mood: SSRI, welbutrin, marijuana

[DeGenisis]

I'm 16 and I've been on high doses of SSRI's for most of my life to control OCD. They do work for OCD to an extent, but they blunt my emotions, and I found I can get depressed on them anyways. In the past year or so I've dabbled in marijuana, regretting it each time. I never really enjoyed the high, but my best friend is a definite pot head so its hard. It had effects on me even when I wasn't high. It sapped my motivation and blunted my emotions even further. These after-effects could last a couple of weeks before I felt normal again. Now I kicked this habit for a few months and my schoolwork improved a lot and I was feeling better but I started to really notice the effects of the SSRIs and I was anxious to move past that considering my OCD had been a lot better. I reduced the SSRI, which helped some and my doc put me on wellbutrin, which would counter the sides of the SSRI(Zoloft btw) like low libido, apathy etc. This is true because I've read several studies that say SSRIs depress the dopamine system which would explain these effects.



The wellbutrin worked and within a week or so I started to feel emotion for the first time in a while. It was amazing to experience joy, happiness, and even saddness, since my grandfather is having heart troubles and its been hard. Feeling emotions is great and not having emotions is much worse than having negative ones. Well I was retarted and my friend came over and I took a couple hits from the blunt and it sent me back to where I was before, mabye worse. Luckily it was a long weekend because I spend most of it in bed. Even when I wasnt tired I would stay in bed because I didnt have motivation to do anything, Its like the weed killed the spark that the wellbutrin finally created for me.



Just wanted to post my story is all and that marijuana, despite all the legalize it and it has no bad effects I've seen it damage a lot of lives and I know I might hit a nerve with some people there but its true. Everyone responds to marijuana differently. Some people have no bad effects but some people are really effected. Its only been half a week since the blunt so I hope that spark returns, but I'm filled with doubt for some reason...

[Darksanity]

Wtf you are incredibly sensitive to marijuana!!

[eclypz]

Just give it a bit, pot stays in your system for quite a while.



I hope you've learned your lesson. For some of us pot's the answer and for others it only leads to sides that keep us from feeling life.

[spinal1]

amazing, absolutely AMAZING you posted this.



Since October I was on an SSRI, in Decemeber doc added Wellbutrin...





I smoked all through the summer with a friend... and eventually got on these meds a few months later.



To make a long story short...





He's a major pot head, and he wants to smoke all the time. I gave in, felt like shit the next few days, could not figure out why.



I find that marijuana definitely interacts with these drugs. I find it to be the Wellbutrin more than anything. I would smoke on Zoloft by itself, and would still have a depressed effect, but not as much as while I was on both wellbutrin and zoloft. I was taking 50 mg Zoloft, and am now tapering off the SSRIs completely. I'm down to 12.5 and will quit next week. Doc wants to put me on another SSRI - Fuck that.



But yeah bro, you are not alone! I smoked a huge bowl before I went out on Saturday - it TOTALLY fucked with me. I don't remember much of anything, I woke up the next day VERY depressed, next day I woke up pissed at the world with empty feelings, and today (Wednesday) I am starting to feel like myself again.



I have decided to completely cut pot out while on these meds... there is some serious interaction between them ( I believe the wellbutrin and marijuana is what is having the most effect). Everyone is different, but for me and you, it would probably be best to stop smoking marijuana while taking the meds.



And yea, as far as having a buddy that pressures ya and shit, heh... just tell em straight up - you're on meds, it makes you feel like shit... can't do it anymore. you got bigger things to worry about (school, etc) cause im in the EXACT same position.



just be strong

[gotDOMS]

my experience have smoked a lot and i do not like weed much

ive always been inattentive and laidback and worry free and i dont like the weed feeling

i think weed is a mood brightener and dulls the pain for those who have too much feeling and get depressed and unhappy

as for me my problem is also not having any emotions and cannot feel much which i agree is worse, so i dont need weed right now

[DeGenisis]

I can't feel anything(emotions) anymore. Doc is upping my dose of bupropion to 150mg.

