I'm just curious... sometimes these things can be hard to answer... i was on celexa 1st, which worked great, until it seemed to wear out after only a few months.

then i tried effexor, with only mild success.

now i am a few days on wellbutrin...

for now, id hafta say celexa...

I voted for Cymbalta and it didn't registure?  LOL!  Looks like your med is winning.  

well, that sucks...
i wouldnt know how to fix it, so...
i guess my experiment in startin polls is a failure! :o(

I voted WB. I am on a misture, and I wouldn't want to give up any of them. But if I did have to, WB is the one I wouldn't want to do without.

My vote registered just fine...maybe it is the post-er, Jkm!! ;)

Nothing, I mean no a/d has worked as fast, as good or as long as when I was on Effexor XR...
I had been up and down for 2 1/2 years, all different kinds of a/d's...I'd be okay for a few weeks, then back down. Then I went to a psychdoc and she put me on Effexor, and no kidding, within 5 days it was like I had never been depressed. I mean, I was my old, predepression days. That lasted for about 13 months - then BAM! Like walking off the edge of a cliff.

Celexa, Paxil and Prozac all worked well for me, but they pooped out. It was almost six years of searching for another AD that would work, and I may have found it in Cymbalta.

Prozac works great for me when I abstain from drinking.  It's also (imo) one of the safest anti-depressants since it has a half-life of 45 days.  This means it's the most gradual of impact within the brain.  So, it won't zap your brain like effexor or the other antidepressants that work way too quickly.

NO Antidepressants work for me... You left out NONE... :(  Some people... especially Bipolars, can't take AD's because they bring on mania....  So I would say, NONE, but I can't... alas. :;):

Zoloft...hands down for depression and anxiety...but that is just me....I'm also BP, so I can't take it for more than a couple weeks max...but that is all it takes for me.
    Lamictal is not too bad either; but is not classed as an AD.

voted wellbutrin, this is my SECOND time on it (so i know it works). you want to know the funny and STUPID reason i stopped taking it the first time? it made my cigarettes taste bad. in other words it messed up my smoking experience so i stopped taking WB! hoping this time i have enough sense to stay on it since it does help me feel better and doesnt take away my sex like all those other choices did. i also did not gain weight on WB like i did with all the others.

venlafaxine helped me,but i had to stop it due to severe night-sweats.

I voted Effexor. At 150mg I started feeling slightly better. The 75mg didn't do anything for me. I was on Zoloft before and that didn't do the trick either. On the contrary, especially in the beginning I was feeling anxious and my chest hurt (like I couldn't breathe properly). But those are common side effects I think. I gave the Zoloft about 12 weeks. My doc switched me to effexor then. After a while I felt worse again though and now I'm combining effexor with remeron. After about 2 weeks I felt pretty good. Last few weeks I'm feeling a bit low again (but pschotherapy could have something to do with that. I kinda went from emotionally numb to being overwhelmed by everything that was hiding inside of me). Seeing my pdoc next week so we'll see I guess.

I voted for effexor but getting up to therapeutic level was a S.O.B. Now, it has been working great. Paxil was o.k. but the sexual side effects I hated.

i voted efexor as thats been effective when combined with lithium

tried fluoxetine before and it didn't do anything

I,m another one that has to say no anti,d works for me after about 6 months giz

Effexor, as evil as it is, helped me tremendously. Horrible, horrible side-effects and withdrawals (excuse me, "discontinuation effects"), but definitely the only one that did what it was supposed to while I was on it. (I took it for over 4 years at various doses -- from 37.5 all the way to 300.)

Hi guys, I was on prozac for awhile and then I asked my doctor if I an switch meds and then the put me on 30 mgs of Remerom (Mirtazapine). I been on Remeron (Mirtazapine) for 6 months now and I like it better then Prozac. It does what I need it to do for depression, sleep aide, and stress relieve, plus... the gain weight side effects...works wonders for me.

