I've been taking antidepressants since I was 15. At that age, I never took them as prescribed. I'd miss doses, even a few day's worth doses, and then take them again, so--I don't have a fair idea of which works the best for me. What has been the most effective for everyone else?

Even though I don't really suffer from depression, a very good natural mood-enhancer for me is salmon, due to its Omega-3s. I definitely notice a more positive outlook after taking it. I'm sure certain prescription anti-depressants work better, due to its higher potency, but people shouldn't disregard the natural uplifting properties of Omega-3s, preferably in salmon or tuna.

10MG Lexapro, combined with 75MG Pamelor.

I find that Effexor XR 150mg combined with some mild benzos
thru out the day keep me happy. Usually Valium 10mg or Xanies.

Psychiatrists are going back to prescribing tricyclics because they're more effective than SSRIs.

They'll combine it with a low dose of a newer drug so they can pretend that they're not giving you a treatment you could have gotten in the 1960s. The Lexapro is thrown in there as an expensive placebo ... you can probably skip it.

Imipramine (Tofranil) used to be the Gold Standard in Phase III trials, but the new drugs couldn't compete, so the FDA changed the Rules and new antidepressants are now approved if they're P>0.95 better than placebo. That's progress, huh?

Anyway, Pamelor might have less side effects than the other tricycles, but they're all around the same.

I've found that the most effective antidepressant drug is definitely Dexedrine. The time-release Spansules are the best.

Combining Dexedrine with an opiate will make it much more effective. If there is anxiety-depression, then Valium is a good addition to the mix.

These should keep your depression from bothering you even if you stay home all day watching TV. If you can't sleep and get tired of sitting there, take a Quaalude.

Oops. Wrong decade!

I've always found I am far less depressed after oral sex.

A good bottle of Vodka and a straw always work for me.

But, seriously, I can't do the whole antidepressant thing. My doctor tried me on just about every SSRI known to mankind for a sleep disorder and they either completely shut me down mentally or made me physically ill.

I thought lexapro was good but BEWARE of the withdwawels from this medicine.It is a living nightmare from the electric shocks going through your head to the feeling that your brain is frying.The stomach cramps and the mood changes are also really bad.Please discuss coming off this medication as well as the questions you have before you begin to take it.Do your reasearch.

All I know it was about or if not the most horrible thing I have ever gone through.At the peak of coming off that mess I really thought I was losing my mind.If there was a gun in the house a may have used it.What's funny is that a couple months ago sitting my doctors waiting room a pharmacutical rep with a lexapro name badge sat down beside me and acted totally suprised about my symptoms.

{d@3

Why aren't doctors prescribing some of the older, safer antidepressants anymore (well aside from the obvious fact that they don't get perks for the older ones)? The older antidepressants seem to be safer, cheaper, and less harmful, both while you are taking them and when you stop.

Safer? Not really. More effective? Certainly!

Doctors make a lot of money switching people from one ineffective drug to another. I posted that the FDA changed the approval process for new ADs when they could not be proven better than imipramine; now the drugs only have to be slightly better than placebo.

The only problems with tricyclics are the anticholinergic side effects. Sure, they can be used for suicide, but it's no easy way out. MAOIs have even more side effects and tyramine ingestion while taking them can be fatal.

I've only tried two - Paxil and Lexapro. The Paxil made me gain weight rapidly, which was depressing in and of itself. I'm on 20 mg of Lexapro now. I lost the gained weight and feel "okay" for the most part. I think it's helping the depression somewhat. I weaned myself off of it awhile, crashed and burned emotionally after about three months off of it, and then went back on it. I don't feel so hideously depressed anymore, but I still wish I felt overall happier than I do for the most part.

I've actually found Kratom to be a good short-term antidepressant.

I have taken tricyclics (back in the 60's and 70's. Then switched to SSRI's such as Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, and finally Effexor which is not just a SSRI. Effexor is generically (and chemicaly called venalafaxine. This drug not only prevents reuptake of seratonin but also cause extra seratonin to be manufactored. It is fairly powerful. Being desperate, and at the end of mu rope, I deceided to establish my own nedication plan. 3, 75 mg tablets in the A.M. (9:00 A.M.) followed by 2, 75 mg tablets in the P.M> . This was ineffective as my appetite increased dramatically (i.e. 3 nto 4 sandwhiches at each of my up to 5 meals a day along with numnerous snacks daily of questionable nutritive value. I gained 10 pounds in 1 week.