[gotDOMS]

I can't feel anything(emotions) anymore. Doc is upping my dose of bupropion to 150mg.

when u say you cant feel anything what exactly do you mean? tell us more detail

i think i had a similar problem to yours and i was going the wrong direction by increasing dopamine.took megadosese of tyrosine, deprenyl, used methylphenidate, adderall and others. I used to think that having high dopamine all the time would increase my reward/pleasure feeling and make me more motivated/happier, but it did the opposite to me; my body was in a a sort of constant state of satisfaction (even though i felt down because it wasnt normal) with the high dopamine and fun activities did not excite me i had no desire to do anything or talk to anyone, and i was in a sort of "depression" because i couldnt "feel" any emotions either. if this sounds similar to you let me know and include more details

[marcog2illis88]

Marijuana can be very harmful to someone with an anxiety disorder expecially OCD.....I have it pretty bad so Im telling you first hand



you seem pretty bright for your age, I would stick with your medicine regimin, add in some exercise and nutritional supplements and look at some of the meditation articles on the site....it takes awhile to get a hang of but it really does help



i was on zoloft for many years, and many other drugs as well for OCD if you have any questions that you think I can answer from my experience, Id be happy to help

[oswaldosalcedo]

Marijuana can be very harmful to someone with an anxiety disorder expecially OCD.....I have it pretty bad so Im telling you first hand

really.



.

[marcog2illis88]

really really

Objective: To examine whether age of first use or frequency of use of cannabis is associated with anxiety and depression (AD) in young adults, independent of known potential confounders, including the use of other illicit drugs. Method: A cohort of 3,239 Australian young adults was followed from birth to the age of 21 when data on AD were obtained from sample members along with information on their use of cannabis at 21 years. Potential confounding factors were prospectively measured when the child was born and at 14 years. Results: After controlling for confounding factors, those who started using cannabis before age 15 years and used it frequently at 21 years were more likely to report symptoms of AD in early adulthood (odds ratio 3.4; 95% CI 1.9-6.1). This association was of similar magnitude for those who had only used cannabis and those who reported having used cannabis and other illicit drugs. Conclusion: The relationship between early-onset and frequent use of cannabis and symptoms of AD is independent of individual and family backgrounds. Frequent cannabis use is associated with increased AD in young adults independently of whether the person also uses other illicit drugs. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)



esearch clearly demonstrates that marijuana has the potential to cause problems in daily life or make a person's existing problems worse. Depression17, anxiety17, and personality disturbances18 have been associated with chronic marijuana use. Because marijuana compromises the ability to learn and remember information, the more a person uses marijuana the more he or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover, research has shown that marijuana’s adverse impact on memory and learning can last for days or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear off19,20,25.

[DeGenisis]

I'm feeling better today, mabye the new dose of bupropion is starting to kick in. Also I took half of my regular zoloft dose, (50 instead of 100) and I was more capable socially and less "zoned out" and generally feeling like less of a pussy.



markog, what supplements would you recommend? I'm taking zinc, b6, vitamin c, and magnesium. I tried to get some piracetam/aniracetam but the local health food store didn't have any. I workout at least 3 times a week and do cardio sometimes and I notice that cardio especially is an antidepressant. I haven't noticed the same thing from the weights, but it does make you feel more manly/confident, which is important when your on an SSRI.

[marcog2illis88]

I dont think aniracetam is particularly effective for OCD





Theanine and Inositol are pretty the best supplements Ive used for OCD



Definatly add Fish oil (epa &DHA) into your regemin, a mutli ( ill assume u have one thought) and possible try phosphatidyl serine and taurine.



Onvery rare occasions stimulants work to correct OCD, Its rare, but you could give it a try, the effects would be immediate.



also you could try to add in low dose anafranil, it has alot of side effects though, id use it as a last resort

[maggmaster]

I have mild OCD, I have tried a number of drugs and the only thing that has ever worked for me is gradual compulsion replacement. Basically you begin with one compulsion that is not productive and you slowly shift it to a new compulsion that is productive by purposefully and mindfully doing the new compulsion until it takes over. Personal example, I used to tear paper as a compulsion, I tore sheets of paper into concentric strips to make very long paper strings which I then rolled round before I started tearing the next sheet. I still do this, but only at restaurants with paper napkin rings(no idea why). However in the rest of my day to day life I have switched this compulsion to a work function that requires constant attention. I keep track of all incidents that take place and refresh the queue of incidents every 30 seconds, this is productive for me. At home I can generally supress this compulsion because its activator is not present.

[DeGenisis]

Feeling better still. Bupropion steady at 150mg, reduced sertraline to 50mg from 100, just two days ago. So far so good, waiting for "withdrawal" symptoms. I hope the reduction in sertraline will allow me to "feel" life more and maybe make me a little more aggressive. I've been going to a tanning salon which has made me feel better mood wise, for some reason, and getting a lot of sun and walks too. Also, CBT has helped a lot to control obsessive thoughts. I can positively identify OCD-thoughts and behaviors and avert them. Oh and heavy squats and deadlifts get the test flowing and give me a great boost in mood, after my workout on core training days.



I got to say after being on ssris since I was 8, I'm ready to move on with my life.

[Section 8]

really.



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Pot fucks with the gaba system. Of course it can cause problems for people with OCD / anxiety disorders.