Mental Health Drugs used off-label for depression

[truenamebrand]

I am currently prescribed Wellbutrin 300mg and am firmly against antidepressants in general, for a variety of reasons (all of which can be found in my other posts). I've been on many in the past, and up until agreeing to the Wellbutrin, swore them off forever. SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs and tricyclics are out of the question. I also suffer from anxiety disorder and am scripted klonopin. The Wellbutrin had some positive effects for the first few weeks, but now I feel all it does is slightly raise my anxiety level. There is no longer a noticeable benefit.

I've asked here before about Strattera specifically as potentially being used off-label for depression, and I'm wondering if people had some suggestions for drugs that have ANY potential to be prescribed off-label for depression. No matter how rare or unlikely you may think it may be, if it's been done and shown to be effective at any point, and not considered completely irresponsible or off the wall from the doctor's standpoint, I'd like to hear any and all possibilities. Keep in mind, I have a very open-minded doctor (family doctor, not psychiatrist) who listens, does not judge, and has yet to really shoot me down on anything I've asked for.

In addition to Strattera (which I've already been told is highly unlikely), I've also wondered about Tramadol and Lyrica specifically. I do need something for depression and only a handful of months ago admitted this to myself. I simply cannot and will not subject myself to the above mentioned traditional antidepressants and their side effects.

So, if anyone has any feedback on those I mentioned or any other drugs that have any possibility of being prescribed for depression, I'd greatly appreciate hearing it.

Thanks.

 

[T. Calderone]

I've had similar experiences hitting a wall with traditional antidepressants. My psych doctor keeps urging me to try different SSRI's but they just don't agree with me and I sort of gave up. I've known people who were prescribed gabapentin and had good results with that. I like it, too and it's way less expensive than Lyrica. Your doctor sounds like a keeper and hope he can help finding the right medication! I'm going to move this to Mental Health.

 

[starting_over]

3-4 years ago I used opiates for depression for those days when I really felt like killing myself. I don't think I would still be here without them. Not from a doctor script, just bought off dealers / street, my GP wouldn't be as open minded. Of course I ended up liking them too much and eventually went from once a week to 3-4 times a week...

With all the fentanyl now I'm forced to work on getting exercise, meditation / mindfulness / CBT instead.

 

[Dopekrystal86]

My old psychiatrist used speed/adderall as an off label treatment for depression. Stimulants are the only thing that make me not depressed.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

You really should get a psychiatrist for such prescription(s).

Lithium, Provigil, Nuvigil, Suboxone, MAOIs, stimulants, mild antipsychotics at low doses, and Clozapine come to mind. Time to see the psychiatrist about this, right?