Needless to say that I stopped this trial with relative ease and am nor back to my old dosing schedule. My weight has returned to below normal and my appetite id non exsistant. As far as depression goes, I would give the Venelafaxine the best overall marks.

Kiblai Khan-The avenging angel.

The best antidepressant is the one that works for you. Everyone is different. I've been on Effexor XR (75mg) for about 6 years. This was a miracle drug for me. It changed my life. But all good things must come to an end. It's finally "pooping out" on me. I'm considering either upping the dose or switching to Lexapro.

If anyone has experience with Lexapro that they would like to share, please PM me.

I started using zoloft then swithched to Effexor. I had terrible side effects with both of these, I was depressed and suffered from panic disorder also. I believe the panic disorder was because none of the depression meds were working for me. I then started taking klonopin about 8 years ago and I swear I have never felt better. I stopped taking them when I got pregnant with both my children and never had withdrawels. I am not sure that this is even an anti-depressent but it works for me. I take one mg. in morning and 2 mgs at night to help me sleep. I hope this helps you.

Opiates + amphetamine in moderate doses. A # 1 best. Trouble is shrinks try everything else first, so you run out of $ and quit going, before most get around to prescribing something effective. First day my wife came home with dexedrine was a good day for her. She is probably in the lucky minority.

Thats crazy talk! No MD is ever going to prescribe opiates and amphetamines for depression. Get real

REMERON ( MIRTAZAPINE ), HANDS DOWN

My kids

Effexor XR is definitely one of the best. I think it is so ridiculous when people suggest amphetamines and opiates to treat depression.

Don't we have a BIG ENOUGH drug problem in this country already????

I just moved to another state and went to my first doctors visit. He gave me 60 10mg Lortab to treat my depression. I told him that was the only thing that controlled it and he handed me the script no problem

Man, if we could all have a doctor like that, this world would be a much better place!!!

i wonder if he'll do that long term or if it was a one shot deal...

Due to the fact that everyone has different brain chemistry, what works well for one person may have little to no effect on another person. When you first start an antidepressant, there is a lengthy "adjustment" period, where you will need to be closely monitored by your psychiatrist or physician as the dosage is increased or decreased. Most antidepressants take a good month to become fully effective. Unfortunately, some people have been brainwashed by our society of instant gratification, and decide that if they have not immediately seen positive effects from their medication, then it must not work. This definitely interferes with finding a suitable antidepressant. Some people swear by Lexapro, or Prozac, Tegretol, Effexor, Paxil, or Cymbalta. Personally, I believe that antidepressants are as intimate as sex. Everyone has their preference, and some people like things that others would never like in a million years! The best advice I've heard is just to try and stick with what works.

Provigil beats anything... and I've tried EVERYTHING!

A lot of people give up once they've tried a few SSRIs. There are at least 5 types of antidepressant. SSRIs wouldn't be my first choice anyway, but market forces appear to outweigh clinical thought.

For me...amitriptylline -BuckeyeFan

Lexapro. Fairly safe. Valium if you don't get totally hooked.

I just started taking this med and it definitely is helping to restore my sleep patterns. Does this med cause those nasty withdrawals like the SSRI's do does anybody know? I'm one of those people that cannot tolerate the side effects of SSRI's and I find the older AD's work much better for me. -BuckeyeFan

It depends on the dose. If you take high doses every day it will not be nice to suddenly withdraw them. But for low doses, ie 25mg you may not notice.

They tend to increase appetite, so weight loss may occur on withdrawal. If you are on 100mg or above, PM me or post again on the board - more complicated!

I just started taking 25mg at night time and it seems to be working quite well compared to most others I've taken. I notice a lot less side effects. Thanks nephro. -BuckeyeFan

I find Trazadone 150mg x3 are the best although i haven't experimented with too many. They make you feel really ill though when you try to come off them.

Interesting new natural product called amoryn

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Vitamin D deficiency, common during the winter months, can contribute to a negative emotional outlook. Likewise, increased vitamin D consumption has been shown to elevate mood, and may be particularly effective at relieving seasonal depression. Vitamin D appears to increase the activity of serotonin, the brain's natural "feel good" neurotransmitter, and may also reduce the risk of cancer. AMORYN contains vitamin D3, the most effective form of vitamin D. Learn more...

Zinc 15 mg
Studies show that certain depressed or anxious individuals may be deficient in this important mineral, and zinc supplementation can help improve mood in these cases.

