Posted by allisonm on August 14, 2000, at 21:03:28
In reply to celexa..prozac..wellbutrin, posted by mit on August 13, 2000, at 21:57:41
Hi, M, and welcome!
I take 400mg Wellbutrin daily. I don't recall feeling anything but perhaps irritable and overly "caffeinated" at the start or whenever the dose was upped. Three days is NOT enough time to judge. It can take 6 weeks or more before you might really start feeling better and can look back with any clarity on how things were before. 100mg of Wellbutrin is a low dose. I think the therapeutic level is more like 300mg. Generally one will feel an energizing effect at first, but that wears off eventually. I think there's a thread by Cam W. higher up that explains the Wellbutrin much better than I ever could. Anyway, the gist of that thread is that the extra energy is a side-effect. When it wears off, sometimes people think it's poop-out, but in fact the AD is just now beginning to really work.
Celexa, Effexor and Wellbutrin all are used in the treatment of depression, but they work in different ways. There are many others; you need to find the right drug for your particular chemical imbalance. Often it can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.
There is one theory (Dr. Jensen's, I think, but you can find it in threads in the archive) that says a doctor (and patient) can tell whether an AD will work within just a few days of initial treatment. This may work for some, but personally I have not found it to be the case. The general rule is that it can take several weeks (4, 6, 8) before one sees a therapeutic benefit. Sometimes it might be the right drug at the wrong dose. It may take some time to figure out the right level. Wellbutrin may work well for you, but maybe you need more of it. It also will take some time to increase a dose. You can't do it all at once. (Well, you can, but you might not like the outcome.)
It is important to educate yourself on the meds (check Dr. Bob's links at the top of this page) and I think it is imperative that you give your meds time to work. Unless the side effects are unbearable (I couldn't tolerate Zoloft or Effexor XR for example and got right off of them), stick with it awhile. Otherwise, you may never know whether it really worked or could work for you. Even now I wonder whether the Zoloft of the Effexor would have worked if I had put up with the side effects a little longer until they ran their course. After getting some experience with side effects I decided to stick it out with Wellbutrin and am very glad I did. Paired with Remeron, it's been the best combo I've ever had.
All of this will take some time and you're gonna feel rotten while your searching for the right drug, but if you persevere you will find what works for your body. Don't give up! Many times when things were bad, I seriously considered quitting my ADs and my therapy altogether. That's probably one of the worst things you can do.
Many of us here can relate to your feelings of hopelessness. I still get those feelings. I still think about suicide sometimes, but less seriously. I think I keep it in the back of my head as an alternative - a security blanket if you will - in case things get *really* bad. Unfortunately, ADs don't give us immunity. They are not "happy pills." You'll still have to live with yourself. But the right ADs should be able to smooth out the dips so that you don't fall too far down into the pit. Someone awhile ago, Janice maybe, described ADs as putting a floor under your feet. I like that description. My diagnosis after more than 2 years still is major depression - moderate, single episode. I had some extenuating circumstances (divorce and parental loss) in the middle that have slowed my recovery. I'm still working with my psychiatrist on many issues from my past and in my present.
Re' Accomplishment: It shouldn't matter to your doctors. Depression afflicts all kinds of people, in all walks of life, in every income bracket. If you feel that your doctors are not taking your symptoms seriously, it might be good to discuss it with them.
Just my .02. I'll get off my soapbox now...
M., I wish you well. There are many good people on this board who have been where you are right now. Some are still there. Some rise above and fall back. Some have beaten their depression altogether and have moved on. Some do it solely with drugs. Others require drugs and psychotherapy. There are myriad ways to go at this. I myself have learned a lot from this board and have found a good deal of support here. Please stay. Please ask questions.
Best wishes,
allison
poster:allisonm
thread:42797
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000811/msgs/42899.html