I'm interested in knowing about any meds that some of you may have tried, particularly if you haven't responded at all or very weakly to the usual SSRI/SNRI medications. For dysthymia, moderate to major depression, or generalized anxiety disorder.

7/3/2012 3:41:11 PM

tried any bipolar meds? Lamictal, Lithium and klonopin was making me feel pretty good, but quite frankly, I gained a lot of weight and decided I was better off self-medicating than taking that shit.

maybe it's time for some ECT, haha

7/4/2012 5:29:13 AM

I know two people who've had some success with ECT.

One of them happens to be a TWWer.

7/4/2012 8:30:09 AM

Yeah, the whole idea of going on an anticonvulsant or antipsychotic bothers the shit out of me because of the weight gain issues. Now if they happen to clear up the frantic urges to binge eat, then maybe the weight gain issue won't manifest itself.

I've taken depakote briefly, as well as seroquel. With seroquel, I felt like I almost had more surreal episodes, some that even spiked my anxiety even more. In an attempt at titration to eliminate or at least minimize the side effects, I found that the doses were getting infinitesimally smaller, until I was hacking a 25mg pill into 8 pieces. Upon further reading lately, however, it looks like very low doses actually are counterproductive, and perhaps I just need some patience in "getting over the hump."

As far as ECT goes, if that's what it takes, then so be it.

7/4/2012 8:50:57 AM

i was on lamictal for a few years & didn't experience weight gain. it worked well for me too.

7/4/2012 8:57:14 AM

I'm on lamictal myself. haven't had wait gain on it, on its really evened me out alot. I'm not having alot of the issues with ptsd I've had in the past. I also take abilify. I've been on lithium in the past, but it caused my hands to shake pretty bad. good luck Bud.

7/6/2012 8:48:40 PM

FWIW, my son had a history of seizures in infancy and I have some experience with anticonvulsants. I know for certain that one of the medications that he was on for two years (Trileptal) is used as a mood stabilizer. The two biggest problems Silas had were a lack of appetite and drowsiness. At times, we even struggled to keep him awake long enough to eat.

7/6/2012 9:24:23 PM

on depakote and wellbutrin xl now. it keeps me from putting 1 in the temple, but that's about it.


tried celexa before. that shit was awful. terrible headaches.



my doc is a big fan of the wellbutrin/depakote combo, but i'd really like to try something else. he said my alternative is lithium, and i'm a little freaked out by that, so i just keep with it.



also, crazies ITT

7/7/2012 12:20:17 AM

a lot of people that take lithium, depakote and seroquel experience weight gain. I lost weight when I was taking lamictal only, but I couldn't sleep and was generally cracked out/sgt peppering.

îf you're doing ok on depakote, I think you should consider it.

[Edited on July 7, 2012 at 8:50 AM. Reason : ugh, so many things give me splitting headaches]

7/7/2012 8:45:50 AM

Well, I'm thinking a multifaceted, more of a holistic approach. I just joined a gym, and I'm going to try to force myself to follow through with this. At the same time, I'm also seeing a psychiatrist Friday for medication management. I've started seeing my psychologist again, and hope that this will lead to improvement.

I'm scared, but upon thinking about it all, I've been scared all of my life...scared of just about anything that involves social interaction. I know those of you who know me would scoff at that. Now, I'm scared that I can't break the cycle. It seems awfully late in life to try to be doing this, trying to defeat behaviors and emotions that have been firmly engrained in me for so many years.

I realize that the drugs are nothing more than facilitators, and that the bulk of recovery and healing is going to be through hard work. And I'm scared of failure. Keep yer motherfucking fingers crossed, say a prayer, do what befits you...and I'll return the favor if you need.

7/8/2012 6:18:58 PM

There are no drugs at all that can compete with the positive effects brought on by strenuous exercise and a decent diet.


There is wisdom in the adage, "look good, feel good."

7/8/2012 6:22:08 PM

Quote :

"There are no drugs at all that can compete with the positive effects brought on by strenuous exercise and a decent diet."

