ReaperX, all the advice I've given and I've not once seen you pop into my supplement log! What the hell is going on here? haha.
Lexapro is an SSRI. Take it if you want to numb out and get fat. I wouldn't touch it if I was paid to take it.
Wellbutrin is better than the others. It acts primarily on NE and to a little lesser extent DA. It's a good choice for atypical depression and provides a quicker response than the others, sometimes improving symptoms the first day.
Please stop dispensing medical advice. You aren't helping anyone by spreading misinformation. You speak in such generalities about a potentially life threatening disorder that requires specific and individualized treatment depending on the person's symptoms, history, etc. If you have strong opinions about these medications, that's understandable. But you are flat-out WRONG when you state that Wellbutrin is a better option as a first line treatment for depression.
Perhaps this is something you have experienced personally or were taught in your undergrad psychology program. But the truth is that no currently prescribed antidepressant has ever been proven to be more effective than any other antidepressant. The effectiveness is highly dependent on the individual. Many people do, indeed, respond well to Wellbutrin, and it is a very good drug. But I have personally treated many patients who have had no response to this medication, or worse still, had a negative reaction to it (it is more likely to have a stimulating/anxiety effect than SSRIs). Many of these people, however, do respond wonderfully to SSRIs or even another atypical antidepressant.
This is not just my opinion. This is based on hundreds of studies comparing the efficacy of the various antidepressants, and it is the prevailing opinion of the medical community. What are your statements based on that allow you to be so confident in disuading others from trying a medication that could save their life? Wouldn't it be responsible of you to at least admit, perhaps, that you may not know what is best for everyone, and that you could do more harm than good through your prejudice?
Like it or not, much of psychiatry (and medicine in general) is informed trial and error. Physicians prescribe the medication they think is best for a patient based on the specifics of the case, their own experiences, clinical studies, etc. However, depression is an extremely complicated illness influenced by the mind, brain, and body. Every person responds differently to treatment, and the field has not progressed to the point where we can state with certainty what the best first choice is.
I repeat: THERE IS NO SINGLE BEST FIRST CHOICE MEDICATION FOR DEPRESSION.
And your statement about Lexapro could not be further from the truth. "Take [Lexapro] if you want to numb out and get fat". A SMALL percentage of people do report weight gain on this medication, but the vast majority do not. And, in appropriately prescribed cases, Lexapro does not make you "numb out". In fact, it can have quite the opposite effect, as feeling numb is often a symptom of depression. Again, what are your statements based on?
You seem like you are passionate about this topic, and I repect that. There is nothing wrong with stating your opinions based on your personal experiences. But you are pro-actively discouraging people from getting the best help they might need. Make your case, and let others choose what to do with your information. You seem like you know just enough about this field to be dangerous, and not enough to really help others.
I am doubtful that this post will do anything to change your attitude, as you are the person who called me "a ****ing idiot" earlier in this thread (which you eventually deleted) because I asked you to back up some of your claims.
