Suggestions for mood enhancers

[TheLordShaper]

I was just wondering if any of you out there have any experience with mood altering prescription drugs. Being clinical depressed and having an ass cheese for a doctor doesn’t help me much. I kind of want some feed back if anyone has any experience with drugs like Prozac, Zoloft etc. or any more natural substitutions. I take a very healthy vitamin mix daily supplemented with St. John's Wart but that hasn’t been enough lately. Being that I know I need a serotonin uptake inhibitor, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions?

~TLS

[LuluVox]

I was on Zoloft briefly about 7 years ago, and I wasn't too impressed; I took myself off of it after about a month. When it didn't make me totally blank, numb and apathetic, it made me feel like kicking everyone's ass. No good, for sure. But then, I felt like the doctor bullied me into the prescription. I'm not sure if it was the "new" drug at the time, but he really really wanted me to take it. I can't even remember what I was at the doctor for, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't depression. He kept asking me "Do you get along with your parents? Are you sad a lot of the time? Do you just burst into tears for no reason???" It was very uncomfortable.

So, anyway, that was my experience. I have friends who are on it, and they say it helps them out a lot. You never know with drugs.

(edited because I insulted myself by accident)

[gothicmom]

I took some, don't remember the name. I quit because i couldn't orgasim!

So I started working out almost everyday, eating better and took vitamins. That did the trick for me.

[Lilith]

I take prozac for my PMS (in the past i was gvin paxil and it made me angry and mean as hell all the time) any how on the prozac i am able to function normally, i do cry at sad things, i am happy at good things and i feel over all normal, like i used to befor i had kids..... at times in the past it had lowered my sex drive, so i took herbal suppliments to aid withtat side effect that seems to have dissapeared latley.

i think the problem with these druggs are the doctors dont know which one will work for you, i think they go about this like a trial and error thing till they find oen that makes you feel which ever way you want to feel.

i had a time ( a steady 3mnth period) when my youngest (aka evil knievil reincarnate) was injuring himself left n right and the dr wanted to put me on valium...... i did not want it ,that was all i needed was to be all la la la while little evil jumped off the roof or something.....

[Brenda Starrr]

Personally, I like a bottle of wine and some cell phone music in the background....

Oh, you didn't mean that kind of mood enhancer, did you?

Really, I've only had to take a mood enhancer once, and it made me very nauseous. This was the lowest dosage of Paxil. I decided that I didn't need it, and could keep myself upbeat. I started to work out. Even my PMS is substantially better. I'm far less stressed, and I can focus on the business that I'm starting up. I feel more clearminded than I ever have, just from going to the gym.

Sick, huh?

[Onyx]

It takes up to six weeks to find out of they are going to work, then if not switch to another for six weeks, etc etc. Pain in the butt but I guess worth it if it works for you. I found too many side effects and it felt so artificial. I only took it short term after a pregnancy loss, but it was enough to make me decide to try everything else first rather than ever go back on meds for improving moods.

Working out releases endorphins. It really does work for me, when I can stay motivated! My PS2 dance pad helps. Dance, Dance Revolution, Baby! It's fun, so quit laughing at me, heh heh. I find other exercise boring.

Some may need more than that, but really I don't think most people exhaust all the possibilities of exercise and good diet before turning to the pill bottle.

[Marblez]

Working out releases endorphins.  It really does work for me, when I can stay motivated!  My PS2 dance pad helps.  Dance, Dance Revolution, Baby!    It's fun, so quit laughing at me, heh heh.  I find other exercise boring. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That is just awesome onyx. I mean it. I know why you say quit laughing, but I find it to be a great thing. Who cares who laughs...enjoy your life!

[gothicmom]

I wrote a paper about how exercise helps relieve depression. It was a very fun paper for me to write. Especially since I had been through that situation a year or two before that.

[Fierce Critter]

Hm. I'm not sure if Effexor is the type of "mood enhancer" you're considering, but it works great for my husband.

He takes it to control anxiety-related behavior/mood problems such as anxiety attacks (acute, including sweaty palms, nausea, shaking, panic), and irrational anger & depression.

