I started taking Pristiz and deplin today. I am truly hoping for the best, I have been on Effexor for some time and when my doctor increased the dosage It was wonderfull for awhile. Now I feel good when I am around people but when I am alone I sleep all day. If there is anyone out there going through the same thing please keep me updated.
Thank You
Hello, nice to find someone else with a history of Effexor. I have been taking it for years. At first it helped a lot with the depression. Then after a few months it began to be less and less effective. Finally the dosage was increased so many times that my pharmacist was worried. So I quite taking it for a while, had to use prozak to deal with the effexor withdrawal. I now have a much more involved Doctor, hurray! And we are talking about Pristiq plus Deplin. Have to get some blood work done first. But thanks to your input I am very hopeful.
Thank you,
Hopeful
I have been on Deplin for 2 weeks. Was diagnosed with low B12, and supplement with that. Have a history of delivering a baby with neural tube defect. With Deplin I wake up easily go to sleep easily, and have a happier attitude! I am my psychiatrists first patient on this "med", and it cost me 12$..best spent money in years! P.M.
I was put on Lexapro for some anxiety issues I was having after the birth of my 3rd child. I have been unable to lose the weight and later learned this is a side effect of Lexapro. My doctor has taken me off of it and has said if my anxiety returns he can try Deplin by itself and see if that helps. Has anyone else been on Delpin alone? If so, did it work for you and were there any side effects?
Thanks!!
I found the same to be true-- I had been depressed most of my life, and had tried a few antidepressants to no effect. When my doctor added Deplin, I felt better in a matter of days- even slightly euphoric initially. I can't remember a time I felt so relaxed or optimistic about life. I now believe that I had always been living with a Folate deficiency, which eventually culminated in severe depression, and was only relieved by Deplin.
I have been on Lexapro for depression for years with not great results. (I have tried many others but the side effects and poor benefits left me with few choices.) The day I added Deplin, I realized what people meant when they said antidpressants helped their anxiety and made them feel more grounded.
The chronic anxiety I have come to live with is gone. I have always had anemia and B12 absoption problems, so low energy was a way of life. Within an hour of taking my first Deplin, I suddenly felt as if a switch of normality had been flipped. I had such flat affect on the Lexapro, I had stopped enjoying music, and for a musician, this was heartbreaking. No more. I'm back to feeling the emotional connection iwth music and humor and all the things I had resigned myslef would be absent forever. I have twice s much energy, and better focus and optimism. Things don't feel as overwhelming or ominous.
I think this is a true breakthough. I hope other who are thinking of adding it will do so as my doctor is seeing great benefits with her other patients on it, too. It has no side effects, since it is basically a special formulation of folic acid, which is a supplement you can buy in the vitamin aisle.
I have checked CVS and Wal-Mart, and both carry it, so it has become readily available.
Best of luck to all who are struggling.
I had taken 300mg of Wellbutrin SR for about 5-6 yrs and began to feel depression returning, so my pdoc added 200mg of Zoloft. I felt okay but not 100%, so he added Deplin. Even though I have great insurance, Deplin was not covered and I had to pay $50 a month for it. Two months ago, after taking Deplin for a year, I could see no improvement and it was c osting me too much, so I asked my pdoc to take me off of it, and he did. I have neither gone "down" nor "up" since I stopped taking it. In my case, Deplin just didn't do anything at all. But I am pleased to see so many people commenting here that it has helped them.
Of course Deplin and Cerepholin NAC are made by the same company. They both have the exact same primary ingredient as well, which is a modified form of Folic Acid that crosses the blood/brain barrier unlike supplements. However, there is a CRUCIAL difference b/w the 2. Cerefolin has ESSENTIAL B vitamins and other nutrients that make it exponentially more effective.
If you've been on an SSRI or SNRI for years (eg. Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Wellbut) the effect is that gradually, your brain stops producing the 3 chemicals which these med's are supposed to prevent the "re-uptake" of. Therefore, the efficacy of the medication wears off. But when you add an agonist (producer) of those chemicals, then there's surplus in the brain, for which the re-uptake inhibitors finally have an effect on.
It's like Morphine and your bodies indigenous endorphin production. This is just an analogy and of course it's not as severe, but your brain does stop producing those 3 chemicals gradually. When I added Cerefolin NAC, it was like a light turned on in an instant. I'm a brain injury victim. The injury hit the area where memory is affected. At 26, I lost my ability to retain short-term memory. After extensive research, I looked into areas of "Pre-Alzheimer" medications and came across Deplin. When I presented the idea to my Dr., he was excited about the possibility but redirected me to Cerefolin. I tried both. I got a box of samples of Deplin and I paid for a 90-day supply of Cerefolin for $119. The Deplin, although all the web and marketing literature says it's made to supplement depression med's, is actually NOT AS EFFECTIVE as Cerefolin. My Dr. explained this and I confirmed it. The necessity of the added B vitamins in Cerefolin, and the absence of same in Deplin, make a DRAMATIC difference in how the brain responds to the Folic Acid.
