From another thread, which I think was under Remeron:


So now I am thinking... Remeron was pretty sedating for me, and I want to stick with the Wellbutrin because it has been very energising, even if the depressive mood hasn't lifted (yet! I say in hope!) So how would a combo of Efexor and Wellbutrin be... even more energising, I would imagine? (efexor really worked well for me in the past).
Anyone tried this combo? I might just ask the psydoc if I can swop the Cymbalta for Efexor... please let me know of any experiences with this? (btw, I'm also on Lamictal.)

And what would that be called.... Russian Rocket Fuel? Houston Rocket Fuel?

This post has been edited by suburgatory: Jun 15 2008, 11:55 AM

I've taken effexor and wellbutrin together for a long time. And with Lamictal for a long time. It wasn't rocket fuel for me. I have sinced dropped a lot of my medication because I was doing well. Now I'm starting to get a little manic and decreasing my Effexor, maybe to add Seroquel in a couple of weeks.
Oreo

Oreo Kitty, did you take Effexor and Lamictal at the same time? Wellbutrin with those as well?

Ok, just picked up my Rxs for Effexor, Wellbutrin, amphetamine, klonopin, ambien, deplin, and Antara.....Whoooo hoooo, the pharmacists love me.

Going to start alternating the 100mg Pristiq daily with the 150 mg Effexor, supplementing with the Wellbutrin for long term effects. Amphetine 10mg 3xday for what ever energy boosts I feel I need. Klonopin left over from some severe anxiety that is still very helpfull while going through my relocation. Ambien gets me to sleep everynight, in spite of a wife and 2 rambunctions toddlers jumping on me. The Deplin is supposed to make the effexor/pristiq more effective, the Antara is for my high triglycerides.

The triglyceride med and the herbal supplement cost as much as all the other meds combined. Gotta love old generics that still work.

Will be starting the Effexor/Wellbutrin/amphetamine program tomorrow to see if I can shake this sleepiness I've been plagued with.

I'm also on antibiotics for a potential infection in the bone where I cut my foot, get an x ray & MRI on that Friday.

Had a full blood panel drawn yesterday, will see the Dr on Thur pm to find out what the physical causes of my tiredness are. PDoc is mystified why medications that previously had strong reactions in me (Concerta and Adderall) now have zero effect, he's convinced something physical is going on, hormones, testosterone etc. maybe a bone infection etc.

Anyways, I feel like a lab rat with all these drugs in me. On Friday I have an exit physical for my company and they'll be drug testing, I'm wondering if I should just attach a page to the questionaire.

Moonlightress,

After an extended, excruciating period of depression I have had success with a combination of Pristiq and Wellbutrin SR. I began the Pristique at the full 50 mg and found that while I immediately felt more buoyant, it was too much too soon, so I bought a pill cutter- at the suggestion of my psychiatrist- and began taking a quarter of a tablet for 1 week, followed by my current one-half a tablet. The primary side effects are reduced libido and anorgasmia. These side effects were not complete as with Prozac, TCAs, etc., and have diminished to an acceptable level. My doctor then added 150 mg Wellbutrin SR to counteract the slight spaciness that accompanied the Pristiq, increase focus and motivation, and perhaps counteract some of the unwanted sexual side effects. Success!! I have not felt this well in 20 years. I was taking large amounts of Adderall for Narcolepsy/Depression/ADD and have been able to eliminate this completely. The following have been the benefits of this combination for me: excellent focus (much better, oddly, than with the stimulants), a more buoyant feeling about myself and life, improved motivation, increased sociability, stable energy throughout the day, MUCH improved reaction to stress, better task completion and concentration (reduced ADD), reduction of binge eating, and a general increased lucidity. Not bad.

