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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by NKP on August 11, 2023, at 15:01:44
I'm currently on 225 mg venlafaxine, 300 mg bupropion, and 200 mg lamotrigine.
My cognition is good, my mood is OK, but my functioning and motivation are poor.
I think that adding a low dose - 0.5 mg or 1 mg - of flupentixol might help.
Do you think that this is excessive?
I always feel like a pill popper when I go to the pharmacy.
Any other suggestions?
Posted by SLS on August 11, 2023, at 16:35:30
In reply to Are four meds too many?, posted by NKP on August 11, 2023, at 15:01:44
> I'm currently on 225 mg venlafaxine, 300 mg bupropion, and 200 mg lamotrigine.
>
> My cognition is good, my mood is OK, but my functioning and motivation are poor.
>
> I think that adding a low dose - 0.5 mg or 1 mg - of flupentixol might help.
>
> Do you think that this is excessive?
>
> I always feel like a pill popper when I go to the pharmacy.
>
> Any other suggestions?
I have no idea why any healthcare professional would have an issue with a patient taking 10 drugs if that's what is needed to improve or maintain health. Any definition of what is "too many medications" is simply arbitrary and has no basis in medicine.My grandmother took 11 drugs in order to prevent her immediate death.
When anyone on Psycho-Babble reports that their doctor won't prescribe more than four drugs at a time, my head explodes. Again, there is no medical basis for limiting the number of drugs that a patient takes.
Regarding your treatment regime, I think it is an excellent choice of drugs. Ultimately, it might not produce a robust antidepressant for you, but think it is a high-probability treatment.
Suggestion:
In order to fully explore your treatment, you need to raise the dosages of all three drugs if you can tolerate them. Of course, it is essential to work with one drug at a time. Your lack of motivation leads me to believe that you might try to raise the dosage of venlafaxine first. Bupropion might help more with mental energy than motivation. It is my impression that venlafaxine possesses greater potency at elevating mood, reducing anhedonia, and increasing motivation.
Venlafaxine: 300 mg/day
Bupropion: 300 mg/day
Lamotrigine 300 mg/dayI guess I have an affinity for the number "300". <grin>
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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