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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 21 of 21. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
My doctor and I decided to add Zoloft to Wellbutrin. I am currently taking:
nortriptyline 100mg
Wellbutrin 300mg
Zoloft 100mg
Lamictal 150mg
Abilify 10mg
Keppra 500mgI found that Keppra has a therapeutic window for treating depression. Sometimes, less is more. Dosages of 1000mg and higher seem to make my depression worse. Lower dosages have a mild antidepressant effect. I think I get enough out of it to make it worth continuing with.
My target dosage of Zoloft will be 200mg. I tried Zoloft about a year ago. It produced a significant antidepressant response. Unfortunately, it lasted for less than a week. This is typical for me. I begin to experience a significant antidepressant response in the second or third week of treatment, only to relapse a few days later.
I found Zoloft to be a pretty clean drug. I remember having mild to moderate headaches early in treatment, but they disappeared within a few weeks.
I don't have high expectations for this treatment, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to combine Wellbutrin with a SRI. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised. That I responded to Wellbutrin at all came as a surprise to me. I had expected it to make me feel worse, not better.
- Scott
Posted by ravenstorm on May 25, 2006, at 17:24:02
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
Posted by blueberry on May 25, 2006, at 18:37:19
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
Hey Scott, best wishes! What dose will you start at? How fast are you going to get to 200mg?
This is off the subject, but I am still wondering, have you ever tried ritalin, adderall, dexedrine? Maybe if you get a decent mood from the immediate effects of NE/DA/5HT, but then they poop out, maybe something like afternoon usage of a stimulant could give you the same thing without enough exposure to develop poopout or tolerance. I mean, maybe you could at least look forward to good afternoons everyday.
But that is off the subject. Right now I have my fingers crossed for your zoloft and I am hoping that all goodness comes from it.
Posted by Phillipa on May 25, 2006, at 19:40:11
In reply to Re: Welloft » SLS, posted by blueberry on May 25, 2006, at 18:37:19
Scott gotta hand it to you. You are one mighty strong man. I admire you greatly. Good luck!!!!!Love Phillipa
Posted by Larry Hoover on May 25, 2006, at 19:55:51
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
Posted by Phil on May 26, 2006, at 5:03:59
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
Posted by SLS on May 26, 2006, at 7:33:34
In reply to Re: Welloft » SLS, posted by blueberry on May 25, 2006, at 18:37:19
> Hey Scott, best wishes! What dose will you start at? How fast are you going to get to 200mg?
I decided to start off at 50mg for two days and then increase by 50mg every three days. I'll try to let my body tell me if the titration is too rapid.
I have tried Ritalin and Dexedrine, but not Adderall. The first time I tried Dexedrine, it was pretty cool. I felt a major mood lift within an hour of taking my first dose that lasted a good part of the day. After that, nothing. I was on it for at least a week. I have also tried Dexedrine in combination with Parnate and desipramine. It was mildly helpful for the first three days. That was about it. I think I remained on 20mg for two weeks.
Your idea is an interesting one, but I'm afraid I am too resistent to the energizing effects of the psychostimulants. I even tried Cylert once.
I REALLY appreciate your input. Thanks.
- Scott
Posted by B2chica on May 26, 2006, at 9:03:24
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
Scott
glad to hear about the combo try. i must say that i did have good luck with it.i hope you do too.
and i was concerned for you at Well.600.
my fingers are crossed!
b2c.
Posted by AuntieMel on May 26, 2006, at 9:18:35
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
When I added Wellbutrin to my Effexor I noticed an almost immediate improvement. It was the first one I'd felt - ever.
Then I put Provigil into the mix - another improvement.
Now I'm on Adderall - extended release - instead of Provigil. Even better.
It appears I *need* the activating meds.
Current cocktail
Effexor XR - 150mg
Wellbutrin - 450mg
Adderall XR - 40 mgAnd, no, I'm not wired.
Posted by SLS on May 26, 2006, at 9:53:24
In reply to Re: Welloft, posted by B2chica on May 26, 2006, at 9:03:24
> Scott
> glad to hear about the combo try. i must say that i did have good luck with it.i hope you do too.
> and i was concerned for you at Well.600.
> my fingers are crossed!
> b2c.Thanks.
:-)
What dosages were you taking?
- Scott
Posted by SLS on May 26, 2006, at 9:56:59
In reply to Re: Welloft » SLS, posted by AuntieMel on May 26, 2006, at 9:18:35
Hi.
