Can I take more than one antidepressant?!

You must always talk with your doctor before changing the dose of medication. The official maximum dose of Prozac (fluoxetine) is 80 mg/day but you need to ask what your doctor recommends. If you have been taking Prozac for two months and you have not had any response then a higher dose is unlikely to help.

You should probably make an appointment with your doctor and talk about other medications. There are different classes of antidepressants and typically it is best to try a different class of medication like Wellbutrin (bupropion) a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor or Effexor XR (venlafaxine extended-release) a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

You might also ask your doctor about augmentation agents, medications taken with antidepressants can increase the efficacy of the medication. It is also fairly common to use two classes of antidepressants at one time like taking Effexor XR and Wellbutrin.

Augmentation agents include: lithium, buspirone, liothyronine (T3), amantadine, alprazolam, benztropine, clonazepam, dextroamphetamine, lorazepam, oxazepam, methylphenidate, lamotrigine, eszopiclone, pramipexole, methamphetamine, ropinirole, pindolol, oxcarbazepine, aripiprazole, quetiapine, olanzapine, modafinil, armodafinil, and dexmethylphenidate. These drugs are used for many indications including anxiety, epilepsy, psychosis, bipolar disorder, Parkinson's, ADHD, narcolepsy, primary (idiopathic) hypersomnia, hypothyroidism, hypertension, insomnia, neuralgia, periodic leg movement disorder, nausea/vomiting, and others.

If you have severe major depressive disorder then I highly recommend you see a psychiatrist (if you are not). Also it is important to be proactive- if things are not getting better it is important that you try multiple treatments. Almost all people will respond to at least one of three antidepressants but some need a long time to find the ideal medication/s. To make things worse antidepressants typically take about 4 weeks for a full effect so it can be a slow process. Also if you have any significant problems with anxiety, agitation, insomnia, or hypersomnia bring it to the attention of your doctor. It is important that all problems be treated to maximize your chance of responding. In addition problems like anxiety and insomnia can be treated with rapid acting medications that would work in 20-40 min.

I also recommend you do therapy with medication if possible.

Good luck. Remember there are a lot of options, many augmentation agents, and many classes of antidepressants.

M.D., C.M. psychiatry, internal medicine (Québec)
Hons. BSc pharmacology,

Great link to read through>>>http://www.integrativepsychiatry.net/ser…

An excerpt from it>>>

"SSRI’s are thought to block the reabsorption (reuptake) of serotonin by certain nerve cells in the brain. This theoretically leaves more serotonin available in the brain. However if you have low serotonin to begin with these medications either will not work well, or work for a while then "poop out".

Natural serotonin supplements are likely to be the most effective means to raise serotonin levels in the brain while being safe and without the side effects of anti depression medications. Derived from seeds of Griffonia simpicifolia, a native African plant, 5-HTP, or 5-hydroxy tryptophan, is a safe dietary supplement that introduces higher levels of tryptophan into the blood stream which then enter the central nervous system and facilitate the needed synthesis of serotonin."

RedAngel

Don't do it without consulting your doctor, it may only do you harm. These may also not be suitable for you, your doc will want to give you a completely different drug once you tell him they aren't doing anything for you. I was on anti depressants but I had to wait like a whole month for them to work, make sure you give it some time to work too.

you obviously need something stronger than a minor SSRI for severe depression. ask your p-doc for an add-on medication such as seroquel or abilify (which have immediate effects).

drug user, clinical depression, ocd.

If it is not working for you, the best thing is to talk to your doctor so they can put you on something else that will work.

You really need to talk to your Dr...sometimes the generics are not as good as the real thing...OR you may need a different pill. Let him decide what and how much.

all depends how depress you are