Non-SSRI antidepressants

[LibraryGirl]

Non-SSRI antidepressants

I am the OP and I am not drinking at the moment, and have not for 46 days. I am not looking for something to help with AL. I am only looking for an AD, natural or synthetic with the most positive aspects. I am not on any medication of any kind right now.

I looked up the gabapentin and saw that it has a great many side effects, including increased appetite and weight gain. I am too wary of this side effect as my first slide into being overweight started with AD's, and that is something I'm trying to reverse. I've always heard good things about Wellbutrin, but have heard it increases? AL cravings...

Neva, I would love to be completely med free with only exercise to "cure" my depression! The trouble is, I can't get motivated to do anything. I need something to help my moods before I can even get started.

LG

[resrchqueen]

Non-SSRI antidepressants

I have a friend who takes Wellbutrin and does well with it. She was on that and lexapro but went off the lexapro as it was giving her bad side effects... She does like Wellbutrin... She refers to it as her happy pill... the lex was for anxiety.

[spacebebe01]

Non-SSRI antidepressants

Wow, what a thread this is turning out to be, MM can I put you in my pocket and take you to my psychiatrist appointment tomorrow. :H

I take gabapentin, I have a script off my doc for 900mg a day, sometimes use more but I seem too have got away with ordering a repeat script early this month. I also take citalopram and have taken bac with it as well. During the time I cant say that it has got rid of my depression, but I am diagnosed with bipolar which I disagree with, my diagnosis before this was clinical depression. I cannot come off meds for this so I think probably I am in a different situation from you. Anyway back to the gabapentin, yes I have taken it with baclofen, at around 40mg a day of bac I was ok but when I titrated up and got to 100mg my depression seemed to get significantly worse, whether this was because of the se's or what I dont know. I do take baclofen now but take it as and when needed for anxiety.

Gabapentin needs to be taken 3 times a day because of its short half life, it is recommended to not leave more than 6 hours between doses.

I cant remember if you take baclofen or topamax. For some people but very few topamax is a good antidepressant, I have heard it seems to work on bipolar and am going to give it a try, I am thinking of replacing my morning dose of gabapentin with topa, I may be in the minority of people for whom this works, or not.

Wellbutrin isnt prescribed here in the UK as an antidepressant so I have never taken it. I think I did get some help tho from venlafaxine (effexor).

[MusiciansMallet]

Non-SSRI antidepressants

spacebebe01;1341920 wrote: Wow, what a thread this is turning out to be, MM can I put you in my pocket and take you to my psychiatrist appointment tomorrow. :H
Sure!! it'll cost ya though! :H

LibraryGirl wrote: I looked up the gabapentin and saw that it has a great many side effects

Well, I don't know where you looked; but, like most medications, these are all *possible* side effects. Just like w/ SSRIs... they mention the very rare side effect of suicide; gabapentin is actually very well tolerated; granted.. if you start at very low doses & titrate up if needed.


But again, everyone's different & react differently to every drug. I am not a recovering addict to alcohol; but to opiates (that has been beaten for 5 years) & i am on a barbiturate medication I am trying to get off of (w/ help of baclofen)- therefore, I don't know if longterm alcohol use and the neurplastic changes it causes (...err, "changes in the brain" to speak english, heh) could possibly cause any issues w/ its use.

But w/ what i've read here.. doesn't seem there is much long term interaction. I know my grandfather was an alcoholic for 40 years straight; up & quit w/ nothing but benadryl... he was later prescribed gabapentin & he didn't experience any odd side effects.

I personally have used gabapentin up to 2000mg/day and didn't have much SEs aside from drowsiness & increased libido, which, as a 27 year old male is welcome ..especially since my past drug abuse has left me w/ a decreased libido. Anyway, I didn't experience withdrawal symptoms from gabapentin after 1 month of straight use (w/ a week of titration dowards) either; although, I was using butalbital (fioriect), a barbiturate during this time... so this of course may have had some interaction.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Non-SSRI antidepressants

:H:H:H
Sorry, LG. It's the nature of the meds threads for a general question about an AD to have a lot of input from a lot of people who are looking to/for/at meds as a primary way out. (Or even, in MM's case, as a way out of meds!)
Your response to my post:

LibraryGirl;1341902 wrote: I am the OP and I am not drinking at the moment, and have not for 46 days. I am not looking for something to help with AL. I am only looking for an AD, natural or synthetic with the most positive aspects. I am not on any medication of any kind right now.

I looked up the gabapentin and saw that it has a great many side effects, including increased appetite and weight gain. I am too wary of this side effect as my first slide into being overweight started with AD's, and that is something I'm trying to reverse. I've always heard good things about Wellbutrin, but have heard it increases? AL cravings...

Neva, I would love to be completely med free with only exercise to "cure" my depression! The trouble is, I can't get motivated to do anything. I need something to help my moods before I can even get started.

LG

I so get that. I've been pretty consistent about exercising for years, both when I was drinking against my will, and after I got sober. The last couple of weeks I have found myself slipping...into catatonic-couch-potato-ness. I WANT to be active, accomplish my to-do lists, etc...But I really have a hard time doing anything. It is lousy. I don't like it. All that is to say that I think I get where you're coming from. And I KNOW that if I got some exercise, I would feel better and be able to exercise. But the knowledge isn't really enough.

My answer is to just...Do It. All. (Still haven't gotten over that impulse! ) This 'plan' is approximately one day old, but I'm using tools I've used before...
So I'm cutting out lots of food things that might (or might not) affect it, because every time I do that I feel better, even though I don't "believe" in it. It is difficult to actually cook and eat--I tend not to when I don't feel good.
I'm forcing myself to walk. I have to walk the dog anyway, so I make myself walk more. I did three pushups today. (pathetic. But yay! Helluva lot better than yesterday.)
And I'm going to experiment with some medications that you most likely wouldn't be comfortable with. And for good reason! I'm not making light of it, but I am also much more open to experimentation because of the results I've had with baclofen.

Gabapentin is my first trial. I ordered some online today, but mostly because I've just moved and my doc is an hour away now.
I think it might be a good idea to talk to your doctor about your concerns and ask for his/her thoughts... Gabapentin sounds a lot scarier than it is. (Again, I am not making light. Not at all. I am very wary, VERY wary about suggesting meds to people--other than bac, and even that.)
I also think the other two options that have been mentioned are sound suggestions. Wellbutrin...I don't know about the craving aspect of it. (There's enough indication that SSRIs do that, that I won't ever even experiment with them.) I have known some people from here who have taken Wellbutrin both before and after indifference. It may be worth looking into (and not just from online stuff, you know?) Have you asked in the General Discussion area? You can see if there are other people who are taking it and not drinking.

And then the other one, Mirta...whatever. The other one. It may be enough to try that at a very low dose...

Do me a favor and check back in, will you? Both with your decision and with the results. I am pretty clear that mine is a function of brain chemistry, and unrelated to drinking or new sobriety, just as yours is.
Good luck! And hang in. Even a really lousy day now is better than a great day then. I know you know.
I'm out of emotis, but hugs to you.

StuckinLA;1341863 wrote: MM--

It is all poorly understood, isn't it? Even less by folks who don't yet know they have a reason to learn about it all.

The head-doctor I met with wanted me to get off bac entirely so he could throw me on boatloads of Gabapentin. His reasoning was it's "the same thing" w/o the side effects. Ah, yes, I said to him, you are correct. They are both GABAish things, but it's that little difference that makes all the difference...

I do need to get off my arse and send ifullovelife that PM. I believe s/he (not sure) does HDB and Gabapentin.
Don't do that. Go off it completely. Just. don't. And if you do, go sloooowly.
He. He was/is on HDB and Gabapentin.


MusiciansMallet;1341862 wrote:
....I'm curious if anyone has any experience combining them? (that is, if the poster is on baclofen..?)

Yep several folks are using both. Generally LDB and gabapentin. The OP isn't on meds of any kind. (sorry for speaking for you, LG.)

[LibraryGirl]

Non-SSRI antidepressants

Thanks for everything people! I have a lot to think about and some research to do. My experience with doctors has been that they just give you SSRI's, and say go on with you. I have told my doctor what med I wanted in the past, and they prescribed it, but I wasn't really aware of what I needed. So far, I haven't met a doctor who really knew much about AD's, or at least one that cared enough to think about my situation.

[MusiciansMallet]

Non-SSRI antidepressants

LibraryGirl;1342086 wrote: My experience with doctors has been that they just give you SSRI's, and say go on with you.

Unfortunately this is very true... SSRIs are always first line treatments for depression. You must consistently nag your doctor in order to change up medications- and yet again, unfortunately, most doctors here in the US will just put you on another SSRI, then try an SNRI.. then try combinations; then they'll go to second-line treatments (usually tricyclics; or minor atypicals like trazadone, especially if anxiety is involved)- which are basically the same. & only then (with much persistence on the patient's part) will most doctors start considering the atypicals mentioned, particularly mood stabilizers like gabapentin--but this is a big MAYBE, as most doctors are reluctant to move beyond typical ADs.

Unless there are other issues going on like severe anxiety or lingering drug/alcohol abstinence symptoms remaining; such as seen w/ PAWS (post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome).. then gabapentin or other mood stabilizers may be considered more quickly. Although if some side effects become intolerable (such as severely decreased or inhibited libido- something that was intolerable for me as a 27 year old male ..or others like increased suicidal tendencies) they may be more quick to move away from SSRIs to certain SNRIs & aytpicals (but not necessarily any more likely to consider mood-stabilizers if its just depression).

But glad to hear you found a doctor that actually LISTENS! Such doctors are a rare commodity nowadays in our current health-business... OOPS; i meaan... health-care system Good luck!