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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 108 to 132 of 297. Go back in thread:
Posted by gladys on September 22, 2000, at 22:36:50
In reply to Rash and tenderness from Celexa?, posted by Kelli on April 17, 2000, at 12:09:18
Can anyone tell me if their tiredness is stopping from being on Celexa for awhile? I am so tired. My yawns are so huge and I just shiver from tiredness after yawning. Do you (anyone here) feel this way? I'm so sick of it. Going to sleep seems so pointless because I never feel like I slept even after 8, 9, 10, or 11 hours of sleep!! It's depressing me because I am so tired. Celexa is helping my mood, but I am so frustrated with being so tired. Any comment from anyone? Does it go away ever? It has been two weeks on 40 mg, two weeks before that on 30 mg, and so on so I have been taking Celexa in total from 10 mg on for about 2 months. I want to be awake once in awhile, everyone thinks I am zombie-like. THANK YOU!
Posted by tdaneen on September 23, 2000, at 10:44:23
In reply to Sick and tired of being so tired!!!! , posted by gladys on September 22, 2000, at 22:36:50
Well, Kelli, I am going to be about the biggest Celexa cheerleader you are going to find. It has been the only AD that has worked and worked WELL for me. Yes I was tired. Yes I had diarrhea. Yes I had unbelieveable cotton mouth. BUT IT ALL WENT AWAY after I learned an important lesson. To trust my metabolism. If I am having too many side effects such as sleepiness or what ever I cut back and start with a smaller dose (making sure my doc knows of course).
I have been on celexa for over a year and am currently on 60mg along with 200mg Topamax, 25mcg Cytomel, and as of today I am starting an addition of a (trial of ) 10mg ADDeral.
Again, the advice I have for you is to talk to your doc, and ask if it ok to cut back and boost the Celexa by slower increments.This may not be your "miracle" but it sure was mine.
Best of luck!tdaneen
Posted by Lisa Moore on September 25, 2000, at 12:41:39
In reply to Re: Celexa in pregnancy, posted by Teresa on June 21, 1999, at 16:40:24
> I've been taking Celexa for over a year now and I just found out that I am pregnant. If anyone has tried weening themselves off, you know it it next to impossible because of the side effects. I just want to be sure that my baby will not be affected by the drug and that Celexa is safe to take full term. Help!
Posted by Joseph in IRELAND on October 14, 2000, at 15:11:28
In reply to Re: Celexa-Tomjay, posted by Dawn on March 2, 1999, at 20:15:02
Hi,
I went from 20mg to 30mg, i've noticed you guys in the states can't get 30mg, anyway , yea the tiredness is bad but my anxiety has drastically reduced and i am alot better, get really down still sometimes though,i am only 18 ,just want to love somebody,
bye
Posted by slc on October 22, 2000, at 17:39:02
In reply to Sick and tired of being so tired!!!! , posted by gladys on September 22, 2000, at 22:36:50
I started taking Celexa at 20 mg. and the yawns were quite annoying but I had heard from so many people that Celexa was the greatest thing next to sliced bread. The yawns started going away after about 2 months. I uped my dose to 40 mg. and was still more tired than pre-Celexa but I was willing to live with it since it helped my mood so much.
I also needed 2 to 3 hours more sleep than ever before. The yawns did go away but the need for 8 to 11 hours of sleep a night didn't.
My psychiatrist says that the yawns are actually a relatively common side-effect though for most people they go away after about 3 to 6 weeks.
My psych said that I might do better on Prozac because she says it has more of an upper effect. That is what I am going to next. You may want to look into that.
About 3 weeks after my dose was doubled, I got a bizarre rash on my torso that I finally figured out was from the Celexa.
Here is my question: I am winding down and my psych said to wait about 1.5 weeks to go off. I waited but not as long as she said (I was at 20 for 1 week and then stopped because the rash was really driving me to distraction). In the wind down process, I have had enormous mood swings and I now have diarrhea. Has anyone gone of Celexa and noticed anything like this?
