After Prozac

[Ptolomy]

I've been on prozac for almost two months now for depression and little has changed. I still spend as long as is possible in bed in the mornings and subside into depression every night. There may have been some slight change after the first two weeks, but clearly it's not working. My question is, what happens now? I have been on Sertraline in the past which was brilliant for ocd but didn't really touch the depression, and Risperdal, which made me even more soporific than I am now.

[Forbidden91]

They can change antidepressants for treatment resistant depression. I particularly favor a quite potent antidepressant Wellbutrin, it has an amphetamine-like structure. I used it and felt my moderate depression the second day (I received samples of Aplenzin which is also buproprion a.k.a. Wellbutrin). It is also called Zyban. It is one of few antidepressants that cause an increase in sexual desires. It may cause anxiety in high doses so it is best to start on a low dose, especially in patients prone to anxiety. Here is some information listed on MayoClinic on an article going through types of antidepressants I'll link you after this quote "Bupropion (Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL) has few sexual side effects. It may also suppress appetite, and it may help you stop smoking if you're trying to quit. People with seizure disorders or who have bulimia or anorexia shouldn't take bupropion." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antidepressants/HQ01069

 

 

 

Is Prozac the only antidepressant you've tried so far? If you haven't experienced any positive effects I would recommend discontinuing it and trying some else that others may deem more potent.  

 

Some doctors also combine antidepressants such as the popular combination of Pristiq with Wellbutrin or Effexor (another antidepressant that is noted for its effectiveness) and in some cases where your thoughts may not be clear, or you are having odd thoughts it isn't uncommon to have a dose of an activating antipsychotic such as Abilify added to your antidepressant regimen, but I don't recommend asking for this combination until you've had two antidepressants combined are deemed ineffective or like I said before your depression has caused your thoughts to become "unclear". This is information from the site: "ABILIFY was added to an antidepressant and studied versus an antidepressant alone. Below are the antidepressants ABILIFY was added to:

• Lexapro® (escitalopram)
• Zoloft® (sertraline)
• Prozac® (fluoxetine)
• Effexor XR® (venlafaxine) extended release
• Paxil CR® (paroxetine) controlled release            This is the site I found this information at and where you can read more at                                 http://www.addabilify.com/depression-treatment.aspx

 

 

 

In some cases where depression is treatment resistant amphetamines and other psychostimulants are prescribed as a last resort treatment. I caution you however if you have issues with addiction or a history of mania, hypomania, or any type of psychosis when using psychostiumlants. Unline SSRI's or SNRI's they have an almost immediate effect. Read more about this here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181580/ 

 

 

If your depression is truly severe and you are willing to do ANYTHING to get rid of it. There is a therapy called ECT. Although you'll lose some short-term memory in the process. I DON'T recommend this unless nothing else has worked. Although people who have this done note its "miraculous" effects.  

 

"ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed or suicidal patients. It's also very effective for patients who suffer from mania or other mental illnesses. ECT is generally used when severe depression is unresponsive to other forms of therapy. Or it might be used when patients pose a severe threat to themselves or others and it is too dangerous to wait until medications take effect." http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/electroconvulsive-therapy

 

 

 

 

Here is information regarding combinations of antidepressants, visit the site/link provided for more information "Use of the tetracyclic antidepressant mirtazapine in combination with fluoxetine, venlafaxine, or bupropion is more effective and as well-tolerated in treating major depressive disorder (MDD) as fluoxetine alone, according to results from a new double-blind comparison study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry."  http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/714249

Edited May 13, 2013 by Forbidden91