I was diagnosed AD/HD at 23, added mild Bi-polar to that at 24 and experienced a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) at 26. Prior to the TBI, my memory was already shaky due to severe AD-HD. On the Bi-Polar issue, I'm less depressive than I am manic. And trust me, when I'm in a manic episode, which usually lasts several months, I'm much more dangerous to myself and my judgment is so extremely horrible that I make major life mistakes. I've learned to manage all of this. I didn't need the TBI at all. But life is life. It came. I slipped on acidic goo at the top of the stairs of my apt. bldng in NY as I was going down to the laundry room because the elevator was broken. First step and I went vertical. The stairs hadn't been used in a LONG time, and the goo was from the basement being shared with a restaurant ajacent to the apt. building. I'm not sure the duration I was unconcsious and remember very little pictures of the event in my head. But I was released the same day from the hospital and told to monitor for certain events, such as passing out. 2 days later, I felt nauseas as I was walking to the office. I turned around to go home. When I got there, I poured myself a glass of water and then I went black. I woke up on the floor, wet, broken glass everywhere, and this was on the top of the Dr's "watch for these symptoms" list. 911, ambulance, paramedics, I'm in and out of consciousness for some reason, but I told them to take me to a different hospital because I have top shelf health benefits. The 1st hospital was a county hospital. I told them to take me to a private hospital. Once there, they kept me for 9 days of observation as they feared a possible anheurism or brain stroke. I was cleared for release but I had absolutely no s/t memory. I had to undergo 10 months of cognitive rehabilitation to overcome this fact. I learned how to bypass s/t memory and take the incoming information directly to medium term and l/t memory. This worked so well that I became extremely interested in pursuing a PhD after finishhing my JD-MBA. Without the Cerefolin, forget it. It wouldn't have worked. I also added Nuvigil, another new medication, hard for insurance to approve but mine approved because the building that caused the accident is getting sued for A LOT of money and my health insurance knows it will be reimbursed for all costs associated with that accident.
Final Point: Deplin is not for people on SSRI's, although it helps a little because I was taking it before I ordered the Cerefolin. But once I started the Cerefolin, it was like the sun came up. Yes some say "just add Vitamin B supplements" but that's not the same. In the same manner the Folic Acid is manufactured to cross the blood/brain barrier, so are the vitamins. When you take Vitamin supplements, most is "pee'd" out and only a small % is used. When you take Cerefolin, you're getting much more than just Folic Acid. You're getting the core ingredients needed to kick start your brains production of those 3 magical neurotransmitters: Dopamine, Seratonin and Nor-epinephrine/Nor-adrenaline.
If there's nothing in there to prevent the reuptake of, the anti-depressants have no function other than disappointment. Hence all the new advert's for "if your anti-depressin medicine isn't working, try abilify or x or y or z, etc..."
Be proactive, study the problems unique to you, learn how to help yourself, and then guide your doctor into the right treatment. Your doctor is not you. There's no way they can know what exactly is happening in the least understood part of the body. I knew Nuvigil and Cerefolin would help me because of the AD/HD plus the TBI. Nuvigil keeps me alert without being a stimulant like adderal and I can even take a nap in the middle of the day while taking the largest dose, 250mg. The Cerefolin is amazing for memory retention. I don't know why the company markets Deplin to depression patients. They should be marketing Cerefolin. Deplin should be for Pre-Alzheimers patients.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
I'm 27 and have been on antidepressants for about 16 years, all which seemed to work for a while then lose their effect. After the age of 17 or 18 they seemed to stop working entirely and I just plodded through life. I was put on Deplin three months ago and for the first time in a decade I have enough energy to wake up and face the day. This could be the work of the Deplin, or it could be the Deplin in conjunction with the thyroid medication, B12 injections, and weekly vitamin D pills, all of which also started three months ago. Either way, Deplin has two very enthusiastic thumbs up from me.
I was taking Zoloft and Xanex for about 4 years but I've had bi-polar episodes since I was 13 and just thought it was normal moodiness. Several members of my family suffer from bi-polar but do nothing to help themselves.
At first taking the Zoloft helped with the anxiety and depression. It then wore off and I started having episodes of depression, sadness, and irribility again. My doctor started me on Geodon, Xanex, and Deplin. The change was amazing within a week! I'm doing things I haven't done in years and actually make it to events I'd committed to.
My concern now is that that deplin is still rarely new, it won't last and I'll need another medical "cocktail" to relieve symptoms. I'm hoping this will be the "trick" to help!
