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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rogdog on November 2, 2000, at 12:46:06
THIS IS TO ANYONE WHO HAS REALLY RESPONDED TO A MEDICATION. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR YOU TO FEAL A DIFFERENCE. I ALWAYS HEAR THAT IF A MEDICINE IS GOING TO WORK THEN YOU USUALLY FEAL A DIFFERENCE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, AT LEAST SOME "GOOD" OR "POSITIVE" RESPONSE, I MEAN ITS NOT LIKE A MEDICATION IS GOING TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE CRAP FOR TWO WEEKS THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN.. BOOM ! YOU STAR TO FEAL BETTER? RIGHT? OR IS THIS HOW IT WORKS, BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER FOUND A MEDICINE
THAT WORKS, OTHER THAN XANAX,(BUT THAT CAN BE FELT WITHIN MINUTES AS OPPOSED TO DAYS.)I AM STILL TAKING SEROQUEL 25 MG. AND I AM GETTING MORE DEPRESSED!THANKS FOR ANY RESPONSE. ROG
Posted by noa on November 2, 2000, at 14:37:16
In reply to ANYONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by rogdog on November 2, 2000, at 12:46:06
I have had different experiences with different meds.
With SSRIs and Effexor, I knew within a week that it was helping, but it took a few weeks to help enough.
With serzone, the first few weeks were hell. But I am glad I stuck it out because now, in combo with effexor, the serzone works for me.
With ritalin, it took about a week to really notice a difference, even tho ritalin kicks in quickly and doesn't build up in your system. But with Adderall, I knew the first day.
Posted by R.Anne on November 2, 2000, at 15:02:35
In reply to ANYONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by rogdog on November 2, 2000, at 12:46:06
Sorry to hear you are having such a hard go of it. I've had different medicines take different amounts of time to "work" for me. I have also had many not work for me mainly because of very bothersome side effects. I usually give a medicine a good try (about 2 mos)unless it is unbearable. Are you are on Seroquil and Xanax only? I'm not sure if that is what you were saying but one time I quit taking my antidepressant and only took the antipsychotic and became depressed. My doctor told me that I needed the antidepressant, too. I also find that when I take ativan (tranquilizer)more often I start to feel a down so I only take it when I'm
very nervous.I'm doing okay right now on Effexor XR (for depression) and Paxil (for OCD) but I'm not feeling like doing a lot yet. I'm still adjusting to a new level. I am feeling better than I was though. I find that even on the medicines, though, there are good days and bad days or moments. I know adjusting to medicines and having them not work for you is a frustrating thing and I even quit taking everything once and could not get out of bed or do anything. So, I keep trying and try to remember to not give up hope. I'm also going to try to find a another therapist. I haven't had too good of luck with them lately. Good luck to you!
****
> THIS IS TO ANYONE WHO HAS REALLY RESPONDED TO A MEDICATION. HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR YOU TO FEAL A DIFFERENCE. I ALWAYS HEAR THAT IF A MEDICINE IS GOING TO WORK THEN YOU USUALLY FEAL A DIFFERENCE IN A COUPLE OF DAYS, AT LEAST SOME "GOOD" OR "POSITIVE" RESPONSE, I MEAN ITS NOT LIKE A MEDICATION IS GOING TO MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE CRAP FOR TWO WEEKS THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN.. BOOM ! YOU STAR TO FEAL BETTER? RIGHT? OR IS THIS HOW IT WORKS, BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER FOUND A MEDICINE
> THAT WORKS, OTHER THAN XANAX,(BUT THAT CAN BE FELT WITHIN MINUTES AS OPPOSED TO DAYS.)I AM STILL TAKING SEROQUEL 25 MG. AND I AM GETTING MORE DEPRESSED!THANKS FOR ANY RESPONSE. ROG
Posted by cole on November 2, 2000, at 15:02:38
In reply to Re: ANYONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by noa on November 2, 2000, at 14:37:16
i too have had differing experiences.
SSRIs seem to elevate me some right away, but keep me at a strange level-- i'm still suicidal at times and self mutilate, although they do elevate my mood some. i get "up" but not to the proper level, no matter what dose or how long i take them. i just get meaner on them, to be honest.
reboxetine seemed ok at first, but i gradually got more and more depressed on it.
remeron works within the 1st 3 days on the severe symptoms, but the full benefits take almost 1 month to acumulate. remeron is my godsend, though i hate some of the s/e.
i would say in my experience you will know in about a week, although the side effects may still be driving you crazy at that point. the side effects do tend to diminish over time.
i know that everyone responds differently, but i will respond in a week or so if i'm going to. i almost wonder if those meds that i've tried that don't work might actually make me worse.
i don't know if this helps, but this is how my response tends to work.
good luck,
cole
Posted by B Day on November 2, 2000, at 15:16:00
In reply to ANYONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by rogdog on November 2, 2000, at 12:46:06
To my understanding, most docs seem to indicate that ADs take time, up to several weeks in some cases, to reach a "therapeutic level" when they become most effective.
I've seen some indication that this viewpoint is now being questioned somewhat. Evidently this is in some part related to the fact that some people respond both well and very quickly to given medications which they are seemingly well suited for.
I've been told by a few that their medications had no effect whatsoever until their initial dosage was increased. In one case a person showed no response to Prozac at the standard dosage for over six weeks, but when the dosage was doubled it began to work remarkably well within one more week.
...just a few thoughts from a novice to all of this.
