![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jonny on September 5, 2002, at 14:09:51
Hello, I have been having some mild mental and emotional problems, and want to start experimenting with psychological drugs. My condition is a combination of mild depression/fatigue/lack of motivation. I've been on an SSRI for some months now, which has done a moderate job at best. It was prescribed by my general physician. I want to try taking an amphetamine drug like adderall or ritalin to cure the motivation/energy issue. I feel that my depression probs actually stem from not being able to accomplish as much as I want, and addressing my motivation and such would therefore be more effective than addressing the depression itself. SO, do I need to get a psychiatrist? Will they help me with any drugs I want to try? Because if I take the amphetamine, i don't want to stay on it forever until I try these many other medicines that are available nowadays. I feel like I shouldn't ask for an amphetamine drug because it's only 'supposed' to be used for ADD. Well, anything you have to say I will read -Bye
Posted by JonW on September 5, 2002, at 15:11:41
In reply to I am new here, please read this and give advice, posted by Jonny on September 5, 2002, at 14:09:51
A good psychiatrist will improve your quality of life regardless of how it's "supposed" to be done.
Just a thought, but you might want to try Provigil first. It doesn't have some of the drawbacks that the classic stims have and most would be more willing to prescribe it as it is not a controlled substance. I recently read an abstract that commented on its ability to treat the tiredness and fatigue of patients on anti-depressants.
Good Luck,
Jon
Posted by JohnX2 on September 5, 2002, at 18:12:07
In reply to I am new here, please read this and give advice, posted by Jonny on September 5, 2002, at 14:09:51
Aside from the pstims, Wellbutrin is another antidepressant that you may consider trying. It is not an SSRI. For many people it has a profile of helping fatigue and lack of motivation. It is chemically similar to other stimulants, but is not habit forming and suffers the same delay for activation as the other antidepressants. It does not generally have the sexual dysfunction caused by SSRI's either. The medicine may not be a good match for people who have prexisting anxiety.Of the SSRIs, many people find Prozac and Zoloft to provide an energy boost.
J
> Hello, I have been having some mild mental and emotional problems, and want to start experimenting with psychological drugs. My condition is a combination of mild depression/fatigue/lack of motivation. I've been on an SSRI for some months now, which has done a moderate job at best. It was prescribed by my general physician. I want to try taking an amphetamine drug like adderall or ritalin to cure the motivation/energy issue. I feel that my depression probs actually stem from not being able to accomplish as much as I want, and addressing my motivation and such would therefore be more effective than addressing the depression itself. SO, do I need to get a psychiatrist? Will they help me with any drugs I want to try? Because if I take the amphetamine, i don't want to stay on it forever until I try these many other medicines that are available nowadays. I feel like I shouldn't ask for an amphetamine drug because it's only 'supposed' to be used for ADD. Well, anything you have to say I will read -Bye
Posted by Martin Johnson on September 5, 2002, at 23:59:37
In reply to I am new here, please read this and give advice, posted by Jonny on September 5, 2002, at 14:09:51
Please, stay away from any man-made chemicals. If you are only experiencing mild depression, fatigue and lack of motivation, you can do something about it without resorting to a quick fix pill. Most of those have vast potential for unfavorable side-effects and addictions. Just look at all the posts. I would suggest for increased motivation and energy, you could try ginseng. I take ginseng every day and it really does help. Also eating healthy and having normal sleep cycles are very important. If you're having trouble gaining energy after you wake up, just breathe deeply and get your blood circulating, do a hand stand or something. These are just a few suggestions, but there are many other ways to help yourself instead of taking a mood-managing pill.
just trying to help... it works for me...
P.S. ADD isn't real.
Posted by jay60 on September 7, 2002, at 6:16:45
In reply to Re: I am new here, please read this and give advice, posted by Martin Johnson on September 5, 2002, at 23:59:37
You will have a very hard to time finding doctors who will prescribe a stimulant like Ritalin, Dexedrine, or adderall without a diagnosis of ADD. These are schedule II narcotics. I would suggest you think twice about taking these even if you have ADD.
What do you mean by ADD does not exist, just curious?
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.