Posted by KaraS on July 1, 2004, at 19:10:54
In reply to Re: Help-any ideas from anyone, been around the block, posted by Shyla on July 1, 2004, at 8:31:17
> > > Kara, I have been on Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Remeron, now Effexor. It does take patience, and a willingness to give each med a chance to really find out if it works, and what the side effects are, and if you can live with those side effects. I have been on 75 mgs. of Effexor for 7 mos. now. I like it because it has greatly reduced my anxiety, stabilized my moods, and is really helping me enjoy life and laugh again. I don't take things so seriously. The couple of side effects I do experience are trouble sleeping, but Gabatril and Ambien have taken care of that, and sexual side effects. I'm now experimenting with a day off of Effexor coupled with Wellbutrin on a day of anticipating lovemaking. It has seemed to help part of the time, not always. So, the long and the short of it is that I'm overall happy with Effexor. I am very open and upfront with my doctor about my experiences and concerns, and together we experiment with alternatives to improve things. I hope this helped.
> >
> >
> > Shyla,
> > I have been on many meds for adequate periods of time but unfortunately none has been great for me so far. The tricyclics have helped me sleep and totally gotten rid of my panic disorder/agoraphobia several years ago but none of these meds has adequately addressed my depression. Effexor has been the best so far (with virtually no side effects) but I know that I could be doing a lot better. I feel that I'm moving in the right direction though. I know that I need some serotonin assistance to protect against panic attacks but mostly I need NE and dopamine for energy, motivation and zest for life. My quest for the right medication or combination of medicines is at least going to be more intelligently targeted going forward.
> >
> > I hope you have continued success on the Effexor. Have you tried Ginkgo for the sexual side effects? A lot of people have had great success with that!
>
> Kara, no I haven't tried Ginkgo, but I will. Do you know how many mgs. are effective? Thank you for the suggestion. Have you tried Wellbutrin in combination with Effexor for the dopamine and engergy boost?
> >
> >I'm not sure how much Ginkgo you should take. (It's not a good idea to take if you're on any kind of blood-thinning medication or if you take aspirin regularly.) You could post over on the Pscyho-Babble Alternative board. There are some incredibly knowledgable people over there who would be able to give you the details.
I tried Wellbutrin but unfortunately I had an allergic reaction to it. I was really disappointed because I thought that might be a really good combo for me too.
poster:KaraS
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040627/msgs/362393.html