Thinking of a Tricyclic

[Cuttlefish]

I've been going up and down while on Wellbutrin, so if a dosage increase doesn't help, I'm trying a new class of antidepressants-the Tricyclics!

(I've exhausted the SSRI's, and other antidepressants like Effexor and Cymbalta at this point)

So I'm looking for suggestions on the first tricyclic I will suggest to my pdoc should the Wellbutrin increase not help. I'm looking for one that has relatively few side effects compared to the rest of the tricyclics, and I'd like to suggest a good antidepressant on the first try!

Those who have been on these older antidepressants, and have experiences to share, I would greatly appreciate your input. And others who have more knowledge of them would also be appreciated too.

Edit: Oh yeah, there is the old adage that medication affects different people differently. I still am interested in other peoples' experiences however.

[DarkendHour]

Wish I could help but my three antidepressants are all listed as "other"

And your already on the Wellbutrin anyway.

Hope you find one that works well for ya.

[bluelikejazz]

I didn't respond to lexapro, cymbalta or mirtazapine (remeron) but Amitryptaline seems to be lifting me from a black suicidal depression to just feeling a bit sad. The dry mouth/eyes is a bit annoying (i'm on 175mgs) but it's worth it. Take some extra fibre or things can get blocked really fast.

I sleep pretty much through the night, and it's helping with pain too.

One of the reasons your pdoc might not agree is that it's quite dangerous if you overdose on it. If you've been suicidal you might need somebody to hang onto your meds for you.

[Rabbit37]

Years ago I was prescribed desipramine. It worked well, but turned me into a raging insomniac. This was before I was dx'd BP, so that might have had something to do with it.

[Guest]

I'm on Lofepramine. Have been for years, it works well for me.

[sorrel]

Some tricyclics are more sedating than others, so which you might wantdepends on if you want something to help with sleep, or if you don'twant to feel sedated.

[Mayteana]

I have absolutely nothing useful to add to this discussion.

So instead I'm going to say how glad I am to see you ready to try something new to get better.

You've come a long way, sir.

~ May

[Cuttlefish]

I have absolutely nothing useful to add to this discussion.

So instead I'm going to say how glad I am to see you ready to try something new to get better.

You've come a long way, sir.

~ May

Thanks May . And thank you all for your suggestions. Lots to consider! My goal is to have only fair-moderate to sedation (I don't want too much, but then again I already sleep 10+ hours a day sometimes, so moderate is just fine, but I've read that most of the sedation wears off the longer you take a tricyclic), and hopefully a dirth of whatever other side effects tricyclics cause.

I've got two votes for Amitriptyline!

[Alpam]

The only TCA that I have been on is Dothiepin (Dosulepin) which I found to be one of the more effective meds I have taken. It was good for Depression anxiety and insomnia due to its sedating effects. I took it before bed time in a single dose so I wasn't sedated during the day. It is a old drug and I believe one of the most dangerous in overdoses.

My chemist the other day stated that they only really see Dothiepin and Doxepin used in depression these days, the others are more prescribed for pain (but that was just what this chemist saw).

Good luck in your search.

[felnx]

I'm on doxepin. Seems to help somewhat with the depression but not so much with anxiety. It works better than imipramine, which I also tried. Be ready to be knocked out for few weeks on doxepin though. It has a really strong anti histamine effect. I'm on 200mgs.

-Tom

I concur with the doxepin. It's my pdocs favourite TCA. It's starting to make a comeback in low dose for sleep and depression.

[Guest Tony]

I am on Imipramine for GAD/Depression. 125mg's per day taken in one dose when going to bed. Has worked well, lifted my mood, helped my sleeping enormously and siginificantly reduced my panic/anxiety (I still get anxious and I constantly worry but this drug seems to stop the transition of this into 'Panic').

Only problems personal to me alone) is bad cotton mouth for the first 4-6 months, constant craving for sweet/junk food, weight gain (not severe around 1 stone MAX)and for the first 6 months used to get a strange pain around prostate region after ejaculating. This has gone now. I will soon be tapering off and I am a little worried about this but I would recommend this drug to people with similar probs to be who want to (quite understandably) stay away from SSRI's and SNRI's.

[GoldCoin]

Nortriptyline (allegron) was the tryciclic prescribed to me.

It is not sedating at all, it used to be very early on but that stopped quickly.

I have had no weight gain and no other side effects.

I think it is working really well at keeping my depression at bay after ECT.

[Catnapper]

I took Vivactil (protriptyline)for a year or two - it's been four or five years ago so I don't really remember the dosing details. It did work to pull me out of a nearly deadly depression, even though the side effects sucked (constipation and dry mouth). I tried to stop a month or so after I started (aided by the pdoc), but I was mood charting and it was clear my mood went back down. Then when I restarted it, the mood chart proved my mood was improving. So it definitely worked for me, and I got used to modifying my diet and fluid intake to compensate.

I'm not your doc and don't know your history, but if you've had more than a few episodes of major depression, you may want to talk to your pdoc about a mood stabilizer. I started on Lamictal about a year ago and feel better than I have in a long time. I've had five episodes of depression in my lifetime (some lasting over a year) and the pdoc has changed my diagnosis to BP II, even though I've never had a DSM-IV defined hypomania. I don't really care what it's called, but the mood stabilizer is the best drug for me so far. Good luck.