advice on medications
Question:
I’m currently on Prozac (40 mg) and Lithium to augment it. I think it may be working… how’s that for an answer? I have a close friend who had a grande mal seizure on Wellbutrin and was doing really well with her eating at the time. This is just one person though. Good luck! — For more information about this service, send e-mail to:
Response:
Hi, I have been on Zoloft for about seven months. After I was taking 100mg for about three months my doctor put me on Buspar to augment the Zoloft. After three more months I started feeling much better an dI have been feeling better now for a month. 
Zoloft in the beginning made my anxiety much worse. I took Klonapin to help with anxiety then. ONce I started Buspar I weened myself off Klonapin. Now I take 100mg Zoloft in morning, 40 mg Buspar, and .25-.5 mg Klonapin usually at night or if I feel very panicked. In the beginning Zoloft caused me to lose my appetite. The Buspar did the same. I did lose weight. I had diarrhea and slight headache. These side effects went away. There is a sexual side effect that I don’t really care about (Zoloft) but it is getting better, anyway. My weight has stabilized. I have not purged in almost two months. I can concentrate. I am finding I have interests I’d like to pursue rather than starvation. There is more meaning to my life. I can sleep better and I am stronger. I was on Wellbutrin and I had panic attacks on it. I don’t normal have panic attacks, I just have high anxiety. I coudln’t tolerate the panic, or the sleeplessness. On Trazadone I could not sleep at all. (!) I have had trouble tolerating medications. My doctor took me off Wellbutrin because she was worried about seizures. I was glad because I didn’t like the panic attacks. I hate panicking very much. I’d rather gain weight than panic any day. Azure — For more information about this service, send e-mail to:
Response:
hi flipper, i’ve never heard of this mao. is it new? I know there were three, but they took marlan off the market. Please forward me any info you have on these meds. I’m starting my second mao- parnate on wednesday and you have me really curious now. thanks, kim
Response:
thanks for the response. I have been on prozac twice. the first time it made me suicidal, and the second time it made me extremely hypomanic. i have literally been on all the meds except for wellbutrin, parnate- which i’m starting wednesday, and trazodone. i don’t react well to meds at all. i either hive, bruise, or just get so sick to my stomach and dizzy that i’m better off without them and just depressed. do the mds wanna put you on meds for depression or ed, or both? i was on them for awhile and refused them after for a year, until things just got so badd that i stopped being stubborn. i figure if one or two pills a day can make my life happier, than what the heck. it really is better than being depressed all the time. i’m 26 and i’ve wasted the last five years of my life with all this. it’s time for a change. thanks again. hope to speak to you soon. kim
Response:
<< i have literally been on all the meds except for wellbutrin, parnate- which i’m starting wednesday, and trazodone. i don’t react well to meds at all. Kim… When i was in the hospital 3 years ago, my psychiatrist od’d me on trazadone, and I almost died!!! Talk about not reacting to meds well! Love and friendship, Brea
Response:
I’ve been on Wellbutrin. I had a lot of side effects, but it did seem to help. It is counterindicated for women with bulimia who are underweight (I think the underweight is the key there). If you decide to try it, start slow and be careful. Do not under any circumstances drink alcohol while on Wellbutrin. Alcohol lowers your seizure threshold also and it only took one drink (+ the wellbutrin) for me to have 2 grand mal seizures. I never had seizures while on wellbutrin without the alcohol. It did seem to help me a little. I came off of it b/c of the tremors.
