Hello everyone. I have been in a deep depression for about a month now. I have been on Lexapro (the highest dose--40 mg) for about a year. It worked great until I stared taking Topamax for migraines...that's what put me in a black hole.

I need something to pull me out of this depression...the Lexapro is not cutting it.

My dr. added Wellb.XL 300 mg., but that isn't working. I'm also on a mood stabilizer.

I know my serotonin levels aren't right...I'm lacking big time.

Any ideas? I want my life back again!

Thank you,

Salty

hi salty,
what mood stabilizer are you on? i've been on lithium for a while, but i found it stopped working (or so it seemed) after some time (plus with all those periodic checks for lithium levels--it was all a drag!!). just a week ago, i started lamictal. i was on this before also, but can't remember its effects, since i don't think i gave it enough time to work properly. now i'm going to finish the 5-week starting kit the dr gave me in his office and take more afterwards to see how i feel.

by the way, i'm also taking topamax for migraines (have been on it for the past two years). i try to limit the amount i'm taking b/c i'm afraid of those side effects...mostly kidney stones, but i try to drink lots of fluids, whatever i do. i've had to up the topamax (dopamax, as they say) dosage lately, b/c my migraines had been getting more frequent (each month they averaged 7 or 8) and i needed to take too many days off of work (i don't even have sick days anymore)...

anyway, i empathize with you, suffering from both major depression (and anxiety) and migraines.

fondly,
dakota

Dakota_Skye, it's good to hear from you (I'll never forget your name).

I'm on lithium and have stayed on it because I have no side effects. I'm also afraid to go off it and try something else...the old saying if it's not broken, don't fix it.

It certainly seems to do nothing to keep the depression from returning but I've heard that's true for a lot of people...it just keeps the person from mania.

This morning, I almost lowered my WbXL dose and then I chickened out. I have many side effects, but it's only been a week and I'm hoping they will go away. I'm going to post about it.

I miss Topamax badly...it was great for my headaches...but it drops my mood right down...so unfair. I'm sorry your migraines are becoming more frequent...maybe you need to up the Topamax?

How are you doing on the Lamictal? Any side effects? Anything GOOD from it or is it just like my lithium?

The WBXL is giving me more anxiety and insomnia...I then have to take more meds to counteract that!

Thank you for writing...curious if you've noticed any change in mood from the Lamictal?

Salty

hey salty,

thanks--for not forgetting the name :) i was always attracted by the native americans and their ways, especially their worship of the natural elements, such as the wind, the earth, sky, animals, trees, etc....even before i knew that dakota means "ally" or friend to the native americans, i loved that name....and then i was thinking of the wide, open, blue sky of the dakotas.... how much more beautiful can nature be?! or so i thought....

anyway, but salty, if the lithium isn't doing anything, and you don't have mania (i wish i did have some slight mania here and there, i really, really do)--and i know you're afraid to get off of it--i don't really see the advantage...i don't know. that would be me and my choice, but you're different, and i respect that, and please do whatever makes You comfortable!

wellbutrin is known to cause much agitation/irritation, anger, and even extreme rage in people. i've heard many women describe it this way, and i've experienced the same feelings--the exact reason i could not, for the life of me, stay on it!!! i wanted to very much, but i just could not tolerate the increased anxiety and feeling irked at the slightest thing all the time. so, i gave it up, since i found myself taking more antianxiety meds to ward off the frustration and anger i felt from the wellbutrin.

the lamictal--i've just started--and just finished the first week of the starter kit i got from the dr.'s office. it contains pills for five weeks, and each week the dosage is increased. this medication needs to be started very slowly because of the possibility of a nasty rash that can develop... so, i'm doing it by the book, and so far, so good. i've heard good stories about lamictal, as a mood stabilizer. it's basically supposed to help one's mood from getting too low. i have absolutely no "up" episodes whatsoever. at least this lamictal is something. i thought i had just gotten over a pretty bad episode about two months ago, only to feel/think that i haven't really, or that another one may be lurking about....i don't know anymore, i really don't. it always seems as i'm i'm trading one evil for another, you know?!! i wish things were simpler. i wish i could simply pray to "wakan tanka" and everything would be at least ok.

salty, thanks for your empathy about the migraines. actually today was a wondrous day again! had one (a migraine, that is) since this morning, and i think it was due to the weather (rainy most of the day, with really low, low atmospheric pressure), plus i had some tension when i woke up this morning--tension in my neck and shoulders. over night, it seems my neck didn't get much support on the idiotic pillow and i awoke at an weird angle... anyway...enough of my own little excentricities on here...

you should give that wellbutrin a try, if you can stand it. i've read another thread where you and some other people were talking about a sore throat. .. i've never experienced that (when i took it) and haven't heard it said before either, but there's always a first time!!! if these bothersome side effects last for more days than you can handle, then i'd say forget it...but some people can definitely withstand it...
i hope you can!!

how long have you been battling this illness, salty?
wishing you a good/tolerable day! :angel:

Sorry for the interruption! you are asking about the medication that can bloend well with Lexapro, help you sleep, and help control anxiety. If lithium is the one you do not want to try talk to your Doctor about seroquel. I have taken it now for 6 mos. and it works perfect. Another med. is Trazadone. If the dosage of seroquel is needing to be raised you blend it with Trazadone (which is also a depression anxiety med. that helps you sleep). Sorry again for the interuption I think this might help.