This post has been edited by hbircharo: Feb 12 2006, 11:21 PM

I have to agree with blackcloud, venlafaxine has been the only med I have tried that has really made me better- but it does have horrible side effects and withdrawal is a nightmare. I was on 300mg for a couple of years and during that time I just felt "normal". The only problem was it completely abrogated my sex drive and eventually my husband had an affair and left me
So now I have been on a year long voyage of discovery to try to find something that will help me but won't ruin my relationship. On the up-side I have now found a new partner who isn't a complete a**Ho** so that has to be a good start
Now taking Wellbutrin + venlafaxine so lets see if that improves things.....

This post has been edited by kawale: Feb 19 2006, 06:44 AM

I had to vote Other as the best med to work on m medication enduced depression was Nardil (phenelzine - a maoi) BUT I had a blood pressure and serotonin reaction to it about 3 weeks ago and am now been put on Prothiaden :(

I have to say cymbalta, so far, has helped me more than any other med has even come close to. I am taking wellbutrin with it, so that probably makes a difference, but if I had to give one up, I'd stick with the cymbalta! I took that alone for a while, so I know how it felt to just be on it and it was great.

Other: None.
I've been on about 12 or 13 different ones without success.

I've found remeron to be very helpful. Especially with sleeping :)

I took Wellbutrin for a short period of time but it make me sick so I was given Zoloft. I was on Zoloft for 3 years and it worked great. Not on any anti depressants now though.

I've only tried 2--imipramine and Lexapro (also marketed as Cipralex). Imipramine made me a total zombie, so that wasn't for me. So far the Lexapro has been a great help, but I've only been on it about a month.

Celexa was a dream come true. In '98 it completely pulled me out!! Outside of a few normal residual issues regarding my depression, I was completely turned around.

Then I went off Celexa after a year in '99. Then I was good for about 4 years! Then all of a sudden whammo......and I needed Celexa again. Back on & I was good within a few weeks again!! VERY nice!!!

Well, this last bout my pdoc wanted me to ditch Celexa and go to Lexapro. Went on Lexapro & after about 5-6 weeks I was feeling better. Great, yahoo, etc.............BUT..........then I've just had this recent episode that has me totally baffled. I'm still on Lexapro, but I feel like it failed me.

I don't know what happened. I'd have to give the nod to Celexa.

My mother and sister swear by Zoloft. That might be next for me if I don't bounce back w/ my current dose of Lexapro!!

Cymbalta has seemed to work better good for Me. Paxil made Me suicidal.

I've been on Effexor, Welbutrin, Lexapro, and now Paxil. Nothing lasts very long for me. I'm bipolar, and take Depakote for my mood stabilizer, but need an AD to help me boost out of depressive episodes.

Lamictal--although it's classified as a mood stabilizer (I'm Bipolar II) and not an antidepressant, it does have antidepressant qualities that have worked for me--so far, it's been four months--like nothing else (including Effexor, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta). I'm taking 200 mg/day (in combination with Seroquel 50mg/night for sleep).

This post has been edited by harper: May 5 2006, 08:54 PM

Hi,

For my depression I would say the effexor worked the best but for anxiety the paxil worked the best. I am also on lamictal along with prozac and it seems to help with the depression as well. I take abilify for anxiety and it helps too. Unfortunately, it takes quite a combo to keep me stable.

best wishes,
starr

I am going to throw my 2 pennies in about Effexor, I loved it so much I didnt want to come off it. This was besides the fact it messed my liver up, made me put on a ton of weight and had the screaming ad dabs if i ever ran out of this medication!!! Coming off it was a living hell, and no would never ever contemplate going back on it again.

Its highly addictive and for me was probably one of the worst things in my life ever to happen.

Lynn

None of them work for me. Because of all the illegal drug use and alcohol use in my past these antidepressants don't even have an effect on me. It's like giving me a pain pill and expecting me to turn into a horse.

I have been on many anti-depressants, plus a few meds for anxiety. Lexapro has worked the best on me with few side affects. I felt great in just a few short weeks of using it. I helped take the edge off so I could cope. Different ones work for different people. What may work well for one, may not work good for another.

