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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by carlyb on April 10, 2003, at 13:16:59
I've taken serzon for 4 years and just tried strattera for depression but i just can't sleep. i am worried about the liver disease and was wondering what others have switched to. I just don't know what to take. thanks
Posted by Larry Hoover on April 10, 2003, at 13:42:42
In reply to serzone liver disease, posted by carlyb on April 10, 2003, at 13:16:59
> I've taken serzon for 4 years and just tried strattera for depression but i just can't sleep. i am worried about the liver disease and was wondering what others have switched to. I just don't know what to take. thanks
If you took Serzone for four years, I don't think you have anything to worry about, with respect to liver disease. It would have shown up before six months, as far as I know.
Lar
Posted by beardedlady on April 10, 2003, at 13:44:08
In reply to serzone liver disease, posted by carlyb on April 10, 2003, at 13:16:59
Most of us (myself included, four years on Serzone) have not switched because of the liver problem.
From what my pdoc says, this is more like an allergic reaction in that occurs very quickly when starting the med, if it's going to happen at all. That doesn't mean this and other meds aren't toxic to the liver. It just means that it's *probably* not a threat to those of us who have been on it long term.
I have my liver levels tested twice a year, but I'm sticking with the Serzone. I'm on it for sleep, so....
beardy : )>
Posted by beardedlady on April 10, 2003, at 14:14:02
In reply to Re: serzone liver disease, posted by Larry Hoover on April 10, 2003, at 13:42:42
> If you took Serzone for four years, I don't think you have anything to worry about, with respect to liver disease. It would have shown up before six months, as far as I know.
My pdoc said exactly the same thing, and I trust him. He's an excellent doctor and a good man. He's cake.
But hearing it from you, well, that's icing.
beardy : )>
Posted by janejj on April 11, 2003, at 17:45:49
In reply to Re: serzone liver disease » Larry Hoover, posted by beardedlady on April 10, 2003, at 14:14:02
My doctor told me that Serzone is bad for the liver and he doesn't have many good results with it and hence has stopped prescribing it all together.
Posted by beardedlady on April 11, 2003, at 19:54:05
In reply to Re: serzone liver disease, posted by janejj on April 11, 2003, at 17:45:49
> My doctor told me that Serzone is bad for the liver and he doesn't have many good results with it and hence has stopped prescribing it all together.
My doctor is a sleep specialist and has many, many patients on it, with much success. He says it's no worse for the liver than many other drugs (safer, I think, than Tylenol), and my liver seems to be in fine condition. (Knock wood.)
But everyone's got a different opinion about just about everything.
I guess carlyb is having good results with it, as she has (and I have) been on it four years. I wonder whether her liver has been tested. Carlyb?
(Of course, I'm assuming your name is Carly B, and you are a woman, instead of Carl Y. B. and a man.)
: )>
Posted by carlyb on April 11, 2003, at 20:18:05
In reply to serzone liver disease, posted by carlyb on April 10, 2003, at 13:16:59
I am a women and i have had my liver tested and it's doing just fine. I have been looking into something natural for depression and 5htp sounds good. i am going to try it/ i'm not sure what i am going to do about the serzon. not sleeping without it.
Posted by missliz on April 14, 2003, at 0:59:49
In reply to Re: serzone liver disease, posted by carlyb on April 11, 2003, at 20:18:05
The serzone liver disease thing is so rare as to border on statisticly insignificant- it's like the lamictal skin rash thing, wich was also statisticly insignificant but caused a lot of hysteria. The drug co. wants docs to be aware and look out for this just in case so it got publicized, and blew up into a much bigger deal than it is. Get the liver function tests done, if there's any problem they should catch it and deal with it.
I've heard good things about Serzone / Strattera combos, and my pdoc is offering it to me. I've started the Strattera, love it, but bounced off the walls for the first week at a 25 mg pediatric dose, then calmed right down and went up to 40 mgs. So far I really like it, has a lot of the qualities that I liked so much in MAOIs but without the problems. Give it some time, and you may want to use the peds dosing to go up more slowly than the 40/ 80 mg they reccomend now. People are different, and with a drug this new they often don't know what the best doseage parameters are yet.missliz
Posted by cubbybear on April 17, 2003, at 3:02:54
In reply to Re: serzone liver disease, posted by missliz on April 14, 2003, at 0:59:49
Serzone was recently banned in Europe because of the liver problem allegations. So I think that, to be on the safe side, have a liver test done if you're going to be taking it.
Posted by bookgurl99 on April 17, 2003, at 23:41:49
In reply to Re: serzone liver disease » carlyb, posted by beardedlady on April 10, 2003, at 13:44:08
Beardy --
hey!
i got off serzone last year, and the withdrawal sucked. stay on it if you can!
i'm going to the pdoc next week and trying to get back on it. he's got more of a natural emphasis though, so he may have me try st. john's wort. but i felt 'normal' on serzone. (4 years cumulative total that i've taken it.)
right now i'm on zoloft, the spacey drug.
beardy beardyp.s. i saw the indigo girls last week
Posted by beardedlady on April 19, 2003, at 16:30:29
In reply to Re: serzone liver disease » beardedlady, posted by bookgurl99 on April 17, 2003, at 23:41:49
> Beardy --
>
> hey!Hey, back! You never replied to my e-mail many moons ago when I worked on your résumé!
> i got off serzone last year, and the withdrawal sucked. stay on it if you can!
I was off it once. I didn't have any withdrawal. The problem was that I still had my anxiety/insomnia problem! So it came right back as soon as I was free of it for a month.
> i'm going to the pdoc next week and trying to get back on it. he's got more of a natural emphasis though, so he may have me try st. john's wort. but i felt 'normal' on serzone. (4 years cumulative total that i've taken it.)
Well, the orgasms are as nice as when I was pregnant. I imagine they'd be shorter without Serzone, so it's something to be thankful for!
> right now i'm on zoloft, the spacey drug.
Ew. I hated that.
> beardy beardy
bookie bookie. gurlie gurlie.
> p.s. i saw the indigo girls last weekDamn, they are so effing great. I saw them last summer at an outdoor venue under a big tent. They were as awesome as ever. I don't think I will ever miss a show of theirs that makes it to Baltimore. You're lucky. Savor it!
This is the end of the thread.
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