The Antidepressant Saga Continues

One of the side effects listed in the pamphlet (no side effects, huh?) became apparent the next day, when I took my first pill. I'm the kind of person who rarely gets sleepy, but I definitely wanted a nap starting around mid-morning, and for the rest of the day. A couple of days later, I also noticed that my skin and scalp were becoming very dry, and on top of it, I started breaking out. I found a posting on a message board online that suggested taking essential fatty acids for the dryness. As far as the breaking out, I can only hope that this side effect, and the sleepiness go away on their own. There's always the possibility that I will just be too uncomfortable with these side effects and will try a new antidepressant. However, I'll give it a couple of months at the very least.

My doctor gave me a sample packet of Lamictal that lasts a month and gradually increases the dosage. I'll be taking my Wellbutrin also until at least my next appointment with my doctor, in a month (usually I see him every three months). It's a big relief that I'll be taking both for a while, as I dreaded the period of depression that comes in between tapering off of one medication and increasing the dosage on a new one until it's effective.

I did notice something interesting. I was out of Wellbutrin for the first four days of the Lamictal. As soon as I started the Wellbutrin, no more sleepiness. That tells me that the Wellbutrin definitely has some kind of energizing effect on me that I'm definitely not crazy about.

Taking antidepressants can definitely be complicated, and switching to a new one doubly so. To get the maximum benefit from them, you need a thoughtful doctor who pays attention to detail and you need to be proactive in paying attention to side effects and finds ways to combat them. But even with all the inconvenience of antidepressants, I'm still profoundly grateful that they exist, as I remember what my life was like before them.