Anti-depressants anyone?

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2003

Sorry, I dont buy it. Drugs are just an easy answer. Just ask any ER nurse what they think of doctors prescribing antidepressants to just anyone who wants them. WE get them all in the ER sooner or later. Medication reactions, overdoses, suicide attempts, etc. And they are all on drugs. Obviously not the answer.

realnursealso/LPN, LPN · Sep 27, 2003

I have been on effexor xr for a couple of years now. I call it my exhusband pill. I am only on 37.5 mg 1 po qd. I tried to take 75 mgs. as per the starter pack, but every time I sat still I would fall asleep. So I went back down to 37.5. It works well for me, and one of the side effects when you first start it is nausea in the morning. I know this sounds silly, but it helped me loose weight and by the time it went away I had shrunk my appetite and my stomach.:roll

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2003

So are you trying to say your exhusband is a chemical imbalance. Sounds like more of a external stressor to me.

Kayzee · Sep 28, 2003

I have been on Zoloft for 3.5 yrs. Was prescribed for anxiety after death of my sister. So I say to my psych, " I'm thinking of going off the drug because my anxiety is better, and I am not depressed. He says, "you feel ok now?". I say yes, and he says "than why would you want to stop taking it?" My primary says, "don't go off it, or everything you felt before will come back". I continue to take it, but am now seriously considering weaning off it. If I don't feel OK I can always go back on...couldn't I? I just don't know. Any others out there who decided they didn't need it anymore, and had good results?. :confused:

tonchitoRN · Sep 28, 2003

i know the arguments for the chemical imbalance of depression and i believe them to a certain extent. my question is: how do you know it is a chemical imbalance vs. environmental. i am going to use me as an example. the last place i lived was real depressing. i was isolated from people, taking care of children, very little money etc. i was clinically depressed. i could recognize it immediately. however, everyone kept saying i should take a pill. i resisted and tried everything else: behavior mod., diet, alternative activities etc. i kept telling everyone that it was not a chemical imbalance but rather lack of coping skills when dealing with my environment and general problems. well lo and behold i moved into a better situation and my depression vanished. maybe i was right, it was a situational depression and not a chemical imbalance. people should be careful when resorting to drug therapy. make sure you have tried everything else first.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2003

I agree with you Tonchito RN. I hope everything continure to get better for you.

jadednurse · Sep 28, 2003

Originally posted by teeituptom
Sorry, I dont buy it. Drugs are just an easy answer. Just ask any ER nurse what they think of doctors prescribing antidepressants to just anyone who wants them. WE get them all in the ER sooner or later. Medication reactions, overdoses, suicide attempts, etc. And they are all on drugs. Obviously not the answer.

WHOA! Way to lump everyone into one stereotypical bundle...

Nutty RN · Sep 28, 2003

I am a psych nurse and we give alot of Wellbutrin. It can't be taken late in the day because of insomnia and it does suppress appetite. Good luck to you!

happygray · Sep 28, 2003

I was on prozac and others the last one Paxil I stopped taking it I am sick of taking meds. I am taking Glucophage, Synthroid,Trilisate, Toprol,Enapril. I think there are more.

carpe_de_em · Sep 29, 2003

Originally posted by Kayzee
I'm thinking of going off the drug because my anxiety is better, and I am not depressed. --confused: [/b]

I have had great luck w/ decreasing my meds--after 25 years of Treatment Resistant Depression. But not through the usual means.

My experice is that if you don't have the tools and skills to handle the "nouns" (people, places and things) you will not do well without anti-depressants.

I found those tools, but in a surprising place. I have gone off of major psych meds within 1 year of finding these tool.

e-mail me if interested.

BarbPick · Sep 30, 2003

welbutrin is made of the same drug as the diet pill tenuate, in a slow release doseage. The way it works is it makes you "care less". It creates an elevated mood but at the same time , it breaks compulsive behaviors. Think about this for a moment...have you noticed you have opened the refrig door and look and look, and nothing appeals to you? That is the welbutrin working. It takes an edge off the sharp feelings and you "care less" about work about what so and so said. Try to work with your welbutrin, you will be amazed how much more you get done, or stop doing.

Be well

BRP

P_RN, ADN, RN · Sep 30, 2003

Tenuate and Wellbutrin are NOT the same. Tenuate is Phentermine. Wellbutrin is Bupropion .