If you're suffering don't wait. Help is out there and it isn't your fault! Good luck!
First,
Thank you for having an upbeat website that gives at least a modicum of hope about a new drug for depression. I have tried most every combination known to psychopharmacology to date, and was so scared of more S.E's, the Deplin sat on my shelf for weeks, until I found this page.
I just took my first blue pill!
I can't tell you what depression has stolen from me, what a vicious cycle it becomes as you all know here. I want a life. I am in horrible circumstances, awaiting a divorce, lost my mother, discovered I had breast cancer three weeks later and was treated inappropriately due to the lupus that was diagnosed months later when I still couldn't get out of bed.
I don't have another molecule left for depression. I was waiting the Coward's Way, for an oncoming train, or trying to sleep until magically I might evaporate. Both my mother and I suffered with intractable, severe depression.
I hope this is not only for bi-polar.
I was given the 'yippees' for Seroquel, which almost put me in a coma.
I won't try Plaquinyl again yet, though my dr, wants me to for the lupus. Psychopharm says (intelligently) 'one med addition or change at a time to see what's doing what.'
So when I go to see the other dr. Monday and haven't tried but a dose of the Plaquinyl which I heretofore HATED, and find him as judgmental as I have so many before him, or parental and admonishing, I will say, simply,
"First, do no harm."
Thanks, luck and love to all of you.
I have suffered from severe depression and anxiety since I was 16 years old. I have been on every medication under the sun.... last year after being on 13 different meds in a matter of 8 months. Hopeless, dead and filled with dred my doctor admitted me to the hopspital. I had a series of 25 ect treatments. I believe they saved my life. My doctor added Deplin to my "cocktail" of medications and in combination with the treatments and Deplin I can say I have never felt better in my life. I no longer am receiving the treatments and have cut my meds in half. I suggested that my mom start taking Deplin to help with her depression and it has had a drastic effect on her mood as well. I think it is well worth the money, you can put a price on sanity!!! My insurance covers it, but there is a hefty co-pay. On the other hand my moms insurance does not cover a lot of the price. One suggestion I can give those who are struggling with the cost... Deplin comes in 15 mg tablets, I take 7.50- what you can do is have your dr prescribe the 15 and then break them in 1/2 so they will last longer. Best of luck and I hope this gives some of you relief and hope!!!!
im so glad 2 find this blog 4 deplin!! ive read alot of different opinions from everyone i would love 2 know where 2 get the drug 4 the $12- that someone said i also read about how someone said to get it @ the drug store its not the same thing as folic acid im not a professional just have done a lot of research on this med. that needs 2 have a prescription from a dr. when i started taking it within 10 days i had a ton of more energy!! it was WONDERFUL!! i was bedridden my 81 yr. old mother did everything 4 me (groc. shop., wash,errands,etc.) i was like this 4 many yrs. and have suffered from MDD 4 over 25 yrs. drs. have tried many and i mean many different drugs w. no luck had hospitalizations, ect treat. and more nothing helped really until i tried deplin its my WONDER drug!! yes it is expensive but try 2 have your dr. give u samples they always run out but its easy 4 them 2 get on-line & order samples manuf. has a discount program 2 good luck 2 everyone & NEVER give up hope!! make sure u ck. out the deplin web site like i said they have a discount program that u save about 20% ? your dr. may have the brochure in his or her office? please dont buy the folic acid do some reading on it you'll find out its not the same thing sorry this was so long hang in there
After years of being every anti-depressant and benzo, I decided to take Deplin for a mix of anxiety and depression. (Actually started out as panic attacks but benzo's made me depressed). It took me about 2 weeks and my mood started to change and my anxiety was reduced greatly. At three weeks I was had feelings of normalcy and felt the best I had in decades. At four weeks life is great!!!! Nothing and I mean nothing has ever worked this well. I plan on slowing withdrawing from benzo's since I want my personailty back. I always thought Paxil was responsible for most of my side effects but now I know it was the klonopin and xanax!!!!
boy we better be careful we don't tell 2 many people about this "wonder" drug we won't be able 2 get it 4 ourselves anymore (ha ha) only kidding!! as i wrote back @ the end of may it is my "miracle drug" haven't felt this great in ages glad 2 no that others r feelin the same take care & keep writing in
I thought I would update my progress.. Deplin has been a miracle for me..Found out I had the MTHFR gene mutation and started taking Methyl B-12, and P-5-P and B Complex with this I was able to get off, all the shrink stew, Paxil and Klonopin now I am normal and living life...Deplin and B-vitamins cured me of anxiety and depression and even panic...I wonder how much longer shrinks will be in business...Thank God, that research is finding cures, sorry drug companies your days are numbered also, I never thought this would happen but this worked for me....
