Posted by King Vultan on June 30, 2004, at 19:08:46
In reply to Effexor Sweating: Any Recommendations?, posted by gbtbag on June 28, 2004, at 23:59:24
Well, the first thing I'd like to say is that I am appalled by the attitude of your doctor. One would think that a psychiatrist might choose to be a bit concerned about a side effect that is causing a patient so much distress, but I guess that's not the case here. I don't know what your situation is, but if there is another (and hopefully better) doctor available for you to see somehow, I would try to take advantage of that opportunity.
As for an alternative...I'm finding it difficult to come up with something viable given your circumstances. I can't recommend either desipramine or Wellbutrin because both will likely increase your anxiety. Nortriptyline or perhaps even imipramine, which was the old standard before all these newfangled drugs came out, might be worth considering because they are both good on anxiety. However, both are moderately sedating, and imipramine has significant anticholinergic effects (dry mouth, constipation, urinary hesistation, etc.).
If you were able to find a higher quality doctor to work with, you might also consider an MAOI, which are extremely effective antidepressants and noted as being good on anxiety also, particularly Nardil. Of course, these have some dietary and OTC drug restrictions, plus other side effects. I take Nardil and am forced to use sleep aids with it because it gives me vicious insomnia. You might also want to consider using a sleep aid for some other med that may be effective otherwise but gives you insomnia. Likewise, you might also want to think about adding a anti-anxiety med such as Klonopin to an otherwise effective AD that lacks anti-anxiety efficacy.
It sounds like the real key might be finding a different doctor, though. If this is not possible, all I can suggest is to prepare yourself as best you can before going in there and be assertive in telling her that the sweating and other limitations of your current treatment are having a significant negative effect on your life, and that you want to go in a different direction. I do wish you the best.
Todd
poster:King Vultan
thread:361532
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040627/msgs/362110.html