Jan 24, 2013

Still a Good Option For Treatment of Depression In Spite of Wellbutrin's Side Effects?

By Brian Sloan


The path of a depressive illness is not one well easily traveled. It's very hard to described depression and it's symptoms to those who have never experienced them. One gets in a state where it seems that happiness can never be found again. However, with the medical advancements through the years, there have been a number of antidepressants to bring hope to depression sufferers. One interesting medication, Wellbutrin, although not one of the newer ones, still remains interesting. Although being around quite a while it continues to have value for depression and other conditions. However, as all of the antidepressants, there are Wellbutrin side effects.

But, more on those in a moment. Today we have several primary classes of antidepressants from which to choose. There is the popular SSRIs (Selective Seratonin Reuptake inhibiitors) such as Celexa, Lexapro, and Paxil. These are probably the most popular antidepressant currently available with the side effects fairly mild. Then we have the SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors). Getting excited yet? It actually is for depression sufferers.

SNRIs are thought to balance the levels of seratonin and norepinephrine in a person's brain. Cymbalta, Effexor, and Pristiq, among others are considered in this class of antidepressants. On a personal note, I have had battles with depression and I have found relief using the SNRIs. They are approved for Panic Disorder, Diabetic Neuropathy, and General Anxiety Disorder. I believe that sufferers of depression should have many options of medication from which to choose,

Well, we also have a class of older antidepressants called the MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors). Well, the problem with these guys is they can have adverse reactions when combined with certain foods and medications. They actually have been found to be fairly effective with panic disorder, agoraphobia, mixed anxiety and depression, bulimia, and other conditions. However, because of the potential for adverse reactions, sometimes these aren't used until other treatments have been tried.

Well, there is a much older class of medications that the doctor prescribed me during my first episode of severe depression. These meds began to be developed in the early 1950s (although it was much, much later when I was prescribed one of those...:). These are the Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs). Imipramine, the generic for Tofranil is the one I took. Although really effective in their time, and still can be at times now, most people will opt for the newer class of antidepressants today.

NDRIs have been one of the other big players in the remaining types of antidepressants. Wellbutrin, which I think is a fascinating medication, is one of the primary NDRIs (Norepinephrine-Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors). The generic for Wellbutrin is Bupropion and is marketed not only as Wellbutrin, but many others including Budeprion, Voxra, and others. Another famous version of this medication is Zyban, marketed as a medication to help one stop smoking. NDRIs work on chemicals in the brain, known as dopamine and norepinephrine. NDRIs help block the reuptake of these chemicals so that more of them will stay in the space between the brain cells which gives those chemicals a better chance of making the receptors on the next nerve cell active. If you fully understand that, you're smarter than me, but they have been effective. These SNRIs are prescribed for many people who do not respond well to the SSRIs. They do have side effects as do many other.. For instance, the Wellbutrin side effects include restlessness, dizziness, trouble sleeping, headaches, weight loss, dry mouth, abnormal dreams, diarrhea, and confusion. Other infrequent side effects include migraine headaches, blurred vision, indigestion, bronchitis, loss of appetite, or increased appetite and frequent urination. Some see a lessened sexual drive while others experience heightened interest in sexual activity. At 54 I'm not sure which is worse...:) Don't wait long when you get depressive symptoms. Get help ASAP. You and your doctor should agree on a choice of treatment. You don't have to live in depression all of the time. You can win!




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