I thought I would update my progress.. Deplin has been a miracle for me..Found out I had the MTHFR gene mutation and started taking Methyl B-12, and P-5-P and B Complex with this I was able to get off, all the shrink stew, Paxil and Klonopin now I am normal and living life...Deplin and B-vitamins cured me of anxiety and depression and even panic...I wonder how much longer shrinks will be in business...Thank God, that research is finding cures, sorry drug companies your days are numbered also, I never thought this would happen but this worked for me....
After years of being every anti-depressant and benzo, I decided to take Deplin for a mix of anxiety and depression. (Actually started out as panic attacks but benzo's made me depressed). It took me about 2 weeks and my mood started to change and my anxiety was reduced. At three weeks I was had feelings of normalcy and felt the best I had in decades. At four weeks life is great!!!! Nothing and I mean nothing has ever worked this well. I plan on slowing withdrawing from benzo's since I want my personailty back. I always thought Paxil was responsible for most of my side effects but now I know it was the klonopin and xanax!!!!
I just started taking Deplin a week ago, and so far it is amazing. I do have depression, but also severe OCD, and this stuff is amazing. I've already had to lower my Zoloft from 250 to 175 and I think I'll be able to lower it more. I wish I had known about this years ago! The first day I took it, I noticed I felt similar to when I took Abilify (which I stopped taking a year ago for unrelated reasons) which helped me with depression also.
A warning, though...if you're on fairly high dose of an SSRI, be careful because I got mild serotonin syndrome from the combination.
I never thought I'd be able to lower my Zoloft like this. I just hope it keeps up!
dear hopeful i 2 am on 15 mg. of deplin, don't b surprised if you r able 2 go off of the zoloft totally, my dr. has me on deplin, lamictal and ativan- 4 anxiety and sleep, i've been in touch w. the manufacturer of deplin (pamlab) & have spoken to their sales rep. and my psych. dr., both told me that you can b on it without being on an anti-depressant, but it usually is used to boost the chemicals that r in the a.d. don't let anyone tell u 2 get it over the counter it's not the same stuff good luck 2 u & i'm not a professsional just a patient like u, but i've done a lot of research on it, so if u have questions just ask denise
Thanks, Denise! Two weeks now and so far it's still working! I'm still on just 7.5 mg of Deplin but going to increase it tomorrow. I had to kind of get back to 'normal' after serotonin syndrome, but I've gone from 250 to 150 of Zoloft, and you've given me hope I can cut back the Zoloft even further. It has been so good not having to deal with the depression these past two weeks, and my OCD is still stable, not any worse even with less Zoloft.
Well, it's been over a month now and the Deplin is working great! Yeah! I'm on 15 mg of Deplin and down to half the Zoloft I was taking. I'm also taking vitamin B6 and B12.
You're right about not letting them give you the generic...the pharmacy tried but we knew not to accept it. Insurance won't pay anyway, so they couldn't make us accept the generic....but in the end I think it will be cheaper than Ablify was, anyway.
I'm so glad found out about this.
try 2 get samples from your drs. office, u can contact the co. direct, pamlab is the name, it might take a little while, but i got a whole big box of samples, that probably saved me close to $300- seriously!! you just have to know the right people 2 talk 2, i don't have my contacts available right now, otherwise i'd give u the names, just ask 4 the rep. that handles your drs. office and/or the sales dept. the toll-free no. is on-line under deplin, as far as taking vitamins, u can take a b-complex 100 mg., instead of taking the b-12 & b-6 sep., it'll cover u 4 all your b vitamins, that r important 4 those of us that suffer from depression, hope things continue to go well 4 o and my doc also put me on 5-htp (herbal supp.), u may want 2 ck. it out, has 2 do with serotonin levels-hang in there denise
My doctor put me on 7.5mg of Deplin for about a year. My insurance wouldn't cover it, so it was about $50/mo which I simply do not have. I stuck it out for a while, though, to see if it helped. And, unfortunately, it didn't do anything for me. I couldn't tell any difference one way or the other. So I have been off of it for about 6 months now and Wllbutrin and Zoloft are working quite well on their own.
hi there. I didn't experience these side effects with Abilify, for me it was more increased hunger (which I guess sometimes did feel like heartburn now that I think about it) and restlessness. I feel like Deplin is like Abilify but better....I sleep better on Deplin than I have in years. So far I'm not noticing any side effects of Deplin, but be careful if you take an SSRI or other medicine which affects serotonin at first, you could get serotonin syndrome. I didn't see any mention about that anywhere else but it was very...well I had to lower my Zoloft quickly. Not sure if that helps, but it's worth a try. I found insurance won't cover the Deplin but Abilify is not cheap, so it could end up being less in the end.
