Posted by Lorraine on March 22, 2001, at 10:34:14
In reply to Efexor, Zispin (USA - Remeron) and Lactimal, posted by sweetmarie on March 22, 2001, at 9:11:51
{ I have visited a specialist who wants to try me on the above combination. I`d like to hear from anyone who has been on this combo (Venlafaxine, Mirtazapine and Lamotragine), OR have been on Venlafaxine (Efexor) and Mirtazapine (Zispin/Remeron). Any successes?}
I haven't personally tried this combo. But it sounds like a good combo. The Effexor and Mirtazapine is known as "California rocket fuel" by Stephen Stahl who wrote Essential Psychopharmacology of Depression and Bipolar Disorder. You can buy his book at Amazon. When I became frustrated with my treatment resistance I bought this book (it's not that expensive, $35 I think) and it help me enormously in terms of understanding what was going on. Of the California Rocket Fuel, he says "High-dose venlafaxine plus mirtazapine. This is a combination of antidepressants that has a great degree of theoretical synergy: reuptake blockage plus alpha 2 blockage; serotonin reuptake plus 5HT2A antagonism; 5HT actions plus NE actions. Specifically, 5HT is triple-boosted, with reuptake bkockade plus alpha 2 antagonism; and there may even be a bit of single boost to DA from reuptake blockage." To this, you pdoc is adding a mood stabilizer, Lomictal. I am diagnosed major depression (not bipolar) and am on a mood stabilizer as well in part because my pdoc believes that the DSM categories are a bit of nonsense given that they are not based on the underlying physiology of the disease you have. This combo sounds very promising. Good luck with it.
poster:Lorraine
thread:57152
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010319/msgs/57161.html