[Ocean Swimmer]

I'm scared I'll lose my freedom again.
If something doesn't change soon my husband will put me ip again.
I've been stuck in a low grade depressive state for 2 years this time. I had a giant mixed episode,lost complete touch with reality and had tons of ECT.
I've been laying around watching DVDs in Costa Rica or tv in the states for 2 years.
I feel disgusted in myself 100 times per day.
I hate this so much.
I'm going to USA next week. Then Pdoc. I'm thinking about Wellbutrin again.
What brings you around?

[Moose72]

Wellbutrin is great! I hope it helps you.

[zijax]

Wellbutrin is good unless you have anxiety. It tends to not be as good for anxious depressions. I am also in a dark place and I can't get out. All I do is watch Netflix and sit in a chair all day. I hate it but I don't want to do anything else. I went ip 2 weeks ago and it was a joke. It did not help at all. But maybe your ip experience would be a good one and could get your meds straightened out. Two years is too long to feel that bad. Effexor is helping me and Im starting Vraylar.

[Moose72]

Maybe that's why my Pdoc upped the Rexulti for anxiety rather than the Wellbutrin.

[raspberrytorte]

I've never been on wellbutrin before, but I hope it would help you. Two years is a long time to feel that bad. I'm not so great at getting out of depressions. It's just something that eventually lifts. I hope you feel better soon. Hugs, ocean.

[pirilin]

It took lithium first to get me out of my miserable depression. Then Wellbutrin to make me feel something. Out of Lithium and on Abilify now. And I'm almost me again.
Bad temper and everything. I always had it. Maybe less tolerance with Wellbutrin.
Also have lost some hearing. Wellbutrin again. If you come to think of it, there's not much to listen to.
If I only would dare to get rid of Lamotrigine (25mg) for good, I would be only on three pills.
The other is Xanax. The worst I've take after Adderall. @ 12.5 mg it will go soon too.
Hang in there. Help is on the way. Go for a swim. Have a little vodka and relax. Luv.

[MusicLover82]

Lexapro is helping me immensely. SSRI drugs work best for me, but I also have OCD. Best wishes!! I hope you feel better soon.

[Ocean Swimmer]

Yes. I've been on abilify. Aderrall. Lexapro. Probably 50 different meds
But the combos are so tricky. Effexor for one of last two years. Helped a little at first. But I gained weight. I was taking seraquel and temazepam at night, read the seraquel is not weight neutral. Talked to pdoc and weaned off seraquel too. Stopped gaining, but haven't lost weight yet.
Then the crazy no orgasm thing with Effexor. How do these stupid drugs do that?
I've been on hold for so long.
Need a push out of the nest.

[crunchyt]

Originally Posted by pirilin

It took lithium first to get me out of my miserable depression. Then Wellbutrin to make me feel something. Out of Lithium and on Abilify now. And I'm almost me again.
Bad temper and everything. I always had it. Maybe less tolerance with Wellbutrin.
Also have lost some hearing. Wellbutrin again. If you come to think of it, there's not much to listen to.
If I only would dare to get rid of Lamotrigine (25mg) for good, I would be only on three pills.
The other is Xanax. The worst I've take after Adderall. @ 12.5 mg it will go soon too.
Hang in there. Help is on the way. Go for a swim. Have a little vodka and relax. Luv.

I also take lamictal, abilify and adderall. But I just started lithium to see if it can help me get out of this awful depressed state I'm in. Maybe it will work....fingers crossed. How long did the lithium finally kick in?

[Wild Coyote]

I am fighting a paralyzing depression. too.
I keep doing the opposite of what I feel like doing -- struggling to stay active -- and the depression has not lifted.

It's a real struggle.
Sorry you are also going through this.


WC

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Yea welbutrin is the only AD I'll take because no side effects (other than I cannot eat). So I started Wellbutrin and lamictal a few weeks ago. Doing good so far! Hope you do good on it.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Have you tried an MAOI? Emsam is awesome for me and I failed everything else before I went on it. It is a patch so it isn't absorbed through the stomach which decreases the food restrictions that other MAOIs have. At the lowest dose you have no restrictions and honestly the restrictions aren't so bad once you are used to them (no cheese but mozarella and no Chinese food sucks but you get used to even those; for me I got used to it really quickly because it was so effective).

It can be agitating at first but that levels off and it's non-sedating, weight neutral/slight weight loss (for me I lost a good bit but gained it back when I had increased seroquel and then especially when I went on clozaril).

I really can't recommend it enough and as I said, I've been on nearly everything at some point.

My other thought was rTMS? I know my pdoc thinks it can be pretty effective and she's done research on it. It's not an option for me because Medicare doesn't cover it for bipolar and even if they did the co-pay would be too much for me to ever afford. But I did look into it when I was trying to avoid clozaril (which is also a really effective med when you are at the end of the line of meds).

[ComfortablyNumb5]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

Have you tried an MAOI? Emsam is awesome for me and I failed everything else before I went on it. It is a patch so it isn't absorbed through the stomach which decreases the food restrictions that other MAOIs have. At the lowest dose you have no restrictions and honestly the restrictions aren't so bad once you are used to them (no cheese but mozarella and no Chinese food sucks but you get used to even those; for me I got used to it really quickly because it was so effective).

It can be agitating at first but that levels off and it's non-sedating, weight neutral/slight weight loss (for me I lost a good bit but gained it back when I had increased seroquel and then especially when I went on clozaril).

I really can't recommend it enough and as I said, I've been on nearly everything at some point.

My other thought was rTMS? I know my pdoc thinks it can be pretty effective and she's done research on it. It's not an option for me because Medicare doesn't cover it for bipolar and even if they did the co-pay would be too much for me to ever afford. But I did look into it when I was trying to avoid clozaril (which is also a really effective med when you are at the end of the line of meds).

MAOI's scare the crap out of me. So do SSRI's thought. That's why I had to get on welbutrin . I guess if it was my last resort. But right now I'm trying everything but that. Lord help me.

[Moose72]

Originally Posted by RxQueen875

MAOI's scare the crap out of me. So do SSRI's thought. That's why I had to get on welbutrin . I guess if it was my last resort. But right now I'm trying everything but that. Lord help me.

Plus there are so many drugs you can't take if you're on an maoi.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

Originally Posted by Moose72

Plus there are so many drugs you can't take if you're on an maoi.

It's true there are some restrictions. But if nothing else works MAOIs are known to work and the restrictions are manageable. I don't even think about it 99.9% of the time after 7 years. If Oceanswimmer has tried everything a MAOI is worth considering. And truly they aren't that scary. I was scared for a bit but you adjust and just get used to medically warning anyone who treats you that you're on one. No big deal most of the time.