Response:
Hi! I have been on Zoloft for two years. it has definitely helped with the depression. I recently tried to go off of it, only to find that after several weeks I was dropping off and began taking it again, and it has made all the difference. I also am on Trazadone at night. I have found when I forget to take it with me, it is impossible to fall asleep. I took a trip to LA over spring break, and left it at my sister’s.When I got home I had about 5 nights with little sleep, until I finally got another fill of it, sleeping well now. As far as Zoloft side effects, there does not seem to be any for me. Mar
Response:
<< I have to decide by monday whether to try parnate, the last of the MAOI (you know the one with the special diet) or wellbutrin that can cause seizures, or to try zoloft, which i have been on. Kim… I am taking Nardil…also a MAOI, with a special diet…it helps with my moods, and depression, and other things, but not with my eating habits. There really aren’t too many side effects that I have noticed…except a couple of times when I ate too much of the wrong food. Then I thought I was going to die!!! My blood pressure sky rocketed, I was shaking soooo bad, my arms and legs and face got really numb, I couldn’t move my hands, etc etc etc. It was very scary…but for the most part, it has helped me a lot. I would suggest at least trying parnate, before trying wellbutrin. I don’t know if you have been on MAOI med’s before, but you should also consider getting a medic alert bracelet or something to let EMT’s know that you are taking MAOI’s…many meds they give you in emergencies can cause serious problems (like stopping your heart) if you get too high of a dosage while on MAOI’s. (god forbid you should ever be in an emergency situation). Anyways, just a thought for you. Hope I have helped some. Love and friendship, Brea
Response:
I also experienced much agitation/jitteriness on wellbutrin and am currently on Zoloft. Have they tried the new stuff like Luvox or Paxil yet?? Luvox sounds like it would be perfect for you if the reason for medication is to control the ED. Paxil is similar to Zoloft but supposedly has fewer side effects. I also strongly encourage you to seek out the opinion of a psychiatrist(or get a 2nd opinion if you are already seeing one) because it took me 5 years before I finally found a psychiatrist who got me on the right combination of meds to control both the ED and my depression. I take Zoloft along with Depakote, Risperidal and occasionally Alprazolam so I am a firm believer that it takes a combination of meds not just one single med for some people. Hope this helps. Take care and I wish you well, Louisa May — For more information about this service, send e-mail to:
Response:
Hi Kim! I am currently taking Zoloft. I have been on it for almost three months and I can definitely say it is helping- with stability of mind, concentration, etc. I haven’t experienced any side effects at all, which is a totally awesome bonus! If you’ve got any other questions, just email me!!!
Response:
have you explored prozac? MAO’s are a real pain in the ass. I have never been on medication myself (not that it wouldn’t help – i’m just too stubborn) but I am in medical school and we are studying these different antidepressants. Although prozac has some appitite suppressant activity, it has a long half life (meaning it stays a long time in your body – just incase you miss a dose) and it may help. I don’t know a whole lot about wellbutrin, except that it can cause siezures. Every medication will have some sort of printed side effect, though. Whether or not you manifiest it, is another story. Good luck to you and let me know how it goes. -Kim
Response:
i wrote before asking if anyone is on wellbutrin, and no one replied. I have to decide by monday whether to try parnate, the last of the MAOI (you know the one with the special diet) or wellbutrin that can cause seizures, or to try zoloft, which i have been on. It worked but it caused me to hive. These are the last three then theresno more left. I’m really feeling hopeless. Something has to help my ED, which in turn would help my depression, or vice versa. Please, anyone with knowledge of these three meds, respond asap. I can’t deal with much more of this. I’ve wasted enough years of my life b/c of this disease. Thanx
Kim, I am on Wellbutrin right now. I take 100 mg three times a day. It has helped a lot for me. I do have hypomanic times, but they are few. I take it in conjunction with Depakote which is an anti-seizure medicine and it also helps with mood swings. My doctor told me that as long as I don’t take more than 100 mg at one time, I will not have seizures. If you have anymore questions, please write to me. Take care. Hugs, Charlie
Response:
i wrote before asking if anyone is on wellbutrin, and no one replied. I have to decide by monday whether to try parnate, the last of the MAOI (you know the one with the special diet) or wellbutrin that can cause seizures, or to try zoloft, which i have been on. It worked but it caused me to hive. These are the last three then theresno more left. I’m really feeling hopeless. Something has to help my ED, which in turn would help my depression, or vice versa. Please, anyone with knowledge of these three meds, respond asap. I can’t deal with much more of this. I’ve wasted enough years of my life b/c of this disease. Thanx
Response:
I started wellbutrin once, but it made me super agitated and I had to stop. I am currently taking zoloft. It definitely helps my mood. I have no idea if it helps my ed but it can’t hurt if it makes me feel better. I never tried any of the MAOI. I’ve heard people who see psychiatrists who are very knowledgeable about meds, and they will try different combinations of meds if one alone doesn’t work. So there is still hope even if one of those doesn’t work alone. Best wishes, Kirloga – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – i wrote before asking if anyone is on wellbutrin, and no one replied. I have to decide by monday whether to try parnate, the last of the MAOI (you know the one with the special diet) or wellbutrin that can cause seizures, or to try zoloft, which i have been on. It worked but it caused me to hive. These are the last three then theresno more left. I’m really feeling hopeless. Something has to help my ED, which in turn would help my depression, or vice versa. Please, anyone with knowledge of these three meds, respond asap. I can’t deal with much more of this. I’ve wasted enough years of my life b/c of this disease. Thanx
