Posted by chemist on August 23, 2004, at 6:20:08
In reply to Re: Nardil Observations, posted by SLS on August 23, 2004, at 2:39:14
> Hi Chemist.
>
> Can you describe in what ways you found Luvox helpful?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
> - Scotthi scott, a pleasure of course.....a little history: about 10 years or so ago, panic attacks, GAD, insomnia, and moderate depression set in. the first psychiatriast i saw - sheer good luck - is a D.O., young guy, and into alternatives just as much as the meds, if need be. i stayed on fluvoxamine (100 mg tid), alprazolam (0.5 to 1 mg qd, prn), and ambien (just out at the time, 10 mg qhs) for roughly 3 years. there was very little therapy component, as not covered by insurance at the time. in any event, the luvox was very successful at the outset for anxiety and panic, although the xanax was undoubtedly to ``blame,'' as well. the depression lifted rather abruptly with the somewhat high dose of luvox that i titrated up to over short time: there was a short (month or so) period of reduction to 200 mg/day (divided), then a slow titration back to 300 mg/day, divided. sleep was handled well by ambien, and xanax use was constant with no escalation. side effects from luvox, which were transient, were the cholenergic variety, and libido was not a problem. i can report that the wide-dosing range (50 to 400 mg/day is common in my psychiatrist's experience) needs to be tweaked, but the 100 to 200 mg range (the latter being my current intake, and now back to same psychiatrist after many moves around the country) is fine for an (almost) 35 year old male, about 160 lbs., decent diet, lots of exercise. the issues addressed most in my experience by luvox are of the OCD variety, mainly panic/anxiety which of course led to decreased depression (or the other way around: not important, as results were achieved). my depression nowadays is more mild and of the variety associated with life events, as opposed to the ``out of the blue'' variety or that associated with physical ailments (the latter not being an issue with me, so far). the luvox is my psychiatrist's personal preference for cases such as mine - he is also a fan of xanax, as am i - and my use of parnate during some intervening years spent in a small town in Mercer County (this should ring a bell for you) was more than exceptional for moderate depression/anxiety, and coupled with therapy. in short, i have found luvox to be a more-or-less broad spectrum AD with pronounced anxiety/panic relief that does not lessen over time, and the AD effects - which i felt were more ``true'' with parnate - are in my estimation a result of the anxiety/panic reduction/management. my psychiatrist is quite proficient with pharmacology and keeps up with the literature, case reports, and new medications. he has been treating patients with luvox for almost 15 years (i have asked specifically about long-term use, success, etc.) and he does admit to having been influenced in the early years by the hype accompanying the first-generation SSRIs. that said, he uses it and xanax frequently, and his case-load is largely comprised of the 25 to 45 year-old graduate student to (i hesitate to use the word) yuppie demographic. i have no complaints, and have added therapy to the mix this time around. do feel free to shoot me an email via babblemail if there are any aspects you'd like to discuss in private (actually, please do, on an unrelated matter, if you would be so kind).....all the best, chemist
poster:chemist
thread:381095
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040821/msgs/381158.html