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Which anti-depressant?
- Thread starter 2Shy
- Start date
Well... I've been off and on wellbutrin for the last couple of months for smoking & depression. It didn't seem to do much for the depression OR the smoking - although it did help with some compulsive shit I was doing when depressed that was starting to become self-mutilation (i.e. compulsive pulling, scratching, etc.).
I came off for a while when it didn't appear to be helping with the smoking much and I was bloody sick of not being able to have a beer when I wanted one. Came off it slow with no problems and only side was headaches, which I got going on and going off (lots and lots and LOTS of water helps, for anyone that's taking it). Took a break over the holidays and enjoyed my booze.
I dealt with the depression by 1) fixing my life (most of my depression was situational) and 2) taking pregnenolone - which I had used before and worked wonderfully.
I went back on the wellbutrin to see if it would help with the smoking under different circumstances. More headaches, more water. Seems to help some now.
ANYWAY - it's a wonderful appetite depressant, since I lost quite a bit of weight on it (was needed and intentional).
Once I was no longer depressed, it helped a lot more with the smoking thing (still haven't quit, but am down from almost two packs a day to about 12 or 15 smokes, so I guess that's progress).
ANYWAY - the only thing I've found that works great for depression is fish oil & pregnenolone. The effects of pregnenolone are almost immediate - i.e. you feel better sometimes as soon as a couple of hours, at least by the next day or two. I use salmon oil - 1 - 2 grams a day, and I get it cheap at Walmart. The pregnenolone is the best, though - absolutely. I take about 30 mgs per day, and cycle off it for a couple of days every two weeks (or I get a kind andro-rage - results vary according to age and hormonal profile).
Perimenopausal depression is probably more appropriately treated with progesterone than antidepressants. Estrogen dominance can cause sleeplessness, moodiness and depression. Progesterone & pregnenolone together work beautifully for me and keep me even keel, happy as a clam, etc.
AD's are fine, but pregnenolone makes me obnoxiously happy, calm and confident. I even get on my own nerves.
Fawn
I came off for a while when it didn't appear to be helping with the smoking much and I was bloody sick of not being able to have a beer when I wanted one. Came off it slow with no problems and only side was headaches, which I got going on and going off (lots and lots and LOTS of water helps, for anyone that's taking it). Took a break over the holidays and enjoyed my booze.
I dealt with the depression by 1) fixing my life (most of my depression was situational) and 2) taking pregnenolone - which I had used before and worked wonderfully.
I went back on the wellbutrin to see if it would help with the smoking under different circumstances. More headaches, more water. Seems to help some now.
ANYWAY - it's a wonderful appetite depressant, since I lost quite a bit of weight on it (was needed and intentional).
Once I was no longer depressed, it helped a lot more with the smoking thing (still haven't quit, but am down from almost two packs a day to about 12 or 15 smokes, so I guess that's progress).
ANYWAY - the only thing I've found that works great for depression is fish oil & pregnenolone. The effects of pregnenolone are almost immediate - i.e. you feel better sometimes as soon as a couple of hours, at least by the next day or two. I use salmon oil - 1 - 2 grams a day, and I get it cheap at Walmart. The pregnenolone is the best, though - absolutely. I take about 30 mgs per day, and cycle off it for a couple of days every two weeks (or I get a kind andro-rage - results vary according to age and hormonal profile).
Perimenopausal depression is probably more appropriately treated with progesterone than antidepressants. Estrogen dominance can cause sleeplessness, moodiness and depression. Progesterone & pregnenolone together work beautifully for me and keep me even keel, happy as a clam, etc.
AD's are fine, but pregnenolone makes me obnoxiously happy, calm and confident. I even get on my own nerves.
Fawn
wilson6 said:
OK, I'll give it a shot. From my web search, I have learned that delta-6 desaturase (D6D) is an enzyme which metabolizes linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid into other fatty acids. So...the Udo's could be a problem for me if my D6D is faulty, preventing me from metabolizing alpha-linolenic acid into EPA and DHA 
Looks like I'll be trying that Fisol!Here's one of my sources:
http://www.nutrisana.com/html/engm.html
"In humans D6D is the initial and rate limiting enzyme in both the omega-6 and omega-3 metabolic pathways. Although adequate intakes of both LA and ALA may occur, the body may be unable to utilize these fatty acids due to this impairment....
"Due to the possible impairment of the D6D enzyme, it is necessary that an adequate amount of the "conditionally essential" omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, that bypass this limiting D6D enzyme, are consumed. Specifically, GLA, EPA and DHA should be consumed in addition to the "essential fatty acids" LA and ALA."
Last edited:
You got it. delta-6 desaturase also regulates the production of gamma-linolenic. That's why a little borage oil isn't a bad idea either. In addition to intrinsic defects in delta-6 desaturase, age, alcohol, cholesterol and diabetes can reduce its activity. That's why older individuals should consume EPA and DHA directly in addition to gamma-linolenic.
