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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by temoigneur on December 28, 2002, at 2:45:31
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by temoigneur on December 28, 2002, at 2:34:22
> Hi Dysfunk, I don't know if this will be of any help to you, as I suffer from OCD, not primarily depression, but I also have severe anxiety - anyhow, my experience with prozac sounds exactly like yours, it worked brilliantly for four months, then the anxiety just came flooding back in. I haven't been stable in five years ever since. Today, I had the fortune of talking with one of the worlds leading experts in OCD, and he told me that some people are fast metabolizers of drugs, and that I may have to raise the dose up to 160mg, to reach a level, where my body can't "adjust" to the prozac, how ever that happens, and render it uneffective. He suggested going up at 20mg/week Best of luck
>
> BenNB OCD patients usually require a higher SSRI/Anafranil dosage, to begin with - just something to keep in mind. I was worked up to 80mg initially, which is not uncommon for OCD.
Posted by JohnL on December 28, 2002, at 5:09:24
In reply to What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by Dysfunk on December 26, 2002, at 14:16:10
My favorite FDA drug...Zyprexa.
Other FDA favorites...Prozac.Favorite non-FDA drugs...Amisulpride; Adrafinil.
In my experience in observing others, if the above four drugs were the only psychiatric meds on the planet, most depressed or bipolar folks would be able to get well with one of them or any combination of them.
JohnL
Posted by cosis on December 28, 2002, at 7:22:38
In reply to What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by Dysfunk on December 26, 2002, at 14:16:10
Nardil beats them all, or Parnate.. Try an MAOI if you don't mind the side effects.. Most of them go away with time
Posted by Aadika on December 28, 2002, at 8:29:08
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by cosis on December 28, 2002, at 7:22:38
What with all the hype I've read about Nardil being the "gold standard" treatment for SP and AvPD, I have to say my expectations for this medication were hardly met... in fact, at a dose of 135mg / day, I had no relief of symptoms of AvPD. I believe I'm going to talk to my pdoc Monday about dropping the propranolol from my regime as it tends to make me somewhat depressed, raising my dosage of Provigil to 200mg b.i.d., and reintroducing Neurontin-- this time at a higher dosage. The last time I gave up on it at a mere 1,200mg / day. If that fails, I suppose I'll give Parnate a shot, in addition to a GABAergic drug like Riluzole, Sabril, Lamictal, or high-dose Depakote.
~ Aadika
Posted by vickisnowwhite on December 28, 2002, at 9:08:55
In reply to What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by Dysfunk on December 26, 2002, at 14:16:10
> I have been on so many of the older anti-depressants and then Prozac. Prozac was a miracle, I never felt better, then one day just stopped working and threw me into an awful depression. Since then I have tried a couple new drugs and ended up back on low doses of Prozac.Nothing seems to give me the same feeling I once had on Prozac. I recently combined Prozac and Effexor, and I am still trying to decifer if it works. It takes so long to go up on a drug and find the correct dosages.Very frustrating process!!
>
> I am just curious, in your experience with general ongoing depression and some anxiety, what has been the best drug treatment?Prozac 40mg, perphenazine (an antipscychotic) 2mg 1-4 tablets a day, buspar 15mg bid, and welbutrin 400 q day. this works very well for me I feel fantastic about 95% of the time. (yet get very tired sometimes)
Posted by vickisnowwhite on December 28, 2002, at 9:14:15
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by vickisnowwhite on December 28, 2002, at 9:08:55
meant to say 400mg for the welbutrin not just 400!!!
sorry
Posted by cosis on December 28, 2002, at 10:18:37
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety? » cosis, posted by Aadika on December 28, 2002, at 8:29:08
Like any drug it doesn't work for everyone, but it works for a majority. It did a number on my anxiety/depression. Thank god for Nardil
Posted by Dysfunk on December 28, 2002, at 12:38:41
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by JESSsMom on December 27, 2002, at 5:47:25
JessMom:
Thanks for the feedback. I think I have given Effexor a fair shot. I can't seem to find a dosage that works well for me.
I tried Wellbutrin way back when and I did gain weight. UGH. I prefer a drug with a more speedy effect rather than a sedating one.