+1

And a nice regular sleep schedule. Seriously, I struggled for years with recurrent depression and my greatest success came with normalizing my sleep schedule. I prioritize a good night of sleep and make sure that I go to sleep and get up within the same time frame every day.

7/8/2012 6:53:37 PM

Perhaps some Special K is what you need:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-08/special-k-for-depression-renews-hope-in-hallucinogens.html

7/9/2012 3:09:44 AM

Quote :

"There are no drugs at all that can compete with the positive effects brought on by strenuous exercise and a decent diet. There is wisdom in the adage, "look good, feel good." "

Oh I know they play their part. And they do work...to a degree. But not nearly enough. Though I have to admit when I'm in better shape, I'm definitely a little more confident and upbeat.

7/10/2012 1:14:58 PM

There is some shallowness in that adage as well... more outside approval can only do so much. Self esteem isn't everything, anyway.


avoiding excess alcohol/other drugs should be a given as well

7/10/2012 1:34:39 PM

I couldn't agree more. They can turn an already bad experience into a downward spiral. If I've had a late night with LOTS of alcohol involved, I don't sleep very well and wake up with the shakes pretty bad. It takes me a couple of days to get back to normal (or what's normal for me), to where I can actually function. Not hangover, either. I don't get hungover easily, as I usually drink lots of water as well, and eat too.

I don't smoke pot anymore for the same reason. I only occasionally smoked before, and in small amounts, as I found it to ultimately make me aggressive, to the point of violence or psychosis. Just a little bit can be interesting, especially if there's sex involved.

7/10/2012 2:26:02 PM

klonopin does wonders for acute anxiety

its quite a serene feeling actually. i've stayed away from it because i feel like it would be easy to abuse given the effect it has on me

7/10/2012 4:16:42 PM

Been there, done that. I've had it in regular pill form and fast dissolving sublingual tablets.

Meh.

7/10/2012 4:18:48 PM

yeah, they work but damn, they are habit-forming. I'm probably gonna go ask for some soon though

7/11/2012 9:41:45 AM

i used to pop klonopin before going on stage w/ my band, and before law school finals.


they worked wonders for temporary, acute anxiety.

7/11/2012 10:27:55 AM

I was on Paxil for like 4 years, and then (stupidly) decided to quit cold turkey.

The next two years were the worst of my life. I was never actually suicidal, but I was consistently within touching distance of being so. If I had been sure there was no afterlife, and if not for the traumatic effect my death would have had on my parents, I'd probably be ashes in the wind right now.

Also, the withdrawal really fucked up my cognitive engines. I'm only just now (after about a year back on the Paxil-train) starting to get back to my old self, intellectually.

I guess the moral of this story is, never quit an antidepressant cold turkey. And be damn careful what you start, because it can be mighty hard to stop.

7/11/2012 4:36:34 PM

yeah, i was like a dead person for 6 months trying to taper off effexor and some other crap that wasn't working well. I mean like sleeping 14 hours + a day.

7/11/2012 4:38:11 PM

Look into Nootropics. They are a class of supplements. My preference is Noopept, however, most people react well the the Racetam family, with Piracetam being the most studied one out there.

You will notice your brain chemistry actually stabilize, and your brain repair itself from the chemical imbalances which you might have now. At least this was the case for me. Do some research.

7/13/2012 2:16:44 AM

Doc put me on Lyrica, generic name pregabalin. It's a gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) analog, similar to Neurontin (gabapentin) but supposedly more potent. Interested in seeing how this works.

7/13/2012 8:07:14 PM

^ I took Lyrica, but that was for back pain after a slipped disk.

Does it work on the brain too? Actually, come to think, I remember one of my students saying he was [ab]using Lyrica, taking 3 or 4 at a time, and it gave him some sort of buzz.

I read the lit that came with it, and I don't remember it saying anything about its use for depression.

