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Re: 1st post: How can you tell if meds are working?? » Sarahh

Posted by dazedandconfused on September 3, 2003, at 16:25:04

In reply to Re: 1st post: How can you tell if meds are working?? , posted by Sarahh on September 3, 2003, at 14:10:19

Sarah,
I must say that I am thrilled that you can relate! (although of course I am sorry that you do also!). This is such an odd thing to describe and I feel like I can't make progress until I get a better handle on it.

Again, how can I determine which meds are right for me if I can't describe how I feel on them. I would switch meds, or take supplements, but it seems futile if I can't tell the effects of them. I can do OK if its something extreme; like when I first started a couple of my meds, I awoke very early in the morning which is unusual for me. But another time, I started crashing for a nap in the early evening...then the naps started getting longer...then I would crash earlier and earlier. Finally, my husband said, "Hey,,,do you think your meds are making you tired?". DUH! Only THEN do I make the connection to the meds; otherwise I would just say I've been tired. Isn't that weird??? Do you think it is an ADD symptom? Apathy? I almost prefer I had an outside party to help me determine whether or not the meds are working....like a parent monitoring a child's progress on a med. And no,,,my PDOC,,,is NOT that person. She is pretty clueless so I am looking for a new one. The only symtoms we can cover are whether I am sleeping and whether I am eating; neither of which have ever been problems for me (I've always slept too much and eaten too much; not the other way around).

For your Effexor, it sounds like it is way too early to tell the effectiveness. I hope it works for you! And Thank you, Thank you, Thank you...for responding to my post. I hope we both get more feedback!

> Wow...you are practically speaking for me. I hope that someone will have some input for us. I too have no idea if my meds are working. I can tell you one thing though...I DID notice a difference right away when I was first introduced to REMERON. It gave me a sense of the real me again, my old self. It lessened my insecurities, gave me motivation, lowered my anxieties and generally gave me my great sense of humor back and my old sense of well being. Unfortunately I had to stop taking the REMERON due to the excessive weight gain that I experienced. I am thankful that I atleast had experience with a med that DID prove positive results to me almost immediately.
> Currently my GP talked me into trying out meds again. I am now on 37.5mg of EFFEXOR XR a day for the past 2 weeks. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS MEDICATION IS WORKING. We are in a very similar boat it seems. If you would appreciate the support from someone that understands your frustrations please let me know...I would be interested in any help all of us can give one another. Good luck otherwise and hang in there.
>
> -Sarahh
>
> > This is my first time posting a question so hope it makes sense. I haven’t seen this issue discussed and really need help sorting it out.
> >
> > Does anyone else have trouble determining whether or not their meds are effective?
> >
> > I don’t notice much of anything (life in general, not just meds). I feel somewhat disconnected; not in touch with feelings (physical or emotional) at all. But when I read other posters say, “on X med, I felt more motivated, focused, etc.” but X med made me feel “agitated, anxious, etc.”, I simply can’t relate. And it really blows me away when a poster can be so specific as to say, “X med improved my motivation level to 70%, and X med is clearing up the residual depression and obsessions”. HUH??? How can you be so detailed in your description of your reaction to meds? What am I missing?
> >
> > I have no idea whether my meds are effective. When I first started treatment for this round of depression (three years ago), I was laying in bed all day sobbing uncontrollably. So, yes, the meds have been effective in pulling me out of that and I am “better” than I used to be. However, I certainly don’t feel “well”. I haven’t worked in three years and get overwhelmed with the smallest of household activities. (I have other symptoms, but am trying to keep this message from becoming ridiculously long). I have no idea if my motivation levels and ability to focus are normal, but I suspect not. I believe I have suffered from varying degrees of depression my entire life; therefore, if I have never had high levels of motivation or focus, how will I know when / if it happens? How will I know when meds are working and I am getting well (or as well as I can get?)
> >
> > As an example of being disconnected, of all the meds I have tried I have never noticed the side effect of dry mouth. Now I probably have a dry mouth, but I simply don’t notice it. In fact, I have rarely noticed any side effects from meds (occasional headache). Although this “not noticing” is great for negative side effects, the flip side is I don’t even know what positive effects are coming from the meds. In other words, I have a hard time determining how well my meds are working. Energy, focus, motivation, mood, etc…HUH? HUH? HUH? Obviously, this keeps me from making much progress. How can I tell if I am on the correct meds if I am not aware of how I feel and if I have always suffered from depression?
> >
> > Is this ADD? Disassociation? Am I just spacey? Apathy? I am on high dosages of all my meds, so it shouldn’t be a dosing question. I really hope someone answers. This is a huge stumbling block for me.
> >
> > Thank you!
> >
>
>


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poster:dazedandconfused thread:256395
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030902/msgs/256688.html