Posted by racer on January 7, 1999, at 15:10:37
In reply to Re: Trazodone with Alcohol, posted by Toby on January 7, 1999, at 9:53:30
Let's see, the meds I've been on are: Sinequan, nortriptyline, Paxil, and now Serzone. The Sinequan was for chronic pain, rather than depression, but it was a total bust: it lowered my blood pressure so much I couldn't stand up and I shook all the time. The nortriptyline was helpful, though it was not completely effective, but I gained over 70#, not a happy option now! I don't remember how long I was on it, but think it was about a year. There were no other significant side effects. Paxil was wonderful, in that it relieved my depression absolutely. It also made me too tired to stay awake all day, stopped me from orgasm (right now that is not an issue, but if I got over the depression, it would be again), and I gained over 50# on it pretty rapidly. I was on Paxil for about two years, at either 30 or 45 mg (I don't remember, but I do remember that I was taking one and one half pills per day). Serzone is awful, but I don't have the artificial feeling I had on Paxil, and I'm not gaining weight.
Pleasure in what happens to me? No, things that I used to enjoy are not enjoyable anymore. My big cat likes to snuggle, and it's always been a chief joy for me. I have a horse who is so neglected right now I'm in danger of losing her. It takes me days to finish a book. I'm not listening to music, nor am I making efforts to see friends. My SO and I can't remember when we last, well, you know...
Any suggestions would be wonderful, and there's one more thing to consider in all this: I've got a slight congenital deformation of the collegen in my connective tissue which effects drugs on my system. Alcohol is the only sedating substance that effects me, and so I can only have one drink in any 24 hour period without getting drunk. Other sedating drugs do nothing. I had to take 80 mg of valium for a dental appointment once, and the dentist was amazed, because she had me get up and walk around to prove I wasn't going into a coma and I could talk coherently to her. Another time, having my wisdom teeth out, they used a drip IV of sedatives, and they didn't turn it up enough, so I woke up to find them breaking through my jaw to get the teeth out. They thought any more sedative would be too much. Not on me. I do think this has something to do with my resistance to the A/Ds, because the doctors start making sounds about Borderline Personality and all that, but if/when they raise the dose enough for it to work, that talk stops and they apologize. But getting the doctors to consider raising the doses, or to consider trying another drug can be hard. The doctor I'm seeing now says that the drugs are fine, but something's wrong with me. (Gee, you think? Depression, maybe?)
Thanks for all your time, you really are wonderful to spend so much time and energy on our behalf.
poster:racer
thread:2088
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990101/msgs/2126.html