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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by chand2407 on October 20, 2005, at 12:48:10
i was just wandering is elavil a good tricylcic depressant. would it be good with seroquel and klonopin. is it good for depression
Posted by Racer on October 20, 2005, at 14:00:29
In reply to anyone taking elavil are there any side efffects, posted by chand2407 on October 20, 2005, at 12:48:10
> i was just wandering is elavil a good tricylcic depressant. would it be good with seroquel and klonopin. is it good for depression
I know that this has been said before, but it's well worth repeating: your mileage will vary.
These medications affect everyone differently -- if every single one of us on this board were to tell our experiences about one drug, you'd probably get half a dozen totally contradictory side effect profiles. That's just the way it is. While people here can tell you about side effects they've experienced on Elavil, no one can tell you what *you* will experience on it, until you try it.
For one thing, everyone's body chemistry is different, which means that the way the drugs are metabolised will be different, which in turn will vary their effects. The unfortunate fact is that psychotropic medications are still a game of hit or miss. You can only find the right medications by trial and error, and there will always be variables that affect the process.
In general, *ALL* of the antidepressants on the market are statistically similar in their efficacy: they all help about 70% of the people who take them. That can mean that it will be 70% effective for you, or it can mean that it's entirely effective, or it can mean that it's not effective at all. There's no way around that, because there are no tests that can say, "This person has depression caused by the following neurotransmitter imbalance, therefore drug X will correct the imbalance and bring about complete remission for the patient." Maybe those tests will come about one day, but that day is not yet here. Until then, though, the sad truth remains that you gotta try a drug before you'll know how it affects you.
If you're interested in learning about all the possible side effects of TCAs, you can check out http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202055.html
Note, though -- this lists ALL the side effects from ALL the TCAs. This doesn't mean that you'll get any of them. One of the people who used to post here told about being in a trial for a drug that was totally unrelated to depression, but taking part in the trial just after stopping an antidepressant. His depression got worse, because he stopped the AD, but the study results still listed 'worsening depression' as a possible side effect, because of his experience. That means that some of those side effects listed may be flukes.
Good luck.
Posted by chand2407 on October 20, 2005, at 16:45:26
In reply to The bottom line on antidepressants » chand2407, posted by Racer on October 20, 2005, at 14:00:29
thanks so much for the information but i am very nervous when it comes to taking new meds. and i know just about everyone is. youre right i have to try the med and if its not for me then i can always change it. thanks
Posted by Racer on October 20, 2005, at 18:24:03
In reply to Re: The bottom line on antidepressants racer, posted by chand2407 on October 20, 2005, at 16:45:26
Yeah, I get pretty well whacked out about trying new meds, too, so I do understand it. There have been times when I have come here to ask about meds, just as you are -- in fact, my very first post here, in 1998, was about that very thing. It's also easy to get scared on this board, since so many of us have trouble with medications, and finding one that works.
Good luck with Elavil. And remember that you won't get all the side effects listed, if you get any, and that many, many, many of the side effects you'll get in the first month are likely to go away after the adjustment phase.
Posted by Phillipa on October 20, 2005, at 18:52:56
In reply to Re: The bottom line on antidepressants racer » chand2407, posted by Racer on October 20, 2005, at 18:24:03
Thanks for the link Racer. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by blueberry on October 20, 2005, at 18:57:05
In reply to anyone taking elavil are there any side efffects, posted by chand2407 on October 20, 2005, at 12:48:10
First of all, Racer is right.
It is hard to get a handle on elavil side effects in literature because they lump all the tricyclics together. It's hard to find anything that gives just the side effects of elavil.
Side effects will depend a lot on the dose you take.
Basically though, here are some side effects that are likely, with higher doses giving stronger side effects...dry mouth, sedation, maybe slightly blurry eyes, maybe a little more difficult to urinate. Because of the sedation, elavil is sometimes used as a sleep medication.
Sometimes though some people will have paradoxical side effects, where they feel energized or nervous instead of sedated. So like Racer said, it is a very individual thing. Probably the most predictable side effect would be dry mouth.
Posted by med_empowered on October 21, 2005, at 5:52:20
In reply to Re: anyone taking elavil are there any side efffects, posted by blueberry on October 20, 2005, at 18:57:05
Tricyclics pretty commonly cause dry mouth and weight gain. Cardiovascular problems can be an issue at higher doses and/or with people pre-disposed to those kind of problems, but they're not quite as common. In terms of efficacy...sometimes, antidepressants dont come in much better than placebo in randomized trials. With TCAs, the consensus seems to be that they will work best for more severe, endogenous depression--so, if your depression is pretty intense, and its coming FROM you--not from a reaction to an external even or something--then Elavil is more likely to help you than, say, Prozac.
This is the end of the thread.
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