Posted by Bill L on September 3, 2002, at 8:47:15
In reply to Need Help Deciding Which AD to Start/Add to SAMe , posted by Roman on September 2, 2002, at 16:51:22
OK. Here's my 2 cents worth of advice:
1) Stick to your GP right now. If things don't improve over time, then switch to a pdoc later.
2) I have taken SAM-e in the past alone and had the same experience as you. It helped, but not enough. I stopped SAM-e and just take Celexa with very good results. It is OK to take SAM-e with other meds. But once you find something that works, I think you will be fine without the SAM-e.
3) I agree that Wellbutrin can induce jittery feelings. It had that effect on me. But it does relieve anxiety in some people. Actually, a lot of this depends on what people mean by these words. Lots of antidepressants relieve "worrying" but at the same time increase "jitteriness". Also, I wouldn't worry about Wellbutrin's seizure risk if you start at a low dose and increase it
gradually.4) You said that you are afraid of Zoloft being hard to kick. That is not really a major problem with Zoloft. For example, Paxil and Effexor are harder to kick than Zoloft. But even with Paxil and Effexor, if you gradually decrease the dose, and maybe add some Prozac, qiutting should not be too bad.
I think that your idea of trying Lexapro is a good idea. I will switch to Lexapro later this week when it comes out. I have had good success with Celexa for both my extreme anxiety and my major depression. I take 60 mg of Celexa. In trials, 10 mg of Lexapro have been as effective as 40 mg of Celexa. I'll probably start with 15 mg of Lexapro, then go up or down.
I really don't see any reason for you to start with Celexa instead of Lexapro. If I were you, I would try 10 mg Lexapro. You could start with 5 mg and then increase it.
Hopefully it will work. But if not, don't be afraid of trying Zoloft, Effexor, Wellbutrin, or Remeron. If you read enough posts on the internet, you are bound to find horror stories about any depression drug. In reality, with proper management, these drugs are nothing to be afraid of. Good luck!
poster:Bill L
thread:118574
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020829/msgs/118642.html