He went on the starter doseage of 75 mgs 2 years ago, and it has worked wonders. The best part of it is, after about a 2 week "get used to" period which had him feeling just slightly zoney, it doesn't have any overtly noticeable effects. It just plain makes him "normal" - no extreme highs or lows. He laughs, he can get angry without getting hostile, he still ponders feelings of "what's the use" but not in a way that has him give up & feel like dying.

The doctor wanted to up him to 150 mgs, the most prescribed doseage, but he refused. He's done fine on the 75 mgs all this time.

If you're looking for something that helps even out your emotions & reactions, perhaps Effexor is worth a try. If you try it, though, give it at least a couple weeks, and make sure you get the extended release form (Effexor XR). The pharmacist accidentally gave him the non-XR formula refill once, and it was definitely not very helpful.

[LuluVox]

Someone in my family takes Effexor, and it's helped them with their anxiety / panic problems a tremendous amount.

[TheLordShaper]

Thank you all for your candid feedback. I have been now for some time on a very regular heath craze with visits to the gym and eating healthy etc. I lost a lot of weight in the past few years that lead me to this new found lifestyle and for a while that did keep my moods more... even? Lately exercise, vitamins etc haven’t been enough to help keep my moods in check and stop some of my anxiety issues. So I was exploring options. I'm considering some basic mood elevators to help me deal with social anxieties and my erratic swings from time to time. I'm generally a very pensive and mellow individual but I can get entirely too dramatic and worked up over minor things.

Keep the feedbacks coming! I appreciate it.

~TLS

[Fierce Critter]

...social anxieties and ... erratic swings from time to time... very pensive and mellow individual but ...can get entirely too dramatic and worked up over minor things.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You just described my husband pre-Effexxor.

I hope you find the right assist for you. I know how much Jon enjoys life now that he's not a depressed, nervous angry wreck anymore. It's also helped his blood pressure (yes, at age 26 he has blood pressure issues).

[Nienna]

Keep in mind that alot of depressive feelings can be situational. I have a similar problem lately.. I'm also f*cking miserable. If 99% of the things I'm miserable about could change, I'd not be depressed... Maybe what really needs to happen is thay coping mechanisms for current situational irritants need to be adjusted.

My doctor put me on Welbutrin, Celexa, Prozac.... they all had terrible side effects. (Sexual non function, weight gain, sleeplessness, nightmares, hair loss) NOT worth it, and never seemed to help. I will NEVER, ever try one of these drugs again. No way.

That said, people are different and I have several friends who have had some luck with different "cocktails". It never hurts to try. If your doctor is an ass cheese you should definately get a second opinion.

[Soulrev]

Come to Laramie Wyoming and you'll be suicidal for the first 3 months. Once you make it past that you can take ANYTHING..

Soon, your senses become dull and even the shittiest situation really doesn't seem that bad anymore.

I've been here for 6 months now, I've gotten kicked out of my house for the actions of my roommates, I've had 500 dollars worth of shit stolen when I was storing it at a former roommate's friend's house, my former roommates stabbed me in the back, my girlfriend back home left me for a fucking 16 year old (wtf?), my best friend's girlfriend left him for a friend of ours, I've had to beat the hell out of some guy I didn't know because he just got out of prison after 5 years and he threatened to kill my friend out here because my friend broke up with the convict's insane sister.

That's all happened in the last 6 WEEKS. But I don't care, because I've realized, somehow, that after being basically cut off from everyone and everything I know for 6 months, all that other shit doesn't even matter anymore.. I know Laramie has changed me, I've become the most laid back and level-headed person... Because I know that no matter what happens it can't be any worse than being stuck out here, in Wyoming. This state is it's own little world, cut off from the rest..

[TomCat]

Just top shelf liquor for me, that way, no hangovers the next day.

[gothicmom]

I took St Johns Wart before. Worked well for me. Just make sure that if you are taking any othr meds that it doesn't interfer.

[fallennon]

I have found that this time of year everyone seems to be miserable. I would talk to a professional about what your symptoms are and let them decide what is right for you. Just please, please, do not let a medical doctor prescribe you a mood enhancer. That's like a dentist looking at your feet!