i don't want 2 offend anyone, but abilify is a prescription med. & even though deplin is 2, it is listed with the ins. cos., as a medical food, this is why they say they won't cover it, it's confusing, 'cause u need a pres. 2 get it & u get it from the pharmacy but most ins. cos. won't cover it, i know mine won't, as i said b 4 i'm not a professional, just a patient 2, there may be side effects with deplin, but i don't know of any, i 2 am on abilify 2 mg., i have 2 switch back & forth with it 'cause sometimes it causes me 2 sleep & other times insomnia, with the other side effects you're having, doc may have to adjust your dosage, only a suggestion ? you didn't say if you're on anything else ? see other notes i wrote about 5-htp good luck feel free 2 write back denise
this is really 4 everyone, i have found my pharmacist 2 b sooooo helpful when it comes 2 answering questions, i seriously don't know what i would do without them, if u can find a good one stay with them, they have 2 b up-to-date on everything & that is why i go to them 4 most of my questions, don't get me wrong i'm not saying that they r a replacement 4 our drs., just a BIG extra help!! they've given me so much info. that's not written down on the info. pres. sheets, plus most of them r available 24 hrs., i'm a real info. nut can u tell, lol, it's so hard 2 tell with the side effects which ones r causing what especially if you're on several different meds., b 4 i forget the purpose of the deplin is 2 supplement and enhance the effects of the anti-depressant that you're on, this info. i got from the pamphlet that was in the drs. office, pick one up if u can, there is alot of info. in it denise
Sir,
I am a 35 years old man. I have deep depression during >10 years. I have a doubt - I always suspect my words, actions, thoughts causing troubles in my life, If I have such thoughts while walking I have a tendency to return the location where I thought such things and rethinking good thoughts, other wise I will be worried. It make greate mental stressness
I determined to take Deplin tabs. Kindly inform me dosage and use of this medicine.
Yours sincerely,
Pravi
dear pravi the dosage of deplin comes in 2 different mgs. a 7.5 & a 15 mg. dosage, it's best if your dr. decides this as i am a person that suffers from this terrible illness 4 about 30 yrs. now, my med. worked fairly good up until 10 yrs. ago, so we had 2 start all over trying most every drug available, you didn't say if you're seeing a psch. dr. or what meds. that you're on, if you're not seeing a dr. i would suggest seeing a reg. m.d. 1st 2 rule out any other medical conditions 1st, then i would suggest 2 c a good psch. dr. (only he can prescribe deplin anyways), it sounds like you're dealing with a lot of anxiety (just my opinion) like i said i am not a professional i just do alot of research, you may want to also research herbal supp. ( just my opinion again) 5-htp, l-tyrosine & there's others go on the internet & just put in herbal supplements 4 depression, you also didn't mention if u have found out about deplin through a dr. or what, read the other notes that i have written on this blog & there's many lol don't give up there is help out there good luck write back denise
i would suggest taking folate first. it's the exact same thing and you don't need an Rx. the advantage of deplin is that it is one pill a day, but otherwise they are the same thing.
either way you go, i hope you have the same experience i have. i feel fine for the first time in my life. totally normal. each day i wonder if the effect will end, but so far so good. i've had the best 4 months of my life and no side effects. typically the winters are very hard for me, but i feel totally normal.
I take folate 800 mcg x 4 in the morning and 3 more at night. i would take your night time dose at dinner as it can mess with sleep a bit if you take it too close to bed time. it may also give you vivid dreams.
good luck!
dear joe vee & others that take deplin or r thinking about taking it, i ckd. with my pharmacist & he said no they r not the same thing, i would ck. with your dr. on this or 4 an un-biased opinion ck. w. your pharmacist, i am not a professional, just a patient that takes this drug, i know it's very expensive & is not covered by ins. usually, so i would ck. w. your dr., 2 c if they can get samples 4 u or shop around, i found a pharmacy that charges only $70- for a one month supply good luck
Hi, I started taking 7.5 mg of Deplin in february 2010. I had been telling my doctor that the celexa just isn't doing it anymore. The minute I took it I started to feel better. I was a little scared! What is happening to me? I almost felt high, like a fake sense of well-being. I continued to take it for 4 months. I felt wonderful and I started to like myself instead of picking myself apart. But I was still wondering why all of a sudden do the this I hate don't seem to bother me? I felt happy but nervous that I was someone else. Around the middle of march, I noticed big clumps of hair falling out of my head in the shower! My hair is one of the very few things I like about myself. I thought it was hormones, stress, pre-menopausal symptoms. But then it got really bad and people started to notice. I was a wreck. I was very upset. I did A LOT of research on the web and found out that Deplin could mask a B6 deficiency and could cause hair loss. I stopped taking the deplin and my hair stopped falling out. It's a year later and my hair finally looks normal but I still feel low, unmotivated, sad and blah. I'm still on 30mg of celexa and 36mg of concerta for ADHD. I have xanax for panic attacks but I only use them as needed. Does anyone have any ideas or experience like mine? Should my blood levels been tested first? I would love to try the deplin again, but maybe the 7.5 mg but I'm afraid to loose my hair again.
