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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Joy on December 28, 2000, at 12:44:19
Hi. I'm on Zoloft for 5 and a half weeks. I've increased my dose up to 125 mg and I don't think it's helping much. At least I'm not crying all the time like I was on Serzone. I see my family doc next week. Should I ask him for Prozac? I'm so frustratd with the Zoloft. I won't have a pdoc for about a month [insurance change]. I need to look for a job and I don't have the motivation or confidence in me. Anybody help? thanks.
Joy
Posted by r.anne on December 28, 2000, at 21:22:16
In reply to Zoloft: Not working after over 5-1/2 weeks?Help!, posted by Joy on December 28, 2000, at 12:44:19
Zoloft did not help me much either. Prozac made me sick and nervous all the time but I don't know how it would effect you. Many people seem to like Effexor xr and Celexa. I take eff. and paxil. It's trial and error for all of us. What works for one doesn't always help another. All you can do is try another and see if it works and if not try another. I've tried many. Good luck.
Posted by stjames on December 29, 2000, at 19:21:28
In reply to Zoloft: Not working after over 5-1/2 weeks?Help!, posted by Joy on December 28, 2000, at 12:44:19
6-8 weeks is generally the min. amount of time
needed to feel any positive effect, it would be worth it to stick it out till 8 weeks, exp. since
you are not having major side effects.James
Posted by JohnL on December 30, 2000, at 16:45:24
In reply to Zoloft: Not working after over 5-1/2 weeks?Help!, posted by Joy on December 28, 2000, at 12:44:19
> Hi. I'm on Zoloft for 5 and a half weeks. I've increased my dose up to 125 mg and I don't think it's helping much. At least I'm not crying all the time like I was on Serzone. I see my family doc next week. Should I ask him for Prozac? I'm so frustratd with the Zoloft. I won't have a pdoc for about a month [insurance change]. I need to look for a job and I don't have the motivation or confidence in me. Anybody help? thanks.
> JoyHi Joy,
Some will disagree with me, but I think 5 1/2 weeks is plenty of time to tell if a med is going to work or not. There should be at least a hint of hope by now. So often I have noticed that when someone does really well with a med, it usually gives pretty good hints real early, like in 1 to 3 weeks. Not always, but often enough to be meaningful. It certainly will work better given more time--that is, if it is going to work at all--but the negligible progress so far is not a good sign as I see it.You're not crying all the time. That's good. But I suspect that because Zoloft isn't helping much other than that, it is instead numbing your emotional range, both lows and highs. If a serotonin med is the wrong one for someone, that's usually what they experience. If someone completely normal, undepressed, no serotonin problems, started taking Zoloft, they would also experience that same emotional numbing. No crying, but not much laughter either.
Prozac could be a good next choice. Personally though I wouldn't fool around with any med that doesn't show a good hint of working within 2 or 3 weeks at the most. If it's not, no sense in wasting time, there is always another medication that will work better and faster, and the sooner you find it the better. Drop the dogs fast, move onto another choice. When you stumble onto the right choice, there will be no doubt.
If you try Prozac for a couple weeks and that too isn't very helpful, then perhaps a trial of Effexor would be a good next choice. After that, the serotonin thing has pretty much ruled out, and you can then focus on meds that affect dopamine and noradrenaline instead of serotonin.
Just rambling. Just thinking out loud. Hope something here is helpful.
John
Posted by Joy on December 30, 2000, at 17:30:39
In reply to Re: Zoloft: Not working after over 5-1/2 weeks?Help!, posted by JohnL on December 30, 2000, at 16:45:24
Thanks John, I totally agree with you.
Joy
> > Hi. I'm on Zoloft for 5 and a half weeks. I've increased my dose up to 125 mg and I don't think it's helping much. At least I'm not crying all the time like I was on Serzone. I see my family doc next week. Should I ask him for Prozac? I'm so frustratd with the Zoloft. I won't have a pdoc for about a month [insurance change]. I need to look for a job and I don't have the motivation or confidence in me. Anybody help? thanks.
> > Joy
>
> Hi Joy,
> Some will disagree with me, but I think 5 1/2 weeks is plenty of time to tell if a med is going to work or not. There should be at least a hint of hope by now. So often I have noticed that when someone does really well with a med, it usually gives pretty good hints real early, like in 1 to 3 weeks. Not always, but often enough to be meaningful. It certainly will work better given more time--that is, if it is going to work at all--but the negligible progress so far is not a good sign as I see it.
