Suggest Treatment For Depression Inspite Of Using Lithium And Wellbutrin

Posted on Mon, 5 May 2014

Question: I started out feeling very tiered about 5 years ago. They told me I was depressed. I then went to a psychiatrist and they started to give me medication. The first thing was lythium I swelled all over my body. Then after two years and many many drugs I was more sick than when I first came to the doctor. I was on letnhal doses of wellbutrin. That was only one of the drugs they had me on. Also when they changed my mere they did not wean me off them and when I question this they said it didn't matter. After two years of this I. Couldn't remember when to take my medication I could barely walk. I tried to get help stopping the mere and no doctor would help. So I did it cold XXXXXXX It was very hard and painful. Now its been 2years and I only take a few suppliments and imodiom and tylenol. I feel sick all the time. I cant do much for myself.

Answered by Dr. Manisha Gopal (8 hours later)

Brief Answer: you need right medicines & will get better Detailed Answer: Hello, Your diagnosis from.what you describe looks.like depression only, may be there is some anxiety also. The drugs which you recieved: lithium and later wellbutrin, (you havr mentioned only these two) are not the first line agent to treat depressive disorder. Have you ever experienced periods of aggression, over activity, lack of need to sleep, desire to dominate , spending spree, over socialization?.These suggeste manic phase and so, you might be a case of bipolar disorder. If you never had the above mentioned symptoms, then the.two meds which you had recieved were not the right ones. You should.have been put on soemthng milder yet effective. When I have such a patient in my clinic- i try esctalopram or sertraline as the firts agent. These are safe & donot have any weight gain potential. They have little.interaction with other drugs. Consedering your present condition, i will recommend that you should take few blood tests- routine blood count, thyroid levels, lipid, liver and kidney profile, serum Vit. B12 levels. Have done this, if there is any deficinecy found, it should be treated. You please have faith,and start the meds described above. Im very hope ful that you will feel good and get back to your normal self in few weeks. Hope the reply is useful for you. Please ask.more questions for clarifictaion. Dr. Manisha Gopal MD Psyhiatry

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Manisha Gopal (19 hours later)

I was put on many other AD's that made my anxiety, that I did have now much worse. What will happen if I take the suggested medications. I am taking huperzine-a now and it helps me a lot. Also I am a very happy person and have a wonderful life. I did have a very tortured childhood. My family was very abusive. I have gotten over that now. I know that my life is amazing and love every minute. I just want to get to be my old self. My condition right now is very confusing. I have more physical symptoms that I am dealing with. I have joint pain, diarrhea, gas, I have muscle spasms, I have a heavy feeling when I walk. I also have nausea at night.

Answered by Dr. Manisha Gopal (7 hours later)

Brief Answer: please start the medicine, will be very helpful Detailed Answer: Hello Your current symptoms are to an extent related to deression and fatigue or exertion of mind. I hope that they will aslo show some improvement with the suggested medicine and you will have a feeling of freshness and well being. You can continue huperzine-a if you have a good response to it. However, there is no medical evidence supportings its benefit. For.your joint pains- please get RA factor test. His will rule out rhuematoid arthritis. Nausea in late evening hours is sometime seen in anxiety parients and is expected to reduce or stop with the proper drugs. About your abusive childhood, though consciously you have made peace with it but still i think that at the unconscious level it is troubling you. I will recommend that you should.enter in regular therapy sessions with a psychiatrist ( if you can). Many times a good hypnothrapy can be right away curative of most symptoms. So, in total, the recommended drugs- sertraline or escitalopram are safe and mild; will not cause any more problems and will actually help you very much. please ask more queries to clarify any doubt. Dr. Manisha Gopal MD psychiatry

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar