veritas Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 My psychiatrist is interested in putting me on a stimulant to treat my treatment-resistant depression. I do not have ADD/ADHD, but I have zero ability to concentrate or focus to the extent that I can't work or attend school or complete day-to-day activities. I'm currently on 100 mg of Pristiq, the medication I've been on for the past eight weeks, but to no avail. Does anyone have any experience with this route? What kind of stimulants are typically prescribed? Are all of them habit-forming (assuming any of them are at all... I know very little about stimulants aside from hearing stories of college kids abusing Adderall, etc.). Are any stimulants particularly better than others? I'm ready to try something new. My depression is debilitating at the moment and my life has been on hold for the past year. I've had no luck with any of the ADs I've taken in the past: Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft, Prozac, Remeron, and Cymbalta. The only one that has worked for me was Wellbutrin, and interestingly it also gave me energy to do things and the ability to concentrate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 There are really only two stimulants, amphetamine and methylphenidate. You just get different flavors of those two. Both could be used. None are habit forming at theraputic doses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daisy Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 My psychiatrist is interested in putting me on a stimulant to treat my treatment-resistant depression. I do not have ADD/ADHD, but I have zero ability to concentrate or focus to the extent that I can't work or attend school or complete day-to-day activities. I'm currently on 100 mg of Pristiq, the medication I've been on for the past eight weeks, but to no avail. Does anyone have any experience with this route? What kind of stimulants are typically prescribed? Are all of them habit-forming (assuming any of them are at all... I know very little about stimulants aside from hearing stories of college kids abusing Adderall, etc.). Are any stimulants particularly better than others? I'm ready to try something new. My depression is debilitating at the moment and my life has been on hold for the past year. I've had no luck with any of the ADs I've taken in the past: Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft, Prozac, Remeron, and Cymbalta. The only one that has worked for me was Wellbutrin, and interestingly it also gave me energy to do things and the ability to concentrate. I take Vyvanse for my ADHD, and I often feel that it improves my depression. But that's only temporarily. It allows me to concentrate better than I would otherwise, but I still do not concentrate as well as I would if I wasn't so depressed. It can mask the symptoms sometimes, but keep in mind that it doesn't cure them. When it wears off... I'm depressed again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kei13 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I was so depressed, with out really knowing it. I couldn't eat, it baffled me that food is supposed to give, not take away, energy. For about two years I complained of fatigue and lack of rest. Doc insisted; I tried Wellbutrin and, bless it, it brougth me back to life. Though I have not been stable since dx'd. (3+yrs) Now in Lithium, Wellbutrin and added Adderall for the ADD. It does help me focus and gives my brain that extra bit of energy that it needs to focus. I'm carefull with the dosage, 15mg Adderall doesn't turn me into Speedy Gonzales. As long as heartbeats are normal I'm OK. I tried Staterra and I felt as if I'd done a line, my eyes felt like they were too open, I moved about briskly and NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING could relief the dry mouth side effect. With D-Amphetamine (generic for adderal) I'm awake and I get stuff done. Make sure you understand how you react to it. Log it. A Pdoc will/should monitor closely as well. I was weighed in at the start (it curves appettite), and my Pdoc prescribes precisely, not a pill more. Kei, ps. if I'm not mistaken ADD often co-exists with depression, you might want to ck out what ADD's cocktails are like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icebird200 Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 My psychiatrist is interested in putting me on a stimulant to treat my treatment-resistant depression. I do not have ADD/ADHD, but I have zero ability to concentrate or focus to the extent that I can't work or attend school or complete day-to-day activities. I'm currently on 100 mg of Pristiq, the medication I've been on for the past eight weeks, but to no avail. Does anyone have any experience with this route? What kind of stimulants are typically prescribed? Are all of them habit-forming (assuming any of them are at all... I know very little about stimulants aside from hearing stories of college kids abusing Adderall, etc.). Are any stimulants particularly better than others? I'm ready to try something new. My depression is debilitating at the moment and my life has been on hold for the past year. I've had no luck with any of the ADs I've taken in the past: Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft, Prozac, Remeron, and Cymbalta. The only one that has worked for me was Wellbutrin, and interestingly it also gave me energy to do things and the ability to concentrate. I always get wary when pdocs add stimulants to antidepressants. To me that means the antidepressant is wrong. Also, why would he add a stimulant if pristiq is not even working? Pristiq is already stress on the cardiovascular system. If wellbutrin worked why not go back on that? Wellbutrin is much safer than most stimulants. Try some very strong coffee or expresso too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corvid Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I, too, have treatment-resistant depression. My most current "bout" of depression had lasted seven years. My pdoc and I tried just about every medicine in the book (see my sig line under previous