Posted by Emme_V2 on October 14, 2013, at 6:53:35
In reply to Do Antidepressants Work?, posted by babbler20 on October 13, 2013, at 22:41:28
> I have tried every SSRI and Tricyclic available and none of them have ever worked. The only one that was effective was Parnate because it caused insomnia and depression is helped by insomnia. If these medications are so effective, wouldn't one of them helped me? Is it possible that the side effects of insomnia and sedation are the effects that alleviate depressive and anxious symptoms and these medications are not beneficial beyond those side effects?
My personal experience with whether psych meds work is a loud, resounding, unambiguous YES!!!!! That doesn't mean that every med (or even class of meds) work for your particular system or that if they work for your symptoms that they won't cause you side effects that will be intolerable. In that case you keep trying other options.
The SSRI's are not so great for me, and I can't tolerate Effexor or the tricyclics. However, I do know other people who have done extremely well for a very long time on SSRI's, Effexor, and other ADs - it varies by the person. If the usual ADs aren't effective for you, there are still many options. Some with depression do well on the drugs used for bipolar disorder.
I had good success (like as in for years) with Lamictal + Abilify. I'm now more pleased with minocycline + Abilify. That doesn't mean I'm 100% free of the illness, but it is managed.
When I've had a good antidepressant response (and there have been plenty of meds that DIDN'T work for me - it's trial and error), it's been pretty clear. Improved mood, restoration of a normal range of emotions, regaining enthusiasm for the things I used to enjoy, restoration of motivation, improvement of sleep problems, I could go on.I've needed Xanax to help with anxiety, and I titrate the dose very carefully so that I'm not sedated - works well for me.
I'm sorry you are frustrated and not having good success. For anxiety, I found a low dose of Seroquel very effective. I only needed 6.25 mg. I slept well and felt calmer the next day
Have you considered going for a consulting opinion to get some other treatment ideas?
Good luck.
emme
poster:Emme_V2
thread:1052156
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130930/msgs/1052187.html