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Suggest Treatment For Depression And Anxiety

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Posted on Wed, 11 Jun 2014
Question: I have been dealing with depression for the past 2 months. My shrink has tried several different meds. I was on Wellbutrin, thought it had quit working, since the depression and anxiety were still bothering me. She has me back on 150 mg of Wellbutrin and the generic form of Lexapro, the script is for 20 mg, but she told me to cut it in half. I take both the Wellbutrin and the Lexapro in the a.m. I want some relief now. Should I take the lexapro at night,? Some say the generic form of lexapro doesn't work or is awful. Any suggestions please
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Answered by Dr. Sunil Gupta (40 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
See below for detailed answer

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

I read your query in detail and can understand your distress. Getting over depression is difficult and facing it again, as in your case must be highly distressing.

You have mentioned that in the current episode, you have been tried on different drugs. As a psychiatrist, I would be interested to know what were the drugs, at what dose and for what duration. I would also like to know treatment details of your last episode of depression.

Your psychiatrist might have decided to put you on both Wellbutrin (Bupropion) and Lexapro (escitalopram) because he felt the drugs used alone were not effective enough for you. To answer your questions directly, bothe the drugs can be taken together in the morning. I prefer to give both Bupropion and Escitalopram in the morning as they can cause some amount of insomnia.

You can also stop worrying about the effectiveness regarding generic form of lexapro. If Escitalopram will have to work, it will work in any form.

The starting dose of Bupropion is 150 mg per day and Escitalopram is 10 mg/day. If the response is not adequate after a duration(2-3 weeks), the dosage of one of the drugs can be increased initially and the response observed. I understand that you want faster relief, but these medications take time to act. So, we will have to be patient about it.

Hope I have been able to help with your query. If you have any further clarifications, please feel free to ask.

Wishing you speedy recovery,

Best wishes.

Dr. Sunil Gupta


Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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Answered by
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Dr. Sunil Gupta

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 637 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Depression And Anxiety

Brief Answer: See below for detailed answer Detailed Answer: Hi, I read your query in detail and can understand your distress. Getting over depression is difficult and facing it again, as in your case must be highly distressing. You have mentioned that in the current episode, you have been tried on different drugs. As a psychiatrist, I would be interested to know what were the drugs, at what dose and for what duration. I would also like to know treatment details of your last episode of depression. Your psychiatrist might have decided to put you on both Wellbutrin (Bupropion) and Lexapro (escitalopram) because he felt the drugs used alone were not effective enough for you. To answer your questions directly, bothe the drugs can be taken together in the morning. I prefer to give both Bupropion and Escitalopram in the morning as they can cause some amount of insomnia. You can also stop worrying about the effectiveness regarding generic form of lexapro. If Escitalopram will have to work, it will work in any form. The starting dose of Bupropion is 150 mg per day and Escitalopram is 10 mg/day. If the response is not adequate after a duration(2-3 weeks), the dosage of one of the drugs can be increased initially and the response observed. I understand that you want faster relief, but these medications take time to act. So, we will have to be patient about it. Hope I have been able to help with your query. If you have any further clarifications, please feel free to ask. Wishing you speedy recovery, Best wishes. Dr. Sunil Gupta