Quote :

"crazies ITT"

7/13/2012 9:27:50 PM

After three years of trying different SSRIs, I took Lexapro and Remeron for 7 years with very good success at battling depression and very few side effects. A year and a half ago I ran out and wasn't able to get my script refilled for a month so I essentially quit cold turkey. At the end of that month when I was able to get them refilled I was actually doing quite well so I decided to stick it out. I'm not going to say I haven't looked back, but I've really only had one major depressive bout (around Christmas when I was overworked and not able to see my family). For the most part I haven't looked back. So while quitting certain meds like Paxil is certainly inadvisable, quitting others without weaning off might not have such drastic consequences and allow you to assess your disorder without medications more quickly. Since going off my antidepressants, I've been 40 pounds lighter without having really changed my exercise or eating habits.

7/14/2012 12:31:53 PM

If you're worried about weight gain, stay away from Remeron. I reached my highest weight on it. While it treats depression, one of its other uses is appetite stimulation in the under weight.

7/14/2012 1:16:13 PM

Well, I've definitely remained rather stable in the weight department while taking Lyrica. One of the side effects is weight gain, but I've been fighting tooth and nail to not gain. Hitting the gym a lot. Decided to do an Atkins induction phase. And I've finally started to drop a few pounds.

It's kind of nuts because I've always been able to lose like crazy before. Maybe I'm just getting old too.

I hate getting old. It sucks. Dog balls.

Quote :

"^ I took Lyrica, but that was for back pain after a slipped disk."

Its primary approved uses are for neuropathic pain often resulting from damage caused by such things, as well as herpes zoster (shingles). It's also used partially for treatment of seizures and epilepsy. It's the only drug on the market approved for use in treating fibromyalgia.

Off-label, it's used to treat generalized anxiety disorder that doesn't respond to conventional means of treatment. And for me, it does seem to be doing something...though I often find myself drowsy. Worth noting is that inflammatory disorders seem to run in my family, as my mother has suffered from chronic pain issues for years, and my sister has Crohn's disease. I've had shingles TWICE, and wonder if I haven't suffered some nerve damage in addition to having frequent bouts of joint inflammation and continual shoulder and hip pain. Since taking Lyrica, I haven't had nearly as much pain. If I ever get over the tired part, I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what this shit can do as I up the dose.

[Edited on July 25, 2012 at 10:33 PM. Reason : blahblah]

7/25/2012 10:27:15 PM

^because GABA is the chief inhibatory neurotransmitter in the brain. It is the opposite of seretonin and works to limit "highs." Gaba analogs can be extremely successful in stablizing and defusing manic states experienced by a lot of bi-polar patients.

a consequence of that is that it makes you tired because it is a neuro-depressant.

7/26/2012 4:32:39 AM

Getting out of that shitty society at least for a while will help a lot. It's very cheap to live most places.

7/26/2012 6:42:22 AM

What the blue fuck was that?

7/31/2012 9:37:29 AM

I can has BTTT?

After a recurrence of major anxiety and depressive episodes for the last month, I decided I might need something to get me through this.

I had quit Lyrica and everything else...the effects were just too severe. Lyrica did indeed curb the anxiety, but at the cost of a significant loss of my cognitive ability. The drowsiness was extreme, and I would just randomly "drop out" of conversations or lose my place in my thought processes. I was spaced out all the time.

I was originally taking Adderall and then Dexedrine for my ADD, and that really was doing a number on my anxiety. Start Cymbalta and taper on the Addy. Cymbalta did a number on my anxiety. Well, time to try a GABA analog. And that was Lyrica. And I had to stop that.

Talk about turmoil. I've never had so many adverse effects from shit. I used to take 60 to 80 mgs a day of Addy with good results about 5 years ago. But it seems like my body just doesn't handle it like it used to.

Now...how about Lamictal? I literally just started taking it today. TWW anecdotal evidence on it? Tell me what you know.

And for the record, I build tolerance to benzodiazepenes at a frighteningly fast rate. Neither Xanax or Klonopin have much effect unless I really dose on them.

