What Medications Helped?

[scott_1971_h]

I know everyone's different, but...
I am about to start a new psych. (I moved) and I am interested what medications/combination helped you most and what did it help most with? I must admit Effexor is a pain in the arse, *MAJOR JUMPINESS AND INSOMNIA* and am back on Zoloft.
Scott

 

[Heather]

I'm on Zoloft too. Maxed out at 200 mg. for the PTSD. I am also on 400mg. Topomax for bi-polar II. and I take 100mg. of Trazedone at night for sleep and it has an added benefit of an anti-depressant too.

They also wanted me to go back on Remeron 7.5 mg. at night because I haven't been sleeping but it makes you gain weight. So, I said NO.

I have no problems with side effects. I was on Lexapro before too. I didn't find that it did anything for my depression and stopped taking it.

These are my experiences. Hope it helps.

Take care. Heather

 

[Gamereign555]

Citalopram (Celexa) 40mg works for my depression and some anxiety. Thing was it worked almost instantly, like my second day I was already feeling very noticeable effects. It then stopped working about 2 weeks later and I had to wait another week or two before it kicked in again.

I had major depression however when it stopped working and I had to go to the hospital to get Ativan because the anxiety was so bad.
After that difficult period it pretty much squashed the depression like a bug. The Citalopram also got my anxiety to a more manageable level, I had lots of chest pain and chest tightness with the usual breathing difficulty issue associated with it. Citalopram is known to help with both depression and anxiety in some people.

I also take the 15mg dose of Restoril as needed for insomnia. I have occasional problems with insomnia but not too bad so far, Restoril doesn't really help me sleep but rather only helps keep me asleep. Sometimes after taking it, I fail to actually go to sleep so sometimes its completly useless as it is not comfortable for me to take it if I can't get to sleep. Although I still have odd and bizarre dreams whether or not I take Restoril, it does keep me from waking up in the middle of the night.

Drugs that helped now or helped in the past:

Celexa (Citalopram) - Depression/Anxiety
Ativan (Lorazepam) - Benzodiazepine for Anxiety/Panic
Valium (Diazepam) - Benzodiazepine for Anxiety
Restoril (Temazepam) - Benzodiazepine for Insomnia/Sleep Anxiety

Drugs that did no help or is not helping:

Prosac (Fluoxitine) -Depression (stimulant)
Vistaril (Hydroxyzine Pam) -Antihistamine used for nervousness and tension and used for itching from allergies also/ helps with minor sleep issues
Busparione -Anxiety for GAD/minor depression

My Side Effects:

Celexa: occasional headaches, weight gain, altered or increased sex drive

 

[Lionheart]

I have had a great deal of success with Celexa (PTSD and Major Depression), low-dose Abilfiy (Aggression and irritability), Prazosin (for PTSD -related nightmares) and Ativan, (panic/anxiety). Only very mild side effects like yawning and dry mouth etc.

 

[anni]

Topamax 100mgs a day for migraines served well with helping moods also since adding a really scant 50 Zoloft is sufficient to balance things at the moment. Zero side effects with both at this dose. I hate to add Lorazapam for the wild adrenaline peaks but have had to recently, but as needed, not daily.

Yes, everyone is different and it's tough finding what works for one's individual chemistry. I hope you do manage to get yours balanced soon. Take care.

 

[Kintsugi]

Hm. I'm pretty anti-medication and generally afraid of depression meds because I know that a lot of them could exacerbate my depression or inadvertently raise my anxiety or symptoms in another aspect. I'm taking Lamictal right now, which is a seizure medication but a mood stabilizer in low doses (I'm on 100mg and thinking of going to 125mg). There are apparently not a lot of side-effects if you build up slowly, though I have been seeing little spots occasionally in bright light.

 

[Kunoichi]

To be honest I have tried every single SSRI/SNRI out there with no success. And I literally mean every single one (except paxil, that's it).

The only thing that has worked for me so far has been lamictal/lamotrogine at 150mg. It is also helpful for my seizures which developed about a year ago. I also use Klonopin 1 mg or 2 mg at night to help with baseline anxiety the next day as well as to help at night.

They are now thinking I may have bipolar 2 however, it is of my opinion that the hallucinations (which are minor) and hypomania that I get could be alter induced since so many chemicals are involved. In any case, I do recommend lamictal if you have gone through SSRI's. It's helped me keep pretty stable though I have had some very sevre depression episodes (which is to be expected) given that I have clinical depression but I have seen myself off the med when I took myself off it thinking "all will be fine" an well.. it wasn't pretty to say the least.)

So hope that helps. Good luck!!!

 

[kimba]

I was on Trazedone and Zoloft years ago, don't know what if anything (haven't discussed it yet) I'll be on this time. That combo worked before which is why I thought once I felt better I thought I would never need them again and stopped taking them. Are people on these drugs for life or just to get back on track?

 

[scott_1971_h]

Citalopram (Celexa) 40mg works for my depression and some anxiety. Thing was it worked almost instantly, like my second day I was already feeling very noticeable effects.

That's been my experience too. Sertraline and Citalopram are the SSRIs I would recommend based purely on my own experience. Fluoxetine is not very effective for me either.

 

[jesse]

Lamictal has been one of the only meds I seem to be able to tolerate for the depression. I think I need a higher dose though (I currently take 150 mg). The best med though was Abilify I mean it really worked great but I developed hand tremors and the docs were worried about tardal dyskinesia so I had to stop taking it. Ativan works well for anxiety attacks and xanax for sleep. SSRI's made mt symptoms much worse and I tried so many different kinds I can't remember them all. Hope this helps.

 

[Gamereign555]

Update: Now taking Amitriptyline now at 10mg at bedtime for insomnia along with Temazepam if needed.

I do not notice much in the way of help for helping me sleep, rather the sleep comes about 5 hours after I take it. I wake up rested and felling good. I am still however favoring sleep during the day and awake at night. This is an ongoing issue with me, even if I try to reset my sleep patterns I will want to stay awake until through the morning waking up at around 4pm.

 

[Rob_Dog19]

I'm on Zoloft for the depression/ocd/ptsd , Lamictal for bipolar disorder , Xanax for anxiety, trazadone for sleep, and Prazosin for nightmares...not that they actually work...