Posted by Toby on January 12, 1999, at 12:40:30
In reply to Re: Please advise TOBY. Thanks!, posted by Jef* on January 11, 1999, at 23:10:43
Are the tremors due to the Effexor or due to the anxiety? Did the anxiety start before the depression, or after? How long have you been on the Effexor and how long on the Pindolol? Is it correct to say that the depression started well after you separated from your wife? Besides the medication, are you in talk therapy too (I would definitely recommend this since depression and life stress feed off each other)?
If you have only been taking medication since August, none have had a really good chance to work since it can take 4-8 weeks for a response. If you went quickly through the first two and have been on Effexor for a couple of months without relief, then it is time to start looking for ways to augment it. You say the Effexor has helped some... what is better? For the trouble sleeping and the daytime anxiety, some options are trazodone, sinequan, Buspar, Remeron, Serzone or something like ativan, klonopin or restoril (but these last three should only be used for 1-2 weeks). The depression experts feel that Remeron plus Effexor or Serzone plus Effexor are very powerful but safe combinations. However, it is difficult to convince doctors in private practice to use these combinations. Your psychiatrist is hopefully board certified, meaning he should be an expert and should feel comfortable using the "big guns" to combat your depression. If he is not, time to look for another doctor.
Write back with some more details.
poster:Toby
thread:2310
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990101/msgs/2346.html