Best Antidepressants?

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  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 738 Member
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    I've found good sleep, meditation and prayer, exercise daily, and eating healthy keep me balanced.

    Agree.

    Medication is a tool, not a cure. It needs to be utilized to supplement the aforementioned lifestyle along with counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy.
    All the medications OP listed have multiple side effects, not just weight gain, including chemical dependence and suicide.

    I've been a nurse for over 25 years and have doled out more drugs to anxious, depressed people than I can count.
    I've given doses of anti-depressants, anti-anxiety agents and other mood altering substances that would snow a horse.
    Without lifestyle changes, counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy, they're still anxious, depressed, miserable people.

    Want to explain that to my mother who despite all of that 'therapy' she was still schizophrenic, or to me where I am borderline manic.

    Best treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is medication. Therapy can increase compliance and help facilitate understanding of the disorders and manage/improve the relationships in these individuals lives. Also recognizing patterns, triggers, and indications of hypo manic, depressive, or schizophrenic episode is key for the individual. It can ake a long time to find the right combination of medications. The best practice answer for one mental health disorder does not apply to all mental health disorders. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are significantly different from anxiety and depression (even though, yes, depression is a component of bipolar disorder).
  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 738 Member
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    This thread makes me incredibly sad. OP work consistently with a good prescriber (be it a psychiatric nurse practitioner or psychiatrist) and a good therapist (psychologist or social worker) that you can establish a healthy honest rapport with. Good luck in your journey.

    Edited to fix autocorrect.
  • soldiergrl_101
    soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
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    I did Celexa and Zoloft, neither helped me. Getting my life in order and my weight helped more than any pill could
  • mellowadam
    mellowadam Posts: 114 Member
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    I've taken all the meds on the market. Struggled with bipolar and alcoholism from the time I was 16. At one point I was on 5 meds and weighed 300 pounds (I'm down to 201 now). It got so bad I was hospitalized. I realized a couple of years ago that the people in the mental health industry couldn't help me. While they had good intentions I just felt insulted by their suggestions. The only advice they had to offer was a lifetime of meds and therapy. They told me I would always be sick. I still take a small dose of Lamictal (a mood stabilizer) and I have no problem taking that one tablet for the rest of my life. It has worked wonders.

    What worked for me...

    A diet with mostly whole foods (A massive nutritional intervention!)
    Tons of veggies and fruit
    Tons of water
    Strong coffee
    Incredibly supportive friends
    Putting myself out there to make more incredibly supportive friends
    Long walks with my dog
    Prayer
    Meditation
    Yoga

    Good luck to anyone struggling! It gets better!!!

    "The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step..." Lao tzu
  • _Fenrir_
    _Fenrir_ Posts: 471
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    Best cure for depression? exercise and lots of it.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    I've gained most of my weight since starting antidepressants. I'd say I'm almost more depressed now that I'm so fat. Anyone have recommendations of an AD that worked well and didn't increase weight gain?

    Exercise
    Wholesome Food
    Steady supply of human trampolines.

    Wash, rinse, repeat.

    GTDS
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    ice cream
  • arubamfp
    arubamfp Posts: 7 Member
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    tom_olech wrote: »
    Pristiq...my doctor switched me onto it because in clinical studies it was shown not to cause weight gain....that being said, the studies were only for 8-12 week periods, so the long term effect are still unknown
    tom_olech wrote: »
    Pristiq...my doctor switched me onto it because in clinical studies it was shown not to cause weight gain....that being said, the studies were only for 8-12 week periods, so the long term effect are still unknown


    This med caused a 20ish lb GAIN for me (without dietary changes) and didn't help with my depression. In fact, all I wanted to do was lie in bed and isolate. I'm currently weaning off it, which is its own special hell. It works well for some people (I assume), but not me. I have read that the drug is weight neutral, but for me and for many other people, it causes gains. In some people, it causes losses, though. Go figure.

    Wellbutrin helps my mild depression and actually allows me to maintain a healthy weight.

    Good luck! I hope whatever you are doing now is working well for you.
  • Peter_Brady
    Peter_Brady Posts: 3,750 Member
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    depressed_zombie_by_almoyan-d5jdsq0.jpg
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
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    I've never taken an anti-depressant. When I have a problem, I share it with the world.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    I've tried more meds than you have and never had any weight gain
  • kchuskey
    kchuskey Posts: 882 Member
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    I'd start with a Psychologist.
  • FabulousFantasticFifty
    FabulousFantasticFifty Posts: 195,832 Member
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    Sugar & Sex! ;)
  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,641 Member
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    ultraliting for bluegills is my go to...
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    zombilishious wrote: »
    Exercise
    Eat clean
    Have sex...a lot...preferably not alone
    Smoke weed

    Eat better with less sugar and caffeine
    Lots of sex, even if alone.
    Exercise and get into a sport or something to occupy your mind/body/spirit.
    More sex, even if alone.

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