A close friend noticed these sudden, transformative changes in me and I think I was able to sum them up well: I have my imagination back. Instead of being morbidly depressed and unable to cope, I can now not only feel engaged in the moment, but I can also see the future and where I am going and how to get there. During this long, painful search for relief from depression, I never expected a to have a full resolution of symptoms, but I now think that it is possible. Find a doctor that is pharmacologically knowledgeable, engaged, and willing to employ creative insight to find the best solution. Depression is still mysterious, but even if we don't know where it comes from or to where it goes, there are still some effective means to deal with the chemical causes of the illness. Your expectations in a treatment should be high and not include debilitating side-effects or minimal symptomatic relief. My case is a prime example of how you can combine pharmacological tools to come up with a solution: sub-therapeutic doses of two medications that sum greater than their parts.

I'll offer three basic recommendations when seeking antidepressant therapy:

1> Try to see a pharmacologist or psychiatrist with a good reputation that specializes. Ask questions before making an appointment and get references where possible.

2> Be informed, but not overly so. Learn about treatments before you go to see your doctor and ask a lot of questions, but don't doom potential therapies before you even get started. Grim anecdotes abound on the web, but everyone is different.

3> Be patient. This is the hardest thing to do when you are clinically depressed. Give the medications time to work and fine tune rather than discard a treatment altogether.


Best wishes.

Emile

Hi Emile to DF and thanks for a great post - very sage advice.

I've been reading about Pristiq with great interest - thanks for telling us your story; going to keep that one in my back pocket in case the Efexor "poops out" on me again!

Here I am, a month later. The Cymbalta did indeed turn out to be a dud for me, and the pdoc felt that Efexor might well work again, so I've been back on it for 12 days now. Early days, but I think I MIGHT be improving. Had a week of ghastly headaches and insane constipation - it was definitely doing "something"!

If it DOES work.... I've seen nothing about a name for this combination (Efexor and Wellbutrin) so I am grabbing the chance to name it: (drum roll, please...) - SOUTH AFRICAN rocket fuel! ( to all the other South Africans here!)

I'd REALLY like to talk with others taking the Wellbutrin/Efexor combo, as I think this is the one that will work for me. I feel like I have myself back - hooray, my mind, my mood!

What is puzzling me now, is that for the last 2 days, I have had incredible tiredness. I've seen people talk about sleepiness on Efexor. Gone is my energy from Wellbutrin! I may try moving my Efexor from morning to evening and see if that helps, but it's an XR formulation, so I don't really know if it'll make that much difference. I stopped Cymbalta 3 days ago, but was tapering very very slowly, so I very much doubt it's that. Otherwise I've had no changes, sleep the same, work the same. It is not sleepiness I have, but tiredness.

I'll obviously talk to the doc about this, but I don't see him 'till Sept. I'm now exercising regularly (wow! me who loathes exercise - hey I still loathe it, but I loathe depression more!), trying very hard not to give in to the Efexor munchies, but I really, really want my Wellbutrin energy back!

Anyone else have this response?

I wonder if reducing the EfexorXR (150mg to 75mg) and/or increasing the WellbutrinSR (300mg to 450mg) would help? I will ask the doc, but would love to hear others' experiences...!

After so long it is good to see a combo working for you Moonlightress!

Maybe give this one some time to show its real teeth though, you must be a professional by know about the time it takes for the drigs to work.

It sounds like an unlikely combo though, keep us updated.

PS: Altogether you seem to be in a much better place that when you started posting here!

Thanks Mimen! Yeah, I do feel a whole lot better. No more thoughts of suicide at all. Looking forward to getting my life back and get rid of some of the negative thinking habits, I've had about a year now! My therapy work with the psychologist is going great too. And I've only been on the Efexor for 4 weeks, so I know it will get even better.... at LAST!

But there is a small wish in my heart that once I am settled on this combo, we can start reducing things just a little...? I am on EIGHT medications! I used to be fine on 75mg Efexor. But I won't jeopardise my being free of depression. So for now, I just take the pills - I only see doc in Sept again. It also needs time to see how many of the Efexor side-effects will diminish and not be a problem anymore.