I am extremely happy that you have found such an effective treatment. I rarely see your name on this board, so I really never knew how well you were getting along.
Question: How did you come to decide on taking 450mg of Wellbutrin?
Thanks.
- Scott
> When I added Wellbutrin to my Effexor I noticed an almost immediate improvement. It was the first one I'd felt - ever.
>
> Then I put Provigil into the mix - another improvement.
>
> Now I'm on Adderall - extended release - instead of Provigil. Even better.
>
> It appears I *need* the activating meds.
>
> Current cocktail
>
> Effexor XR - 150mg
> Wellbutrin - 450mg
> Adderall XR - 40 mg
>
> And, no, I'm not wired.
Posted by B2chica on May 26, 2006, at 10:20:25
In reply to Re: Welloft » B2chica, posted by SLS on May 26, 2006, at 9:53:24
wellbutrinXL 450
zoloft 100(ritalin, zyprexa, xanax and ambien also)
i didn't notice much at first. i was already on well 450 and added zoloft 50 but by the second day of zoloft at 100 i noticed a difference. it seemed i was more alert, feeling 'normal'. and yes, even good!
i had some nausea for the first couple weeks but it went away.best wishes
b2c
Posted by bassman on May 26, 2006, at 15:28:32
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
No wonder you know so much about meds! I hope things work out for you...Wellbutrin + Prozac seems to be helping me, for the first time meds have been of any use for over a year. Just 450 mg Wellbutrin was pretty fear-producing. Again, good luck, Scott!
Posted by linkadge on May 26, 2006, at 16:47:55
In reply to Re: Welloft, posted by bassman on May 26, 2006, at 15:28:32
I've heard that zoloft + TCA can be good.
I've heard that in terms of DAT inhibition, Zoloft is actually stronger than Wellbutrin.
I did fairly well on zoloft + TCA.
This would be a triple uptake inhibitor of sorts.
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on May 26, 2006, at 19:04:10
In reply to Re: Welloft, posted by linkadge on May 26, 2006, at 16:47:55
Posted by ed_uk on May 28, 2006, at 11:23:15
In reply to Re: Welloft » B2chica, posted by SLS on May 26, 2006, at 9:53:24
Hi Scott
Perhaps 200mg sertraline might be too much and make you feel 'flat' after a few weeks or months? 50-100mg might be better.
Ed
Posted by corafree on May 28, 2006, at 21:28:02
In reply to Welloft, posted by SLS on May 25, 2006, at 17:16:44
Just noticed and wanted to share that I too experienced a very significant, but very short lived, relief from depression w/ Zoloft. It was incredible, but lasted less than a day.
I'm only on TCA Norpramin/desipramine 10mg and Valium currently. I tried increase desipramine to 20 and it felt like an increase in anxiety. Frightened me. My P presented his hypothesis that I may have mistakened 'anxiety' for 'activation'.(?)
I'm 'just getting by'; needing to face am more depressed than I realize. Why would I deny myself my feelings; prob' because I've tried so many things; many tries w/ Eff-XR, sometimes successful and other times not. Maybe feel I've run the AD gamut w/o success.
Went back as far as TCAs, so thoughts of new EMSAM.
Why is this post called Welloft? I'm thinking because of the combo Zoloft and Wellbutrin.
If anyone might lend a word of wisdom, no invitation necessary to babble me.
bestwishes, cf
Posted by SLS on May 29, 2006, at 9:01:52
In reply to Re: Welloft » SLS, posted by corafree on May 28, 2006, at 21:28:02
Hi CF.
> I tried increase desipramine to 20 and it felt like an increase in anxiety. Frightened me. My P presented his hypothesis that I may have mistakened 'anxiety' for 'activation'.(?)
I guess the only way to know for sure about desipramine is to try raising the dosage. Although I don't doubt that some people receive benefit from such low dosages of desipramine, I think that is a very uncommon response. People tend to need 150mg +/- 50mg; 200-300mg for more severe depressions.
> Just noticed and wanted to share that I too experienced a very significant, but very short lived, relief from depression w/ Zoloft. It was incredible, but lasted less than a day.
It is almost cruel to be shown how great things can be without this illness, only to have the antidepressant response ripped away so abruptly and so soon. It reminds me of the movie "Awakenings". I am still trying to recover emotionally from my experience with Wellbutrin. After experiencing an antidepressant response for a week, I was sure I was on my way to building a new life. The response only lasted 10 days or so. Another consequence of experiencing an improvement in depression is gaining an insight into how severe the illness is. You can better see the distance that must be travelled to reach normalcy.