>
> You're not crying all the time. That's good. But I suspect that because Zoloft isn't helping much other than that, it is instead numbing your emotional range, both lows and highs. If a serotonin med is the wrong one for someone, that's usually what they experience. If someone completely normal, undepressed, no serotonin problems, started taking Zoloft, they would also experience that same emotional numbing. No crying, but not much laughter either.
>
> Prozac could be a good next choice. Personally though I wouldn't fool around with any med that doesn't show a good hint of working within 2 or 3 weeks at the most. If it's not, no sense in wasting time, there is always another medication that will work better and faster, and the sooner you find it the better. Drop the dogs fast, move onto another choice. When you stumble onto the right choice, there will be no doubt.
>
> If you try Prozac for a couple weeks and that too isn't very helpful, then perhaps a trial of Effexor would be a good next choice. After that, the serotonin thing has pretty much ruled out, and you can then focus on meds that affect dopamine and noradrenaline instead of serotonin.
>
> Just rambling. Just thinking out loud. Hope something here is helpful.
> John
Posted by SLS on December 30, 2000, at 18:15:12
In reply to Re: Zoloft: Not working after over 5-1/2 weeks?Help! » JohnL, posted by Joy on December 30, 2000, at 17:30:39
Dear Joy,
I would rather err on the side of "conservatism", or at least what seems to me as being common sense. You don't want to leave a stone only partially turned. I would tend to agree with the opinions that six weeks of complete non-response at an ADEQUATE dosage usually does not bode well for eventual success. I would accede to the insights of James that such is not always the case, and that there might be a chance - just a chance - that you will be one of the members of the minority. It might be your miracle drug.An ADEQUATE dosage. If it were me, I would try 200mg for two more weeks and turn the damned stone all the way over. That way, you can positively exclude Zoloft monotherapy as an effective treatment without later looking back with regret, wondering if you may have stopped it prematurely.
It is so easy for me to say. It is so difficult for me to do.
If I were in your position, I really don't know what I would do. However, from an objective bird's eye view, I would know what it makes sense to do.
http://www.mentalhealth.com/fr30.html
Good luck.
- Scott
Posted by Joy on December 30, 2000, at 18:21:10
In reply to Re: Zoloft: Not working after over 5-1/2 weeks?Help!, posted by SLS on December 30, 2000, at 18:15:12
Scott,
Thanks for your posting. I have found when I go up very high [125/150 mg] I have bad headaches on Zoloft. I'm on 50 mg-150 mg 4.5 weeks and will wean down. The headaches are pretty bad. I'm hoping Prozac will help me. I see my doc in a few days. Thanks again.
JoyDear Joy,
>
>
> I would rather err on the side of "conservatism", or at least what seems to me as being common sense. You don't want to leave a stone only partially turned. I would tend to agree with the opinions that six weeks of complete non-response at an ADEQUATE dosage usually does not bode well for eventual success. I would accede to the insights of James that such is not always the case, and that there might be a chance - just a chance - that you will be one of the members of the minority. It might be your miracle drug.
>
> An ADEQUATE dosage. If it were me, I would try 200mg for two more weeks and turn the damned stone all the way over. That way, you can positively exclude Zoloft monotherapy as an effective treatment without later looking back with regret, wondering if you may have stopped it prematurely.
>
> It is so easy for me to say. It is so difficult for me to do.
>
> If I were in your position, I really don't know what I would do. However, from an objective bird's eye view, I would know what it makes sense to do.
>
> http://www.mentalhealth.com/fr30.html
>
> Good luck.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by SLS on December 30, 2000, at 18:59:02
In reply to Re: Zoloft: Not working after over 5-1/2 weeks?Help! » SLS, posted by Joy on December 30, 2000, at 18:21:10
> Scott,
> Thanks for your posting. I have found when I go up very high [125/150 mg] I have bad headaches on Zoloft. I'm on 50 mg-150 mg 4.5 weeks and will wean down. The headaches are pretty bad.Good choice, Joy. As you wean off Zoloft, take note if you feel worse, feel a transient antidepressant effect, or experience no change. This can be important information to use in the future for choosing therapies.
Again, good luck.
Sincerely,
Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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