[dearyou]

I think I need a new antidepressant. I've tried Prozac, it was way too stimulating, stayed depressed, but when kind of "manic" too, scary stuff. Zoloft, I've been on it for three months now. First month was hell with energy, "mania" etc. then it settled down, but my sleep wasn't exactly proper and now I'm depressed as hell again and have been like this and getting worse for several weeks now...I don't think Zoloft is proper either and can't imagine a higher dose (i'm only on 50mg, but even at 25 mg I was reacting oddly)...

I hear Prozac is very stimulating, Zoloft is a bit more balanced, but I think because I react so hyperactively to antidepressants, even though I'm tired as hell right now depressed, getting an antidepressant that doesn't give me energy is good (mood improved will naturally lead me to more energy I think and not too much)...

I got like a million side effects from both too...

Any suggestions?

Also, I fear I might require a mood stabilizer because of the "mania", but I don't want one that makes me fat, lazy, stupid (not that I'm not already lazy and stupid, but I mean more lazy and stupid) and physically ill, any suggestions?

[Slothrop]

Paxil is worth a try. My psychiatrist prescribed it for depression with anxiety. (It didn't work for me all that well, but some have good luck with it.)

She also tried me on Sinequan, an older antidepressant sometimes used as a sleep aid.

My GP prescribed trazodone, another older antidepressant, as a sleep aid. However, my psychiatrist strongly recommended against that, because trazodone can have some, um, highly undesirable side effects involving the male anatomy!

[sebontheweb]

Hello,

Prozac is well known to provoke mania or hypomanic state in people.

Other antidepressants such as Effexor is much safer on that aspect.

If you are indeed diagnosed with BP (previous depressions and manias or hypomanias not related to antidepressant intake), then you definitely need a mood stabilizer. A standard one used is Depakote, for wich the dosage is by far easier to adjust that Lithium.

Good luck

[Mouse_]

I take Mirtizpine (Rememron). It has a very sedating effect, and also gives a crazy appitite, but for the first yr I was on it, I mananged to maintain my weight, but alas I sucumb to the effets of Remeron eventually and am now heavier than I would like to be, but the anxiety is much easier because of the meds so I am learning to love myself with the extra weight because these AD's are quite wonderful for me really :-)

[Phoenix1985]

Originally Posted by sebontheweb

Hello,

Prozac is well known to provoke mania
or hypomanic state in people.

Other antidepressants such as Effexor is
much safer on that aspect.

If you are indeed diagnosed with BP (previous
depressions and manias or hypomanias not
related to antidepressant intake), then you
definitely need a mood stabilizer. A standard one
used is Depakote, for wich the dosage is by far
easier to adjust that Lithium.

Good luck

Efexor used to send me hypomanic.
I'm on Epilim as a mood stabiliser. I
don't feel fat or lazy, just better

[thalia2]

Originally Posted by sebontheweb

Hello,

Prozac is well known to provoke mania or hypomanic state in people.

Other antidepressants such as Effexor is much safer on that aspect.

If you are indeed diagnosed with BP (previous depressions and manias or hypomanias not related to antidepressant intake), then you definitely need a mood stabilizer. A standard one used is Depakote, for wich the dosage is by far easier to adjust that Lithium.

Good luck

IANAD, but AFAIK common wisdom is that Effexor is MOST likely to produce hypomania/mania - not least. Although I'm not sure there are genuine differences between the various SSRIs/SNRIs on how often they really cause switches - tho for a given person there probably are.

Wellbutrin (which is in another class) is supposed to induce manic switches less often - but it is activating, so if your "mania" is really anxiety or agitation, I dunno if it would be so great.

But this is definitely a question for a psychiatrist - if they're not good at knowing which AD's are activating and which are sedating, they shouldn't be prescribing. GPs may be clueless though.

Also, to figure out what to do, the doc needs to figure out whether your "mania" is really a bipolar switch - and if so, what kind - vs. agitation or anxiety or akathisia, etc. Those are tricky distinctions and it's really a question for a good psychiatrist.

Here, btw is what a quick google search found on ads.

A lot of the sedating ones they mention are tricyclics. Those are older ad's, that again, should probably be prescribed by a psychiatrist, rather than a GP - since most GPs won't be that familiar with them. They're not used much anymore, mainly because they're considered to be less safe (esp. in overdose) than SSRIs. I think also they can be harder on your heart. But I don't know the details. On the other hand, if you're healthy and not at risk of od'ing then maybe they'd be right for you.

Serzone isn't prescribed much nowadays either - I think because it's not that effective? Not sure. Mouse's suggestion, Remeron, is supposed to be sedating. But like she mentioned, it's known for weight gain too.

I was a little surprised that MAOIs were in the activating group. It's weird, Nardil caused a nasty hypomanic spell for me, but for the most part it put me to sleep more than any other AD.

The other possibility is adding things to your ad to calm you down. Totally a question for a psychiatrist and totally dependent on what s/he thinks is going on with you.

[dearyou]

Thanks, I'll see what my doctor says. I've just got to get around to making that appointment. It's hard when you're not feeling well to make an appt even though making the appointment is probably a good thing. I'm pretty sure I am bipolar because I've had sort of manic states even without medication, so it worries me a lot 'cause it means this mood crap is with me for the rest of my life not that I don't have really crappy reoccuring depressions since childhood, but I'd prefer to pretend they'll eventually stop. I know. I know...

Originally Posted by thalia2

Serzone isn't prescribed much nowadays either - I think because it's not that effective? Not sure.

My husband used to take Serzone (along with every other antidepressant known to man aside from the TCAs and MAOIs...he is actually bipolar), his psychiatrist said it was taken off the market when they were going over his med history. I looked it up later and found out it was taken off the market not because of it being ineffective, but because it often led to liver toxicity.

[Christina86]

Paxil is sorta sedating. It gave me brain zaps though so I quit it.

Effexor does make me sleepy. I'm on it now.

I take Trazodone to sleep. Now that is a sedating antidepressant!!

http://forums.psychcentral.com/meds/desyrel.html

[musikcrazy]

I have had good success with Pristiq, a fairly new antidepressant. It is not sedating at all. You do have to make sure that you are on a mood stabilizer as well to make sure you don't get manic (I did a little bit at first and then my pdoc upped my Lamictal). Good luck!

[deliquesce]

SSRIs are typically the anti-depressants that will send you into a hypomanic state.

i've been on mood stabilisers before - epilim was the best in terms of not making me fat/lazy/stupid. lamictal was good also, but it might have an activating effect for you.