Bad spell symptoms and conditions

I am 32 yr old male who has battled mild depression off and on, that at it's worse causes me to basically not be able to function or focus, and spend the day in bed. I have taken Zoloft in the past, off and on, but then it seemed that it no longer has the same affect it first did (maybe because it got switched to generic since the first time) and so after stopping it in December '08, and after a recent very bad spell of depression recently, my doctor and I decided I should try something new. He prescribed Effexor, but before I could begin taking it, my insurance company got in the way and balked at it. So he was now forced to change that prescription to BUPROPION SR, the generic form of Wellbutrin at 150mg. (which btw, is still pretty expensive for me)

After reading these complaints of side-affects, I'm not sure I should be starting this medication at all. Effexor seemed to have very few side affects, and now it is my insurance company that is telling my doctor that he cannot prescribe it. Instead, it looks like I'm going to be forced to take a pill that's going to make me bald and itchy. I had no side-affects with Zoloft so I don't want to start risking my health, even if it means being in this cloud of depression every once in a while.

For anyone who is against universal (government run) health care because they're worried about a "bureaucracy" getting between them and their doctor, don't worry, because there's already a big greedy one there as it is now.

Is there anyone out there with a positive story about taking Wellbutrin, specifically the generic BUPROPION SR tablet?

I am recently out of the hosp after 9 days with COPD exas, pneumonia, flu. I have been on heavy antibiotics, steroids--home now for 1st time with oxygen---I feel GREAT.First time in years I feel like I have a life to live. Like a veil has been lifted. I'm scared for this feeling to go away--what is it? the steroids?? the oxygen?? Whatever it is I need to know so I can fight for it and stop just waiting to die.

Visited new physician, blood test showed recent spike in LDL level (+60 points). Test was non fasting, and not repeated. At follow-up visit, doc directed me to take Lipitor, and when I expressed concern about taking drug before trying diet and other tactics for lowering LDL, doctor brooked no discussion. I specifically expressed concern regarding dizziness, as I had had very severe neurological problems after taking a high level of an OTC at a doc direction for an unrelated problem. My concern was dismissed out of hand (I've never seen it in 20 years.) No return visit was scheduled at this time to check on efficacy. (A medical student was in the exam room, I never spoke with the doc alone, and the doc left the room and I never saw her again.

Without other immediate options for medical care, I filled the prescription for 20 mg of Lipitor. At about the second week, I began to experience severe neurological problems (dizziness, sense of no orientation of my body in space, trouble keeping upright, etc.) I received a card for a cardiology appointment shortly after the visit, and decided to hang on until the visit. The cardio doc said to me, "why are you here?" I told her that the appt. had been scheduled by the other doc's office, but told her what I knew. She took bp - told me it was fine (actually, it was prehypertensive), and then told me my high LDL was genetic, and I'd have to be on drugs for the rest of my life (56). Did not ask for family history, and ignored recent severe leg infection as a possible cause for the spike in LDL.

Having been offered no alternative, I decided to stop Lipitor on my own after 19 days on it. (I decided I would rather drop dead than feel as I did.) Not much improvement immediately. It took 30 days off it to have a day on which I felt well. I am into my second week since then, and have an occasional bad spell, but I am hopeful I'll have a full recovery from the neurological problems. I've been on my own low fat diet for the LDL, but don't know what effect that is having, and have no intention to visit a doctor to find out.

Interestingly, the FDA's Medwatch only allows reporting of severe side effects, and I didn't stay on Lipitor long enough to meet the definition (become disabled).

I have been off Advair for 7 months now. After quitting, I first got my voice back -- it had been cracking and disappearing by the end of the day. Then the swelling in my ankles went down. I was able to stick to a diet, and now I realize I looked like I was pregnant, my stomach was so big. I've lost 15 pounds on a realistically low-carb, low-gluten diet, fairly easily. I'm running again, finally with no muscle pain, and more lung capacity than I had on Advair. I've had a cold virus twice, and didn't become asthmatic, even though EVERY single cold had in the past. I was up to 500/50 when I decided to quit, and my doctor had told me I would likely have to stay on that dosage forever. (I'd had to supplement with Albuterol when I tried to exercise, and frequently had nighttime wheezes.) She was wrong. Advair is BAD NEWS. If you decide to quit, taper off gradually, over a few weeks. I went through a bad spell of painful headaches in the week I tapered.