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This is copied from the site http://www.amoryn.com/index.htm

Also 5-htp alone has been reported as being a great anti-depressant.

I have mentioned this on another tread but for me Doxepin at 150mg at night. It is a very similar med to Elavil(Amitriptyline). Sure I have gained weight but it's a small price for me to pay for being able to get the sleep I need and make me not depressed.

Anyway Im a truck driver so I have a right to be porky

Interestingly, doxepin is available in the form of a cream to be applied to the skin to treat itching in eczema. I noticed a long time ago that a broken amitriptyline tablet coming into contact with the tongue caused significant numbness. I wonder if that isn't coincidence, since the two drugs are very similar?

Yes Nephro that is true about the numbness. I have taken Doxepin in tablet form (usally come in caps) and about 15-20 mins after I took the tablets I used to get a numbing sensation on my tongue, strange. Good medication though

If I was just depressed and didn't have anxiety I'd choose Wellbutrin most definitely. That's the one I did choose on the list. I took it for a short time. Fastest acting anti-depressant I ever took. I think in the end it was too stimulating for me. I didn't take it for long due to that. It has been some years. That sounsds right though.

I suffer with anxiety. The best anti-depressant and anti-anxiety is Effexor XR. I do take xanax as well. I'm sure that helps alot.

Wellbutrin for me.. Been on all of them except prozac. Paxil is EVIL! Made me worse!

Effexor a close 2nd

i've tried proazk, zoloft, elavil,trazadone and the last one was lexapro. thought it was the best until it made me nuts. trazadone put me in hospital as did prozak.

i have add also and my shrink prescribes ritalin and says it also acts as ad. however, one does build up tolerance and after reading about the wellbutrin (though i swore i would never take another ad) maybe it is worth a shot. i do have friends who swear by it but i do have friends that swear by prozak.

can you give me any more info on wellbutrin?

I just wanted to add I have anxiety issues as well and Celexa works well for me

I agree, having been on both. They are basically work the same, but the effexor has some bad side effects and can't just stop. Wellbutrin gives you energy, no sexual disfunction, only thing that has really worked for me. But everyone is different.

I was on Paxil CR years ago and it worked well, but had lost my sex drive. Hubby did not like the medication at all. So went onto Lexapro and very much liked how it worked with my body. I do not take it any longer.

Lexapro 10mg w/ Zyprexa 5mg.

aren't lexapro and celexa pretty much the same thing? what is zyprexa? is it an antidepressant too? thought taking 2 different kinds of ssri's at once was a big no-no.

hi, just to answer your question on zyprexa scruf, it is a heavy duty anti-psychotic, doses vary from 2.5mg (then works like a sleep aid) to 20mg, when its knockout material. a chemical cosh.
i could write the book on zyprexa (olanzapine) after only 2-3 yrs of taking it.
im a 5'6' 'lady' and when 1st addmitted to the psych ward wore waist 28' jean. 2 years later- waist 38 jean. and i went from 125 to 215lbs.
it gives one an isatiable desire to eat - anything.
the dr muttered something about 'puttng on a bit of weight' when i was started on it for insomnia 30mg of dalmane would not touch, and also cos i was a bt giddy on the ward during the day. (3 legged races with other younger patients up n down the corridors!) so this was to calm me down and make me sleep. i have been on 5mg/10mg and up to 20, and its a horrible horrible drug that should be banned, as obv with that kind of weight gain- from slim to very obese carries huge medical risks, esp type 2 diabeties(sp?) funnily enough, ely lilly also make one of the most popular drugs for type 2 diabeties.... hmmmmm
so its an antipsychotic noted for its weight gain properties,
it does something to the hypothalmus to tell you you are not full. you re h.u.n.g.r.y. i know ppl on it now, an their fav activity is to go to McD's, then cross the mall to BK or KFC. I really pity them, but the drive to eat is so strong.
when i was swapped to seroquel the weight gain stopped, and after a year of excersising, eating right, etc, im now a us size 9-10. no diet drugs, i would have been us 16. uk 18-20
i was in a 4 year fat daze at the peak of my life .27- 31 i almost feel like suing, but im not the type.
lexapro and celexa, been on both,with boyfriend. sex? not tonight dear, im on lexapro... only difference is citalopram v escitalopram. and $$$-one is stronger than the other- one was brought out , i believe, to lenghten the patent, both a swine to come off, the head shocks, etc, my boyfriend actually had a worse exp than me coming off lexapro- having fits and TOTAL hide under the duvet depression. ended up in hospital.

there is medicine for ya!
anne marie

my sister, who is mentally developmentally disabled, was put on Zyprexa due to huge anxiety/rage/violent episodes. The drug helped 100% - unfortunately she went from weighing 110 lbs to 200 lbs in less than a year. Sadly, she cannot vocalize much of anything so the docs just have to run blood work on her to make sure everything is ok. I heard she is now on the risk of having diabetes as well. But, to take her off Zyprexa would be like letting a lion out of it's cage - ugh!