"Welloft" is a word my doctor heard used to name the treatment combination of Wellbutrin and Zoloft.
Emsam looks like a drug worth trying.
Have you ever tried an MAOI?
- Scott
Posted by corafree on May 30, 2006, at 10:54:21
In reply to Re: Welloft » corafree, posted by SLS on May 29, 2006, at 9:01:52
Hi Scott & all ...
I'm really sort of shocked. I can't fathom how YOU know yourself so well. It seems like you let nothing distract you from 'how U are feeling'? How do you do this?
I would have to be in a hospital where no one in my fam/friends knew I was, where I had a lot of faith in the providers, to 'get fixated on how each addition or increase or decrease or discontinuation' felt.
I would basically have to be able to separate my mind from myself as an 'emotional person' ... like being outside myself and watching myself.
I'm on 10 measly mgs of a TCA and I can feel it! I took 20mg two days and I felt anxious.You're on a TCA of 100mg as a part of six.How do you separate out your affects/effects(whichever)?
How do you not let a 'spat w/ a fam' member' or the 'explosion of a bottle of soda in your fridge' not interrupt your self-monitoring? How do you know life situations aren't involved?
I've printed three posts, yours and some that follow.
I guess I'm 'overboard scared'. I'm not the easiest person to get along with ... I have a lot of energy going alot of ways, positive and negative. W/ a possible dx of borderline, who am I to begin with? I have a glimpse. Do I even remember what normal felt life? I feel a twinge.
To answer your ?, no, never on an MAOI; they're the scariest! Why? They just sound scary!
Dang it .. ran out of ink so only your page printed. Still this 'Awakening' thing ... I'm very familiar with.
Maybe I need a whole lot more than I want to face. Maybe I'm too scared to go there. I'm freakin' scared! What if I went away and never came back. I wouldn't even know it. Would someone put/take/bring me home?
I am going to talk w/ my P about a 'cocktail' or 'recipe' or whatever anyone calls it. I've never been on one.
The longest time spent w/ one P was 10yrs and most of it was spent on a benzo and the original Effexor tablets. I was working. I did have a lot of hormonal changes at that time in my life. I was basically doing pretty well. Then my husband started hitting me more often. That's when I lost myself I think. My P should have seen that. Someone should have taken me by the hand and said 'get out of there and come this way', but no one did. I stayed until I became who I am now. I just awakened from four nightmares last night's sleep, all about him, persecuting me. We divorced in 1996!!!
Well this is too long. I'd like to stay w/ the thread. I won't say as much. I must need more attention or information than any P has ever given me. Often I'll hear "You don't look sick!". (I hate that one.) I often feel like ending my life ... I should look like I have a foot in a grave!
Yeah, I'll just uh reload my ink cartridge and follow thread. Don't dodge me pls. I need your info.
love,cf
Posted by corafree on May 31, 2006, at 12:03:14
In reply to Re: Welloft » SLS, posted by corafree on May 30, 2006, at 10:54:21
>After experiencing an antidepressant response for a week, I was sure I was on my way to building a new life. The response only lasted 10 days or so. Another consequence of experiencing an improvement in depression is gaining an insight into how severe the illness is. You can better see the distance that must be travelled to reach normalcy.<
That tweak
I felt it
It wasn't the situation
It was here after I took Zoloft
It felt so good!
I was here and I felt good!
But then it left
So soon, so fast>After experiencing an antidepressant response for a week, I was sure I was on my way to building a new life. The response only lasted 10 days or so. Another consequence of experiencing an improvement in depression is gaining an insight into how severe the illness is. You can better see the distance that must be travelled to reach normalcy.<
Is that how bad here is?
This? This is bad
This is a consequence
I see
From there back to here
The distance is so much further than I knew
A friend's analysis helps me see
Here is so much further from there
I see where I want to be
Ignorance has not been bliss
I have been afraid
There is nothing to loseIGottaTry,cf
Posted by SLS on June 2, 2006, at 8:58:29
In reply to Re: Welloft » corafree, posted by corafree on May 31, 2006, at 12:03:14
Ok. It has been one week with Zoloft at 100mg, and nothing good is happening.
I feel so trapped.
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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