Posted by Dysfunk on December 28, 2002, at 12:40:13
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety? » jackt, posted by JESSsMom on December 27, 2002, at 13:29:00
I never had such anxiety until I started taking Effexor!
Posted by Remi on December 28, 2002, at 12:41:22
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by cosis on December 28, 2002, at 10:18:37
Effexor 112.5mg and valium 10mg. Zyprexa while finding that combo. Have had success with SSRIs before also. If I had no concerns about weight gain or movement disorders, I would just stay on Zyprexa and probably not need any others.
Posted by Dysfunk on December 28, 2002, at 12:44:14
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by bookgurl99 on December 27, 2002, at 23:58:17
Book Gurl, I am glad Serzone worked for you. It dropped my blood pressure so low I was surprised I could even move at all.
Posted by Dysfunk on December 28, 2002, at 12:46:07
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by temoigneur on December 28, 2002, at 2:34:22
Ben: thanks for the info. I was on a pretty high dose of Prozac when it stopped working. Later, when I came back to it my dosage was medium. Still, I just can't seem to get the same effect I had.
Posted by Dysfunk on December 28, 2002, at 12:48:18
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by JohnL on December 28, 2002, at 5:09:24
John L:
Sounds like the general consensus is Zyprexa. I may have to have my doc look into it. Thanks.
Posted by highanxiety on December 28, 2002, at 14:19:44
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxi, posted by Dysfunk on December 28, 2002, at 12:48:18
im not sure if this is a bit off the beaten path topic wise...but the most wonderful relief I ever got from anxiety was after surgery, I got an IV of Zofran...was that great. After I recovered I found some an abstract I believe on Medscape that had to do with Zofran being effective for OCD. Of course for me there is a definite link (tic disorder OCD panic disorder)...I wonder if this drug will ever be approved for ocd or anxiety disorders..from what I remember smaller doses were used in the studay and were very effective, smaller than given for PONV and chemo.
Posted by worrier on December 28, 2002, at 20:08:18
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxi, posted by highanxiety on December 28, 2002, at 14:19:44
>The only meds that have helped me at all are benzos. Every antidepressant I tried just made things much worse (Wellbutrin,Prozac,Paxil). I don't have a big problem with depression...mainly the anxiety, and that is almost purely physical, I don't worry about "things" I worry about feeling anxious. This never happened until I took Paxil. It seemed to completely rewire my brain in a most unacceptable way. Before the paxil my "only" problem was panic attacks. Curious to know if anyone else has this primarily physical anxiety? Who's to say what drug is best seems everyone I know takes paxil or effexor with great success. Sorry to have babbled on so long ...this can be a long frustrating journey. Everyone hang in there.
Posted by ZeeZee on December 28, 2002, at 20:45:52
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxi, posted by worrier on December 28, 2002, at 20:08:18
I don't know if I'd call it "physical anxiety" but my anxiety and fears are about anxiety and fear, not "things" as you say. But that's the nature of panic disorder and agoraphobia - it's the fear of the fear.
In the past, Nardil and Parnate took all of this away for me and rather quickly. I highly recommend MAOI's for panic disorder if you can tolerate the effects and the diet.
Posted by HannahBeGood on December 29, 2002, at 1:35:04
In reply to What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by Dysfunk on December 26, 2002, at 14:16:10
> I have been on so many of the older anti-depressants and then Prozac. Prozac was a miracle, I never felt better, then one day just stopped working and threw me into an awful depression. Since then I have tried a couple new drugs and ended up back on low doses of Prozac.Nothing seems to give me the same feeling I once had on Prozac. I recently combined Prozac and Effexor, and I am still trying to decifer if it works. It takes so long to go up on a drug and find the correct dosages.Very frustrating process!!
>
> I am just curious, in your experience with general ongoing depression and some anxiety, what has been the best drug treatment?Dysfunk~
Oh lord, it's the waiting 4-6 weeks and titration and eating like a pig and then feeling like you've been doibg absolutely n/t different exceopt spending money and swallowing pills til ya gag and s/time's nothin' seems to work at all, just nothin...