Yes, they are horrendous. I felt little brain zaps, was nauseated, couldn't sleep, had restless leg syndrom etc. But, I did a no-no and just stopped taking it. Never, ever do that. If you taper off it's not nearly as bad.

But...I have to say that when the docs recently changed my a/d from effexor xr to wellbutrin - I was thrown into a highly agitated state. It was really awful for a while, until I could be weened off the wellbutrin and completely back on the effexor. I'm still not on my optimal dose of effexor (300mg) but will be shortly. I feel oh so much better.

I don't know what the deal was this time with the wellbutrin. I had taken it before and didn't experience the high anxiety that I did this time. I tell you, I felt like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode into a rage. It was horrible.

I've changed my mind. I have to say oxycodone. -ck(BuckeyeFan)

Not to imply it should be taken simply for that purpose. -ck

I myself am now taking Remeron(mirtazapine) 15mg at night. It helps most of the time for my sleep issues and somewhat with the anxiety. I've gained 55 pounds since I started taking it 8 months ago which I really needed since I was somewhat underweight before.(Now up to about 200) I am also taking Klonopin .5 twice daily and Suboxone 8mg in the AM, 4 in the PM. I hope to be off the Sub soon. -ck

Lexapro makes me feel weird

anybody else

I've never taken any antidepressants. Anything that messes up the chemicals in one's mind scares the BeJesus out of me.

Doc tried to give me Trazadone for sleep issues once and I flat out told him, "Are you crazy? The last things I need are dry mouth, constipation, tachycardia, hypotension and male sexual problems. Give me the damn Halcion."

Prozac comes in at a close second. I in no way can take Trazadone. However, I agree, we are all different and what works for one may not be the best choice for another.

It did the same to me. Interestingly, so did the somewhat different Cymbalta. I have, however, had success with Zoloft and have remained on it for about three years now with no side effects.

lexapro made me feel homicidal.

I was one of the first to use Prozac, many years ago.
After about one week, I was having strange outburst of anger that scared even me.
It was like "This is not the normal Me"
Threw the over priced junk away.

Since then, Paxil, Celexa and now a try at Lexapro.
Same for all. No positive effects and only bad ones.
Vivid nightmares, strange "snapping" sensation, like electrical shock in the brain. The usual sexual downside.

I find these reports fasinating and if these drugs help anyone, well, Good for you !

The difference in reactions among people is a great mystery to me ?

PS. My cousin started on Lexapro before me (many months ago) and says "Oh Yes, It's Helping Me".
She lays in bed all day, most days and maybe gets up to feed her animals and fix popcorn for herself.
Does that sound like it's helping her depression ??

Thanks for sharing this info.

Up until my insurance ran out this past month, I had been on 10 to 20mg of Lexapro for quite a few years. While it works really well with my depression, I found it made me gain weight and affect my ability to read and think. Problem is, once I stop for a week or two I have a hard time functioning. I get more reclusive, cranky, sad, and have a hard time doing basic organizational tasks. So I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't

To be honest, a bunch of docs are starting to prescribe SSRI's and other psych meds using the Walmart and other five dollar pharmacy lists. The reality is most folks don't have insurance and can't afford meds like Lexapro. In fact, I have been paying a $150 a month on them up until a couple of weeks ago.

Ciprimal was awful for me!
Lofepramine works alot better for me with minimal side effects!

Has anyone tried a more natural approach?. I stumbled on this website http://www.hope4depression.com sounds very interesting. At first i thought oh yeah just another one of those miracle storys where you get to the end of the page only to find you have to part with $100 or something. Its just free advice so i thought that it was cool. I found it to be a very good read. You never know, it might just work?

i havent stuntgoat however my sister is big into holistic stuff. she is a very vibrant active person. drinks herbal tea, acupuncture. lavender on her pillow, a lot of positive self help books, and some marriage counseling. dont know if shes read the feel good handbook but cbt didnt seem to help me much. but she was depressed for about 1 yr after having her second kid...couldnt get out of bed and then she got shingles which didnt help.

