Posted by Tony P on June 13, 2010, at 14:46:19
In reply to Re: Drug Holiday? » detroitpistons, posted by Humanpdr on June 11, 2010, at 8:08:11
Having been pretty sure for years that I have "atypical depression", I did some more reading on it recently, and discovered (1) Yes, I fit the description in even more ways than I realized; (2) it's not really "atypical" at all -- when the whole spectrum of depressions is looked at, "atypical" is the commonest single form! So pure SSRI's not only don't work for me, they probably don't work well for 40% of the depressed population.
I've had a strong belief for years that all 3 of the usual transmitters are important in relieving depression, and that dopamine was largely ignored because of its bad associations with cocaine & other addictive substances. Now dopamine seems to be getting more attention again. My own present regime hits all three receptors (+GABA) with a cocktail of 6 meds, and works well most of the time.
Moreover, it makes it easier to take a drug holiday from one med without major withdrawal nasties. I've found that just a 2 or 3 day holiday can give me a rebound surge of energy. Longer term ones take more planning, and probably require some replacement meds.
I do think a holiday can be helpful, but there are risks: I switched from Serzone to Wellbutrin some years ago when the Serzone seemed to be pooping out, and I am convinced that the Wellbutrin permanently affected my response to Serzone (at least for a year or two). When I went back on Serzone, I got much worse SRI side-effects, and it no longer had the beneficial effect on sleep.
poster:Tony P
thread:948597
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100604/msgs/950940.html