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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Denise528 on December 8, 2001, at 10:18:35
In the past I have been on and off Prothiaden, Zooloft and Seroxat at different times in my life, they all worked wonderfully and seemed to work very quickly, I responded to them within a few days. However, since June I have tried to go back on all of them with very little success, infact they seemed to make me worse this time.. Has anyone else had this experience?My question is, do antidepressants work in any way like antibiotics, do they tend to lose their effectiveness the more you go on and off them. I am still taking 300mg prothiaden which doestn't seem to be doing very much. I am also taking Zyprexa which is the only drug that seems to be doing anything. What I am now concerned about is that I have ruined my chances of any of the SSRIs working ever again and I'm scared that I am going to be stuck feeling like this for ever and ever.
Can anyone advise?
Denise
Posted by Elizabeth on December 8, 2001, at 10:48:30
In reply to Have I blown all my chances?, posted by Denise528 on December 8, 2001, at 10:18:35
>
> In the past I have been on and off Prothiaden, Zooloft and Seroxat at different times in my life, they all worked wonderfully and seemed to work very quickly, I responded to them within a few days. However, since June I have tried to go back on all of them with very little success, infact they seemed to make me worse this time.. Has anyone else had this experience?Something like that. I seemed to be responding to Prozac (though it took more than a few days) the first time I took it, but then later I tried it again and it did no good.
> My question is, do antidepressants work in any way like antibiotics, do they tend to lose their effectiveness the more you go on and off them.
This isn't known. My personal opinion is that frequently stopping meds and allowing yourself to relapse can make depression worse and harder to treat in the long run.
> What I am now concerned about is that I have ruined my chances of any of the SSRIs working ever again and I'm scared that I am going to be stuck feeling like this for ever and ever.
Actually, my pdoc says that when an SSRI stops working, the first thing to try is switching to another SSRI (although I should note that this didn't work for me). There are a lot of SSRIs, and plenty of other things to try if those fail you, so you still have many choices.
-elizabeth
Posted by Denise528 on December 8, 2001, at 10:54:35
In reply to Re: Have I blown all my chances?, posted by Elizabeth on December 8, 2001, at 10:48:30
> >
> > Thanks Elizabeth, I know there are a lot of drugs to try but sometimes I just need a bit of reassurance which you have provided.Denise
Posted by sid on December 8, 2001, at 20:18:04
In reply to Re: Have I blown all my chances?, posted by Denise528 on December 8, 2001, at 10:54:35
There is evidence that resistance builds up with ADs, but contrary to antibiotics, it is individually. Your neighbor using an antibiotic decreases your chances of having success with it. Not so with AD. Only YOUR using an AD decreases your chances of having success the next time you try to cure depression with it (the same one).
All the reason to work closely with a doctor who knows what she's doing, and especially not to self-medicate. People who go on and off meds may indeed blow their chances at some point in time. Depending on your history, you may have to stay on the med many months, even a year perhaps, after you're "doing well" in order to avoid recurrent episodes of depression for example. My doctor said I should stay on the med at least one year after we consider I'm OK because I had 2 episodes of major depression already, plus chronic depression for years. Many people stop the meds too early, againts their dorctor's advice (or because their doctor is clueless), get back into depression mode and have trouble finding something that works the next time around. All the more reasons to use ADs carefully, and not like they're Aspirin.
That being said, you will probably find something that works. But this is something to keep in mind when considering switching drugs back and forth for reasons that are not particularly serious compared to this potential long term impact.
Posted by Elizabeth on December 8, 2001, at 20:19:36
In reply to Re: Have I blown all my chances?, posted by Denise528 on December 8, 2001, at 10:54:35
> Thanks Elizabeth, I know there are a lot of drugs to try but sometimes I just need a bit of reassurance which you have provided.
Glad to be of help. Keep posting; I find that having a support group like this one is very helpful (and also gives me a good place to ask questions if I should have any).
-e
Posted by jay on December 9, 2001, at 14:45:46
In reply to Have I blown all my chances?, posted by Denise528 on December 8, 2001, at 10:18:35
>
> In the past I have been on and off Prothiaden, Zooloft and Seroxat at different times in my life, they all worked wonderfully and seemed to work very quickly, I responded to them within a few days. However, since June I have tried to go back on all of them with very little success, infact they seemed to make me worse this time.. Has anyone else had this experience?
>
> My question is, do antidepressants work in any way like antibiotics, do they tend to lose their effectiveness the more you go on and off them. I am still taking 300mg prothiaden which doestn't seem to be doing very much. I am also taking Zyprexa which is the only drug that seems to be doing anything. What I am now concerned about is that I have ruined my chances of any of the SSRIs working ever again and I'm scared that I am going to be stuck feeling like this for ever and ever.
>
> Can anyone advise?
>
> DeniseDenise:
I think once depression and anxiety really hit us, we never quite are *the same*. But, that doesn't have to be a bad thing, or a life-sentence to misery. It can, I think in many cases, make us better people.
Not to say depression and anxiety are some simple thing. I find toying with the meds to relieve "symptoms" really help, and also that every med seems to affect each of us in very different ways, so if you are not quite happy, don't be afriad to try something else. Don't settle for only having 25 percent of your symptoms looked after...go *all the way*.
I have, and seen many, many others, bounce back from anxiety-depression even after 10 or so years, and often if just takes that long to both find a right mix of meds, and to let the changes help you re-adjust to your life. I seemed to hit my all-time low after my first 3-5 years of treatment, but made small steps upward after, even if I slid back down a few notches once in awhile. I am not exactly where I wish to be in life...but I have managed to crush some of the overwhelming anxiety and sadness that confined me too my bed for a few years at a time.
Keep coming back for support...talk...it all helps, even if it doesn't seem like much.
BTW, yes, I do understand what others where saying about depression being difficult by stopping/starting meds, but that is assuming there is somehow one magic med, or combo, that will just make everything fine. I happen to think even over time, as we age, as our bodies change, we might have to address new issues with new meds. It also seems many folks go through meds a number of times before coming to the one or combo that helps symptoms the best at that point in time, and some kind of adjustment has to be made even a number of times.
So...all's I am saying is that I don't think you have blown "all your chances"...and are just hitting those damn roadblocks..heh. Not trying to downplay your pain...
Best wishes..
Jay
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