I thought Paxil was the best. I've been on lexapro and most recently on Cymbalta.

Paxil took the anxiety down real quick, and I was able to function much better in a couple of days. The side effect were feeling a little woosy and tired for about 15 min. in the early afternoon. The sexual side effect were just a dampening for a couple of months, then that went away, too. It fixed the sleep probles real fast. I ws able to fall asleep and stay asleep all night. I dodn[t need any other meds, along wth it to work on the anxiety, either. I didn't have any withdrawl when I went from it, either. I just slowley tapered off.

Too bad my blood pressure went bananas when the doc tried to put me on it this time. No Paxil for me........

Jackie

I have been on EFFEXOR, PAXIL, PROZAC, ZOLOFT in the past and now I am going to start Fluvoxamine Mal (?) and I have no idea how that is going to effect me...

I am new to the forum. So, I hope this is okay. This is for everyone, of course, but especially for Ihatelife. I also abused alcohol years ago. And I have had depression ALL of my life. The only medications that have ever worked for me are the MAOI's: Parnate is the one I am taking now. MAOI's are considered an "archaic" medication and have some dangerous side effects, so not many doctors like to prescribe them. My present doctor refused at first and put me through 2 years of hell, trying drugs I had tried before and some I had not. I think I have taken every antidepressant there is and some of the antipsychotics. My doctor finally threw up his hands and put me back on Parnate, and the immense pain began to go away. I still have to work on my thinking, etc. But, only on MAOI's can I even function.

It's true that everyone is different. My daughter responds well to Wellbutrin. I just thought I'd mention what I have had to take; maybe it will help.

I really want to read more and spend time thinking about Each Anti Dep out there so that i know what i am getting myself into this poll is really helping me to see what ones are helping those who i relate to more.. I just want to say

Thank you ALL to those who have replyed to this post about your thoughts and how its working for you its been a God Send for me.....

Thank you agian

Someone please give me advice on what meds to try. I know you're all going to say I should see a doctor, and blah, blah, blah. But there are no shrinks in my neck of the world and I can get meds without prescription. Honestly, when it comes to prescribing meds for mental illnesses, I don't think doctors are worth much. They don't seem to know too much about the meds, their patients, or put that much thought into which meds to give them, and based on the vast majority of posts here, people find appropriate meds through trial and error, not pinpoint professional diagnoses.
I suffer from depression and social anxiety. For parts of the day I'll feel good about
things and sometimes even great about myself and then horrible the next hour. Everyday I'll have at least one meltdown which can last anywhere from 1 hour to all day, where I get suicidal and have feelings of worthless, etc., you know the drill. Also, it's really hard for me to talk to people and I get anxious about meeting people or even simple things like asking the bus driver to stop and let me off at the next stop. It's important that whatever med I try have no cognitive side effects. I must stay alert and active mentally. So what meds do you recommend and what dose should I start at? Any advice appreciated.

This post has been edited by KeepingAwake: Oct 3 2006, 09:02 AM

WhatAMI...I take Lexapro, 10 mg a day for depression and anxiety but mostly for anxiety and it has helped me tremendously. The normal dose recomended by doctors is 10 mg a day but you can go all the way up to 20 mg and I've heard of people taking 40 up to 60 mg a day. Other drugs that are good with social anxiety are Paxil and Prozac. I haven't tried any of those as Lexapro has worked really good for me so far. Hope this helped...Oh yeah I almost forgot. It doesn't really matter how tall you are and how much you weight, you should always start the medication on the smallest dose and see how it works before you take more. Good luck!

This post has been edited by Izzy85: Sep 17 2006, 01:31 AM

Hi WhatAmI-

I removed your reference to height and weight. It can be triggering to some of our members with eating disorders.

Also, your height and weight aren't going to affect the starting dose for a med. You'll be started on the lowest dose because it may be effective and also because it is easier to manage any side effects that way.

KA

Ide like to add my 2 cents on effexor. I was on 225mg and couldnt afford it anymore, costing me $132 american dollars. I stopped taking it and ended up in the hospital. Horrible drug.