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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Molly on September 28, 1999, at 21:52:29
I take 200 mg Zoloft, 20mg of doxepin,and 40 mg of ritalin SR. Now my psychiatrist wants to add Neurontin as a mood stabilizer. I am not bipolar, but have "cyclic" worsening of my depression (my cycling tend to be monthly). Has anybody else taken Neurontin as an anti-depressant/mood stabilizer who is NOT bipolar? I'm a little nervous about being a human guinea pig...
Posted by jamie on September 29, 1999, at 3:52:13
In reply to Neurontin for depression?, posted by Molly on September 28, 1999, at 21:52:29
> I take 200 mg Zoloft, 20mg of doxepin,and 40 mg of ritalin SR. Now my psychiatrist wants to add Neurontin as a mood stabilizer. I am not bipolar, but have "cyclic" worsening of my depression (my cycling tend to be monthly). Has anybody else taken Neurontin as an anti-depressant/mood stabilizer who is NOT bipolar? I'm a little nervous about being a human guinea pig...
Either high dose neurontin or lamictal is supposed to have antidepressant qualities in addition to mood stabilization. I tend to favor lamictal. However I wanted to comment...there are already three drugs and now they want to add a fourth? I don't know, I've been on 4 or 5 at one time and I was always uncomfortable with it. I figure if 2 or 3 aren't doing the job, then the whole cocktail must be missing the mark. The strategy is off base. Surely there must be 1 or 2 drugs in a mix that can outperform 3 or 4, if they are the correct 1 or 2. Of coure though, ditching the current cocktail to start from scratch with another drug is a tough endeavor. So I really have nothing of value to add here, except to comment that I personally begin to question if I am on the right drugs when it takes more than 3 to do the job.
Posted by Noa on September 29, 1999, at 5:10:32
In reply to Re: Neurontin for depression?, posted by jamie on September 29, 1999, at 3:52:13
Jamie, I often wonder this myself. I am on 5 meds: 375 Effexor XR, 10 Ritalin 3x/day, .025 Synthroid, .012 Cytomel, and an evening dose of 150 Serzone. If this poops out or levels off, my doctor wants to add either lithium, neurontin, or lamictal. I have wondered whether it makes sense to go off some, and see of one of the new additions would fill out a smaller cocktail better, but I really am not prepared to deal with weaning off current meds and being med free, because I am pretty sure I would crash bad.
Molly, I am also dealing with cycling depression. Started with dysthymia as a preadolescent. Over the years, cycles of major depressive episodes have come and gone. Recently, they have worsened and become more frequent. The meds seem to help somewhat but I don't think I have been depression free for the past 5 years.
Posted by molly on September 30, 1999, at 18:47:42
In reply to Re: Multi-cocktail, posted by Noa on September 29, 1999, at 5:10:32
> Thank you! I am nervous about increasing my meds from 3 to 4, but the alternative of starting from scratch is dreadful too. I hate tapering off down to nothing because I turn in to a blithering idiot. But, it's good to know I'm not the only "polydrug-user". I do get so tired of the battle...
Noa, I've had depression for aeons, also, and it does seem to get worse the older I get. Sometimes I don't have the energy to tinker with my meds because it seems like nothing will make me better.
This is the end of the thread.
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