![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by longsfrng on May 2, 2001, at 12:29:17
Has any body had any success using Geodon for depression alone or as part of an augmentation strategy? I just started on 20mg twice a day and already take effexor XR 150 mg. I've been on Effexor since last year. The effexor doesn't do anything more than make me feel wide awake. I'm only on it because I don't want to go back to using Elavil which is the only thing that works for me, but the drugs have already caused me to gain more that 40 pounds. I've been on the drug trial carousel: celexa, zoloft, zoloft+elavil(worked initially but Zoloft caused hair loss), serzone, serzone+wellbutrin, wellbutrin(made my hair fall out), lithium, dexedrine as an adjuvant, desipramine, nortryptiline, paxil, paxil+wellbutrin, remeron(awful hunger& constipation). I am 40 pounds over weight and I don't want to go back on Elavil. Plus I am worried about cancer risk because I developed a cancerous breast tumor while on elavil. It was just a LCIS, a warning of high risk for invasive breast cancer, but its frightened me of the Elavil ever since because I've read about it propensity to cause tumors to grow in mice, and my tumor seemed to appear out of nowhere. But I am so sick of being depressed I am considering going back on the Elavil possibly with Prozac if necessary. I have a very unsympathetic doctor who told me I've tried everthing, to go get a job, and maybe I would feel better if I had some responsibility. I qualified for Social Security Disability on the first try, so I know I have a serious case. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you
Posted by Mr.Scott on May 2, 2001, at 15:16:53
In reply to Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by longsfrng on May 2, 2001, at 12:29:17
Hi longsfrng,
No experience with Geodon, but I read your thread and just wanted to say..
Don't give up.. The world of combinations is endless. Maybe find another doctor though.
Prozac + Ritalin + Valium + SAM-E
Prozac + Zyprexa
A differernt but similar to Elavil Tricyclic such as Nortriptyline (Pamelor).
Serzone + Wellbutrin
etc.,etc,etc.
The list goes on.. Therapy, ECT,
Posted by ChrisK on May 3, 2001, at 5:37:09
In reply to Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by longsfrng on May 2, 2001, at 12:29:17
I switched from Zyprexa to Geodon last month as an augmenter for my AD. So far it has been basically the same as Zyprexa for me. I take it with Nortriptyline and Mirapex. I don't think it works well on depression as a lone med but will help boost other Ad's.
Posted by SLS on May 4, 2001, at 21:26:11
In reply to Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by longsfrng on May 2, 2001, at 12:29:17
Hi LongSfrng.
Give nortriptyline a try.
- Scott
> Has any body had any success using Geodon for depression alone or as part of an augmentation strategy? I just started on 20mg twice a day and already take effexor XR 150 mg. I've been on Effexor since last year. The effexor doesn't do anything more than make me feel wide awake. I'm only on it because I don't want to go back to using Elavil which is the only thing that works for me, but the drugs have already caused me to gain more that 40 pounds. I've been on the drug trial carousel: celexa, zoloft, zoloft+elavil(worked initially but Zoloft caused hair loss), serzone, serzone+wellbutrin, wellbutrin(made my hair fall out), lithium, dexedrine as an adjuvant, desipramine, nortryptiline, paxil, paxil+wellbutrin, remeron(awful hunger& constipation). I am 40 pounds over weight and I don't want to go back on Elavil. Plus I am worried about cancer risk because I developed a cancerous breast tumor while on elavil. It was just a LCIS, a warning of high risk for invasive breast cancer, but its frightened me of the Elavil ever since because I've read about it propensity to cause tumors to grow in mice, and my tumor seemed to appear out of nowhere. But I am so sick of being depressed I am considering going back on the Elavil possibly with Prozac if necessary. I have a very unsympathetic doctor who told me I've tried everthing, to go get a job, and maybe I would feel better if I had some responsibility. I qualified for Social Security Disability on the first try, so I know I have a serious case. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you
Posted by SLS on May 4, 2001, at 21:30:53
In reply to Re: Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by SLS on May 4, 2001, at 21:26:11
Ooops.
> I've been on the drug trial carousel:...
... nortryptilineNever mind.
:-)
Posted by SLS on May 4, 2001, at 22:30:29
In reply to Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by longsfrng on May 2, 2001, at 12:29:17
Hi again, LongSfrng
1. > Don't give up..
2. > The world of combinations is endless.
3. > Maybe find another doctor though.
I agree with #1 and #3, and pray for #2.Certainly, if your list is inclusive, there are plenty of things you haven't tried yet. Plenty. I don't seen any MAO-inhibitors. Shame on you.
:-)
I am considering adding either Effexor or Nardil to the nortriptyline + Lamictal I am currently taking. I am also taking Parnate, but I plan to discontinue it.
Did you fine-tune your dosage of nortriptyline using the rigid therapeutic window established for each individual determined by using blood tests? It is just as easy to take too much nortriptyline and get no results as it is to take too little.
One of the most common reasons for treatment failure is medication under-dosing. Both doctors and patients alike are reluctant to push the dosage of drugs high enough and give them enough time to work. Someone in your position no longer has the luxury of 2-4 week drug trials constrained by the PDR recommended dosages. My doctor will not consider Effexor fully explored until dosages of 600mg and higher are tried. Have you tried 300mg of imipramine or 300mg of desipramine?
Effexor 150mg might be too low to optimize your chances of establishing an effective treatment.
Have you tried combining Parnate + desipramine + Dexedrine + thyroid?
No?