W6
W6
circusgirl
New member
2Shy said:
Sorry to be so late replying to this but I've been wawy from the women's board for a few days...
I was tried on numerous SSRIs and they didn't do a thing for me. I would suggest trying either Reboxetine or Venlafaxine. The Reboxetine works on noradrenaline instead of serotonin, and the Venlafaxine is an SSRI that at higher doses also has a noradrenaline effect.
Serotonin and noradrenaline are the two chemicals you need to function normally, the absence of which result in depression.
The side effcets of venlafaxine for me are pretty much a tendency towards mild orthostatic hypotension (ie feeling dizzier longer when you stand up), slightly reduced thermoregulation abilities, ie I sweat a lot more a lot more quickly, like a guy lol. But I always had less than perfect thermoregulation anyway. Oh, and you will be constipated for the first few days, ouch. DIg out the fibre cereal...
Get your doc to try this or Reboxetine but be warned if uninsured they cost $$$$.
circusgirl
New member
wilson6 said:
yup. I had plenty of time sitting on my ass in a locked psych ward to think about that stuff.
Manic depression is a fairly organic illness though, it's got a strong inherited streak. And then was heaps of shit on top of that that was making me more depressed than manic all the time. Made the illness a lot worse I think, as the mania I suffer is pretty mild, just mild to medium hypomania only, but the depressions was very bad.
I got counselling, help etc but what helped me be happy, as opposed to not ill, was getting all the toxic people out of my life and out of my head. And realising that just because someone says something nasty to you, doesn't mean they are right about you. Oh, and sports and a better diet. Don't underestimate these two - but since you pot on elite, you already work out, right?
.Yeah, it's a funny thing depression. It seems the first couple of times someone gets depressed, it's often just a mild and transient reaction to perceived or real stress. But there are some folks who get into a groove (analogous to migraine sufferers) where their body/brain 'learns' to get depressed as a coping mechanism. Unlearning this method of coping is not easy, but almost inevitably involves getting toxic people and lifestyle factors out of your life, and practice at not taking things so personally. It often also requires reinstilling a sense of control or power to the sufferer.
In any event, it is not a forgone conclusion that an absolute lack of neurotransmitters is at fault. There is the other (compelling) point of view that reacting to stress chronically (stress here is anything that elevates cortisol and can include poor diet, obesity and personality type) actualy raises neurotransmitters to a high levels, which leads to down regulation of receptor numbers or sensitivity (just like in insulin resistance). If this is the case, then the antidepressants are really just propping up a faulty feedback system and are not a cure in the sense that many people may get 'stuck' on them for life. This theory fits particularly well with the observation that the increase in depression and obesity both correlate highly with increased consumption of toxic high carb diets...which leads to elevated serotonin.....which leads to receptor downregulation and desensitization to the serotonin signal......which leads to more carb carvings....and so on in a viscious spiral. SSRIs are a patch for this syndrome. Likewise all the neurotransmitters do a lot of 'cross-talking' with each other's receptors to the extent that there is no such thing as a drug which affects ONLY serotonin, or ONLY norepinephrine or ONLY dopamine.
From a purely holistic perspective, it is preferable to identify the cause of the stressors in your life and eliminate them or refuse to react to them in a stressful way. This requires time, patience, social support and many other things that are rare and lacking in modern societies. Lacking these resources, antidepressant drugs are a very poor second choice line of therapy
All drugs have side effects. A healthy lifestyle has no negative side effects!
In any event, it is not a forgone conclusion that an absolute lack of neurotransmitters is at fault. There is the other (compelling) point of view that reacting to stress chronically (stress here is anything that elevates cortisol and can include poor diet, obesity and personality type) actualy raises neurotransmitters to a high levels, which leads to down regulation of receptor numbers or sensitivity (just like in insulin resistance). If this is the case, then the antidepressants are really just propping up a faulty feedback system and are not a cure in the sense that many people may get 'stuck' on them for life. This theory fits particularly well with the observation that the increase in depression and obesity both correlate highly with increased consumption of toxic high carb diets...which leads to elevated serotonin.....which leads to receptor downregulation and desensitization to the serotonin signal......which leads to more carb carvings....and so on in a viscious spiral. SSRIs are a patch for this syndrome. Likewise all the neurotransmitters do a lot of 'cross-talking' with each other's receptors to the extent that there is no such thing as a drug which affects ONLY serotonin, or ONLY norepinephrine or ONLY dopamine.
From a purely holistic perspective, it is preferable to identify the cause of the stressors in your life and eliminate them or refuse to react to them in a stressful way. This requires time, patience, social support and many other things that are rare and lacking in modern societies. Lacking these resources, antidepressant drugs are a very poor second choice line of therapy
All drugs have side effects. A healthy lifestyle has no negative side effects!
NubianBeauty
Banned
This is a GREAT thread! Alot of good info!
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