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depression meds

Old 10-09-2018, 05:31 PM
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depression meds

looking for feedback on this. loved one went to a treatment facility after many years of alcohol and weed abuse. Psychiatrist prescribed anti-depressants and anxiety meds to help get his levels back to normal. (Prozac, buspar (spelling?) and Wellbrutin.
Not sure of the dosage.
How long is the normal length of time one is on this mix? Do they usually try to wean them off after a few months of being sober?
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Old 10-09-2018, 05:42 PM
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Originally Posted by hummingbird358 View Post
looking for feedback on this. loved one went to a treatment facility after many years of alcohol and weed abuse. Psychiatrist prescribed anti-depressants and anxiety meds to help get his levels back to normal. (Prozac, buspar (spelling?) and Wellbrutin.
Not sure of the dosage.
How long is the normal length of time one is on this mix? Do they usually try to wean them off after a few months of being sober?
I am on a anti-depression medicine that is one shot in the arm every 6 months. It is incredible and I recommend it. The name of the edicine is ABILIFY.
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Old 10-09-2018, 05:50 PM
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It depends on the person and the drs care decisions. These are all important medicines to monitor closely. I'm assuming your loved one is an adult so you won't be talking to the dr directly, but it will be important for your relative to be honest with the dr, follow directions like medicine compliance, and giving the dr feedback on what effct(s) the med(s) are having.

For many people like me, the right psych meds are an important part of my recovery routine.
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Old 10-09-2018, 07:36 PM
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I don't know which came first - the depression or the drinking. I've been on sertraline for depression for a long time and will likely always be on it as it works to stabilize my mood. It's not a 'high' or anything like that, but it evens out the chemicals in my brain and makes me feel better about myself.

Sometimes depression is due to drinking, and getting sober takes care of that. But other times the depression is just made worse by the drinking and needs to be treated, so the depression won't persist after getting sober.
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Old 10-09-2018, 08:38 PM
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Not meant to give medical advice here but for what its worth-
I have taken a wide variety of a/ds over many years and had to experiment with many before getting some benefit.
One, which helped me was taken off the market in Australia because of its effects on the liver in some cases.
As i understand it some people need to wean themselves slowly to prevent a w/drawal syndrome.
My current anti D works reasonably well and I have never experienced---- problems going off it quickly. Horses for courses.

Bernzodiazepines (anxiolictics) abused can cause an acute withdrawal episode.
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Old 10-09-2018, 09:50 PM
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No medical advice. I can share my experience.

I used to be on a mood stabilizer called Lamictal. It works wonders, and may need to go on it from time to time to combat bipolar depression. For now, I'm just taking Wellbutrin, which is awesome with helping my depression and confidence issues.

Being off alcohol changed how medications affected me and I was able to take fewer psych meds, at this point it's just the wellbutrin.

Everyone is different. People above swear by sertraline (Zoloft) and Abilify. I loathed both of these. I was also warned by a neurologist that atypical antipsychotics like Abilify (and that's what it is...being used as a mood stabilizer) can cause permanent movement disorders, as well as balance and walking issues.

YMMV. Listen to your psychiatrist.
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Old 10-10-2018, 02:29 AM
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MM makes a great point- people have different experiences with the same drug. It can also take time to sort out what is a good fit. Most of the drugs given for mental health conditions take say, a month, to take full effect.

For me, a regimen that includes Lamictal and also Ativan for anxiety, as needed, and Paxil have been a successful combination with some dosage and time of day changes along the way. That's in my nearly 26 mo sober.

To me, the most important thing is not to drink, ever, so the right meds can do their right work.
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Old 10-10-2018, 03:18 PM
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I don't know whether there is a "normal time" for being on psych meds.

For me, I have remained on them since I started taking them, quite a while ago I may add.

My doctor and I have tried getting me off of some of them on occasion (not off all of them at once) and the results were nil (so to speak).

So I keep taking them and with successful results.
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Old 10-11-2018, 01:39 AM
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I read the reviews on Wellburtin and I thought it had better reviews. It seems not to. I know he is concerned with all of the meds he is on. Prozac, buspar, gabappentin, naltrexone, and now they added wellbrutin.
His depression is getting worse day by day. He will start the wellbrutin today. Now I will worry about that.
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Old 10-11-2018, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by hummingbird358 View Post
Now I will worry about that.
Why worry at this point? Maybe this drug will be the one that pulls him out of his depression? Why not think of it that way. There is a brighter side to all this, it is not all bad news.

He is not drinking. He has several professionals looking after him. Getting drugs right and dosages right is not an exact science, it can take a while and it can take trying several.

Once they get him stabilized they will probably fine tune it but the most important thing now is to get that stability so he doesn't sink further in to depression and relapse don't you think?

While I think it's important to know that Doctor's are not gods, it would be wise at this point to reassure him that they are doing their best and again, it is not an exact science. I am sure they are trying to help him.

I think if they only had him on one drug and not adding others at this point, when his depression is worsening both of you would be questioning why they aren't doing enough?
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Old 10-11-2018, 10:00 PM
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Wellbutrin is a magic bullet for me. SSRIs make me feel like my soul is wearing a condom, and forget about sex. It's just so not worth it.

Again, YMMV.

I took far more psych meds as I was overcoming addiction. The drugs and alcohol did a massive reset on my brain, and not in a good way. The further I got into sobriety the fewer drugs (and lower doses) that I needed.

