Posted by bonnie on December 1, 1999, at 14:12:28
In reply to Re: Prozac vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Harry Littell on November 23, 1999, at 23:01:35
Am 42 y.o. female. Been treated off and on since teens for various disorders. Around age 27, was finally diagnosed with depression and alchoholism. Have been off and on various meds throughout life. This last time I tried a few, prior to Wellbutrin, but IT was the only one I felt results from immediately. Screw this "2-week" waiting period they talked about. I was a new woman. New outlook. Hopefullness. Suicidal thoughts gone, etc. It was amazing. As well, my elderly father was recently in such a funk that we almost wished we had something we could give him to stop him from begging us to help him kill himself. After being put on Wellbutrin and (I believe) Paxil, in a few days he too, was a new man. He had his bounce back. But with regards to your quandry. I have had NO PROBLEMS with my desires when it comes to Wellbutrin. Even though I live single and currently have no man in my life, I have no problems in that area :) However, I do believe everyone's chemistry is different and what works for one is disaster for another. Prozac, for me, made me feel murderous and angry, yet I am not that sort of person at all. It was a very scarey experience for me. Recently, I was lucky enough, after all these years of shrinks and therapists, to begin seeing a doc who deals only in meds. This was through a community services organization where I had been seeing a LCWS (due to lack of income and insurance due to loss of job due to mental illness....go figure). Fortunately, this doc just joined them at a time when I was suffering from my third deep depression in the past three years. I had become sober three years ago, and thought after that there'd be no more depression as long as I stayed on the meds. But it came out of nowhere for no reason and I felt so helpless and scared. i had no recourse the first two times but to ride it out and both times it lasted a week. When I went to this new doctor, she spent an hour with me asking lots of questions. Not the kind that you get all deep and talk about feelings, but more the nature of "have you ever experienced this..." or "have you ever done that..." She was getting to know my ways, actually. (I failed to mention that prior to this depression, I had lost my job and for 4 months, I didn't worry about working, lived off my savings and unemployment, and worked my tail off in my yard, doing landscaping and "building" a brick patio all by myself. Little did I know that I was suffering from a mild manic episode with too much energy and little desire to sleep and I had now "crashed" BADLY). She diagnosed me as having cyclothimia (which is a milder case of bi-polar) and prescribed Depakote and I have had no adverse reactions. However, since these crashes have been isolated, time will tell. My point to all this "babble" is -- that without the proper doctor who's willing to really work with you as an individual and not just lump you into a catagory, things can get really bad. I was just lucky as hell that I hit the jackpot with this doctor.
But I think I deserve it after 20-some years of being misdiagnosed all these years. Funny thing is, I only paid $25 for that hour and it was the best vist I'd ever had with a shrink. And she is highly qualified, not some flunky. She has her own practice, but does this as a humanities sort of effort. Good Luck!
poster:bonnie
thread:8054
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991123/msgs/16051.html