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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 lalala on February 7, 2004, at 20:06:20
hi everyone.
i'm new to this board. actually, this is the first time i've signed up for a support group type thing.
i'm not here for pity or anything like that. i'm just hoping that maybe someone can give me some useful advice.
ok. so this is my experience so far:
about 5 years ago, i had a suicidal problem. i was taken to a psychiatrist who perscribed me prozac and trazodone (to help me sleep better). i then was moved to a therapist. i only went to see her one time, although i'm not sure why. then, at my worst, i was moved to a psycho-therapist i believe? i honestly don't know the exact differences behind these titles, just trying to state the facts. i didn't like the effects of trazodone. it would knock me out, but if i had to be up earlier than it wanted me to be, i woke up with an awful taste in my mouth, a groggy feeling, and just... not good. so i stopped taking that. prozac, i had no protest to, but it just didn't do anything for me. some stuff went down and basically they wanted to throw me into the loony bin. we had insurance problems so it didn't happen. thank goodness. because i really don't think that would have solved anything.
somehow or another, i pulled out of it for a while.
during january 2003, it got bad again. bad enough for me to tell my dad how i was feeling, and that i would try seeing a psych again. this is a big step for me, considering i don't like the idea of medication. but, depression is a disease, and of course i am willing to treat it in any way that may help me. when i went to the psych, he immediately put me on effexor xr. i did my research; it seemed promising. i was put on 85mg as an initial test to make sure i didn't come up with any bad side effects. after 3 weeks, he upped me to 150mg. to make a long story short, i'm up to 450mg. at first, that had a huge effect on me. i guess because that's a little over than what i had hoped to be on. i read up on it a little more, the highest they recommend is 225, the highest they tested on is 300 i believe? anyway, the numbers were much lower than what i am on. i read up on some groups where people had gone even higher than that. but i was still willing to give it a shot. let's clear something up: my depression was obviously not treated right the first time. each time he upped the dosage - i would -think- that things were better, that is, until i started feeling really bad again. never bad enough to contemplate death; i truly want to get through this.
but each time, i seem to start feeling bad again... i'm starting to feel really discouraged. i really feel like i've tried everything--whether it goes with my morals or not. it's not an issue of resisting help or anything like that.
i guess what i'm getting to is... have any of you heard of any medications that might work for me? is there anything else i can try to do?
i think the depression has just been replaced by emptiness. my feelings just seem to be numbed over.
i know this sounds so desparate and probably dumb. but if anyone can shed some light, i'd be really grateful.
thanks.
Posted by fayeroe on February 7, 2004, at 20:31:00
In reply to prozac / trazodone / effexor xr - not sure, posted by lalala on February 7, 2004, at 20:06:20
Hi: I really don't know what to tell you except that I would probably seek another opinion. Taking that much Effexor and still feeling bad, I'd ask some other professional (psychiatrist, preferably) what they think. I am sorry that you've been through so much. I certainly hope that you get the help that you deserve. Keep coming here. Pat
Posted by crazychickuk on February 8, 2004, at 7:45:17
In reply to Re: prozac / trazodone / effexor xr - not sure » lalala, posted by fayeroe on February 7, 2004, at 20:31:00
HI i am Donna, welcome to these boards, you will get alot of help and suppport here.
There are hundreds of medications for depression, you have made a big step getting help from a physc, if you feel that you are still not happy on effexor then please go and ask for something else to try, dont give up, there is something out there for you, there is something out there for everyone, in my opinion if you have tryed prozac, which is an ssri, effexor i think is an snri and traz is a trylic. then ask for an maoi to try, it works on different chimicals in the brain, alot of ppl on here are taking an maoi and have had great success, i have heared alot on nardil and parnate,... maybe ask to try one of them, best of luck, if you need any support please come here and post anytime.. we all know what you are going through, we all understand.. you are not alone...
All the best keep us posted..
Donna
Posted by lalala on February 8, 2004, at 11:45:10
In reply to Re: prozac / trazodone / effexor xr - not sure, posted by crazychickuk on February 8, 2004, at 7:45:17
hey, thanks a lot for the advice. i really appreciate it.
Posted by Sad Panda on February 9, 2004, at 4:45:58
In reply to prozac / trazodone / effexor xr - not sure, posted by lalala on February 7, 2004, at 20:06:20
I have heard of pdocs prescribing up to 1000mg of Efexor! If 450mg isn't helping you then I think it's time for a different medicine or perhaps adding something else to the Efexor.
What symptoms do you have with your depression?
When your dosage gets an increase do you feel really really happy for a couple of days & then you gradually taper back to a normal mood & then slide back further into depression?
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by lalala on February 9, 2004, at 11:23:39
In reply to Re: prozac / trazodone / effexor xr - not sure » lalala, posted by Sad Panda on February 9, 2004, at 4:45:58
i'm not sure. for a while, i'll be fine, and then i'll just get really bummed out. lately though, i just feel empty. like i can't feel at all.
i don't even think i feel super happy the first few days. i always tell myself i should be feeling happy by reasons beyond my control when he ups my meds... but then i start feeling bad again, and it's really discouraging because i feel like i SHOULD be happy. so, i think it's just me psychologically believing that i should be happy, not that it's making me happy. if that makes any sense.
it's not that i'm sliding further into depression. it's more like i've stopped declining and now i just feel like an empty vessel.
i just don't know what to do.
my next apt. is on the 24th. i guess i will ask about a diff. med.
This is the end of the thread.
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