She sounds very cool. How come you dont give it a go Piling? sorry for being nosey mate. Tell me to p off if you like lol

no, she did take me to acupuncture, done the counseling thing, read the feel good hand book, but the cymbalta and other self medication has done me in...hopefully some day i will overcome my weakness. i guess i cant face a lot of things that have happened the last year w/o something else. ex. divorce, not seeing my son, moving back to my home town, job loss, dwi, car accidents, going broke, along with like ten percent of america...do go to aa and church now so i am making some effert...much better now than i was 1 yr ago...limited resources...no insurance and no money right now. alot of it is having a positive attittude and my parents are/were negative growing up...but i have been more optimistic lately, so suicide is unlikely now.

Im sorry to hear about the hardship you've gone through. I was quite suicidal at one point in my life and started to slash my arms with shards of glass and nasty [censored] like that. Depression really is a poison of the mind and it's so hard to break down that brick wall of negative thinking 24-7. I wish you all the luck in the world my friend and if you ever feel like whale sh*t at the bottom of the ocean feel free to send me a pm as im always around for a chat. Take care dude

I took zoloft for a few years. Worked great for depression and anxiety, but after a while I couldn't take the side effects; in my case, diarrhea, sweating, and a lack of sexual feelings.

Stopped taking for 6 months and got terrible withdraws. An annoying "zapping" sensation and worse depression by far than I'd had before.

Doctor started me on 5mg of Lexapro about a year ago and things have been much, much better.

Each body is so different when it comes to these sorts of drugs!

Celexa did the same thing with me, when I went off of it last year, it was the most horrible experience I had ever been through! I ended up taking Dramamine to counteract the dizziness I experienced!!

because doctors are paid to prescribe the newer meds, and what they don't tell you that I fund out recently is that they totally destroy your teeth, both anti-anxiety meds and anti-depressants rot your teeth, have to get 4 teeth pulled this week because of that fact!!

I have been off Lexapro for a little over a month because I thought I could "tough it out". I get a little punchy every few years and tried to go off SSRI's.

Lo and behold I am a mess. So back to Lexapro I go. It's amazing that I don't realize how much better I really feel when I'm on it until I have been off of it for a while.

Piling, I am so sorry to hear that you are having a streak of bad luck. I, too, have been fighting depression and anxiety for, well, most all of my life.

I know that was depressed in middle school but back then they didn't label children as mentally disfunctional. I was just never happy and slept a lot. My dad accused me of being on drugs which was so way off base. If only he had asked what was really going on I might have opened up. However, I get the feeling that he really did not want to handle that side of me.

Back on topic, I have been on cymbalta for about two years. I think it helps with my GAD but it doesn't do a whole lot from my panic attacks or depression.

That being said, I will probably continue to keep taking it because I feel like total [censored] if I don't.

I have been thinking lately that maybe the cymbalta might has stopped being useful. Is it possible to get a tolerance to these meds? I was thinking of talking to my doc about trying another one. I was on paxil but it did NOTHING for me.

Anyway, thanks for listening to my ramble!

peace

I'm on amitriptyline which is an old anti-depressant from the 1950s. My psychiatrist put me on it because it has sedating properties and she thought it would help with my insomnia as well as an anxiety. It's not really working for me and I'm going to switch to mitrazipine.

Many people report that these antidepressants have ceased working after a while. Whether this is tolerance in the conventional sense I am not sure, though it probably is; certainly there is a withdrawal syndrome which can be quite uncomfortable.

If you decide to switch antidepressants, it may be worthwhile tapering off the one you are on whilst slowly introducing the other, otherwise withdrawal symptoms may appear, even for antidepressants of the same group.

Withdraw is hell, 24/7 brain zaps. I'd rather have the heroin sweats then go through that again.

Do you find that moving your eyes or head brings on these zaps?

currently on lexapro & wellbutrin...b4 that prozac, celexa, effexor, zoloft, paxil and who knows what else...

all I know is I've been thinking of trying to get off them for a while now. And i'm scared about what'll happen if I do. I appreciate all the comments about what people are going through w/this.

I wish everyone the best.

I did when I stopped taking Effexor. I was also nauseous for a month. Khilee

I have taken Przac for a while now and I love it; however, I recently added Zyban so I could stop smoking and I am having a good experience with it as well and yes I am cutting down on how much I smoke.