Posted by Racer on February 27, 2006, at 14:24:25
In reply to The Truth Do SSRI's and SSNRI's Work For Anyone?, posted by Phillipa on February 27, 2006, at 13:12:49
Actually, I had great luck with Paxil, for a couple of years, way back in the day. There are a lot of variables that come into it, but yes, in general, these meds do work for a significant number of people who take them.
If you'll forgive me for saying so, Phillipa, one thing that's getting in your way is your own anxiety about the medications. Like with Cymbalta -- the first time you took it, there was no problem, right? Later, though, when you had heard a lot of horror stories, you couldn't tolerate it at all -- how long did it last? Just a week, wasn't it? Yet, I'd bet that much or even most of that was psychological. You were EXPECTING problems, so you were hypervigilant, and if you look hard enough, you'll find something.
That isn't criticism, by the way. After the experiences I had before starting Cymbalta, I was so freaked out to take anything at all, that I was ready to stop after the first dose. As I recall, SLS got an email from me that day, saying I didn't think it would work out. And I know that chemist called me every single day for the first few weeks, to remind me that I wouldn't get any benefit from it unless I actually took it, and that most adverse effects go away after a few weeks. He was right, on both counts, and I stayed on it for over a year. And had few adverse effects on it, by the way.
The point is -- the psychological side of things counts, too, in terms of how well one responds to a drug. And it's possible to have great response to a drug, but refuse to use the benefits. (I've got a friend whose mood improves to within normal limits on SSRIs, but she still refuses to make any effort -- saying she's too sick to do anything. She can do all sorts of fun things, but nothing difficult or unpleasant. Can't afford to live, but still has a cleaning lady come in every week because she is "too sick to clean," that sort of thing. She'd tell you the SSRIs don't work well enough for her, would tell you she's "treatment resistant," but being around her you can see a distinct difference when she's taking them versus not.)
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the drugs do work, they work for a lot of people, and while they certainly don't work for everyone, they're still worth trying if one is depressed.
poster:Racer
thread:613775
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060227/msgs/613795.html