B
Posted by shar on November 2, 2000, at 17:45:47
In reply to ANYONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by rogdog on November 2, 2000, at 12:46:06
My big success story was with Zoloft. It probably took at least a week before I noticed a difference, and I did not have any terrible side effects during that time. I felt tremendously better on Zoloft, not depressed!
However, it did poop out after about 4-5 months even with increasing the dosage. My pdoc said Zoloft is known for poop out.
Shar
Posted by Shell on November 2, 2000, at 22:22:08
In reply to SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by shar on November 2, 2000, at 17:45:47
I took Prozac for OCD. I really don't remember ever reaching a point where I noticed that I felt "better". My husband pointed out to me after a month or so that I wasn't spending nearly as much time on compulsions. I really hadn't noticed, but when he pointed it out, I realized that he was right. I also noticed that (incidentally) my mood and energy level were improved (I didn't have major depression then, but it is possible that I was slightly dysthymic). It was so gradual that I almost wasn't sure that I wasn't imagining it and had to ask him if he had noticed any change in me (he had).
I am now on Effexor (about two months) and am waiting to see how it goes.
Posted by stjames on November 2, 2000, at 23:02:13
In reply to Re: SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by Shell on November 2, 2000, at 22:22:08
15 years on several AD's. Excellent results.
james
Posted by coral on November 3, 2000, at 3:35:40
In reply to Re: SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by stjames on November 2, 2000, at 23:02:13
Without Zoloft, I doubt that I would've survived my first depressive episode. It took four months to get to 150 mgs and it was . . . bang, one day, the blackness broke and I saw sunlight. It kept getting better from there. I stayed on Zoloft for one year, following "getting well". For the second depressive episode, (six years later), I felt the positive effects of Zoloft within 3 days.
Posted by tenuous on November 3, 2000, at 5:23:21
In reply to Re: SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by coral on November 3, 2000, at 3:35:40
15 years ago I tried several medications: lithium which gave me no relief and had nasty side effects, 2 antidepressants (whose names I don't remember), which I was on for about 2 months a piece, never worked, and then trazadone. I felt minimal improvement in about 2 weeks on the trazadone, but didn't feel normal until about a month after starting the med. Although the side effects diminished over the next 6 months, they never completely went away. I got tired of doing the chit-chat therapy which was required to continue getting the drugs at that time, so I quit them both after 8 months since I felt better. My depression returned within 6 months.
When I found out that you can now get medication without being required to repeat your childhood with a therapist, I went to a general practitioner. (GPs don't get any money for saying you need therapy.) I'm now on Effexor and trazadone (50mg for sleep). I felt a difference the first day, but thought it was a placebo effect. I was wrong. The improvement continued to the point that I actually can deal with life without yelling, bursting into tears, hiding from the world, or wishing I was dead. I had some rough up and down times over the first 4 weeks while my body adjusted to the medication in general, the dosage increases, and the switching around of dosing time trying to find the optimal relief and still get some sleep. However, even during the transition time my lows were nowhere near as severe as they had been. I'm thrilled with the result.
Every AD that has worked for me has shown some effect within a week. Every AD that has made no difference within a week also failed to produce an improvement after 2 months. I will never again waste my time with a drug that does not produce a response within 2 weeks.
Posted by maribeth on November 3, 2000, at 14:30:48
In reply to Re: SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by tenuous on November 3, 2000, at 5:23:21
> 15 years ago I tried several medications: lithium which gave me no relief and had nasty side effects, 2 antidepressants (whose names I don't remember), which I was on for about 2 months a piece, never worked, and then trazadone. I felt minimal improvement in about 2 weeks on the trazadone, but didn't feel normal until about a month after starting the med. Although the side effects diminished over the next 6 months, they never completely went away. I got tired of doing the chit-chat therapy which was required to continue getting the drugs at that time, so I quit them both after 8 months since I felt better. My depression returned within 6 months.
>
> When I found out that you can now get medication without being required to repeat your childhood with a therapist, I went to a general practitioner. (GPs don't get any money for saying you need therapy.) I'm now on Effexor and trazadone (50mg for sleep). I felt a difference the first day, but thought it was a placebo effect. I was wrong. The improvement continued to the point that I actually can deal with life without yelling, bursting into tears, hiding from the world, or wishing I was dead. I had some rough up and down times over the first 4 weeks while my body adjusted to the medication in general, the dosage increases, and the switching around of dosing time trying to find the optimal relief and still get some sleep. However, even during the transition time my lows were nowhere near as severe as they had been. I'm thrilled with the result.
>
> Every AD that has worked for me has shown some effect within a week. Every AD that has made no difference within a week also failed to produce an improvement after 2 months. I will never again waste my time with a drug that does not produce a response within 2 weeks.Hi Ya'll --
I have been on,Imipramine, Trazadone (I think 300mgm) seventeen years ago, Pamalor (dose unknown) twelve years ago.
Then on Prozac from 1994 to 1999. I now take Effexor XR. I never remember any of the others "kicking in" but the EffexorXR
sure did, about a week after it was started and it has been nice and consistant since then. Maribeth
Posted by caroline on November 11, 2000, at 2:35:19
In reply to ANYONE WHO HAS HAD SUCCESS WITH MEDICATION, posted by rogdog on November 2, 2000, at 12:46:06
When I raised the dose of Remeron from 30mg to 45mg, I felt the difference from day one. Six months on I am still feeling great. It's been a miracle drug for me, after years of trying combinations of others.
Best wishes!
Caroline
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