> Can anyone tell me if their tiredness is stopping from being on Celexa for awhile? I am so tired. My yawns are so huge and I just shiver from tiredness after yawning. Do you (anyone here) feel this way? I'm so sick of it. Going to sleep seems so pointless because I never feel like I slept even after 8, 9, 10, or 11 hours of sleep!! It's depressing me because I am so tired. Celexa is helping my mood, but I am so frustrated with being so tired. Any comment from anyone? Does it go away ever? It has been two weeks on 40 mg, two weeks before that on 30 mg, and so on so I have been taking Celexa in total from 10 mg on for about 2 months. I want to be awake once in awhile, everyone thinks I am zombie-like. THANK YOU!
Posted by Kristie S. on November 10, 2000, at 12:58:40
In reply to Sick and tired of being so tired!!!! , posted by gladys on September 22, 2000, at 22:36:50
My doctor just perscribed this med to me and after taking Effexor for a year and having such problems with it I'm really scared to try another.
I was on Effexor and was doing well so my doctor tapered me off because me and my husband were wanting to start our own family and I had the worst withdrawl symtoms...after 3 weeks of not taking it anymore I still have alot of the withdrawl symtoms. I really dont't want to start on any new meds but I'm feeling like I did before I ever took the meds. I'm scared to death of taking anything anymore because of the bad luck I've had. After reading alot of the different threads..I don't need to gain weight because I gained so much on Effexor.If anyone has tried to stop taking this med please let me know because I'm not going to go through all the withdrawls I went through when I was on Effexor. I may just try to hack it on my own without the meds...who knows....
Posted by michellemintz on November 21, 2000, at 11:32:44
In reply to SCARED TO DEATH to take this med..HELP!!!!, posted by Kristie S. on November 10, 2000, at 12:58:40
Kristie:
I felt the same way before I started taking Celexa. I am 30 yrs. old and this is the first time I've dealt with depression serious enough that I've had to take any medication. I notice that when I first started taking Celexa, I had some pretty strong side effects including: yawning (which I thought was definitely strange), severe insomnia (which I take Ambien 5-10mg at night), anxiety (feeling like I was taking amphetamines), but then strangely enough I also felt mentally lethargic (like I didn't want to get out of the house and do the things I would normally do), and loss of sex drive and inorgasmia (which is extremely strange for me because I've always have a high sex drive and relatively little difficulty with orgasm). Also, some minor side effects such as dry mouth and thirst. Personally, I have not yet experienced weight gain. I've taken Celexa for almost 2 months and I've lost a couple of pounds. My treatment includes visits to a therapist who suggested I read a landmark book about antidepressants called "Listening to Prozac". This book has been on the bestsellers list for four years and covers the subject of taking antidepressants and your sense of "self". It talks about the ways that taking antidepressants can change your personality and how you really become aware of what you're true "self" is. It is quite a remarkable book and great for anyone who is taking medication to fight depression. I must say that my side effects have decreased over time. Believe me, there is hope. Some of the side effects are short term and will subside over time (my sex drive has increased, less anxious, better sleep habits, etc.). There are many books available on naturally off-setting the side effects of antidepressants with vitamins and exercise. I thought the antidepressant (Celexa) would be a "cure all" for my depression. I have found that I have to put forth a lot of time and effort to battle this illness. Staying knowledgeable about your medication, it's side effects, and how to combat them can help you to take Celexa very successfully. Good luck. Michelle
Posted by Kristie S. on November 21, 2000, at 13:11:55
In reply to Re: SCARED TO DEATH to take this med..HELP!!!! » Kristie S., posted by michellemintz on November 21, 2000, at 11:32:44
Well..I have thought alot about taking the celexa and not taking it and I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to tuff it out. It seems weird now but after taking efferox for so long and now being free of it I'm me again. I dont't feel like a zombie any more. I still experince some of the witdrawls from the effexor but there getting better every day. The way you described the celexa sounds alot like the effexor I was on. The yawning, sleeplessness, no sex drive..it just sounds all too familiar!!! Thank you for the idea on getting the book, maybe then I can start to understand some of the things that are going on with me. I too go to a therapist and for now it seems to be ok for me. I feel like I have myself back after coming off of effexor, and it seems that the celexa is alot like the effexor and to me right now at this point in my life I would rather tuff it out than be druged through some of the best times in my life. I think maybe I wasnt supposed to be on any antidepressions that maybe theres something else that could be the culprit, but for now I'll listen to my pdoc and do the best I can!! Thank you for the letter and good luck to you.Kris
Posted by Deana Brown on November 21, 2000, at 16:49:39
In reply to SCARED TO DEATH to take this med..HELP!!!!, posted by Kristie S. on November 10, 2000, at 12:58:40
How completely Ironic. I put a story up on the internet about 9 months ago.
