I've tried a few different anti-depressants with various results. Right now I'm considering Cymbalta, Effexor, and Paxil (and I've heard great and horrible things about them all). What are your experiences? I'm especially interested in finding something that will give me some energy again. I can barely get off the couch.
2006-07-06 09:24:39 · 6 answers · asked by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Celexa worked great but I had a weird allergic reaction to it.
Zoloft just made me tired.
Wellbutrin helped, but I had to add Prozac and that didn't help boost my energy any.
2006-07-06 09:35:05 · update #1
There are so many anti-depressants out there and they work differently for each person. So it's very difficult for someone to say that one AD is better than the other because what works for me might not work for you- and what works for you might not work for someone else.
Each medication has it's own pros and cons. I don't like Effexor because it's a very hard AD. You become dependent on it and the withdraw from it is debilitating at the least. But it's good if you are in a seriously deep depression. And by that I mean are unresponsive to any other medication.
Cymbalta has low side effect- but again it's just as bad with withdraws as effexor.
Paxil is an SSRI... different from the other two because Effexor and Cymbalta are Multi-reuptake inhibitors. And of the SSRI's out there paxil has the worst withdaws too, and it's considered to have the worst side effects.
I've been on Lexapro, Prozac, Zoloft, and Welbutrin. I personally like Welbutrn. It's a multi-reuptake inhibitor with little to no sexual side effects, weight loss if at all no weight gain. (that last pro can also cause a con, welbutrin isn't a candidate as an AD for someone with a history or tendency of an eating disorder.) welbutrin also is used for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome- so it can help with the physical aspects of depression- the pains in the body and inability to get up out of bed.
The best thing you can do right now is to talk to a psychiatrist (not your family doctor but an actually trained specialist in psychiatric medication) and discuss which medication he or she feels is best for you to cover all your symptoms. But most importantly, some form of talk therapy is also important- no one should rely on medication alone to manage and cope with depression. You'll get more out of the therapy in the long run than being on medication constantly. Think of medication as a stepping stone to being able to go to therapy to learn the skills needed to cope and manage depression eventually without medication.
This website I've listed below is one of the best and most honest resources for information on most any psychiatric medications. It's not written in technical lingo, but language that the common person can understand- and more often than not, it's pretty comical to read.
2006-07-06 09:44:48 · answer #1 · answered by Noelle 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
My experience has been with Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, and Wellbutrin, so I guess you could say I've been around the block when it comes to this. Prozac worked great for awhile, but kinda seemed to loose it's effectiveness ove time with me. Paxil and Effexor made me feel strange. I couldn't cry when it was normal to, and it made me more angry and edgy. I have also heard this from other people regarding those two. I also had some "issues" when it came to intimacy with my husband. I have had the best luck with Wellbutrin. There are little to no sexual side effects, it works great, and you may even loose weight while taking it (which for me was a plus). It doesn't make me tired. Hope this info helps you out.
2006-07-06 16:34:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've tried Prozac, Zolof, and Paxil, and Prozac has worked best for me. Antidepressants vary with the individual, so I can't possibly say what is best for you, but I can tell you my own experience with each one.
Paxil: I don't reccomend getting on this drug. It's very addictive and extreemly difficult to get off of. It also has a tendancy to make people gain weight.
Zoloft: This made me really anxious for some reason. I really didn't like it.
Prozac: My favorite by far!!! I've had no bad reactions to it. It has no weight gain, is fairly easy to get off of, and has a long half life.
Hope that helps!
2006-07-06 18:15:12 · answer #3 · answered by just me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, everyone metabolizes medication differently, so what works for one person may not work for another. That being said, Wellbutrin did absolutely nothing for me, Prozac helped a little but gave me miserable side effects like tiredness and tremors. I wouldn't recommend MAOIs because the newer meds have less side effects. I ended up on Zoloft with great results. Aside from the depression it also helped me with OCD.
2006-07-06 16:42:39 · answer #4 · answered by livesimply 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stay away from Effexor!! It's VERY addictive and if you ever have to go off it you'll be in total hell. I was on it for a few months then had to quit because the side effects were difficult to live with. Withdrawal was so bad it was like I'd given up heroin cold-turkey. Go here to read the experiences of others: http://community.livejournal.com/effexored/
2006-07-06 16:33:53 · answer #5 · answered by obvious 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i can relate to your question bcuz i'm currently on a depression medicine called zoloft and i've been taking it for 5 years and i feel great. i tried paxil but all i ever did was slept all day but since i changed medication i have more energy i really hope that this information helps you and its good to know that i'm not the only one out there taking anti-depressants.
2006-07-06 16:33:00 · answer #6 · answered by christina j 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