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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 jessie77 on March 31, 2004, at 21:25:14
Hi There,
I am looking for some advice...so far, I have been on paxil, which made me gain tons of weight. This made me more depressed, so my doctor took me off (which caused major withdrawl) and put me on topamax. I am currently on 200 mg of topamax and 10mg of adderrall and have not lost weight and am still very depressed (not because of the weight, just in general). Ive been on the topamax for about 2 months and the adderall for one. I can't sleep so I take Ambien at night. Im getting so down and frustrated. Is there something else I should try? I can't take wellbutrin because I have seizures. I really don't want to go back on a SSRI because I can't deal with the side effects.Thanks.
Jessie
Posted by crazychickuk on April 1, 2004, at 8:58:13
In reply to Med Frustration, posted by jessie77 on March 31, 2004, at 21:25:14
Have u tryed remeron?
Posted by dazed on April 1, 2004, at 11:59:57
In reply to Med Frustration, posted by jessie77 on March 31, 2004, at 21:25:14
I take Adderrall and also Topamax. One side effect of Topamax is depression in some people. Mine lasted for the first month, then I was back to normal. Straterra might work well for you. Some like it better than Adderall, and they lose weight on it and feel less depressed.
Posted by jessie77 on April 1, 2004, at 15:24:18
In reply to Re: Med Frustration, posted by dazed on April 1, 2004, at 11:59:57
I have not tried remeron, nor have I even heard of it. Im a little new to this whole thing. I did suggest Straterra last time I was at my doctor; he was afraid it would make me tired. Maybe I will bring it up again. I was not sure if i was on the WRONG meds or just NOT ENOUGH of the ones I am on.
Thanks for your help:)
j
Posted by KathrynLex on April 1, 2004, at 16:23:38
In reply to Med Frustration, posted by jessie77 on March 31, 2004, at 21:25:14
Hi Jessie,
You might want to try Wellbutrin. It's an antidepressant, but not an SSRI. It is in a family of meds all by itself. Wellbutrin also has a reputation for supressing your appetite.
Is Paxil the only SSRI you've tried? If it is, I urge you not to give up on them yet. Like you I had a horrible experince with Paxil. It didn't agree with me at all and after throwing my Paxil in the trash I was hesitant to try anything else. A psychiatrist pursuaded me to try Lexapro and I'm really glad I did. It's given me my life back.
If you decide to try SSRIs again there are some things you can do to minimize the side effects:
- Start at a very low dose and gradually increase. This gives your body more time to adjust to the new medication.
- If SSRI's cause some anxiety, keep a benzo (Xanax, Klonopin or Lorazepam) on hand. They are very relaxing meds that do a wonderful job of keeping anxiety in check.
Some SSRIs to try:
Lexapro - Some people don't experience any side effects with this med. Average doses range from 10 mgs to 40 mgs. Try starting out at 5 mgs and see how you feel.
Prozac - I think Prozac is a wonderful, wonderful med. It's energizing, increases your concentration and motivates you to start living your life again. (Note: Sometimes if you take it for a long time, stop taking it and then try to get back on it, it's not as effective.)
Also, most importantly, have a psychiatrist monitor your meds. DO NOT let your regular doctor prescribe your medication. A psychiatrist is well versed in the latest meds, and can do a pretty good job of matching a person with the correct medication. General practitioners aren't always as knowledgable as they should be. My GP prescribed Paxil. After that nightmare I went to a psychiatrist who said he doesn't prescribe paxil to anyone because of the high number of side effects associated with it.
Sorry for the long post. I hope some of this is informative and helpful.
K.
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