http://www.scottndeana.homepage.com/successfully%20living%20without%20medication_files/successfully%20living%20without%20meds.htm
about my withdrawals from Effexor. And today the hormonal specialist I saw prescribed Celexa for PMDD. No depression. I went through so much crap just like you to get of Effexor and now I am scared to death to start this Celexa. Especially since it's main treatment is for depression. He says he is using it to treat PMDD though.
I gained 30lbs http://www.millenniumhomemakers.homepage.com/challenge.htm
Which doesn't help my self esteem at all.
Where are you at in your treatment.
Hope to hear from you soon.
LOL
Deana :-)
Posted by Kristie S. on November 21, 2000, at 18:43:49
In reply to Re: SCARED TO DEATH to take this med..HELP!!!!, posted by Deana Brown on November 21, 2000, at 16:49:39
At the moment I'm not taking anything. I'm on my 4th week being off of effexor and I'm still experinceing some withdrawl symtoms but not as bad. I don't feel like my brain is going to explode and I can turn my head now without feeling like I'm going to pass out, I still get the shocks but there tapering down alot. I will NEVER take effexor again. If I would have known about the withdrawl symtoms before hand then I would have had a choice in the begining. But now I do and I'm not going to take any more meds. I feel like myself again, I don't feel like a zombie anymore. The effexor made me very tired all the time but then at night I coulndt sleep, I had to take something to help.Are you still on the celexa?? I desided since me and my husband are trying to start our own family that I would stay off of any kind of meds.Which I think its the safest thing at the time being.Let me know how it goes with you and the celexa. Kris
Posted by jkei on January 3, 2001, at 12:10:32
In reply to Re: Celexa/side effects, posted by OFFENBAKER, JENNY on March 5, 2000, at 2:47:24
> I have been on since 2-3 months. The nausea is back. Any suggestions? Plus I am a women and cannot reach orgasm. NOW WHAT???
Posted by rainonlove on January 3, 2001, at 21:46:59
In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by d_schatzman on July 26, 2000, at 14:41:25
I'm only 16 and have been on this drug for about 8 months. At first it did a great job but lately i've been having trouble breathing sometimes, and dizziness. Also, i'm still always tired, and the med was supposed to stop that. I also get headaches, my joints sometimes just jump for no reason. And i read that u have uncontrollable spasms of excitement over something u can't control...now correct me if i'm wrong, but how is a medication helping if the side effects make ur life just as difficult.
Any thoughts?~D
Posted by Bill L on January 4, 2001, at 14:22:01
In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by rainonlove on January 3, 2001, at 21:46:59
Hi rainonlove- I also take Celexa and it works pretty good. The feeling tired side effect is very common. I have that too. I now take the Celexa at night and so the tiredness doesn't bother me so much. I don't think that having trouble breathing is a very common side effect, especially after 8 months, but different people react in different ways. I know that for me, I might feel a certain way and I don't know whether to blame it on Celexa or something else.
If the Celexa is doing a good job with your depression, I would stay on it. Maybe try lowering it a little bit to see if that makes you less tired. But check with your doctor first. A pharmacy site that answers drug qustions said that the effective dose for Celexa is between 5 mg and 60 mg, but sometimes higher. Good luck!
