How much better are MAOIs than SSRI/Tricyclics for depression?

[JackiesBabyy]

I know MAOIs have more side effects and have dietary restrictions, but I really don't give a crap. At this point I'm convinced SSRIs are sugar pills,(Yes, I know they work for some people, I was being sarcastic, no need to correct me.) because they never did a damn thing for me. Are MAOIs much better? I'd rather live with the physical side effects and not be able to eat cheese than deal with this depression. I really need a non-recreational answer to my depression. Nothing wrong with recreational drug use, but I'm sick of my life being ups(when I have one of my drugs of choice) and horrible downs (when I don't).

 

[madog11]

Trcylics are rarely actually used for depression anymore. But they should be the next choice if SSRI's aren't working for you. I take them and they don't have many side effects. For me the only side effect that stuck around is dissiness upon standing.

Have you tried stronger SSRI's aswell (i'm sure you have but thought i would ask). What does your doctor say about the SSRI's not working?

 

[JackiesBabyy]

Trcylics are rarely actually used for depression anymore. But they should be the next choice if SSRI's aren't working for you. I take them and they don't have many side effects. For me the only side effect that stuck around is dissiness upon standing.

Have you tried stronger SSRI's aswell (i'm sure you have but thought i would ask). What does your doctor say about the SSRI's not working?

I can handle the side effects, though. I just want something non-recreational that'll treat my depression. I've tried four different SSRIs AND an SSRI+Abilify and none of them did anything for me. (Well, the abilify made me feel even worse it seemed) At all. No negative side effects('cept taking a little longer to orgasm) or positive effects. I've also tried effexor and wellbutrin, which actually did something, but nothing good. I only felt side effects with 0 improvement in my depression. The only thing that helps me are recreational drugs,(I know I'm using a broad term here, but I don't just stick to one drug, I'll do damn near anything as long as it involves a mood lift) but I don't have the money to do them every day. That's why MAOIs seem good for me. To me, all those nasty side effects are a small price to pay for a depression cure that isn't sucking up all of my money.

 

[Allein]

Tricyclic antidepressants are still very much in use and finding other uses beyond depression, I was on Lofepramine for sometime and found it OK.

The problem with anti depressants in general is the huge variation in effects they have from one person to the next, I can't seem to physically tolerate SSRIs at all, all the nones I've tried have just made me really ill.

If you feel you need medication I'm afraid its just a case of keeping on trying different ones until you find one you feel works for you, I currently taking Venlafaxine and although I get some side effects I would rather not have it does seem to have stabilsed my general state of mind.

If your doctor isn't being very helpful just go see another one, you do not have to give any reason to do this, its vital you trust your doctor and have a good relationship with them whilst you work on finding an acceptable treatment for your depression, I would also recommend CBT for a longer term treatment.

 

[JackiesBabyy]

Tricyclic antidepressants are still very much in use and finding other uses beyond depression, I was on Lofepramine for sometime and found it OK.

The problem with anti depressants in general is the huge variation in effects they have from one person to the next, I can't seem to physically tolerate SSRIs at all, all the nones I've tried have just made me really ill.

If you feel you need medication I'm afraid its just a case of keeping on trying different ones until you find one you feel works for you, I currently taking Venlafaxine and although I get some side effects I would rather not have it does seem to have stabilsed my general state of mind.

If your doctor isn't being very helpful just go see another one, you do not have to give any reason to do this, its vital you trust your doctor and have a good relationship with them whilst you work on finding an acceptable treatment for your depression, I would also recommend CBT for a longer term treatment.

If you can't handle SSRIs, then why are you on effexor? It's an SNRI, so it also inhibits the reuptake of serotonin.

 

[Allein]

Don't ask me these are just the ones I can remember :-

Citalopram - Full on hallucination total loss of cognitive function and terrible nausea

Sertraline - Terrible Nausea but coped with it for about 4-5 weeks then it gave me internal bleeding

Prozac - Just makes me projectile vomit about an hour after talking it

Lofepramine - ( I know this is a tryclic) coped reasonably well with it but was very ill at the time eventually had to stop taking it due to
terrible nightmares, and I'm not easily spooked.

Mirtazapine - (I know this ones a tetra cyclic) just made me feel like I was constantly coming up on LSD and not in a good way

5-HTP - Nightmares worse than above after a couple of weeks. (I still have flash backs about one of them)

Venlafaxine - I get headaches and mild nausea but in general this has really stabilised me although I want off as soon as I think I'm ready.


CBT has been far more effective than any AD I've ever taken


I'm no doctor, I'm not convinced they fully understand why the effects are so different between one drug and another and one person and another, I guess its like fine tunning a car engine, each engine is a little different hence the large array of ADs and in the case of your particular question SSRIs

 

[madog11]

A friend of mine had to go through a few but discovered Mirtazapine and swears by it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirtazapine

 

[Allein]

ADs more than any other form of medication seem to bear out the term YMMV

That stuff made me feel weirder than weird, like I say the closets I can get to describing it is just starting to come up on acid, everything was slightly glassy looking and didn't have a really sharp edge to it colour were brighter and I felt that unease of being borderline tripping.