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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Is Dexedrine IR also an antidepressant?

kaiba

kaiba

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
191
I've tried plenty of antidepressants before being diagnosed with ADHD. I've now been prescribed with Dexedrine IR.

I've noticed the Dexedrine IR lifts my mood much better than the antidepressants. I think the antidepressants didn't work.

Is Dexedrine also an antidepressant?

I found this picture online:

http://www.drugenquirer.com/img/magrx/dexedrine_wm300.jpg
 
Amphetamines used to be prescribed very often for depression, and they still are for people who don't respond to traditional antidepressants (the SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, and the like)

I don't really understand your question though. Any drug prescribed for depression is, effectively, an "antidepressant".
 
NeighborhoodThreat said:
Amphetamines used to be prescribed very often for depression, and they still are for people who don't respond to traditional antidepressants (the SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, and the like)

I don't really understand your question though. Any drug prescribed for depression is, effectively, an "antidepressant".
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was wondering if Dexedrine IR treats depression like antidepressants such as citalopram, cymbalta, mirtazapine, etc.

In my experience, the Dexedrine IR improve my mood much better than the antidepressants.

So Dexedrine IR also targets the Serotonin like antidepressants?
 
One could argue it is an antidepressant, though it's just too fun to give to just anyone.:p It may help you in the short term, but won't do much in the long run.

IMO people should take whatever makes them feel better, if it doesn't hurt anyone.
 
It was at one point used particularly for depression in combination with amobarbital, and is occassionally rx'd for severe treatment-resistant depression today, but is not a "typical" anti-depressant. It is a very forceful mood elevator, and will help with depression, at least in the short term. It is an amphetamine, and is quite addictive.
 
Is it an antidepressant? Technically, yes.

Is it a good choice for treating depression? In my opinion, the risks outweigh the rewards. Abuse potential and tolerance is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
dopamine and serotonin are closely related, whenever serotonin levels rise, so do dopamine levels, and vice-versa (to a certain extent)
 
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yup addictions are fun for the "honey-moon" phase, but then they quickly turn into a black-whole which engulfs all of your time/life...

i mainly use amphetamine for school 2-3 times a week, with days of sobriety in between doses. the AD effects are definitely a plus too :)
 
^Indeed.

I used dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) daily for the last two weeks of this semester (that just ended the other day).

Withdrawal is very real from amphetamines, with continuous use.
 
I would call it more of a mood elevator than an antidepressant but it depends what definitions you use..

I'm sorry conventional antidepresants haven't worked for you. They take time, they don't lift your mood instantly like amphetamines.. and they aren't a band aid for depression either. Sometimes they don't work at all, sometimes only one specific one does so even if lots haven't it can still be worth eploring them all.. and even if they do it is important that the psychological and social aspects are looked at too (eg therapy of some sort, working on social stressors etc) - take a look at the TDS directory in my sig for more info on mental health treatments :) They are very useful medications for a lot of people but they do need to be used properly and all aspects of depression addressed in my opinion.

Tolerance, potential for psychological addiction, after-effects/comedowns/withdrawals when you stop and neurotoxicity in the long term all make amphetamines not at all suitable for the long term treatment of depression unfortunately, even if they do make you feel better temporarily...

edit: what everyone else said, haha!
 
Alex000 said:
It was at one point used particularly for depression in combination with amobarbital, and is occassionally rx'd for severe treatment-resistant depression today, but is not a "typical" anti-depressant. It is a very forceful mood elevator, and will help with depression, at least in the short term. It is an amphetamine, and is quite addictive.
Click to expand...
Not only did they have dexamyl, but desbutal(d-meth with pentobarbital) and Biphetamine-T(T stands for Tuazole, Methaqualone resinate, Biphetamine-T was amphetamine, dextroamphetamine and 40mg methaqualone in an ion-exchange resin for extended release). Damn what were they thinking?Money probably.

The physicians desk reference does mention(at least well into the 90s) using amphetamines for depression, usually in combination with tricyclics(desimpramine and protryptyline have been show to potentiate amphetamines). And the prescribing information says that amphetamines and barbiturates have a synergic anticonvulsant effect. Anticonvulsants are sometimes used for mood disorders, maybe the amp/barb combo really did have an antidepressant effect.Also methylphenidate was originally approved for mild depression in the elderly. So, under certain circumstances, uppers might work for depression.
 
For the people with depression that used SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics. What did you take, because I never had an profound anti depressent effect from them.
 
Oxide said:
Is it an antidepressant? Technically, yes.

Is it a good choice for treating depression? In my opinion, the risks outweigh the rewards. Abuse potential and tolerance is just the tip of the iceberg.
Click to expand...

Spot on. I quoted this to highlight it because it needs to be underlined several times... effie popped in with a brilliant post as well :)

In simple terms, of course amphetamine will lift your mood - you're taking a recreational drug :p in the long-run, taking recreational drugs to treat mental illness usually makes the mental illness worse and then you have a drug problem on top of that so all-in-all it's counterproductive.

Lots of times people turn to substances out of desperation to alleviate their psychological distress but as I said, this rarely works out for the person. You can't expect any pill to magically make your depression vanish. If the ONLY reason you had depression was due to neurotransmitter levels this might work but depression is far too complex.

Maybe life circumstances or genetics or diet or all of it or none of it catalyzed your depression but then you cultivate bad habits, especially in your head that reinforce and perpetuate these problems and until you get to these root causes and start to really making changes, you aren't going to see things improving. A lot of people who suffer from depression need more help than a pill can provide. They need someone to help them explore where the problems really arise from and how they can properly address it so while medication can be beneficial to this end, it rarely is sufficient in and of itself and while taking an SSRI or something may not hurt without other interventions, something like amphetamine very well could.

What else have you explored to address your depression beyond popping psychotropics?

I would never represent myself as a qualified professional offering you treatment, but I have a couple years of education on counseling and psychology so if you'd like to discuss any of the above a little more, please do feel free to PM me.
 
Seems to be more of a temporary "antidepressant", which would be considered more of a mood uplift or honestly a euphoric buzz. The comedown from stimulants such as Dexedrine could potentially make your current depression worse.
 
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