at the close of day 2 of my ixel/trivastal trial. Mood has lifted considerably, focus is better, energy up, am sleeping great and am nice to my teenagers. ("What's wrong, mom? You're acting happy!" Seriously)
The Trivastal I started last week, dropping my pricey wellbutrin entirely. Experienced no side effects at all, began feeling pleasurable emotions but more importantly began sleeping much better. Effects of Trivastal alone seem very mild to me; however, I was on the MAX dose of wellbutrin so that may explain my tolerance. Now take 50mg with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Added Ixel on Thursday morning. Just like with Lexapro, I felt the effects of Ixel almost immediately, and they were good. I knew I needed serotonin, but didn't want the anorgasmia that always seems to come with SSRI's for me. Thus the Ixel test, as supposedly the sexual side effects are practically zero.
Was going to start slow on the Ixel, but felt so darn good that I decided to take the 2nd 50mg dose (it's a 2 x a day drug) with dinner. By good I mean good mood but also juiced up, pepped up, not buzzed or wired but alert and shoot, I don't know, just feeling good. Got the chills going on the back of my arms, like you get from a stimulant, but don't feel any of the other side effects of stimulants, like dry mouth, suppressed appetite.
So I took the 2nd dose with dinner (1st was at breakfast) and kinda expected to be up for a while, reading or whatever, but went to sleep at 9:30, slept like a baby. Woke up refreshed. Weird. Sleep has been a problem with me for years, and that's another reason I wanted to try Ixel, because it supposedly gives better quality sleep. Don't ask me how, when it works 3:1 NE to SE, but looks like it's true. Then again, I am on TWO new drugs, so can't say for sure what's causing what. What I can say for sure is together, the effect so far is positive for me. Still gonna use my light box in the morning. I'm sure that factors in my mood somewhere, too.
The make-or-break test for Ixel will be the orgasm test. I'm gonna give it two weeks - Lexapro kills my orgasms by end of week one, like clockwork - and if I'm still OK in that department after week 2, I may have to declare Ixel a miracle drug. Till then, let's just say I'm cautiously optimistic.
I gotta say, too, that this board has been literally a life changer and life saver for me. I'm a newbie and was pretty desperate when I joined and began my "education". I just knew my pdoc was WRONG when she upped my wellbutrin after I told her I was not sleeping, had no energy, couldn't focus, memory shot to hell. I sensed she was just going down the list of things to try out to see if it would work. And I totally get it - nobody knows why these drugs do what they do to our mood, so she is just guessing. I get it.
But here at psychobabble I learned, from all of you babblers, that nobody knows as much about your depression, and nobody cares about it as much, as YOU. And I learned that there's options and that I am smart enough to learn about them and evaluate them. And I learned that I am brave enough (and I truly feel bad enough, which is a big sign of how much I need this medication) to try something radically new. And let me say, that first Trivastal tablet was a scary moment - mystery pills from India?
Perhaps a portion of my elevated mood right now has less to do with the drugs and more to do with feeling good about taking control and being ... right? I guess time will tell. I researched this stuff like crazy and found the drugs that I thought would really work for me, knowing me like I do. And I'm just pleased as punch that so far, so good.
Kisses and Hugs to y'all! Promise to keep you posted...
ATMlady
poster:atmlady
thread:808996
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/neuro/20080114/msgs/808996.html