[circles5]

Hi,
I'm having difficulty with focusing and staying motivated to do the things i need to do to get better.
I think i'm a bit depressed at the moment, but my main issues are anxiety disorders and Schema level issues..

When i'm down like this i just stare at a wall if i don't push myself to do something like watch a movie or listen to music e.t.c..

I've tried SSRIs and i get terrible side effects and little benefit - so i won't be taking any more of them.

I feel like there's no meds left for me to try - bar bupropion..
Benzos work-ish,,, but the days and years fly by and i don't remember them which is saddening.. - i don't get anything productive done when on benzodiazepams either.

I feel flat and empty, i'm looking for something to 'perk' me up and get me enthusiastic about my recovery and getting better. I just don't have a clue what kind of med would be appropriate..

I've also considered trying; modafinil - just for some energy and focus..
Does bupropion sound like it might be worth giving a try?
I really hate meds but i don't feel like i have many options at the moment.
thanks,
C5

[Duckbruck]

Originally Posted by circles5

Hi,
I'm having difficulty with focusing and staying motivated to do the things i need to do to get better.
I think i'm a bit depressed at the moment, but my main issues are anxiety disorders and Schema level issues..

When i'm down like this i just stare at a wall if i don't push myself to do something like watch a movie or listen to music e.t.c..

I've tried SSRIs and i get terrible side effects and little benefit - so i won't be taking any more of them.

I feel like there's no meds left for me to try - bar bupropion..
Benzos work-ish,,, but the days and years fly by and i don't remember them which is saddening.. - i don't get anything productive done when on benzodiazepams either.

I feel flat and empty, i'm looking for something to 'perk' me up and get me enthusiastic about my recovery and getting better. I just don't have a clue what kind of med would be appropriate..

I've also considered trying; modafinil - just for some energy and focus..
Does bupropion sound like it might be worth giving a try?
I really hate meds but i don't feel like i have many options at the moment.
thanks,
C5

Bupropion is a good candidate! try it.

It's often prescribed with Mirtazapine aka "heroic combo"

[coyotee]

Bupropion has been working pretty well for me for over a year now. That first week though really worsened my anxiety and made me agitated, and also very aggressive - and I am not an aggressive person ever. But after that first week or so things got better. You might not react the same way.

I didn't get any benefit either from SSRIs.

I still have major anxiety but I'm pretty confident it's NOT a side effect of the bupropion anymore. That first week was just adjustments. I've always had anxiety. The depression is managed very well with the bupropion but I still don't have medication that helps me manage anxiety. Benzos have helped me for a while but not so much anymore and looking for something else.

Also- I don't have an official OCD diagnosis, but I was treated for OCD with a psychologist and I sort of struggled with a lot of ruminations and compulsions for a long period of time. I think the bupropion actually helped me break out of some of that mindframe.

Worth talking to your doctor about it at the very least.

It sounds like you are experiencing anhedonia which means lack of pleasure in life. This is commonly brought about by mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and especially antidepressants such as snri's and ssri's. However, depression can become so bad that you can't feel anything and an antidepressant might give you back your feeling I've heard.

First, the med you are talkinga bout, Wellbrutrin, can cause anxiety. So be very careful. It is also an upper and you may have difficulty sleeping during all hours of the night.

Wellbutrin raises dopamine levels so you are more inclined to feel positive emotions of pleasure again. 150 is the first thereaputic dosage but most people find they see imporvements only after 300mgs. The more you take the harder it is to sleep though.

Also, Effexor at high dosages can raise your dopamine levels also. I hope this helps.

[still_crazy]

hi. wellbutrin is more stimulating than many other options. i found it to cause far less apathy than the ssri drugs, although i will say that now that i've dropped it (I was on 400mgs), i do think it caused some apathy and emotional numbing...but not nearly as much as, say, standard dose celexa.

from what i've read, on the aggregate level, its just as effective as anything else, it just has a different adverse effect burden. some psychiatrists seem to think that it doesn't cause (hypo)mania in people as often as the tca and ssri drugs. I don't know if that's based on solid data or if its psychiatric folk lore.

my personal, not at all expert opinion would be that if you have had any problems with stimulants--ritalin, amphetamines, etc.--causing problems for you, you might be better off on something else (or nothing at all). Wellbutrin wasn't "fun" at all for me, but it lifted my energy levels and tuned out some negative self-talk during a very rough patch. then, after a while, i found it too stimulating, in a not-so-fun, on edge kind of way. i dropped it quickly, and i did not have any problems discontinuing it.

i dont know much about modafanil, but my best guess would be that if you just want a quick energy lift and to clear out some dark mood issues, some kind of stimulant might be an easier solution than an antidepressant, provided you don't have tons of underlying problems, psychosocial stressors, etc. then again...all psych drugs have very real (potential) adverse effects. playing with brain chemistry only gets one so far, and it always comes at a price...

anyway, i hope things work out for you. good luck.

[Periwinkles]

I have been taking bupropion 150 XL for one week. (Wait! Don't dismiss me just yet!) unnoticed an immediate improvement the second day (first day was cloudy brain and achy body but not unbearable at all!) BUT IT LITERALLY MADE ME LIT. LIKE SUPER WIRED. but for the first time in a long time I had the mental energy and fortitude to engage others and do better at my job. It was definitely making the brain work better. Ultimately I went down to 75mg just today and so far so good. I've always been a light weight so might need to ease in.

[Sunflower123]

Wellbutrin works well for me. I'm sorry it wasn't working for you. I've found it to be activating and helpful.