Can anyone recomend a liver friendly antidepressant I can take when I start treatment?

[St. George]

I have taken wellbutrin before on treatment and stopped when my  doctor and I found out it can cause major hepatoxicity.  Any one have good results on other ones( Effexor, Lexapro, etc..)?

[wyntre9]

I was on prozac for a couple of months, around weeks 20-32.

it did calm me down but made me feel brain dead, plus i was RAVENOUS all the time.  i stopped back in August.  But, in truth, I don't think i would have survived the move, the realtors, the buyers, the movers, the renovations without it.

My PCP recommended wellbutrin coz he thought I was depressed although i really only get that way about 2 days per week.  I tried it for a couple of days but I couldn't stand how it made me feel:  hyper, nauseous, so i stopped that, too.

Now I'm just trying to tough it out for the next 4 months.  if I was just starting treatment, I'd try a couple of AD's, especially if this was my 2nd or 3rd time treating.

I think, like everything else, everyone responds differently to different meds.

wyntre

[jmjm530]

Lexipro is another AD that many here report using,  and in fact was the first AD my treatment doc suggested. He gave me an rx but I never cashed it in. I got the idea for "Wellbutrin" from reading AD threads here and then discussed with my shrink. He thought it was a reasonable choice, although I believe he probably would have gone with Zoloft instead if left entirely up to him.

The other thing about ADs I learned through research is to try and pare the AD with some of your tx side effects. For example, if you have a very difficult time maintaining weight on treatment, then look for an AD associated with weight gain. Conversly, if you have a hard time losing weight, look for another AD. I wasn't seeing anyone on tx, so the benefit of no sexual side effects from Wellbutrin would have been lost. There's a really good site on ADs that someone here once recommended. If I can remember it, I'll post later.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

It made me very "jumpy" plus aggravated my GERD, therefore only went on it for two days. That said, many here report positive things from Wellubtrin. To over-simplify, I believe it is more energizing that most ADs and also less associated with sexual side effects. Because I was on it for such a short period, don't have any before and after liver enzyme figures to report -- however, so many people here have been recomended Wellbutrin and other ADs while on treatment -- from some very excellent liver specialists -- that it appears to be OK unless you have some individual liver issues that make it contraindicated.

-- Jim

[St. George]

Did you like the effects of the Wellbutrin and how long were you on it?  Any rise in liver Alts or Asts?

[jmjm530]

My liver specialist OK'd Wellbutrin, as well as several other ADs. At the time, I could have been a stage 3 or 4 for all he knew. Maybe check with another liver specialist if you think you will need ADs. Most of these drugs have liver warnings on them, but doesn't mean they aren't prescribed when needed. Tylenol, for example, is a drug with liver warnings -- as are the Statins -- yet, both are often prescribed to those with HCV, both on and off treatment.

-- Jim

[GrandmaA]

P.S.
He doesn't SELL it. Excuse my spelling.