> I'm only 16 and have been on this drug for about 8 months. At first it did a great job but lately i've been having trouble breathing sometimes, and dizziness. Also, i'm still always tired, and the med was supposed to stop that. I also get headaches, my joints sometimes just jump for no reason. And i read that u have uncontrollable spasms of excitement over something u can't control...now correct me if i'm wrong, but how is a medication helping if the side effects make ur life just as difficult.
> Any thoughts?
>
> ~D
Posted by rainonlove on January 4, 2001, at 20:09:55
In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by Bill L on January 4, 2001, at 14:22:01
i do take it at nite actually. i have to read the post that says "SCARED TO DEATH TO TAKE THIS MED."
~D
Posted by c on January 5, 2001, at 21:12:20
In reply to Re: Celexa/side effects, posted by jkei on January 3, 2001, at 12:10:32
I have been on 20 mg Celexa for 4 weeks. There have been no side effects and I really began to notice how well it works this last week-I have no depression and no anxiety at all! I think it is a great medication. I take it in the morning right after I get up. Good luck to you. c
Posted by Cousin Eddie on January 7, 2001, at 22:47:34
In reply to Re: Celexa--Dawn, posted by Shelley in Seattle on March 2, 1999, at 12:56:55
I took 20 mg. Celexa per day for six weeks, then 40 mg. for two months. It didn't perform any magic on its own, although it did take the edge off my depression. Only when combined with a short half-life tranquilizer (Clonazepam), Adderall, and especially Wellbutrin did I feel much better. I'm a 32 year old guy, and I weigh about 180 lbs.
I've taken dry mouth in the morning for granted (very small price to pay), but sexually there has been some frustration. Sex with my wife is regular (3 or 4 times a week), erection not a problem, but finishing up happens only once per month. My wife loves it of course, and again, it is a small price to pay for not being suicidally depressed.
I really recommend Celexa, and you have to be patient (two months at the very least).
Posted by claire on January 8, 2001, at 14:54:02
In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by Jessi on May 26, 1999, at 16:14:11
Just something to consider--for those who had been taking other SSRIs before Celexa, the side effects for all are different--many people lose weight on Zoloft, gain on Prozac, etc--a weight gain after switching to Celexa may simply be a rebound effect from weight loss (even sustained) that was experienced on another SSRI [at least to some degree]. I know this may not be of great help, but at least in balancing the pros and cons--I'd rather be heavier and happier than thin and miserable. I guess it may all be about perspective and if Celexa helps you find a better persepctive THAT is the most importance side effect (well, one of them!)--good luck to everyone!
Posted by Dione on January 10, 2001, at 22:04:55
In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by gail on June 24, 1999, at 8:28:35
I have been on Celexa for about 3 months. I love the way it has even my temperment and reduced my anxiety and depression, however I am not pleased with the amount of weight I have gained as result of this durg. My desire for food has not increased or changed and my eating patterns are the same as pre-medication-but I have gained at least 10 to 15lbs. that I can not seem to get ride of-no amount of diet or exercise has seemed to help-please someone advise I'm desperate-I have recently started taking Metabolife to help in my quest to loose this weight, but I was told that I should proablly not mix the two-What's a girl to do?
Posted by LIZAJANE on January 26, 2001, at 8:55:15
In reply to Re: Celexa side-effects/weight gain, posted by Dione on January 10, 2001, at 22:04:55
> I have been on Celexa for about 3 months. I love the way it has even my temperment and reduced my anxiety and depression, however I am not pleased with the amount of weight I have gained as result of this durg. My desire for food has not increased or changed and my eating patterns are the same as pre-medication-but I have gained at least 10 to 15lbs. that I can not seem to get ride of-no amount of diet or exercise has seemed to help-please someone advise I'm desperate-I have recently started taking Metabolife to help in my quest to loose this weight, but I was told that I should proablly not mix the two-What's a girl to do?
I have been on Celexa for 1 month (10mgs)and have actually lost 8 pounds...