> I have a very unsympathetic doctor who told me I've tried everything,
I guess your doctor was wrong, wouldn't you say?
I would.
The one thing I am in no position to give you advice on is whether or not you should return immediately to a drug that works for you but produces side effects that you are intolerant of - Elavil. How do you measure pain and tolerance? How does one predict the onset of helplessness, hopelessness and despair? How close to the edge are you? If you still have the energy and tolerance for pain to continue exploring alternatives, perhaps you should. I will say this though, once you find something that works, stay with it and don't risk diminishing your odds of recapturing an antidepressant response each time you stop and restart it. Relax and take your time working through this stuff. You don't have to make a decision tomorrow, even though it is imperative that you get well yesterday.
- Scott
Posted by Kiddo on May 5, 2001, at 12:23:07
In reply to Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by longsfrng on May 2, 2001, at 12:29:17
You haven't mentioned Luvox(Fluvoxamine) that I see.... sorry if it's in there. Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft & Paxil are all SSRIs, so maybe if the Zoloft worked the Luvox may be an idea. I took Zoloft as well, (which caused hair loss, but stopped after awhile) and just switched to Geodon because my Pdoc thought it may help with the anxiety too. (I was sick of taking 7 pills 3x a day.)
However, Elavil is in the Tricyclics class and there are some of those you haven't mentioned. Maybe trying one of those would help?
As for your doctor saying that you needed to get a job, etc., I think that was very rude and I would have given him hell eight ways from Sunday about that. You pay him quite a bit of money (I'm sure) for him to do his job, that kind of flack shouldn't have to be tolerated along with it. Makes you wanna jump right out there and get one just because he said it doesn't it? (insert sarcasm here :-) )
From what I understand, you can go up to 120 or 180 mgs a day on it, so maybe it isn't high enough for you.
I'm sorry it's been rough, I can relate, just stick with it (as someone else said) and hopefully you'll get there soon!
> Has any body had any success using Geodon for depression alone or as part of an augmentation strategy? I just started on 20mg twice a day and already take effexor XR 150 mg. I've been on Effexor since last year. The effexor doesn't do anything more than make me feel wide awake. I'm only on it because I don't want to go back to using Elavil which is the only thing that works for me, but the drugs have already caused me to gain more that 40 pounds. I've been on the drug trial carousel: celexa, zoloft, zoloft+elavil(worked initially but Zoloft caused hair loss), serzone, serzone+wellbutrin, wellbutrin(made my hair fall out), lithium, dexedrine as an adjuvant, desipramine, nortryptiline, paxil, paxil+wellbutrin, remeron(awful hunger& constipation). I am 40 pounds over weight and I don't want to go back on Elavil. Plus I am worried about cancer risk because I developed a cancerous breast tumor while on elavil. It was just a LCIS, a warning of high risk for invasive breast cancer, but its frightened me of the Elavil ever since because I've read about it propensity to cause tumors to grow in mice, and my tumor seemed to appear out of nowhere. But I am so sick of being depressed I am considering going back on the Elavil possibly with Prozac if necessary. I have a very unsympathetic doctor who told me I've tried everthing, to go get a job, and maybe I would feel better if I had some responsibility. I qualified for Social Security Disability on the first try, so I know I have a serious case. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you
Posted by longsfrng on May 5, 2001, at 22:28:19
In reply to Re: Geodon for depression/last ditch effort » longsfrng, posted by Kiddo on May 5, 2001, at 12:23:07
Thank you all very much for your responses
Posted by John Bower on August 17, 2001, at 15:32:48
In reply to Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by longsfrng on May 2, 2001, at 12:29:17
Try aripiprazole if you can get on the clinical trial for it.
Works wonders for bipolar 1.
Posted by longsfrng on August 18, 2001, at 20:44:54
In reply to Re: Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by John Bower on August 17, 2001, at 15:32:48
> Try aripiprazole if you can get on the clinical trial for it.
> Works wonders for bipolar 1.Actually I discovered that the reason my stomach cramps were so bad was because of the Effexor XR that I was also taking. It was a guess on my part, but it worked. Geodon works well for my depression. Isn't as good for anxiety, but it has helped to treat my nearly treatment resistant case.
Posted by John Bower on October 1, 2001, at 12:25:14
In reply to Re: Geodon for depression/last ditch effort, posted by John Bower on August 17, 2001, at 15:32:48
Once you remove all the anti-depressants you are stable in 8 weeks. Stable as in perfectly normal. Side-effects: nausea on the first day (not later), heightened sex drive (desirable) and priapism (not desirable), weight-loss (desirable) (I lost 6 pounds in 6 weeks) and I ate all I wanted. You see aripiprazole acts on pre-dopamine receptors too (I may be wrong, I read this on the internet), so it is such a good anti-depressant you don't feel like eating much in a single sitting, but eat continuously. Heightened energy. No lethargy.
You should take aripip in the morning because it causes sleeplessness if taken in the night. However, with aripip, the mania is gone so you can stop your sleep pills.
aripip is on clinical trials through bristol-myer squibb (call 1-800-555-1212 for the prescription number of bristol-myer for more information) or at Stanford (Intake number: 650-498-9111)
They'll tell you randomization in 6-16 weeks. Don't worry. Randomization will take away weight-loss and priapism and you can switch to lamictal then.
it is anti-depressants which cause mania, and mania causes depression. So anti-depressants cause depression.
And lithium is an anti-depressant (weak) and after 3 months on lithium for mania I got depression.
try aripip or lamictal or geodon without any EXTRA anti-depressants.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.