Thanks!
Hi Pravi,
Your symptoms remind me of some of what I do with OCD...feeling like I need to be in the same place to 'undo' a thought. I'm not a dr or anything but I was just wondering if you've been diagnosed anywhere....at any rate the SSRI's (and for me Deplin!) seem to work for both. Yes, Deplin comes in 7.5 and 15 mg. Have you tried it yet?
My daughter just started taking deplin. she is bipolar with psychotic features. She has been on it for a week now and I see quite a difference in her. I must mention she is in her early 30's and has been in and out of hospitals for the past 10 years. She is living in a assisted living situation where they monitor all meds and activities. She takes alot of meds and has had psychosis with the anti phychotics she had been taking. She also was taking Lithium 1200 mg. and the psdoc just stopped it because her blood levels became toxic. She is taking Remeron also, just started that. I am wondering why this difference in her. Could it be that she has the lack of B12? Could this have caused all of her psychosis?
dear nancy i suffer from clinical depression & am also on deplin, it has helped me alot, i am not a professional, just a person that suffers from depression, most things can be tested by doing blood work, like the b-12, i can't help you with your other question, i'm sorry, but ask the psych. dr. about any other blood work, that they can do 2 answer any of your other questions good luck
I have been suffering for 10 years. I have been in and out of all kinds of doctor's offices and prescriped every medication under the sun! I was close to having a complete breakdown! I knew I could not live this way! I thought I was bipolar. My doctor ran the MMA and MTHFR blood tests -- I tested positive for the MTHFR test - meaning my brain can not process folic acid! I was prescriped deplin and my life is normal for the first time in so many years.
dear juliek i'm so glad that deplin has helped u, i don't no if ur aware that there r 2 doses of deplin, a 7.5 mg. & 15 mg., i tell u this because sometimes u only need the 7.5 mg dosage & it's cheaper, u didn't say if ur having a hard time paying 4 it (most ins. cos. don't cover it), dr. can usually get samples 4 u, i'm not a professional, just someone that's suffered from this illness, 4 about 30 yrs. now, dr. can do a reg. blood test 2 ck. & c if ur on the rite dosage, what other meds. r u taking ? did they figure out if ur bi-polar or not ? the deplin works the best when ur taking an a.d. with it, i was taking it w.o one (a.d.) & it fizzled out after awhile & didn't work anymore, just keep ur dr. informed & with the blood test they can keep track 2 make sure u need 2 take it, my blood levels r normal now, so i don't have 2 take it, doin fine, but dr. will do blood work again later, very important 2 take b-complex 100 mg., it helps w. the folate levels & is good 4 dep. & stress good luck 2 u i hope this info. helped & keep writing if it helps u
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I have only been taking Deplin for one week now. My depression symptoms have substantially improved. I know that may not typically be the result, but is the only thing that has brought me some relief.
Hi Holly,
I just started taking Deplin yesterday. Your comment gave me a little hope. Thank you so much for sharing and I will update you on my progress if you're interested.
Pamela
I still like the Deplin. I have been on it for a little while now, and I have noticed it has made me sleepy. I am not sure if that is a typical reaction or not. I started taking extra b-12, and that has helped. Also for my really bad days I take St johns wort, which really does help for me, but you have to be careful if you are taking anti depressents. Depression is hard, I really have to force myself to still do the things I usually love, and that helps to...and it's time for summer.
Holly
I have been on Deplin plus Zoloft (the Zoloft alone wasn't helping enough) for over a year. I started to feel better after about a week, which i actually thought seemed too good to be true, but kept on improving. When I first started taking it even my pharmacy hadn't heard of it but it seems to be more widely known now.
Megan
Hi Megan,
Thanks for your information. My Dr. just prescribed Deplin for me along with Wellbutrin. I have been on Wellbutrin for a year and a half. About 6 months after starting the wellbutrin, I started to lose the sharpness of memory and the happy feeling I had when I first got on it. We have tried a few other meds but they did not work for me, to many side effects that were negative. So now I am hoping this will bring me back to that wonderful sense of well being and mental sharpness.
My Dr. says it will. We'll see. I'll keep you posted
Karen
How much does Deplin cost, to those that are taking it?