The first 3 weeks were agony... I had the worst anxiety
and insomnia... I found that I can not drink more than 2 glasses of
wine with Celexa or get insomnia and generally
do not feel as well... I think that added to the
weight loss... for years I self medicated with caffeine
in the morning (great for the mood, but bad for the
anxiety and agoraphobia), and wine at night...With Celexa I have cut out
the caffeine all together (get the up that I use to get
without the anxiety) and do not drink more than 2 glasses
of wine with dinner... The only problem is
some insomnia now and then... has anyone tried taking
Tylenol PM for that??? Also I tried to up my dose
to 15mgs last week and had such severe anxiety off and
on for 24 hours that I went back down to 10mgs... anyone
out there done well on 10mgs... I feel good, minor
anxiety but CALM... I LOVE that calmness... that is what made me
stick out the side effects in the first place...
Any thoughts on the above comments would be appreciated
now
Posted by Michael39 on February 19, 2001, at 19:55:59
In reply to Re: Celexa --Dawn, posted by Ala on March 9, 1999, at 11:49:29
After 3 months of Celexa, I am extremely satisified with the results!(As is my wife!..What a change!) Several years ago when I was dianosed with dysthimia and mild manic episodes, I was given desepramine after a consulation with a psychiatrist and psychologist. Desepramine, to say the least was a disaster! Not only were the night sweats unbearable, but the constipation nearly drove me mad. At my follow up, I told the doctor about this side effect and explained that I was already "anal retentive" enough and did't need any more help! For several years I've struggled wtih mood swings, depression, anxiety and bouts of anger. Celexa has been like a new day's sunrise for me! I don't know how to express my tremendous satisfaction with this SSRI. Feel free to write me with your questions should you read this posting.
Posted by Alli on February 19, 2001, at 20:12:12
In reply to Re: Celexa , posted by Michael39 on February 19, 2001, at 19:55:59
What is your doseage, and have you experienced any weight gain? Alli
Posted by pvs321 on February 21, 2001, at 22:29:21
In reply to Re: Celexa , posted by Alli on February 19, 2001, at 20:12:12
I have been taking Celexa for about 4 weeks, after one year of Zoloft, which was the first AD i have ever tried. I felt great for several months on the Z, but it seemed to be losing its benefits, thus the Celexa (20 mg/day).
I feel terrible. I feel anxious, i sleep during lunch and go to bed earlier and earlier. I feel anxious, somewhat confused and more withdrawn of late. I read all of the good results people get with Celexa, how long does it usually take to become effective?
What is your doseage, and have you experienced any weight gain? Alli
Posted by Cousin Eddie on February 21, 2001, at 23:47:01
In reply to Re: Celexa , posted by pvs321 on February 21, 2001, at 22:29:21
Hi Alli. I have been in your boat. The two weeks after I began taking Celexa exclusively, after a few months of 150 mg. Zoloft/day, were the worst time in my therapy-SSRI withdrawal was the scariest period of my life, even worse than Lariam prophylaxis. After the two weeks (taking 20 mg. Celexa/day)I began to feel human again. The side effects definitely persisted: the hot flashes, sweating, diarrhea, sleepiness, then insomnia all lasted a good six weeks after starting Celexa. My doc ramped me up pretty quick to 30 mg. (for a week), then to 40 mg., which I'm now taking. So, to answer your question, it will take about a month or two from the end of the transition to another SSRI to feel noticeably better, in a consistent way. I saved this article from last year because it enlightened me as to elementary brain chemistry-like psych meds for dummies, as well as the importance of sticking with a prescribed pill regimen. Please excuse my posting this copyrighted article, I couldn't provide a weblink without paying through the nose to the Wash. Post.
--------------------------------------------------The Washington Post, June 20, 2000
June 20, 2000, Tuesday, Final EditionHEADLINE: Making the Three Tenors Sing; In Successful Depression Treatment, the
Brain's Three Neurotransmitters Must 'Harmonize.' Sometimes, a Leading Psychiatrist Says,
More Than One Medication May Be Necessary
BYLINE: Alen J. Salerian , Special to The Washington Post
BODY:
During my first session with Sarah, a married, 40-year-old lawyer, she complained about
frustrating failures she had experienced in treatment of her depression.
