Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 13661

Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

sleeeeeeeeeeep

Posted by Emi-lou on October 22, 1999, at 14:55:18

Hi. My Doc prescriber nefazodone, to help w. my depression. After 5 days, I did feel or "think" better. But, the side effect was insomnia. I stopped taking them. Was I too hasty? Could my body "get used" to them and thus let me sleep if I just gave it longer? I am bummed about this because I have just read - here on the web, that nefazodone is supposed to be a new kind of anti-depressant that has LESS effect on sleep than the other types...
so am i just out of luck? no anti-depressants for me because they'll bugger up my sleep? what about just really low doses of nefazodone,,like, reaally low, 'cause I noticed feeling better just on the 50 mg doses that they start you on...? Help, feedback?

 

Maybe change the time you're taking the med

Posted by Jane on October 22, 1999, at 19:20:07

In reply to sleeeeeeeeeeep, posted by Emi-lou on October 22, 1999, at 14:55:18

Emi-lou,

Maybe you want to adjust the time of day you're
taking the drug? Also, good idea to call the
doctor first before stopping the med, and letting
him/her know what's going on.

Good luck.

Jane

 

Re: Maybe change the time you're taking the med

Posted by Noa on October 22, 1999, at 20:20:24

In reply to Maybe change the time you're taking the med, posted by Jane on October 22, 1999, at 19:20:07

This is an excellent example of how the same med can have opposite effects on two people. Nefazodone (Serzone) makes me sleepy. In fact, I take it both to augment my effexor and to help me sleep. It is not as sedating as trazodone (which I used to take), but does make me tired. I take 150 mg. at 5 pm so I can sleep at 10 or 11. Originally I was supposed to take it at night, but when I did the sedative effects were most powerful at 6 am the next morning, when it is time to get up.

 

Re: sleep

Posted by Noa on October 22, 1999, at 20:21:54

In reply to Maybe change the time you're taking the med, posted by Jane on October 22, 1999, at 19:20:07

PS--a question: was insomnia a symptom of your depression, ie, perhaps it still is, and the nefazodone is not enough to address the depression/insomnia completely.

 

Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep

Posted by jamie on October 22, 1999, at 21:37:31

In reply to sleeeeeeeeeeep, posted by Emi-lou on October 22, 1999, at 14:55:18

I don't think judgement can be made in five days. That's hardly any time at all to get used to something new. I like the idea of trying different dosing times. Five days isn't long enough for the med to work either. It hasn't even been a week. Normally these things take anywhere from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. I just think it's way too early to judge anything. As for feeling good at 50mg...sometimes less is better. But 50mg is hardly anything. It's just too soon.

 

Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep

Posted by Noa on October 23, 1999, at 0:45:56

In reply to Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep, posted by saint james on October 22, 1999, at 22:45:02

I was so focused on the sleep part of Emilu's post, I didn't pay attention to the 50 mg for only 5 days. Jamie, thanks for calling attention to it. I agree. First of all, 50 mg. of nefazodone is not anywhere near the therapeutic dose. Second of all, a lot of meds have initial side effects that go away after a few weeks. I found that to be especially true with nefazodone, although not insomnia. I had some lightheadedness, balance problems, agitation, extreme emotionality. BUt it all subsided after a few weeks on the target dose, which for me was about half of the usual therapeutic dose, because I am taking it as an augmentor to effexor, so I only take it once a day. It was hasty to stop so soon.

 

Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep

Posted by Dee on October 26, 1999, at 11:57:03

In reply to Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep, posted by Noa on October 23, 1999, at 0:45:56

Ditto with Noa.
When I started on Serzone (nefazodone) 50mg I felt immediately better (for a few days, then I felt worse. This immediate effect is *not* the therapeutic effect of serzone. It is a side effect that will soon disappear. (This is why we are trapping up slowly on these medicines, so the side effects can wear off.

I just went up from 300mg to 450mg, and once again going through just what you were describing. I just want to sleeeep... And I dream a lot - and every time that I wake up I am in the middle of a dream and I just want to go back there and I feel so warm and cozy in my bed and ...
well, I'll enjoy it while it lasts, and just try to eventually get up while the sun in still up (don't stay in bed all day, watch out for SAD) and see to that I do something every day to participate in my life.

I talked with a woman a couple of weeks ago, who told me that she was fine with 50mg serzone / day... She's the only one I've heard of - I think she was having a good placebo-response. Wish I could do that.
Dee

 

Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep

Posted by Emi-lou on October 27, 1999, at 9:33:10

In reply to Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep, posted by Dee on October 26, 1999, at 11:57:03

Hi. Well, now my doc has given me Zoloft to try. I am scared kinda. i really don't want to be screwing around with my already screwed up sleep. What does it mean that I'm more concerned about treating sleep than my Dysthemia? Maybe I'm not that depressed? Cause if I was, wouldn't I be doing ANYTHING to help with that, regardless of sleep issues? hmmmmmmmmm. I am functioning in life - going to work, to night classes, to my hobby group, and once in a blue moon i have a good/happy day...but I am down alot and it's certain events - ie seeing my ex, or thinking about his family, that set me off to more depressed. Basically, could I be not depressed "enough" to warrant medication??? Argh.

Ditto with Noa.
> When I started on Serzone (nefazodone) 50mg I felt immediately better (for a few days, then I felt worse. This immediate effect is *not* the therapeutic effect of serzone. It is a side effect that will soon disappear. (This is why we are trapping up slowly on these medicines, so the side effects can wear off.
>
> I just went up from 300mg to 450mg, and once again going through just what you were describing. I just want to sleeeep... And I dream a lot - and every time that I wake up I am in the middle of a dream and I just want to go back there and I feel so warm and cozy in my bed and ...
> well, I'll enjoy it while it lasts, and just try to eventually get up while the sun in still up (don't stay in bed all day, watch out for SAD) and see to that I do something every day to participate in my life.
>
> I talked with a woman a couple of weeks ago, who told me that she was fine with 50mg serzone / day... She's the only one I've heard of - I think she was having a good placebo-response. Wish I could do that.
> Dee

 

Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep

Posted by Elizabeth on October 27, 1999, at 22:17:56

In reply to Re: sleeeeeeeeeeep, posted by Emi-lou on October 27, 1999, at 9:33:10

> Hi. Well, now my doc has given me Zoloft to try. I am scared kinda. i really don't want to be screwing around with my already screwed up sleep.

Well, sometimes you have to screw around with something that's screwed up in order to unscrew it. (Did that make sense?)

I got insomnia from Serzone too, BTW. I was just waking up early, but when I started Serzone, I started waking up several times in the middle of the night.

A cool thing about Zoloft is it can be taken once a day - in the morning, if it interferes with your sleep, or at night, if it makes you tired.

> What does it mean that I'm more concerned about treating sleep than my Dysthemia? Maybe I'm not that depressed?

Well, dysthymia is *mild* depression, after all. And probably your poor sleep is mucking with your mood, your functioning, etc. a lot.

Sometimes people with "masked" depression (usually dysthymia) will focus on a particular symptom, such as sleep disturbance, that isn't directly related to mood but is part of the depression. If you get the sleep thing under control, maybe other parts of your life will seem more manageable.

> Basically, could I be not depressed "enough" to warrant medication??? Argh.

There's no cutoff point . If it's worth it to you, it's "enough." There is a tradeoff (side effects vs. benefits), but only you can decide whether it's worth it for you.


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