rx's for a list of all the fun stuff we tried and which didn't work). Three months ago my pdoc decided to try a cocktail of Zoloft and Adderall because he's had other patients respond well to a combo of an AD and a stimulant. After seven years of constant suicidal thoughts, psychic agony, and total lethargy, I can finally see the light again. I'm not 100%, but it has literally been the difference between life and death. I have had zero side effects from the Adderall. I don't feel "wired" or hyper or have racing heart or head or anything like that. Instead, on the good side, I no longer fall asleep at my desk while at work or have my eyes cross as I try to stay awake driving. I can't really say I have more energy, I'm just not dead all the time. I guess means I have more energy, but I don't feel energetic, just not dead, KWIM? I love my cocktail. I am not in the least ADD or ADHD, but adding the Adderall to my anti-depressant has changed my life. If your pdoc wants to try adding a stimulant, I say go for it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But if it works, it's worth it. Corvid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rex Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 My psychiatrist is interested in putting me on a stimulant to treat my treatment-resistant depression. I do not have ADD/ADHD, but I have zero ability to concentrate or focus to the extent that I can't work or attend school or complete day-to-day activities. I'm currently on 100 mg of Pristiq, the medication I've been on for the past eight weeks, but to no avail. Does anyone have any experience with this route? What kind of stimulants are typically prescribed? Are all of them habit-forming (assuming any of them are at all... I know very little about stimulants aside from hearing stories of college kids abusing Adderall, etc.). Are any stimulants particularly better than others? I'm ready to try something new. My depression is debilitating at the moment and my life has been on hold for the past year. I've had no luck with any of the ADs I've taken in the past: Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft, Prozac, Remeron, and Cymbalta. The only one that has worked for me was Wellbutrin, and interestingly it also gave me energy to do things and the ability to concentrate. Have you tried any MAOIs? My long-term depression was extremely treatment-resistant, to dozens of different meds. The Emsam patch worked wonders. However... I always get wary when pdocs add stimulants to antidepressants. To me that means the antidepressant is wrong. Also, why would he add a stimulant if pristiq is not even working? Pristiq is already stress on the cardiovascular system. If wellbutrin worked why not go back on that? Wellbutrin is much safer than most stimulants. Try some very strong coffee or expresso too... ...not necessarily. Stimulants are different from antidepressants. They have different affects. For instance, on Emsam, I was no longer depressed, but was unmotivated and unable to watch a movie, much less read a book. This was not typical of me at all. Stimulants do tend to alleviate depression, in my case, extremely well. But that's between you and your doc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost_train Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I had been treated for depression for almost a year when I was diagnosed with ADHD by a neuropsychologist. Adderall alleviated my depression and anxiety like nothing else had. For the first time in a very long time, I felt normal. The attention bit was pretty sweet, too, of course. I found myself cleaning the house, actually noticing when things were dirty. Huge difference in two lectures, both hours of student presentations - before Adderall, I couldn't absorb a thing. After, I listened to absolutely all of them. Like you, I responded really well to Wellbutrin. I've even lost 30 lbs (I was borderline obese). Interestingly enough, even with Adderall augmenting my routine, my weight is now simply stable. For those who mentioned SSRIs being weird for those who need stimulants...I'm on Paxil, and I actually do need it. I was placed on it when I pulled out of my major depressive disorder on Wellbutrin and started getting really, really OCD. (It calms the anterior cingulate gyrus, indicated in OCD as well as other things. Totally separate from the PFC.) I guess keep in mind that there are different types of receptors in areas that all affect mood in different ways. And actually, most of the functions that we see as one whole entity (sight, language, hearing, mood) are modularized and located in different parts of the brain, often controlled by different neurotransmitters. Looking at previous posts at CrazyBoards that go into Amen's subtypes, I want to mention that because the raphe nucleus is also very dense in 5HT receptors (which serves to rein in the prefrontal cortex), I can see why going on an SSRI might result in the need for an additional increase in stimulant. http://www.amenclinics.com/clinics/informa...-help/adhd-add/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null0trooper Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 For those who mentioned SSRIs being weird for those who need stimulants...I'm on Paxil, and I actually do need it. I was placed on it when I pulled out of my major depressive disorder on Wellbutrin and started getting really, really OCD. (It calms the anterior cingulate gyrus, indicated in OCD as well as other things. Totally separate from the PFC.) They're harder on some of the folks with bipolar, but even then sometimes they're needed and can work. So if a combination of Wellbutrin, Paxil, and a stimulant (and it's not that weird a combination) works for you, that's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wake me when i'm dead Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 With D-Amphetamine (generic for adderal) I'm awake and I get stuff done. d-amphetamine is not generic adderall. d-amphetamine = single salt = dexedrine generic adderall = mixed amphetamine salts there's a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.