"After all this therapy and all these medications, I still don't feel like getting out of bed in
the morning," she said. She leaned forward and gently placed a piece of paper on my desk.
It was a printout of all the medications she had taken during the past two years: Zoloft at
200 mg for six months. Prozac at 60 mg for three months. Sixty mg of Paxil for six months,
then 400 mg of Wellbutrin for three months. Serzone at 600 mg for two months. Finally,
1,500 mg of lithium for two months.
There were two- or three-week breaks between medications. She had seen several doctors.
Her frustration was understandable.
But her worry changed to surprise when I suggested that, instead of continuing to try
different drugs in sequence, she pursue a "combination strategy"--taking more than one of
these drugs at a time.
A combination strategy was something I'd been sharing with medical students and patients
for years. It arises from understanding the role of what I call "the three tenors," the three
key neurotransmitters in the brain that regulate mood--serotonin, dopamine and
norepinephrine. As an opera lover, I like to see them as voices singing in the mind. When
they sing in harmony and balance, they can make a person feel comfortable in life. But
when one of the tenors is out of sync, the music can be disturbing, even frightening.
It may be ordinary knowledge for a psychiatrist to appreciate how each neurotransmitter
works--that serotonin regulates worry and anger, that dopamine is critical for initiative and
pleasure and that norepinephrine controls alertness and energy. But this information is
rarely shared with those being treated. It should be, because it is often the foundation for a
successful treatment, one that manages to work even after many others have failed.A little history is helpful. From the days when the first antidepressant, iproniazid, was
serendipitously discovered in the 1950s, many advances have occurred in the treatment of
depression. Yet the central biological challenge has remained the same: how to make one,
two or all three tenors sing in harmony.
The first group of antidepressants, called tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors,
were an effective but unfriendly bunch. They indeed helped all three tenors sing vibrantly,
but they produced very unpleasant noises along the way. To reach their effective levels, one
had to suffer horrible side effects. For example, the trycyclic antidepressant Elavil caused
such intense drowsiness that many patients reported feeling like zombies. Other
medications caused dry mouth, constipation, sedation and other less severe problems.
The introduction in 1988 of Prozac, the first drug of a class called selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIS, marked a significant breakthrough in treatment. It was based
on the discovery that elevating serotonin levels was crucial in alleviating depression. Prozac
was the first "designer" antidepressant, which selectively targeted serotonin alone.
Consequently it produced significantly fewer and less severe side effects than its
predecessors.
Thanks to the subsequent development of the many similarly targeted SSRIS, by the late
1990s American psychiatrists had at least 20 antidepressants to choose from to treat
depression. Most psychiatrists quickly learned that Prozac and Paxil would increase
serotonin but would not alter norepinephrine or dopamine, whereas Wellbutrin would
elevate brain dopamine concentrations without much effect on serotonin. And Effexor would
increase both norepinephrine and serotonin. Regardless of the mechanism or action, all
were considered similarly efficacious--which is to say sometimes they worked and
sometimes they didn't.
Gradually among American psychiatrists, a simple protocol was adopted to treat cases of
depression: Choose an antidepressant that treated one lead tenor. If that didn't work, try
another. And keep trying different ones until the desired effect was achieved. Yet most
researchers agreed that even with the best combination of psychotherapy and the most
effective single medication, still roughly 30 percent of individuals with depression would not
improve.
Luckily for patients like Sarah, in the last several years many quiet discoveries have been
made in the clinical practice of psychiatry. First, it was discovered that not all
antidepressants are effective for severe depressions. Also, that antidepressants with
dual action--those that influenced two tenors, like serotonin and norepinephrine--often
performed better than the antidepressants that target a solo tenor. And further, that
combining antidepressants often worked better than using a single one.
Sarah's case illustrates the point.
I asked Sarah to tell me more about her depression. "What troubles you most?"
