I'm new so be gentle

Hello, I have had depression, anxiety, ADD, etc... for 20+ years. I have tried all of the ssris and atypical antidepressants they make. I would love to hear of some drugs or drug combos that have worked for others. Nothing seems to work for me.

Hello & Welcome, Refactory Man!

Have any of your medications been the least bit more helpful than the others?

Same story since 1993. Then last year my p-doc gave me Pristiq. And it worked. No side-effects. Have him give you a bag of samples and try it.

Best of luck and take care!

Pristiq is similar to Cymbalta (both are SNRIs) and when SSRIs didn't work for me, Cymbalta quite literally saved me. It's defnitely worth a discussion with your doctor. Are you in therapy as well or just using medication? In any case, good luck!

Feddy

Wellbutrin seems to keep me stable but nothing makes me happy. My pdoc keeps trying different add ons like abilify, ssris, snris. I am on remeron now and it makes me feel good not happy. It also made me gain a few unwanted pounds. I thought about topamax as a mood stabilizer/weight loser. I'm just sick of the whole game.

What about sexual side effects with pristiq? That was/is one of the worst problems I have with the ssris/snris. I have tried pristiqs little brother effexor xr and had really bad sexual side effects. Pristiq is the only ssri/snri I have not tried.

Thanks. I am seeing atherapist and a psychiatrist. It does help to unload on them.

I don't have a magic med combo but I hope you find one. I am another patient that meds don't work well for and I have also been on all of them including Pristiq. I wish you well and hope you find that magic potion.

G'day Refactory Man,
I'm Australian and we tend to be blunt and inquisitive by habit, so please forgive me if I seem intrusive at any point. Most of us are however courteous and respectful on the inside. Whats up?
I'm 42, have a family that I nearly lost through mania and ego.I run a small business (or it runs me) and I am in the process of surfacing from debilitating and deep depression. I need to be totally honest; I logged in, had a quick look and here you are. About my age, kids involved, friends issues and depression... My wife (and myself, by co-dependence) has had extreme symptoms of ADD all her life so I know a little bit about it.
At present I have no FRIENDS in the true sense of the word (apart from my re-discovered wife) and I am feeling the vacancy.
I have not been prescribed any medication and am intrigued by the whole pill industry. Honesty again though; I tend to self medicate like a demon.. pot to help me lose myself, sex to fuel my ego and workaholism to placate my inferiority complex.
Are you up for a chat?

Hi,

Pristiq has not affected my sex life at all.

Hi, welcome to the forums!

Do you think any med can make you happy? I'm not sure that's possible. I think meds can alleviate the symptoms of depression, but that means NOT having depression, it doesn't mean being happy. I think that has to come from within, like, finding your own 'place' in the world, finding things you enjoy, enjoying yourself and liking yourself and having confidence, turning negative thoughts into positive... I could be wrong but I don't think that can be found in an antidepressant, only in your own personal journey.

Well said, Lisa Michelle.

Hi Refractory man,

What you describe is classic and leaves people often feeling hopeless and demoralized, which only adds to the pain of it all.

Michelle brings up an excellent point-- the absence of symptoms is not necessarily the presence of health and healing (i.e., happiness). I realize you see a therapist and Psychiatrist but the use of the term "unload" in your response implies that you're being listened to but not necessarily challenged within and between sessions. This is especially critical since the evidence suggests that excellent therapy, especially Dialectical or Cognitive Behavior therapy have been shown to be as effective as the SSRI's and SNRI's, especially long term-- and these treatments are effective for ADD (with some modifications), Anxiety and Depression.

Are you feeling truly challenged in therapy via homework and in your sessions?

Baaku