Wow Dakota_Skye! I appreciate you taking the time to write so much.

I have had this for 25 years and you'd think the drs. (or I) would have it figured out by now!

I don't know how long I'm going to take this...I'll probably give it one more week--that way my dr. won't say I didn't try long enough.

I have found that when I take something it either works right away (within days) or it's not going to work at all.

I am taking the highest dose of Lexapro 40 mg. and it has saved me many times, but whenever I get really low I feel I'm lacking serotonin. My dr. thought since I'm already on the Lexapro for the serotonin maybe I'm low in the other 2 (dop. and nor.) so that's why he put me on WBXL--it's suppose to target those two.

I can tell I'm not myself...I mean the WB just helps me to not sleep all day, but I can tell something's wrong. It's so frustrating!

May sound crazy but I don't think I'm low in anything but serotonin but what can he add to the Lexapro? I've tried so many AD's and Lexapro is the only one that has ever worked. The moment I took it, the fog lifted (and I'm not kidding).

But this time it couldn't prevent the depression. The depression was stronger than it was.

I wish I knew someone in the same situation who could tell me what he/she added. I think my dr. is getting low on ideas.

Hope your head feels better! Do you have any imitrex (or anything similar)?
Guess if you did, you wouldn't have a migraine. I ask my dr. for samples every time I go.

I might post again to see if anyone has experienced what I am going through. I doubt I'll get a response, but it couldn't hurt to try.

Hope you feel better.

Salty


hey salty,

thanks--for not forgetting the name :) i was always attracted by the native americans and their ways, especially their worship of the natural elements, such as the wind, the earth, sky, animals, trees, etc....even before i knew that dakota means "ally" or friend to the native americans, i loved that name....and then i was thinking of the wide, open, blue sky of the dakotas.... how much more beautiful can nature be?! or so i thought....

anyway, but salty, if the lithium isn't doing anything, and you don't have mania (i wish i did have some slight mania here and there, i really, really do)--and i know you're afraid to get off of it--i don't really see the advantage...i don't know. that would be me and my choice, but you're different, and i respect that, and please do whatever makes You comfortable!

wellbutrin is known to cause much agitation/irritation, anger, and even extreme rage in people. i've heard many women describe it this way, and i've experienced the same feelings--the exact reason i could not, for the life of me, stay on it!!! i wanted to very much, but i just could not tolerate the increased anxiety and feeling irked at the slightest thing all the time. so, i gave it up, since i found myself taking more antianxiety meds to ward off the frustration and anger i felt from the wellbutrin.

the lamictal--i've just started--and just finished the first week of the starter kit i got from the dr.'s office. it contains pills for five weeks, and each week the dosage is increased. this medication needs to be started very slowly because of the possibility of a nasty rash that can develop... so, i'm doing it by the book, and so far, so good. i've heard good stories about lamictal, as a mood stabilizer. it's basically supposed to help one's mood from getting too low. i have absolutely no "up" episodes whatsoever. at least this lamictal is something. i thought i had just gotten over a pretty bad episode about two months ago, only to feel/think that i haven't really, or that another one may be lurking about....i don't know anymore, i really don't. it always seems as i'm i'm trading one evil for another, you know?!! i wish things were simpler. i wish i could simply pray to "wakan tanka" and everything would be at least ok.

salty, thanks for your empathy about the migraines. actually today was a wondrous day again! had one (a migraine, that is) since this morning, and i think it was due to the weather (rainy most of the day, with really low, low atmospheric pressure), plus i had some tension when i woke up this morning--tension in my neck and shoulders. over night, it seems my neck didn't get much support on the idiotic pillow and i awoke at an weird angle... anyway...enough of my own little excentricities on here...

you should give that wellbutrin a try, if you can stand it. i've read another thread where you and some other people were talking about a sore throat. .. i've never experienced that (when i took it) and haven't heard it said before either, but there's always a first time!!! if these bothersome side effects last for more days than you can handle, then i'd say forget it...but some people can definitely withstand it...
i hope you can!!

how long have you been battling this illness, salty?
wishing you a good/tolerable day! :angel:

i'm on lexapro and effexor xr, work pretty good together, been on the effexor 150 for about 3 months, just added some 10mg of lexapro, works as a good combo, also on zanaz xr, i might up the lexapro to 20mg, but my psychatrist is very good and knowledgable. i'd recommend this to you. hope it helps!

yes, effexor / cymbalta, are known to be serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and they may work well for you. they have both antidepressive and antianxiety properties (i used to have panics, but effexor helped a lot with that)....a lot of people don't want to take these meds though, saying that it's very difficult to get off of them. my belief is that it's difficult to get off any ssri / ssnri without going extremely slowly....

salty, thanks for your empathy about my migraines. yes, i have imitrex, and most of the time it works, however there are times when nothing works...

i hope you'll be able to find a med. that in combination with the lexapro will make you feel better. i know how you feel!!!

Thank you very much for everyones' posts. I am not trying to get off lithium, it's the WellbutrinXL that is causing me problems...the worst one being a headache every day.

I'm going to give it a little more time, but I have a feeling the headaches aren't going to stop. Some of the other side effects aren't too bad now.

I thought of Effexor...although I worry about weight gain with that. I tried Cymbalta and it didn't work for me at all.

What about the weight gain with Effexor?

Salty