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Suggest An Alternative Medication For Bupropion Taken For Depression

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Posted on Mon, 23 May 2016
Question: hi i am taking 25mg escitalopram,300mg bupropion,5.75mg risperidone,100microgram eletroxin 200mg docusate ,40mg pantoprazole,
per day,i guess bupropion is weak antidepressant ,i like to replace it by 1 that is more effective stronger & that could be taken with cipralex,i am feeling sad ,i am bored ,i have the time to study but i have poor motivation to study plus i am sad,in the past i had taken effexor citalopram,mirtazapine ,emipramine,thirodazine,zypreza,seroquel,stelazine,valium, i started taking psychiatric drugs in 2000,i was born 1982,i hope that assists u to get information about me to assist me,if u suggest an antidepressant that may replace bupropion that doesnt have serious side effects & that also may be taken with cipralex, i could mention that to my psychiatrist & then he could write me a prescription,i am seeing him on april 7 2016 ,until then i need ur advice,if u could also tell me how much it costs me to get ur advice,how many follow up emails could i send ,are u part of the company called healthcare magic ,a psychiatrist called dr XXXXXXX XXXXXXX answered my question in the past from a company called health care magic
doctor
Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (20 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Consultation

Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thanks for your question.

Yes, I am on HealthCareMagic. My private link to ask me a direct question is here:

tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers

OR

https://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=70684

The cost is $35 per thread which consists of 4 questions.

To answer your question, buproprion could be replaced with several augmenting agents. The one I would suggest is lithium, it has several excellent antidepressant properties. Other possibilities include T3 hormone and buspirone, both commonly used as augmenting antidepressant agents. But for you, lithium would be my first suggestion.

Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Sonia Raina
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (33 minutes later)
i memorize lithium from my chemistry classes that it is 1 of the elements with atomic #3,classified as a metal according to chemistry ,like potassium or magnesium for example,so i like to know if lithium is a prescription drug or if it is an over the counter(otc) that i could purchase with out a prescription. u also suggested
T3 hormone and buspirone as an alternative,are they antidepressants or otc mineral supplements,is t3 hormone something related to thyroid?i paid 29USD or almost 38 CAD for a month of unlimited treatments,so i like to use that rather than paying 35 USD for one time.i will continue to ask questions on health care magic as many times as needed & u may answer it.


i also like to mention that i sometimes take melatonin if i couldnt fall asleep easily,i also take acetaminophin if i feel head ache, i read that t3 hormone is related to thyroid , is that different from eltroxine or synthroid, i am taking eletroxin 100 microgram for hypothyroidism ,so that could be related to the depression also , i am suggesting ,i am unsure though, how many milligrams should i start the lithium with ,if it is measured by milligrams?

also how fast should i reduce & stop bupropion to avoid withdrawal symptoms ,is reducing from my current 300mg to 150mg for 7-10 days & then stopping it fine?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe (10 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Followup

Detailed Answer:
I will answer your private question shortly, thank you for using my private direct service!

Lithium is a prescription medication, though you are right it is a naturally occurring element. It is typically started at 300mg twice daily and a blood level are measured in 4-5 days to find a therapeutic dose of 0.6-1.0 in the blood.

T3 is also a prescription and is a synthesized thyroid hormone that acts as an antidepressant. It is different from Synthroid.

Buspirone is a drug that acts as an anti-anxiety medication as well as an antidepressant.

To avoid withdrawal, I would reduce buproprion to 150mg daily for 2 weeks and then attempt to stop it. This can be done more slowly if needed.

I will answer your questions in more detail in our newly opened private conversation!

For now, please remember to rate and close this answer thread.

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

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
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Answered by
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Dr. Alexander H. Sheppe

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2014

Answered : 2236 Questions

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Suggest An Alternative Medication For Bupropion Taken For Depression

Brief Answer: Consultation Detailed Answer: Hello, and thanks for your question. Yes, I am on HealthCareMagic. My private link to ask me a direct question is here: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers OR https://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=70684 The cost is $35 per thread which consists of 4 questions. To answer your question, buproprion could be replaced with several augmenting agents. The one I would suggest is lithium, it has several excellent antidepressant properties. Other possibilities include T3 hormone and buspirone, both commonly used as augmenting antidepressant agents. But for you, lithium would be my first suggestion. Please remember to rate and close this answer thread when you are finished and satisfied.