"Worry," she responded. "I keep thinking I'm going to miss something important. That I'm
going to hurt somebody. In reality I know I do a good job as a criminal attorney, yet I'm
afraid I'm going to screw up. I know there's no basis for it, but the fear of hurting one of my
clients paralyzes me. There are days when I can't even leave home because of it."
Sarah stared into her lap, then looked up at me. "So what can you do for me?"
"What I can do for you is put you on Paxil and Wellbutrin."
"I've tried both and neither worked," she said. "Not to mention that Paxil made me sleepy
and edgy."
"Your medication history indicates that you never took these medications in combination.
And there is good evidence that what we call 'augmentation therapy' works better."
She was skeptical. She said this sounded very "aggressive," and wondered whether she was
my "guinea pig" in an experiment.
Six weeks later, after trying the regimen, Sarah had fully recovered.
"I cannot tell you how good and worry-free I feel," she said. "It's like a burden has been
lifted." But recovery had not been an easy ride--or without a change in course.
Extreme fatigue and nausea troubled her, yet once she had decided to try the combination
therapy, she wasn't going to stop her medical trial. By the end of the fourth week--a
reasonable point to evaluate the overall response to treatment--Sarah had reported being
"60 percent better" but said she still lacked energy and zip.
I recommended she add Adderall--an amphetamine-like medication often used to treat
attention deficit disorder--to further boost her dopamine.
And finally, Sarah's tenors began to sing, thanks to a combination of Wellbutrin, Paxil and
Adderall.
Sarah is not an exception. I've treated hundreds of patients who have responded well to
combination strategies.
Recent research is also promising for the use of various hormones--such as testosterone,
estrogen, DHEA and thyroid hormones--to augment the efficacy of various
antidepressants. Again, augmentation therapy appears to be a novel way to stimulate a
pleasant mood.
A few things about treating depression are clear. Poor response to treatment should always
be a reason to search for a new strategy. And it is critical to educate patients about the
chemistry of mood and how serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine affect the way the
brain responds to life. Just as the three tenors sing best when they work together, the three
neurotransmitters make the best mood music for the brain when they're balanced
harmoniously.
Which is largely why I believe that most depressions are curable--and that most patients
are able, eventually, to hear the music.
Alen 3. Salerian, MD, is medical director of the Washington Psychiatric Center outpatient
facility for the Psychiatric Institute of Washington. He has just completed a novel, "Red
Zone," about abuses in psychiatric managed care.< end article >
-------------------------------------------------Please see my previous post six posts above yours to see what I'm taking. I feel SO MUCH better since I went off Zoloft four months ago (I am not dissing the drug). Please take comfort in the power of these meds, and in the strong possibility that your moods at present are chemically induced. My doc always said Give It Time, and with a pretty exotic mix of meds waiting has paid off.
I pray that a disciplined course of treatment pays off for you as well.
-Steve-
Posted by gladys on February 23, 2001, at 10:26:21
In reply to Re: Celexa » pvs321, posted by Cousin Eddie on February 21, 2001, at 23:47:01
I am so interested in asking my doctor about adding other drugs because although at first the celexa was great, it seems to have stopped working although it was raised again. i am up to 50 mg and moving to 60. but i feel that the article about going on different meds with it is a great idea. my only problem is, this is a little embarrassing, my doctor is intimidating. she can be kind of pompous and act as though i know nothing so i don't know if she will even consider it and am actually nervous to bring it up. does anyone else know what this is like? any suggestions? i can't change doctors right now, i just don't have the energy and would probably not follow through which means no meds and that is worse. any ideas from anyone here would be great. thanks.
Posted by Cousin Eddie on February 23, 2001, at 10:56:47
In reply to Re: Celexa , posted by gladys on February 23, 2001, at 10:26:21
I showed that article to my doc, he said yeah, he had considered doing something like that for me, but had decided it wasn't for me. And he is very open to suggestion, not pompous in the least. Three weeks later, after digesting the article or maybe talking with the author (both practice @ DC), whatever, we gave it a try. It worked where Celexa alone didn't. Scoring high on some of< a href="http://psychcentral.com/quizzes.htm" >these tests< /a > had something to do with it too.
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