OK so I know that SSRI's are very unpopular around here, but I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with Tricyclic antidepressants and would like to share their experience! I'm in the shit lately. I've put myself here, but I kinda think I might need a boost to get me out of this mess I've created with my life and I've swore never to take SSRI's again in the past (namely because I hate the Sexual Side effects), so I'm considering talking to my doc about TCA's... Any advice?
I'm taking Elavil (Amitriptyline) but only at night as a sleep aid. Seems to work for that and I'm not having any major side effects other than dry mouth, stuff like that. (I can't say anything about sexual side effects, I wouldn't know) He's got me on quite a high dose too... I can't take any of the SSRI/SNRI type meds, I had serotonin syndrome from taking Cymbalta as prescribed. It was a complete FAIL for me so I swore of those pieces of @%$@#^&
I took Flexeril and only Flexeril as my only medication for like 6 months continuously, most of the time in extremely high doses, so I was sure to feel something in my brain. It is supposed to be similar to tricyclics, but it considered a muscle relaxant; and I could personally feel a very good feeling of well being. But I do remember a lot of dry mouth. But you should look into Remeron generic name Mirtazapine. Its a tetracyclic antidepressant I had really good experiences with. It was my first and only antidepressant I've ever been on, and if I would need one again, I would prefer that one. And absolutely no sexual side effects/ serotonin problems. But food (specifically peanut butter, ate a tub in 1 night) tastes a whole lot better and made me gain a few pounds but you just got to watch it. And supposedly it increases (grows) the number of neurotransmitters (dendrites or something) in your neurons, witch increases the effects of thc/other psychoactive drugs witch can be a good thing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirtazapine Even wiki recommends it better than ssri's.
lol, when in the army we would get Elavil and at night we would play cards and exchange drugs. it was kinda like prison only we got to shoot things.
Mirtazapine is good 30 mgs a day, you can even do 60 15 is pointless. It isn't as bad as SSRI for sexual dysfunction nor as bad as tricyclics but it still has an effect. If you take it for awhile I want a PM about your progress. Or if you need helpful insight. I took it for two years. You can get off it anytime, no withdrawals. If you start getting anxiety it can be the cause. It dis-inhibits the mono-amines in the brain which means that when things that trigger stimulus subside sometimes the brain chems stay elevated. Just be aware. Those fucking psychiatrists haven't tried all their pills so they don't know what they feel like. You are your best first judge and guide.
remron is shit.. if your just trying to get sleepy, remove caffeine from your life and drink warm milk.. if you are suffering from "mind fuck and over thinking" due to psychedelic use.. Take Geodon for a week @ 20mg a day. you should be able to stop with no problems the following week and be back to your normal self. Use no recreational drugs while you are trying to recover , youll be fine.. the sex side effect with Geodon is near to none.. dont get hooked on them. they are just as dangerous as smoking crack..
Thanks Chodpa. I'll either try that or a tricyclic. I will let you know. There is 0% chance my doc will prescribe gedeon. My mind is not fucked up because of psychedelics, hell, I was hoping to turn to them for guidance, but I feel just too frail right now. I've gotten so deep into a career I hate and in a suburban life that I hate that I'm not sure what I need anymore. I'm not happy here and I'm afraid of the change, so I think I should be on something for a few months just to sort of do some major reorganizing with my life. I've lost my way dude. I'm not happy with my wife, I'm not happy with my career, and its been like that for so long that I'm not sure really, wether it's just me not appreciating what I have or if I'm simply a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. I use all my time to help others, it's time to think of me for a while.
you might not want to make your head any bigger than it is, via psychedelics.. true tricycles may help you sleep, but they will not really go to the core the psyche like ssri's will.. be mindful of the ones you do use and you will be fine ..
I know, that's why I'm staying away from psychedelics until I sort some of this out. And as for SSRI's... Fuck SSRI's. And tricyclics are just as effective as SSRI's, but they are not considered as safe because it is easier to OD on them so doctors would rather use SSRI's. Oh, and also they are older and therefore most of them are generic and dirt cheap, which means big pharma is trying to get docs to push more expensive newer drugs...
did I mention lithium? i know it gets a bum rap but for stabilizing minor depressiveness it's quite the perfect thing - 450 extended release 2x a day and no side effects at that rate. it just lightens ones moodiness. i really found it after a suicidal bout, but then it supplanted all other meds i took, i gave them all up and the depression never returned. mirtazapine gave me anxiety which was horrible and citalopram increased my depression. that's why i recommend keeping a journal. and being religious about jotting a few lines about meds and moods - call it meds and moods journal. it's important to monitor yourself because these drugs which take months to work are very subtle and so are the side effects. good luck bro. hang in there. this too shall pass.
Thanks Chodpa, I saw my doc yesterday and she tried to push SSRI's on me and refused to prescribe tricyclics. She said she didnt see the need to prescribe risky medication since I am fully functional and not that bad. She ended up asking me to get more exercise, get CBT and come back in 1 month. I did get some clonazepam though. This is annoying. I don't even know if I have a mental illness or not, or whether this is just a matter of needing to reorganize my life in the correct way. And every time they tell me about something I get worried that I have it. She mentioned cyclothymia the other day, which doesnt make sense because IMO I've never had anything close to a hypomanic episode, but now every time I'm in a chipper mood I'm worried about it being hypomania. Ugh. I did hear about lithium lately. There's a really funky psychiatrist called Doctor of Mind on youtube and he swears by it.
Well, get a psychiatrist, not a regular doctor. There's lots of new stuff coming out about various anxious states and migraines and headaches being very minor form of epilepsy. My psychiatrist last was prescribing me trilepital. The plus side of this is that some psychiatric maladies can be allayed by removing the unusual spiking activity in the brain without one feeling any different. The brain is too complex, and the understanding of brain monoamines too new for SSRIs to be an effective solution. I went through midlife crisis and the one thing the wife and I wanted was a child. The doctor gave me SSRI (Celexa) and it killed my sex drive. It made me more depressive and worthless feeling. It makes me mad when I think about it. It took me three years to figure out what was killing me - Celexa - and to stop it. Not to mention everyone scared me into thinking I would go through withdrawals, which I didn't. Tricyclics aren't so great. No reason to want them. Klonopin and all benzos are very bad for memory and processing new information. Stay away, and find a different doctor. Klonopin is especially noxious because it doesn't feel like much of anything but it has a huge half life. Here are some of the least sideeffecty meds - lithium, mirtazapine, trileptal, meprobamate,