[Edited on April 11, 2013 at 1:19 PM. Reason : blahblahblah]

4/11/2013 1:17:11 PM

lamictal is the worst tasting med out there. why the fuck are they giant flat uncoated tablets? it's like trying to swallow a goddamned saltine cracker without water. taking lamictal alone didn't curb my anxiety, and pushed me into a bit of dysphoric mania. so if your sleep is worse after you titrate up, you might need an adjunct.

4/11/2013 2:39:04 PM

My wife takes Lamictal in combination with a relatively light dose of Cymbalta for depression and pain associated with Fibromyalgia. When she started out on them together, it was clearly better than any of the other treatments, but the full recommended dose of Cymbalta made her really anxious, caused erratic sleep patterns, occasional mood swings, and general discomfort with how it made her feel. Once they cut that dose in half, it's like everything fell into place perfectly and she was a whole new person. Whether it's the Lamictal alone or the combination of both, I'm not sure, but she is far more engaged and focused when doing work and generally in a better mood than any time that I've known her. They did also give a prescription for Lorazepam to deal with anxiety, but I don't think she's ever felt a need for them once they got the other dosages worked out correctly.

She's tried all kinds of antidepressants, triptans, amphetamine salts, etc. in various combinations over the years to try and find a balance that made her feel good and still be functional, but after getting on a relatively light dose of those two things for just a couple months, she swears she's never felt better in her entire life. Almost a year later now and no adverse side effects or need to change anything. Obviously things vary from person to person, but perhaps you could work with your physician to simply alter the doses of things that have strange side effects.

Not being the user, merely the observer of the effects, I can't say too much about anything she's tried, but if you have specific questions about any of them, I can definitely ask.

[Edited on April 11, 2013 at 3:00 PM. Reason : .]

4/11/2013 3:00:05 PM

pm BubbleBobble, I doubt he will read this thread

4/11/2013 3:16:02 PM

^^^^damn man, good luck getting things sorted. I've been suffering a lot lately from sleep, anxiety and depression problems myself so I can relate a bit. Fingers are crossed for ya!

[Edited on April 11, 2013 at 3:17 PM. Reason : ^]

4/11/2013 3:16:46 PM

I've had a lot of luck with Wellbutrin XL and Buspar. That being said, it may be time to change. Anxiety has come back with a vengence - panic attacks.

4/12/2013 10:40:27 PM

Just curious, do you guys notice any pattern to when panic attacks occur? I have had some anxiety and it didn't really start until a couple of years ago. Things that can bring about what I consider a "panic attack":

1) Marijuana: never had any problems for several years, then had some pretty bad experiences out of nowhere. Didn't experience a real attack until I had my car stolen (only had liability, had just gotten the car a month before - was a cheap car, but one of the more upsetting things I've been through)

2) Sugar/carb overload: eat a lot of candy/desserts, will get an extreme sugar buzz and feel super alert but also very paranoid.

3) Strong stimulants, or too much of any stimulant

I've cut out alcohol almost entirely for various reasons, but I noticed that I was highly susceptible to anxiety the day after drinking. I find I can avoid any bad feelings by staying completely sober and eating clean, so that's pretty much what I do. I'm sure working out helps too.

[Edited on April 12, 2013 at 11:10 PM. Reason : ]

4/12/2013 11:06:38 PM

Have any of y'all with milder challenges tried non-psych meds for this stuff?

I'm not suggesting your problems are physical, but just like, if you physically felt better, maybe you could manage mental health stuff easier. Is this a thing that doctors do for people?

[Edited on April 13, 2013 at 2:00 AM. Reason : ?]

4/13/2013 1:32:00 AM

how about finding Jesus? that works for some people

[Edited on April 13, 2013 at 1:27 PM. Reason : ]

4/13/2013 1:23:37 PM

LOL I'm just saying...everybody recommends exercise to feel better, and that's all good. But why not get some testosterone too? I mean, zxappeal's talking about getting old--he should get some testosterone implants and start a very, very small dose of synthroid. He can stay on the psych drugs to avoid a catastrophe but take the other stuff to actually feel better.

Why don't people talk about doing this? Is it not a thing?