I've had depressive episodes since puberty, which I tended to by either actually getting physically sick (mono-AT 14) I was quarantined in my upstairs room for 6 weeks-I loved it, just books, art, sleep and dreams-FOR DAYS AND DAYS. Couldn't climb stairs with a swollen spleen & in the 70's it was believed mononucleosis was highly contagious for much longer than they do now.
Even now, only sleep and solitude for sev'l days (plus meds) can stabilize me for at least a couple of weeks.Wellbutrin helped me keep my head barely above water off & on for a yr. and a half. I have atypical depression and ADD (have only been dx'd w/that for 'bout a yr.). Remeron gave me good sleep, no a.m. grogginess and was a terrific, fast (one week) anxiolytic. Didn,t help depression, though.
Effexor at 300 mgs. 'helped' carry me thru unmanageable grief when my parents died. But did not help w/dep, mood, excess sleeping, ADD, or general inertia.I *must* have a dopamine safety net and booster to quell any significant part of my depression, plus a benzo, or I wd. startle every time the wind blew.
After a yr, my p-doc and I are still fine-tuning, but he is on the right track, knows I see a therapist and g.p. as well.
It's not perfect, but I am up and moving most days, can enjoy the world again and am not in the dark pit I was in for 3-4 mos. of summer'01.My med schedule:
15-60mgs. Dex spansules allowed per day
Us'ly take 451-4 mgs. Klonopin (I use clonazepam) allowed daily
take2-4 daily, but lately it's usually 3-415 mgs. Lexapro per day (can't tell any dif. after
8 weeks.)IR 40 mg. propanolol up to 3 a day (migraine prevention)
350 mgs. Soma (carisoprodal-a truly effective muscle relaxant), up to 3 x's a day-depends on whether I am in a pain 'flare' or not-often skip them, but when in pain, they are a ncessity.
darvocet , forgot the mgs, 350/100 or vice-versa, up to 2 daily (has some tylenol in it)
-the soma, propanolol and darv. are all for pain relief or prevention, so I don't take them every day, the propanolol, at least 40 mgs a day as it does quiet my physical anxiety symptoms best, theKingKong is clutching my heart' feeling which can totally immobilize me. The Klonopin is hard to explain, since it gives me more of a mental /intellectual smoothness or at least leveling, so my irrational thoughts have a harder time taking over my brain and leading me to say or think things that are just plain painful and unproductive. It has good mood stabilizing properties. So, if u used the prop and the klono together carefully, w/ur doc's guidance, I believe they can combine effectively.
I really believe the dexedrine/klonopin/prop'l combo has been my only "med" that has truly relieved me of about 55% of my symptoms. The small dose of Darvocet enhances this combination. But, I cannot take pain meds constantly due to tolerance and the dreaded "slow and or no" movement effects (constipation).
Of course, I am a chronic pain patient and I need those weak little darvocets to help me simply 'move' period. My p-doc allows me to keep 5mg dex IR on hand, so I don't crash and burn before my child does at bedtime. I sometimes will take 1 in the morning w/a (slow-release) spansuleor 2, as I am very difficult to awaken before the sun rises.I aspire to greater heights, but the past 5 yrs. have been very turbulent, and I believe I am still recuperating emotionally from unavoidable life events.
I still have tremendous bouts of fatigue, I isolate and I worry. But, I do have hope for the future.I think, w/patience, I may have a decent one. Hope u do, Too!
Hannah
Posted by Dysfunk on December 29, 2002, at 13:33:51
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety? » Dysfunk, posted by HannahBeGood on December 29, 2002, at 1:35:04
Hannah:
Thank you for your detailed response. I can imagine there must have been a lot of trial and error to reach a cocktail of 3 main meds that work for you. It is frustrating waiting it out to see if a med. works. You seem to have other complications, like pain, so I am happy you have found something. In time, I will too. All the best, Dysfunk! (PS- I had mono in the 70's too and slept for 2 months. It effected my liver and I was on a very restrictive diet)
Posted by justyourlaugh on December 29, 2002, at 16:24:42
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxi, posted by Dysfunk on December 29, 2002, at 13:33:51
you added you had mono as a teen.
i was checked many times for that-(neg)does that illness bring along a nero aspect?-
-cantremember where i am going here?-
i feel that depressed teens are shuffled under the rug.
i was told i was a drunk at 16.
but trying to cut off my own arm was ok....
i was drinking......
