I buy prozac over the counter in Taipei. Any chance of that happening with Wellbutrin or Zyban? I haven’t noticed so much diminishment of the sex drive with prozac, but the stuff gives me a wicked thirst for the booze which, of course is a concern. I also suspect that prozac contributes to insomnia. (Check the time on this post.) Thanks for whatever insights you might be able to provide.
Insomnia is a common side-effect of Prozac. Change your dose to the morning and you should be fine. If that doesn’t work, you can also get something to help you sleep, like Ativan, Xanax, or Clonzazepam (Klonopin).
Page up a few posts to my longish post on Wellbutrin SR. I bought it OTC at Shanghai Union Dispensary.
Half the people I work with take Xanax. Is this a common thing in Taiwan???
Dunno. I take them for recreational purposes sometimes if someone’s handing them out, but I wouldn’t bother actually shopping for them. Are supposed to have a script for them?
I think how it works at my office is that someone get a script and the rest share.
I saw a bunch of orange pills going around one day and was like WTF?!?!
No one seems really high when they’re on it, so I’m not sure what they do apart from presumably keeping people happy. This office gets pretty happy sometimes and then there’s me, frowning over my coffee…
Xanax is a sedative, usually used to treat anxiety disorders. I’ve never found it to be “recreational,” but it is good for taking the edge off if you’ve got anxiety or are really stressed out. But as with any medication like that, you should get a prescription.
Works well for me when mixed with some booze and smoke. Feel no pain. 
Does anyone know whether the Shanghai Union Dispensary (or anyplace else in Taipei) sells Depakote (generic name valproic acid)? If so, is it available over the counter, or does one need a prescription?
Thanks in advance!
A quick search shows that it is available under the name Depakine here. In general, if you know at least the generic name you can go into Shanghai Union and they can look it up in their big book to see what other names it goes by. Unless it is controlled, you should be able to get it OTC there.
I was in to the Shanghai pharmacy to purchase Wellbutrin today. NTD2900 they wanted for a pack of 60 150mg. Ouch! I passed on that deal actually.
I am wondering too, if I ever get any Wellbutrin, do I need to ween off of the Prozac before starting on the Wellbutrin?
Thanks in advance.
[quote=“bob”]I was in to the Shanghai pharmacy to purchase Wellbutrin today. NTD2900 they wanted for a pack of 60 150mg. Ouch! I passed on that deal actually.
I am wondering too, if I ever get any Wellbutrin, do I need to ween off of the Prozac before starting on the Wellbutrin?
Thanks in advance.[/quote]
Yes, you do. I made the mistake of not doing that once and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
TWD2900 may seem high, but it’s a good deal cheaper than the price in the US. As for transitioning medicines, you need to go off Prozac for at least a week before starting another antidepressant, and you might want to taper off first to avoid really bad withdrawl symptoms. And most anti-depressants don’t kick in for a couple of weeks, so you’ll probably face 2-3 weeks of rough weather when switching anti-depressants.
I asked my mom (a pharmacist), and she said you can taper off Prozac while starting on Wellbutrin without any negative side-effects. It’s only certain other anti-depressants that can’t be mixed.
How come I meet so many people here who are on this kind of shit? Is it Taiwan that does it to you, or do you bring these problems with you? If the latter, is it really a good idea to move to a completley different country if you are a depressive?
not having a dig…just interested
[quote=“Southpaw”]How come I meet so many people here who are on this kind of shit? Is it Taiwan that does it to you, or do you bring these problems with you? If the latter, is it really a good idea to move to a completley different country if you are a depressive?
not having a dig…just interested[/quote]
Seen that movie “Insomnia” with Robin Williams and Al Pacino? At one point, Pacino is talking with a motel desk clerk, and she tells him (approximately), “there are two types of people who live in Alaska, those who were born here and those who ran away from something. I wasn’t born here.”
Well worth seeing, BTW.
“A” depressive Southpaw?
Not “intended” as a dig perhaps.
I chose not to include the word ‘manic’.
fuck off bob