Saw my psychiatrist today and was prescribed buspar. I start it tomorrow. May also be put on a drug for ADHD, which I suspect I've had all of my life.
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Old 10-15-2018, 04:08 PM
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Originally Posted by MindfulMan View Post
No medical advice. I can share my experience.

I used to be on a mood stabilizer called Lamictal. It works wonders, and may need to go on it from time to time to combat bipolar depression. For now, I'm just taking Wellbutrin, which is awesome with helping my depression and confidence issues.

Being off alcohol changed how medications affected me and I was able to take fewer psych meds, at this point it's just the wellbutrin.

Everyone is different. People above swear by sertraline (Zoloft) and Abilify. I loathed both of these. I was also warned by a neurologist that atypical antipsychotics like Abilify (and that's what it is...being used as a mood stabilizer) can cause permanent movement disorders, as well as balance and walking issues.

YMMV. Listen to your psychiatrist.
Lamictal is great as well.
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Old 10-15-2018, 07:40 PM
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I have had depression and anxiety for as long as I remember but only began treatment for it at the age of 51, a couple years ago. My medications are Lexapro (a SSRI) and a low dosage of Abilify (an atypical anti-psychotic, sometimes prescribed to stabilize mood and to make the anti-depressant more effective that way). Both of these drugs have potential side effects that are minimal *for me* but that I had to consider when being prescribed.

My medications are helpful to me in maintaining my sobriety, but I was not put on them as a form of treatment for my substance abuse alone. I engage in therapy as well, with an addiction trained specialist, along with the medication and find that important to my recovery as well. I am not of the mindset, and I don't think it is a general medical conclusion, that such medication is alone a means for maintaining sobriety but for a depressed person, and one suffering anxiety, they can be a substantial aid. If he indeed has a dual diagnosis of addiction and mental health disorders like I do, it can take a trial of one or more medications to find what works, and these drugs take time to take effect. It's important to report any negative side effects that are persistent, and some medications require one be weaned off of them, not abruptly stopped, under the care of a psychiatrist.

Equally important to medication for me and for most is other recovery activity. That included the therapy I mentioned, learning cognitive techniques to help control my behaviors, attendance at AA for over a year as my primary support group, and learning to enjoy the things that sobriety gives, in my case. Each individual is unique in how s/he responds to treatment(s).
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Old 10-16-2018, 03:45 AM
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Very well said, Guener. Apt description of my journey as well.
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Old 10-17-2018, 11:11 AM
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I agree with you, Guener, completely.

I would also add for the benefit of the OP that getting one's meds dialed in, so to speak, can be an arduous task.

That is largely because we tend to feel the various (and unpleasant) side effects almost immediately, while, at the same time, we don't get the therapeutic effects for quite some time.

It required a lot of patience on my part, but the result has been an unqualified success.
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Old 10-21-2018, 01:57 PM
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Update.... was doing fine for a few days and now back deep into depression and self harm (cutting). Feels like human garbage. shame/guilt - no hope
I don't know what to say. Is still sober and going to aa meetings but not like before due to depression weighing him down.
I know this is his battle but it hurts as a mom to have him feeling like this and be so far away. It is his choice not to do sober living, not to tell the counselor about his self harm - (Fears they will commit him to a mental hospital).
I know not to give advice because he won't listen and this has to be his battle. The pain hurts though knowing he is not in a good place.
Not sure how long the meds take to work or if they will even work if the shame and guilt is what is causing this. Depression led to self harm in the beginning then alcohol came into the pic and self harm stopped... now that booze is out, self harm is back.
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Old 10-22-2018, 10:06 PM
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Originally Posted by hummingbird358 View Post
Update.... was doing fine for a few days and now back deep into depression and self harm (cutting). Feels like human garbage. shame/guilt - no hope
I don't know what to say. Is still sober and going to aa meetings but not like before due to depression weighing him down.
I know this is his battle but it hurts as a mom to have him feeling like this and be so far away. It is his choice not to do sober living, not to tell the counselor about his self harm - (Fears they will commit him to a mental hospital).
I know not to give advice because he won't listen and this has to be his battle. The pain hurts though knowing he is not in a good place.
Not sure how long the meds take to work or if they will even work if the shame and guilt is what is causing this. Depression led to self harm in the beginning then alcohol came into the pic and self harm stopped... now that booze is out, self harm is back.
I don't know a lot about self-harm and how it develops, but I understand it is a form of self-soothing, like alcohol can be, and without the alcohol it may come as no surprise that he is engaging in these behaviors again.

Medication for depression or other mental disorders can take a trial and error approach as well as time to work for an individual. Just because one option is not working for him does not mean that others will fail, too. If he's not getting therapy for the reasons behind his behavior, that reduces the chances of success also. I can understand his hesitation about entering a hospital setting, though I've not been through that myself, either. He really needs to be under the close supervision of medical and mental professionals nonetheless, IMO.
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Old 10-23-2018, 05:33 PM
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I know this sounds really obvious, but is he taking the medication? Often, people stop for a variety of reasons, one being the desire to drink or use again.

If the medication stops working, and he is taking it as prescribed, it's important to notify the doctor ASAP. They can and will change it/increase the dosage/add another drug. If he is cutting and not motivated, it's not really doing its job.
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