Posted by SLS on March 2, 2006, at 20:37:17
In reply to Re: The Truth Do SSRI's and SSNRI's Work For Anyon » SLS, posted by Chairman_MAO on March 2, 2006, at 18:48:51
> Did you ever experience relief from SSRIs?
Yes. Unfortunately, the relief was wholly inadequate.
Even if I hadn't received any benefit from SSRIs personally, I am satisfied with what I have seen in others to believe them to be effective.
When they first came out, I was sure that the SSRIs couldn't possibly be as effective as the tricyclics. I was under the impression that they were inferior. Afterall, I was a catecholamine guy at the time. I was truly surprised by what I came to see as a success rate that approached (but not quite equaled) those of previously established antidepressants. I am a believer in SSRIs in part because I believe the reports by, and trust the conclusions of, the doctors I have worked with. I am further pursuaded by my having seen personally the transformations that have occurred in people whom have been administered these drugs. Just last week, I witnessed a miracle performed by Zoloft. I was finally able to hug on the outside the person that had been formally trapped on the inside by depression. It took over a year and a forced hospitalization for her to "take my advice" and go with an SSRI. Zoloft was the one I had suggested. Now she thinks I'm God. She is, of course, quite mistaken. However, it demonstrates how emotionally attached one can become to the path that leads them to success and how easy it is to scorn all those previously travelled. Fortunately, she does not resent the doctors whom "conspired" with her to "waste" so much of her time. In psychiatry, it is dangerous to generalize onto all of humanity the experiences of the individual. Despite SSRIs being a waste of *my* time, I would still recommend to others that they consider taking one of these drugs before concluding that psychiatry has nothing to offer them. For the average person suffering from the average major depression, I think it still makes sense to consider either Prozac or Zoloft as a first choice.
I think SSRIs poop-out more frequently than tricyclics and MAOIs. I couldn't guess at the statistics, though.
I think SSRIs are generally inferior to TCAs, SNRIs, and MAOIs in terms of numbers of people whom respond and the quality of response when these drugs are used as monotherapy.
As far as side effects are concerned, I don't know if SSRIs are more or less annoying than TCAs or MAOIs, but they are different. It might be a matter of personal preference as to which represent the least desirable to experience.
At the outset of the 21st century, there are not many treatments being offered us, and not a great deal of understanding of the diseases being treated. We cannot reasonably expect perfection from the drugs that medical science has so far availed us of. It is not part of our current reality that every sick person in the world can be cured using a treatment devoid of adverse effects. We must thus make the most of what we do have. For a great many people, Prozac is indeed the miracle pill it was touted as being in 1987. It just wasn't miracle enough for me. I might try it again, though. This time, I'll try adding it to other drugs at higher dosages and hope that I hit the lottery.
Damned drugs. I hate them all. Thank God they exist, though. Just born a little too early, I guess. We'll see...
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:613775
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060227/msgs/615145.html