Posted by blueboy on June 2, 2008, at 11:19:40
In reply to Is there a good non SSRI AD - Rx, herbal, anything, posted by elbe on June 1, 2008, at 8:13:11
> Help! I am a 51 year old woman and have been fighting depression for 20 years (that I know of) I was on Wellbutrin for years, but it supposidly took a toll on the adrenals. (PDoc had prescribed various SSRI's prior to the Wellbutrin) but they did not agree with me. Now I am suffering terribly again and am taking small dose of ativan at night for anxiety, but need an antidepressant. OD prescribed Lexapro, Zoloft - both in mini doses because I respond intensely. With each I only took it once and only took 1/2 of the lowest dosage available and was out of my mind for 3 days - awful depression!!!! I have also previously tried Celexa and others - all SSRIs?? What can I do? OD has let it go - doesn't have any suggestions. I have read threads and blogs and websites. Investigated 5HTP - but it seems that is the same type of drug, though herbal, as Lexapros and those. Everyone raves about those drugs - what's wrong with me?
>
>The last thing first, i.e. "what's wrong with me?" Don't make the mistake I did. I sought help for depression for decades. Finally, two weeks ago, I forked over $400 for a very smart specialist who, aside from research, only does diagnosis.
He diagnosed me as definitely Bipolar II. Neither I nor any of the psychiatrists I have seen had even considered this. But in retrospect, it seems patently correct.
So, my first suggestion is to get a definitive diagnosis of exactly what condition is causing your problem. Spend the money for a really good clinic/research facility.
In my case, all the SSRI's and tricyclics and everything else I had been prescribed were not appropriate for my condition.
Second (assuming you have some sort of unipolar major depression) there are several groups of drugs other than SSRI's that have been used successfully to treat the condition. Tricyclics and MAOI's are the major ones that I know about.
St. John's Wort seemed, subjectively to me, to be similar to Prozac but milder (and less effective).
poster:blueboy
thread:832333
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080528/msgs/832496.html