[Shangrala]

Hi all~

About a year ago I had been prescribed Wellbutrin (150mg 2x/day).
A month ago I went to a different doc to attend to my depression issue and she prescribed me Prozac (20mg 1x/day) and changed the Wellbutrin to 30mg 1x/day, which is fine (same dosage).

A month passes and I make another appointment to see doc because the Prozac just didn't seem to be helping. This past Monday she doubles the Prozac to 40mg 1x/day and adds a third, Risperdal 5mg 1x/day.

Now, aside from the Wellbutrin, I'm new to all this med business.
I always understood Prozac to be a rather extreme med, especially for someone such as myself, (or so I thought), who doesn't really suffer from major issues.
I expressed my concern to my doc about the Prozac when she first prescribed it to me last month and she told me that it's only received a bad rep because it's one of the more well known meds out there.
She assures me that it's safer than many other meds with less side effects and to be patient to allow it to do its job.

How long does it take to begin seeing results? I returned to her because I was feeling more depressed and less motivated...far less hopeful, inspired....You name it, I'm NOT feeling it anymore.
My T tells me that Prozac may prove a benefit for me as it's supposed to "numb" my emotions...(Still not quite sure how that's a good thing as it's seem to have compounded some things for me as opposed to helping?)

I'm confused about all of this, actually.
I don't like these effects. I'm supposed to be out seeking positive progress for myself...but with less ability to think clearly, let alone "feel" properly. My awareness level is about gone now, as well as my ability of focus. And let's not mention my memory...wait, what memory? I cry SO many times daily now that I'm questioning my own sanity anymore...lol...well, not lol. This is beginning to have me rather concerned.

Sigh. Can anyone possibly help me to understand what I should be expecting and how long it should take?
And if these meds are possibly too much for my system? I'm quite thin (110lbs and losing steadily @ 5'6").

Doc tells me that if I don't have any change by the end of this next month then she'll be directing me to a psychiatrist who can better monitor me. Says I just may be one of those few who doesn't respond to meds...Then what?

Thanks so much for your help.

Shangrala

[wing]

Shangrala, do I understand that you're not seeing a psychiatrist now? I've always felt that only a psychiatrist should be prescribing psych meds. Maybe your depression could be managed better if you get a referral to one.

Prozac has been around a long time, and is approved for children so it has a track record of being safe.

There are LOTS of different antidepressants to try, and you might have to try a few different ones to find the right one for you. Don't lose heart, you haven't tried enough of them to be labelled "medication resistant".I don't think she should have planted that fear in you with that statement. Gosh, you've only been on two!

It takes time and patience, but chances are you'll find just the right fit.

[splitimage]

Ask for a referral to a psychiatrist NOW. A GP should not in my opinion be prescribing that combination of meds. Remember I'm not a Dr., just an informed consumer, but I'm concerned about the risperidal.

It's not uncommon to be on 2 antidepressants - I'm on 2 and the combo works well for me. I also take risperidal (risperidone) it's an A-Typical antipsychotic that is often prescribed as an adjunct to anti-depressants. It's your dose that worries me. I don't know if it was a typo and you meant to write .5 mg. .5 mg would be a reasonable starting dose, it's what I started out on. 5mg / day is an entirely different kettle of fish. That's an extremely high dose and around the level that is used to treat schizophrenia. At 5 mg you also run a risk of developing extrapyramidal side effects, which are basically problems with muscle movements.

I currently take 3 mg / day and even my pdoc isn't entirely comfortable with having me on that dose, but when we tried to lower it, I immediately went into a depressive episode. When I went into a depressive episode last summer, we temporarily increased it to 4 mg, and it worked for getting me out of the depression, but I developed muscle stiffness to the point where I was having trouble walking, so I had to drop back down to 3 mg after about 4 months.

Please double check the dose you're taking, as risperidone can have some pretty duty side effects at the higher dosages.

splitimage

[cocos421]

I take both Wellbutrin and Prozac. When I get depressed, we increase the Prozac, and it usually helps quite a bit. I realize I need Prozac. Everytime I try going off it, I get bad results. I think it is a great med for me. I take just 20mg now. However, I've taken up to 60 or 80 at one point.
I suggest, too, going to a psychiatrist.
I also take Abilify, so that may help me as well.
I'm on other meds for Bipolar, but that's what helps my depression.
Oh, I forgot, I just went on Ritalin 3 months ago, because I couldn't really snap out of total depression and I didn't have much energy. And let me tell you, it really works!
Good luck to you in finding the right meds.

[WikidPissah]

I too think you should push for a psychiatrist referral. GP's are not educated enough in psych meds. The risperidal is used as an add-on...but again it looks like a high dose if it isn't .5. I don't know why the doc added it so quickly though, there are other antidepressants that could work on their own, and risperidal has a ton of side effects, including memory difficulties and spacy-ness.

[Shangrala]

Thanks all, truly~

It was a typo..It isn't 5mg, but .05mg.
sorry for possibly freaking you out..lol. Still, though, I'm not comfy with the idea that she's so seemingly "pill pushing".
I'll call her today and ask her to refer me to a psychiatrist..or I'll ask my T. She may know of someone...(I trust her judgement).

Thanks so much for the advice. Lord knows since I began the Risperdal my head feels like it's going to explode, (don't know if that's common).

Thank you all again...

Shangrala

[splitimage]

Phew - glad you're on a reasonable starting dose of the risperidal. And yes I know the head feeling like it's going to explode feeling. I got that too whenever I made a change to my risperidal dose. It should go away.

Just watch how much time you spend in the sun and make sure you wear sunscrean, risperidal increases photosensitivity so you burn more easily.

--splitimage

[IdoubtIT]

Yeah I was worried when I saw that 5mg, too.

Combining wellbutrin with an SSRI antidepressant (prozac, celexa, zoloft, lexapro, etc.) is not uncommon. I might not layer on an antipsychotic like risperdal without trying a different SSRI if prozac isn't working for you.

As for "numbing your emotions," it is more like placing a coat of teflon on your character. Things that used to bum you out or annoy you will just roll off and you will feel fine. Some people feel flat on anti-depressants, especially bipolar people but that isn't a hard and fast rule. By flat I mean that you feel neither depressed nor happy. It can be an odd place to be.