4/13/2013 4:05:35 PM

Cytochrome P450 2D6 regulates the metabolism of many drugs and a small percentage of the population has no intended benefit of many drugs (listed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CYP2D6) including codeine opioids, antipsychotics, ssri's, and effexor. If you notice that you've tried many of those drugs and they don't work for you then definitely go to something not on that list. See above for what worked for me

[Edited on April 15, 2013 at 7:01 PM. Reason : ]

4/15/2013 6:56:00 PM

Quote :

"Just curious, do you guys notice any pattern to when panic attacks occur?"

not enough sleep, not enough social interaction, and too much alcohol are the ones i've noticed. stimulants don't really make me anxious in a bad way, just hyper and jittery if i have too much

as far as , a hit or two is all i need, and i limit it to twice a week or less. personally, it helps after a really active day

i've gotten pretty good at nipping them in the bud, so it's not very often i'll have a true "attack"

4/17/2013 5:09:51 PM

Quote :

"There are no drugs at all that can compete with the positive effects brought on by strenuous exercise and a decent diet."

i agree wholeheartedly. emphasis on the strenuous exercise. i hate running, but about 30 minutes going hard on the spin bike is all but guaranteed to make me feel much better the rest of the day.

4/17/2013 6:32:11 PM

4/18/2013 12:37:40 PM

I'm definitely going to have to factor in more sleep and productive activity...it's one thing about my current job that really sucks...the horrible monotony of staring at spreadsheets containing really menial, often corrupt, data that I have to sort through and work with. All day long. Drives me nuts.

Today makes Day 8 on Lamictal, and I'm still at 25 mg, and should be for the next 6 days before jumping to 50 mg. Then two weeks until I jump to 100. Obviously, titration for Lamictal is kinda crucial (dreaded rash, etc), but I'd really like to know when I'm going to notice anything. Is alcohol going to reduce its efficacy?

As my tablets are scored, would it make more sense to jump up to 37.5 mg before going to 50?

Side effects so far: other than feeling highly stressed, anxious (de rigeur for me), and agitated, even angry at times, none.

I gotta confess, I don't hold out much hope for this shit, as none of the other drugs I've taken has had much effect, though Cymbalta made me feel way too edgy. I do realize that Lamictal is in an entirely different class of drug.

Share with me, peeps. I feel like I'm about to lose it, and could use either words of encouragement or a little more insight.

I guess on one hand I feel that anecdotal information about these things is so worthless because of the highly variable differences in physiological makeups and my past experiences (or lack thereof) with pharmaceuticals...but on the other, I don't want to lose hope.

4/18/2013 4:12:00 PM

Been through Zoloft and Lexapro before. Zoloft seemed to help quite a bit, initially, but after a few years it seemed to lose its effectiveness. Lexapro did nothing. It...it was almost worse than being on nothing at all.

Now I'm on 225 effexor and abilify. Meh. I'm holding steady at the same level as zoloft when it lost its effectiveness. I barely sleep, it's a struggle to get going every morning, I constantly avoid social interaction and refuse to do pretty much anything.

Wah wah, woe is me.

4/18/2013 6:16:28 PM

^ good luck in your fight.

I was on Effexor for 5ish years and then weaned myself off quickly when my doctor moved and I didn't have someone to get a prescription. I subsequently had a nervous breakdown 4 to 5 weeks later. Emergency room visit for Xanax cost around $1,200.
I am now on 25mg/day Effexor. Works pretty well for me.

4/18/2013 8:33:05 PM

I hated Effexor, though it's the only drug on the SSRI or SNRI classes that had any effect on my libido. The only effect was I could go and go and go...

I quit that shit cold turkey. Holy Christ.

I just want to feel better at damn near any cost

4/19/2013 1:20:28 PM

^^ Thanks - glad something is working for you

^ I don't look forward to having to come off it, if I have to. I hear it's pretty bad. I had come off zoloft a few times (cold turkey and tapered) and that was a fucking nightmare every time.

Quote :

"I just want to feel better at damn near any cost"

amen

[Edited on April 21, 2013 at 1:23 PM. Reason : ]

4/21/2013 1:23:37 PM