Posted by JohnL on August 23, 2001, at 4:09:00
In reply to Effexor, feel nothing.. anyone experience this?, posted by cerose on August 22, 2001, at 21:40:57
> I have been on Effexor XR for about 6 weeks now. I have gradually gone up from 75 mg to 225 mg. I feel nothing, except sweaty. I don't feel better, I don't feel worse.
>
> I have also tried Zoloft, from 25 mg to 100 mg. No side effects, but not better either.
>
> I am being treated from Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety. I would guesstimate that I have been this way for at least 13 years. I don't really know what it feels like to be different then this.
>
> Any one have any ideas?I agree with Janelle that one more SSRI should be tried, and Paxil is a good choice. However, I would not bother with the six week trial thing. Instead, go for two weeks. If you have not felt some kind of a hint of goodness within two weeks, then the odds of experiencing anything good later on are not good. Not to misunderstand me, I'm not talking about total recovery in two weeks. I'm talking about a hint of recovery. If there isn't even a hint in two weeks, forget it. Definitely there are people who do not feel anything in a 2 to 6 week period who then later on get better. But the percentage of people that that happens to is small. In my own layman way of thinking, such a situation indicates a med that is way off target. Even though it is off target, it can work if given enough time, through domino chain reactions that eventually get around to the real underlying problem indirectly.
After the third SSRI, then it is high time to move into a different category of meds, such as the antipyschotics. The newer ones such as Zyprexa and Risperdal are truly wonderful for all kinds of psychiatric symptoms besides just schizophrenia. It's just my opinion, but I think the highest odds for success are in that category.
As Andrew said in another post, the universe of drugs can be sort of viewed like a toolbox. Up to this point, of all the tools in that toolbox, only the hammer and nail have been tried. If after a short trial of a third SSRI you are getting nowhere, then it's time to reach in that toolbox for a wrench instead. Forget the hammer and nail because you already proved they couldn't do the job.
John
poster:JohnL
thread:76047
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010822/msgs/76081.html