Wellbutrin

[Taylor]

I'm thinking about taking this anti-depressant... i'm very depressed and my anxiety is pretty bad.
                Tips??

[Larry]

Hey Taylor,

Understand your present state of mind. It's hard enough for us "oldies" to cope with this rotten affliction but it is worse for you.

I'm pretty sure that Anti depressants work by settling down the ceratonan levels to the brain and they do tend to enable you to cope with severe issues better.

I think you need to see a councillor who has experience with depression caused by a medical trauma - hopefully your ent specialist or even someone here could reccomend one. Being able to talk about your feelings to a "stranger" does help. As far as the meds go, be a little careful here. This might sound awful but you probably need to see a psychiatrist first, before the councillor who usually treats their patients with meds.
My wife had a breakdown over a number of issues which i won't go into and unfortunately, she did not want to see a shrink (for obvious reasons) but when she did, she was initially put on a suite of meds that were increased slowly and then decreased slowly. They worked and she copes quite well now.This is not something that i would trust a GP with. You need to be on a proper program and all anti depressants do work differently and they all have different side effects.

Organise to see a shrink - get put on a meds program and then after a short while, see a councillor (cheaper).

hang in there and keep talking to us.

Laz

[Patti]

Taylor-I had to resort to antidepressants after my surgery-lexapro-great life changing idea.  There are so many changes to cope with-especially if you are 18!  I also went to therapy for 3 years to learn how to accept these changes.  I would reccoment this too.  Patti

[tony]

Sorry if I have missed a point here - but you have surgery in a few weeks ?
then choose your medication carefully - some also act as an "anti-coagulant"
ie they reduce the tendancy of blood to clot
- not such a good idea when surgery is on the horizon
I would clear anything with the doc first and make sure
he knows the OP is close.
Good Luck
and Best Regards
Tony

[Brendalu]

Taylor,
Know that we are all keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.  Vent, do whatever you need to do.  We are all here for you. Research all of the meds first before you make any decisions and like Tony says, make sure whoever prescribes for you Knows that you have surgery soon.
Hugs,
BrendaO

[Kathleen_Mc]

Taylor: I am currently taking Wellbutrin and tolerating it well, no increase to my dizziness. I am taking in addition to Paxil I was already on to try to quit smoking (and the antidepressant in it will certainly help too because with just the Paxil I'm not 100%). I am having these prescribed by my family doctor, you may find talking to a shrink helpful but if you family doctor has time they can help too.
Kathleen

[ppearl214]

Hey Taylor,

I have to agree with Larry... please consult with a professional before starting any form of treatment.  There are many forms of antidepressents on the market and you may have sensitivities and such that need to be noted.  Wellbutrin is one excellent form, yes, but others as well, some mild, some higher in dosage. Only a professional can ease you into which med protocol will be best for you and coach you on how to take/wean off.

Taylor, sending you major huggles... hang in there!!!!!!
xo
Phyl

[Patti UT]

Taylor,

   Sending more hugs for tomarrow. The shrink/therapy idea is not a bad one. it's hard enough to deal with all of this at my age, but at 18, it has got to be tough to handle these life changing events. I am 2 yrs post op, I have been internally fighting with myself on the need to "just shake it off" or "get over it" mentality the entire 2 yrs. I am just now realizing that I am not going to get over it, that these post op issues I am left with are the "new me" and I need to start to accept that whcih is not an easy thought. I spoke to a therapist last week on the phone to see about maybe setting up an appointment (I am stubborn and always think I can go it alone ) In talking to her just a few minutes she pointed out that not only have I not accepted these changes in my quality of life, but I have not allowed myself to greive any of the losses I have experienced. I have not called her back to make the appointment yet, but the way I reacted emotionally made me realize that when I do choose to go talk to someone, and the "wall of strength" that I present to the outside comes down it will be like the floodgates opening. I can feel it, I have been holding it all in.  This forum is helping me to start the process of accepting life after AN. I just wish I had started the process long before now.  SO yes, look into, with your doctor,  something you can take that may help, but not until you recover from tomarrows surgery.   You may want to go to the crazymeds.org site to look up the pros & cons of Wellbrutin.

Hugs
Patti UT

[Battyp]

Taylor is your doctor suggesting wellbutrin?  I took it for depression and it made me more suicidal.  I did not mix well with it.  I know it has a high incident for that sort of thing so please be careful and pay close attention to how you feel when you start taking it.  I know it does work for some just not for me.  I had to go back on antidepressants a few months after my surgery.  I know it has helped me cope with things better and has minimized my anxiety.  Just remember you need to be followed at least everything three months when you start, be completely honest about how you feel and what's going on in your mind, and if that one doesn't work don't be afraid to try another one.  Not all of them work for everyone and it takes time for it to get to theapuetic levels.  My best to you!

[Captain Deb]

Taylor,
please don't tell me you are thinking of taking this medication without medical supervision. There is a difference between "my doctor is thinking of putting me on it" and "I am thinking of taking it!"
Capt Deb

[Taylor]

Umm... no, that's not it Capt. Deb

[Captain Deb]

Taylor, sweetie--I didn't mean to "Jump in your ____" like that--you just scared me. I have a family member who has been in and out of rehab for "self-medicating" with all manner of stuff and it scares me to hear people talk like that. Sorry.
It is so hard for us to accept the "new us" without outside help, medication or both.
Wellbutrin is one of the few I actually haven't been on over the years.  I had depression issues before my AN (PTSD from being a hurricane refugee) and it really kicked in when I found myself in worse shape headache-wise than I was just after my surgery. Again--I can't give medical advice--I leave that to the docs. I can only share my experience. And my experience with depression is that there are great meds out ther which, when taken as prescribed, can give you some breathing room while you work on the causes of the depression, which is usually, in the end, an inability to accept big changes in one's life.  Once that acceptance happens, we crawl out of the pit and go on with our lives.

Best of luck with your surgery--if you message me your address--I gotta lil sumpin sumpin for ya!
All the Wenches will wear our pirate sox that day--we have done this a few times over the past months and it has been really good luck for the so-honored person.

Big Hugs and a few smooches
Capt Deb