Posted by Racer on July 25, 2004, at 21:46:41
In reply to I am so frustrated once again. Nothing works with, posted by 4mygrls on July 25, 2004, at 19:46:29
Yes, that rollercoaster feeling is probably pretty common, in fact. There are a lot of elements that go into it -- not least the fact that there's usually a placebo effect when starting a new medication, and most of the meds out there do cause some adjustment phase effects that may not be all that therapeutic. Some of those pass once your body has adjusted, some don't, but it can take a while to find out which are which.
How long have you stayed on any of these drugs? Have you increased the doses before moving on to the next? How thorough was your pdoc in defining your diagnosis? Is it possible that the diagnosis itself is inaccurate enough that he's trying to treat the wrong symptoms in the first place? Are you getting any therapy to augment the meds? (Every article I've read says flatly that a combination of psychotherapy and medications is much more effective than either alone. I've found that to be true, myself, and I think a lot of others here will say about the same thing.)
There are no perfect drugs, but there are so many drugs out there that it's worth continuing to try. SSRIs are not the only anti-depressants out there, and there's a fair amount of information hinting that they're not even the best. What they are is the safest, and most generally benign. It's probably worth trying the TCAs, and even the MAOIs if those don't work. The only specific advice I can really offer, since I really don't know anything about bipolar treatments, is to talk to your doctor, express your frustration, and ask for help in working out what is most likely to help you. If your doctor just brushes it off, find a new one.
Best luck.
poster:Racer
thread:370482
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040724/msgs/370516.html