Until recently, I was able to get it for about $45, but it has jumped to almost $70 for thirty days. I have been checking some on-line pharmacies, but in order to get it any cheaper, you have to order hundreds at a time. Unfortunately, its the price you pay. After doing my own research, and being on it for over two years now, I can say I feel its worth it along with many others as well. Good Luck.
I started taking Deplin about a month ago. This was added to my Welbutrin XL and Gabapenton. I expected nothing to happen. It is purified vitamin, and for most of my life I have considered vitamins as a way to produce very expensive yellow urine. After a month, something changed in me. I've been depressed for most of my life, around 55 years or so, and I have been taking meds and using talk therapy since 1980, and I figured I would live depressed until I died depressed. I did not believe anything was going to fix me. Something has happened after being a month on Deplin. I would not say I am giddy, I do not feel I have my life under control, but I am no longer worried, fearful, hopeless. I still have all the problems I've always had, including a traumatic childhood, but now I just feel I can cope. I may not know how I'm going to cope, but I sense that I will be able to cope. It is not a thought, it is a feeling. At first I thought it was a fluke. I thought, well, even a guy like me can have a good day once in a while. But one OK day followed the next OK day. I've been waiting for that other sad shoe to drop and it just doesn't drop. This is the closest I have ever been to feeling like I had an effective treatment. Depression is like diabetes for me, you have it for the rest of your life, but with the right diet and meds you can live as if you didn't have it. Deplin just may be the I'm OK drug that brings my chronic depression under control.
Dear Texarooty; I just want to thank you; I'm new to Deplin and, in the midst of sloshing thru the usual rant posts about meds, I found your cool post ~ breath of fresh air! So, thanks for doing your part; you helped a gal w/ similar predicament.
Regards,
HudsonValleyGal
you can get metafolin the active ingredient in deplin from tons of online and local vitamin stores. the brand I use is solgar but it doesnt matter what brand it is as long as the ingredient is metafolin or methyl-folate. some have noted even better with tetra-hydra-methyl-folate. the dosages are usually lower, like 800 mcg. 1mg = 1000 mcg. so if you were prescribed 5 mg metafolin, you would need 5000 mcg of metafolin. I tend to think this is overdoing it or at least not necessary though. I take 1600-2400 mcg a day with wonderful results. Also to spread out the dosage a little. When deprin was discovered they tried to shut down the supplements that already had the same active ingredients, however eventually they were not successful. This truly is one of the best examples of how f'ed up these pharmaceutical companies can be. And how creative they can get with their patent laws. I only wish they would explore real working available natural products, especially these co-enzyme and activated forms of vitamins and minerals more.
you can get metafolin the active ingredient in deplin from tons of online and local vitamin stores. the brand I use is solgar but it doesnt matter what brand it is as long as the ingredient is metafolin or methyl-folate. some have noted even better with tetra-hydra-methyl-folate. the dosages are usually lower, like 800 mcg. 1mg = 1000 mcg. so if you were prescribed 5 mg metafolin, you would need 5000 mcg of metafolin. I tend to think this is overdoing it or at least not necessary though. I take 1600-2400 mcg a day with wonderful results. Also to spread out the dosage a little. When deprin was discovered they tried to shut down the supplements that already had the same active ingredients, however eventually they were not successful. This truly is one of the best examples of how f'ed up these pharmaceutical companies can be. And how creative they can get with their patent laws. I only wish they would explore real working available natural products, especially these co-enzyme and activated forms of vitamins and minerals more.
Please share the outcome. I'm similar to you and wondering if I should add it to my WELLOFT cocktail. I too experienced that inital boost with the drop off to follow.
Please share the outcome. I'm similar to you and wondering if I should add it to my WELLOFT cocktail. I too experienced that inital boost with the drop off to follow.
Folate has been an absolute miracle for me. I was certain that the positive effects would start to fade, but after 4 months, they have not. I cannot believe how drastic a change this supplement has produced where every anti depressant has failed. There are some people in my family with a MFTHR gene defect that impacts how folic acid is managed in their body. I'm unsure if i have this same defect, but it might explain why I had such consistent depression throughout my life and why this supplement erased it overnight. I'm not going to mention the particular brand i'm on, as I don't want this to be mistaken for an advertisement. I will say that i don't take the prescription version (though i'd like to try it because it would be easier than taking 8 pills a day). I'll also say the version that is "as calcium folinate" makes me a bit fatigued, so I avoid that type.
Of course Deplin and Cerepholin NAC are made by the same company. They both have the exact same primary ingredient as well, which is a modified form of Folic Acid that crosses the blood/brain barrier unlike supplements. However, there is a CRUCIAL difference b/w the 2. Cerefolin has ESSENTIAL B vitamins and other nutrients that make it exponentially more effective.