Posted by Dysfunk on December 30, 2002, at 19:53:13
In reply to Re: What drug worked-funk, posted by justyourlaugh on December 29, 2002, at 16:24:42
I was commenting to someone who said he or she had mono in the 70's. It is unrelated to the depression.
Posted by worrier on December 30, 2002, at 22:53:36
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety? » Dysfunk, posted by HannahBeGood on December 29, 2002, at 1:35:04
>just a question about the propanalol...because your comment about the King Kong clutching my heart thing really hit home with me. That describes the feeling exactly. I brought up the beta-blocker idea to my GP who vetoed it immediately...but she vetoes anything except antidepressants which I absolutely cannot take,but haven't talked to my psychiatrist about it yet. Do you notice any side effects from it? I find that my anxiety/panic manifests itself in primarily physical ways...not so much thoughts,etc. so this sounds like it might help.
Posted by temoigneur on December 31, 2002, at 1:26:19
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxi, posted by Dysfunk on December 28, 2002, at 12:46:07
> Ben: thanks for the info. I was on a pretty high dose of Prozac when it stopped working. Later, when I came back to it my dosage was medium. Still, I just can't seem to get the same effect I had.
Hi Dysfunk, gosh, I'm really hoping the prozac works out, do you mind if I ask how high a dose you were on when you said it stopped working initially, the doctor tried explaining to me that in quick metabolizers, he theorizes that perhaps raising the dosage to a level where your body can no longer "adjust" to it and cancel out the effects could be the answer.
He said to raise the dosage until the blood level of the metabolite (I think - you're doctor should know what they look for), was about 1000nano-grams/ml
Posted by Noa on January 1, 2003, at 13:38:24
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxi, posted by Dysfunk on December 29, 2002, at 13:33:51
Best combo so far, but far from perfect:
effexor xr 262.5 mg
adderall xr 30 mg
serzone 500 mg
lorazepam .25 mg
synthroid 50 mcg
cytomel 25 mcg
folic acid 400-800 mcg
chromium picolinate 400 mcg
Posted by Sswift on January 2, 2003, at 7:40:06
In reply to Re: What drug worked best for your depression/anxi, posted by worrier on December 28, 2002, at 20:08:18
Can anyone tell me of any meds for anxiety/depression that does not cause weight gain? I have been on Paxil for I think a year now and have gained about 30 pounds from it. Any suggestions??
Posted by fairnymph on January 2, 2003, at 14:08:21
In reply to What drug worked best for your depression/anxiety?, posted by Dysfunk on December 26, 2002, at 14:16:10
I suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (a type of anxiety disorder) and depression. Prozac worked the best for me (I haven't tried any other SSRIs), even though I was only on it for 2 months, the antidepressant effects lingered for a few months after! I went off it because I couldn't stand the sexual side effects.
Effexor worked fairly well, but it stopped working (even after I maxed out the dose) after a couple months. And even when it worked best it didn't help as much as Prozac. BUT I loved the fact that on Effexor I still had a libido, even if I still couldn't orgasm. Also, Effexor gave me a lot of energy throughout the day and I lost some weight on it (appetite supressing).
Reboxetine was great for my depression, and had ZERO side effects at 8 mg a day (other than increased libido). It gave me a lot of energy and seemed to increase my intellectual abilities. It didn't help with my anxiety or ocd symptoms though . :( BUt, I recommend it highly to anyway who is suffering from straight depression.
Remeron, tianeptine, and wellbutrin did NOTHING for me at all.
Good luck, hope you find a drug that works for you again.
~fairnymph
fairnymph@ziplip.com
> I have been on so many of the older anti-depressants and then Prozac. Prozac was a miracle, I never felt better, then one day just stopped working and threw me into an awful depression. Since then I have tried a couple new drugs and ended up back on low doses of Prozac.Nothing seems to give me the same feeling I once had on Prozac. I recently combined Prozac and Effexor, and I am still trying to decifer if it works. It takes so long to go up on a drug and find the correct dosages.Very frustrating process!!
>
> I am just curious, in your experience with general ongoing depression and some anxiety, what has been the best drug treatment?
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