Well here goes

[Irish63]

First off thank you to anyone who replied when I have asked about wellbutrin. I finally saw a real psych doc.  She is having me taper off slowly. Thankfully. But during the taper she wants me back on generic prozac since it worked best and longest. Even though it quit working after years on it. Here is my question,

Can this depression AVPD thing be done without meds? I feel like an emotionless, zombified, depressed anxious eating machine. I am very serious. I have never put too much stock into  thinking I can do this by myself. I want to try cbd, exercise, diet. If any of you have done so, I'd love input. Enough is enough. I am 56 years old going on 100. I can actually mark the times I have felt happy in the past years of my life. I am a predictable low functioning just faking my way through each day empty human. On top of this menopause is showing it's ugly face, meaning more fun!   So again, thank you for reading. I really want a change in my life. 

[jkd_sd]

I am not in the same situation as you but can speak to two items you mentioned.  First, some of us will most likely be on meds for depression, etc. for the rest of our lives.  That said, it does not mean that it is true for everyone.  Second, menopause can very definitely mess with medications (effectiveness, side effects, etc.).  Be aware that you and your doc may need to tweak your meds more than once. From personal experience, a pain in the @$$ but worth it.

Good luck!

[Teril]

Hi Irish...I've been through most of what you described, including menopause, and remember feeling like I was just existing.  The good news is there is definitely hope.

I just completed weaning off Wellbutrin SR 150. I'd been on SR 300 then down to 150 a total of 15 years. (Was first put on anti-depressants 30 years ago.)  My Dr. put me on 30 mg Cymbalta as it lessens anxiety and I continue to take 100 mg Zoloft and 0.25 mg Klonopin 1-2x day as needed.  You asked about alternatives - I have had fantastic success with CBD oil.  My body is addicted to Klonopin from being on it so long to the point of beginning hideous withdrawal symptoms if I don't take it for as little as 3 days.  CBD eases anxiety for me very well. I still take Klonopin but don't have to rely on it 100% now. I recommend researching CBD oil as there are different types.  After trial & error I now take 2 types - full spectrum oil with less than the legal amount of THC for anxiety & isolate (only the CBD from hemp) for insomnia. CBD. Is an anti-inflammatory & I've experienced unexpected positives from it like totally clearing the monthly UTIs I got for years.

I just turned 66 and feel better than I have for years!  I hope this encourages you :)

 

 

 

 

 

[Laura123]

Irish63,  I feel your frustration and sorry that you are having such a tough time.  There are so many factors involved.  There's a book I found interesting that might answer your question.  It is "Renew" by Julie Winter.  It helps me navigate  through some of this.

[womanofthelight]

Hello, Irish63.  I can relate to nearly everything you've said.  I've been on one antidepressant or another for 23 years, and have had opposite responses to the predicted warnings.  (I'm the only person I know who lost weight on Paxil.)  Cymbalta left me feeling extremely anxious and hopeless, Prozac gave me the typical sexual dysfunction; Zoloft made me feel like that "eating machine" you mentioned; blah blah blah etcetera.  I've been on Bupropion XL for at least a couple of years now, and feel much better--that is, as though I can look at my life and see where I'm triggered and address it without a lot of tears (oh, there are plenty of those, but a lot less since the Bupropion).  I tried to go back on Paxil a few years ago after a long time off, and it failed miserably.  I was anxious and tearful 24/7. 

And YES, perimenopause will JACK YOUR S H I T UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trouble concentrating, hot flashes, etc., AND I think I'll be having periods until I'm 100, if I live that long.  (I'm told it's rare, but that some women menstruate into their 70's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😧)  So, I'd love to try CBD oil.  A good friend made a Christmas gift of CBD lotion and it's . . . okay for chronic pain (I've had 2 useless back surgeries and both knees replaced), though I would need a boatload to assist me every hour of every day, and it's very expensive.  I would LOVE to try some for insomnia, but, I might need a lot for that, too.  

If you would like to try living without prescription meds, I say go for it.  I'd love to do that, but don't want to rock the boat by changing my MO. 

I don't know if this has answered any questions you had, but I wish you good health, good sleep (lack of it can really add pounds--and yes, I've made my way through that!  Yee-hah!) and a path that's right for you.

WOTL (womanofthelight)

[Gary Green]

Thanks for your posts! I started taking Effexor about 34 yrs ago and have mostly been taking it the majority of those years although the brand name Effexor was taken over by generic Venlafaxine. After taking Effexor for 15 /20 years I decided I didn't want to take it anymore and very slowly, slowly weaned off it under Dr. supervision hoping to resent my brain back to that from which it came. I stopped the med for 3 years hoping I would re-adjust/reset. It didn't happen, I was like a fish out of water pretty much the whole time during those 3 years....diet, check...exercise check, spiritual seeking check! I couldn't return to that from where I was before starting the med. 

"Only my thoughts!!!" I'm thinking once my brain started relying on a med to try to enhance my lacking, seeming, chemical imbalance... my brain started counting on the stimulates from the pharmacy and said: Alright , my brain can now slow way down on producing natural connections and processors and rely on the med. I believe (only my thought) that my brain is now reprogrammed to produce less as in the past and to rely on the med and can't/won't naturally produce for itself as much as it once did. I believe I'm destoned to use these meds from now on...hoping for great advancements in anti-depression/anxiety medications > Gotta say these meds have helped me through a bunch that I wouldn't have as easily trudged through!