If you've been on an SSRI or SNRI for years (eg. Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Wellbut) the effect is that gradually, your brain stops producing the 3 chemicals which these med's are supposed to prevent the "re-uptake" of. Therefore, the efficacy of the medication wears off. But when you add an agonist (producer) of those chemicals, then there's surplus in the brain, for which the re-uptake inhibitors finally have an effect on.
It's like Morphine and your bodies indigenous endorphin production. This is just an analogy and of course it's not as severe, but your brain does stop producing those 3 chemicals gradually. When I added Cerefolin NAC, it was like a light turned on in an instant. I'm a brain injury victim. The injury hit the area where memory is affected. At 26, I lost my ability to retain short-term memory. After extensive research, I looked into areas of "Pre-Alzheimer" medications and came across Deplin. When I presented the idea to my Dr., he was excited about the possibility but redirected me to Cerefolin. I tried both. I got a box of samples of Deplin and I paid for a 90-day supply of Cerefolin for $119. The Deplin, although all the web and marketing literature says it's made to supplement depression med's, is actually NOT AS EFFECTIVE as Cerefolin. My Dr. explained this and I confirmed it. The necessity of the added B vitamins in Cerefolin, and the absence of same in Deplin, make a DRAMATIC difference in how the brain responds to the Folic Acid.
I was diagnosed AD/HD at 23, added mild Bi-polar to that at 24 and experienced a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) at 26. Prior to the TBI, my memory was already shaky due to severe AD-HD. On the Bi-Polar issue, I'm less depressive than I am manic. And trust me, when I'm in a manic episode, which usually lasts several months, I'm much more dangerous to myself and my judgment is so extremely horrible that I make major life mistakes. I've learned to manage all of this. I didn't need the TBI at all. But life is life. It came. I slipped on acidic goo at the top of the stairs of my apt. bldng in NY as I was going down to the laundry room because the elevator was broken. First step and I went vertical. The stairs hadn't been used in a LONG time, and the goo was from the basement being shared with a restaurant ajacent to the apt. building. I'm not sure the duration I was unconcsious and remember very little pictures of the event in my head. But I was released the same day from the hospital and told to monitor for certain events, such as passing out. 2 days later, I felt nauseas as I was walking to the office. I turned around to go home. When I got there, I poured myself a glass of water and then I went black. I woke up on the floor, wet, broken glass everywhere, and this was on the top of the Dr's "watch for these symptoms" list. 911, ambulance, paramedics, I'm in and out of consciousness for some reason, but I told them to take me to a different hospital because I have top shelf health benefits. The 1st hospital was a county hospital. I told them to take me to a private hospital. Once there, they kept me for 9 days of observation as they feared a possible anheurism or brain stroke. I was cleared for release but I had absolutely no s/t memory. I had to undergo 10 months of cognitive rehabilitation to overcome this fact. I learned how to bypass s/t memory and take the incoming information directly to medium term and l/t memory. This worked so well that I became extremely interested in pursuing a PhD after finishhing my JD-MBA. Without the Cerefolin, forget it. It wouldn't have worked. I also added Nuvigil, another new medication, hard for insurance to approve but mine approved because the building that caused the accident is getting sued for A LOT of money and my health insurance knows it will be reimbursed for all costs associated with that accident.
Final Point: Deplin is not for people on SSRI's, although it helps a little because I was taking it before I ordered the Cerefolin. But once I started the Cerefolin, it was like the sun came up. Yes some say "just add Vitamin B supplements" but that's not the same. In the same manner the Folic Acid is manufactured to cross the blood/brain barrier, so are the vitamins. When you take Vitamin supplements, most is "pee'd" out and only a small % is used. When you take Cerefolin, you're getting much more than just Folic Acid. You're getting the core ingredients needed to kick start your brains production of those 3 magical neurotransmitters: Dopamine, Seratonin and Nor-epinephrine/Nor-adrenaline.
If there's nothing in there to prevent the reuptake of, the anti-depressants have no function other than disappointment. Hence all the new advert's for "if your anti-depressin medicine isn't working, try abilify or x or y or z, etc..."
Be proactive, study the problems unique to you, learn how to help yourself, and then guide your doctor into the right treatment. Your doctor is not you. There's no way they can know what exactly is happening in the least understood part of the body. I knew Nuvigil and Cerefolin would help me because of the AD/HD plus the TBI. Nuvigil keeps me alert without being a stimulant like adderal and I can even take a nap in the middle of the day while taking the largest dose, 250mg. The Cerefolin is amazing for memory retention. I don't know why the company markets Deplin to depression patients. They should be marketing Cerefolin. Deplin should be for Pre-Alzheimers patients.
Hope this helps.
Good luck!
Is it working for you and how much does it cost. Today my psychitrist told me about it.
Thanks
Charlotte