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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by GOGO on August 19, 2007, at 12:33:21
Really dumb question ... but there're so many posts w/ side effect issues so I'm really confused.
When do you feel like "this is the 'right' stuff for me"? For antidepressants, Do they make you feel more self-confident and boost your self-esteem, feeling secured even when you're alone? Do they make you easier to say and believe "I can take care of myself?", no longer relying on others, or seeking others attention by doing poorly on things (even unconsciously)
For GAD meds, do they no longer make you feel like there's something holding you back (even if you know you've made the best decision and the circumstances are not so bad after all)
Do they no longer make you feel anxious and worried all day long? Then do you just feel numb?
Posted by sam123 on August 19, 2007, at 12:47:11
In reply to HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?, posted by GOGO on August 19, 2007, at 12:33:21
There is no way to know what works prior to trying it.
Posted by rina on August 19, 2007, at 14:04:15
In reply to Re: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?, posted by sam123 on August 19, 2007, at 12:47:11
I think Gogo is just asking for opinions and experiences of others sam. Yes, it's trial and error but it's okay to ask a question about it.
Posted by sam123 on August 19, 2007, at 16:40:52
In reply to Re: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?, posted by rina on August 19, 2007, at 14:04:15
> I think Gogo is just asking for opinions and experiences of others sam. Yes, it's trial and error but it's okay to ask a question about it.
Well the question was in caps. Sure, there is nothing wrong with asking but the answer to "HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?" is by trying them.I was sure wellby would not work as I tried it in the 1980's and it did nothing. nada, Good thing my present pdoc pushed me to try it again as it has been working great for 7 yrs.
Posted by tecknohed on August 19, 2007, at 16:41:23
In reply to HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?, posted by GOGO on August 19, 2007, at 12:33:21
For me I stop wanting more & carry on with my day to day life. A sort of contentment I guess. I stop looking / wishing for that magic bullet. My mind moves from the past and (stagnant) present & looks for a way forwards. When I'm unwell (ie. not an an effective med) I CANNOT do this.
Yet I'm still to find something with lasting results so I keep ending up back at square 1.
Posted by tecknohed on August 19, 2007, at 16:45:42
In reply to HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?, posted by GOGO on August 19, 2007, at 12:33:21
Also, when I feel better, my illness feels like a long time in the past, and its almost impossible to describe 'exactly' what feeling down or anxious is like. Sort of.
Posted by Girlnterrupted78 on August 20, 2007, at 6:00:32
In reply to HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?, posted by GOGO on August 19, 2007, at 12:33:21
I think some meds can work with mild results, while others offer amazing and full results.
For example, I have tried like 7 antidepressants, of which some have barely worked, others have been mild, and ONE gave me dramatic results:
Zoloft: It targeted my OCD, but didn't touch my social anxiety. I felt great that I could do things without feeling obsessively guilty about them, and that I could study without being always guilty about how "little" I had accomplished. But I was still disabled socially. I remember even asking my doc if I could combine Zoloft and another SSRI to target both equally debilitating problems, and of course, the answer was NO.
Nardil: So far it's given me very mild results in depression and social anxiety. I still feel anxious in certain situations, but not as horrifically as I would feel if I were taking absolutely nothing.
Celexa: This was the absolute magic pill for a whole year. I had happiness and desire to socialize radiating off me 24/7. I'd wake up with a smile on my face despite any problems I was going through. I suddenly had a charisma and an amazing empathy for others that had been repressed for years. Every repression I had in my personality broke loose and suddenly I could (and desired to) express my feelings freely and confidently. I made people laugh out loud and I felt a need to socialize at all times; it was such an enjoyment to talk to and be around people. I would talk and talk and talk, while before I'd only said the basic stuff and regretted it later or ruminated over my behavior all the time.
This has been my experience so far with antidepressants.
I'm still waiting for the day I will have a reaction like the one I had with Celexa, but after trying so many meds, I'm starting to suspect that this is a once-in-a-lifetime brain reaction that once building tolerance, won't repeat.
And it's such a waste of life to know that forever I will use only a 5% of my emotional self and suffer tremendously in the process of living the rest of my life. A shame. A real shame. But at least I knew, at least for one year, what it felt like to be normal. It is painful though, to know that I'll probably never be again.
Posted by nickguy on August 21, 2007, at 20:35:27
In reply to Re: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY? » GOGO, posted by Girlnterrupted78 on August 20, 2007, at 6:00:32
> I think some meds can work with mild results, while others offer amazing and full results.
>
> For example, I have tried like 7 antidepressants, of which some have barely worked, others have been mild, and ONE gave me dramatic results:
>
> Zoloft: It targeted my OCD, but didn't touch my social anxiety. I felt great that I could do things without feeling obsessively guilty about them, and that I could study without being always guilty about how "little" I had accomplished. But I was still disabled socially. I remember even asking my doc if I could combine Zoloft and another SSRI to target both equally debilitating problems, and of course, the answer was NO.
>
> Nardil: So far it's given me very mild results in depression and social anxiety. I still feel anxious in certain situations, but not as horrifically as I would feel if I were taking absolutely nothing.
>
> Celexa: This was the absolute magic pill for a whole year. I had happiness and desire to socialize radiating off me 24/7. I'd wake up with a smile on my face despite any problems I was going through. I suddenly had a charisma and an amazing empathy for others that had been repressed for years. Every repression I had in my personality broke loose and suddenly I could (and desired to) express my feelings freely and confidently. I made people laugh out loud and I felt a need to socialize at all times; it was such an enjoyment to talk to and be around people. I would talk and talk and talk, while before I'd only said the basic stuff and regretted it later or ruminated over my behavior all the time.
>
> This has been my experience so far with antidepressants.
>
> I'm still waiting for the day I will have a reaction like the one I had with Celexa, but after trying so many meds, I'm starting to suspect that this is a once-in-a-lifetime brain reaction that once building tolerance, won't repeat.
>
> And it's such a waste of life to know that forever I will use only a 5% of my emotional self and suffer tremendously in the process of living the rest of my life. A shame. A real shame. But at least I knew, at least for one year, what it felt like to be normal. It is painful though, to know that I'll probably never be again.
why did you go off celexa? did it just stop working? If so, there are so many different augmentation strategies that can get antidepressants to work. I wouldn't say that if you've experienced that once, it'll you'll probably experience that again.
Posted by tecknohed on August 21, 2007, at 21:17:16
In reply to Re: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY? » GOGO, posted by Girlnterrupted78 on August 20, 2007, at 6:00:32
> Celexa: This was the absolute magic pill for a whole year. I had happiness and desire to socialize radiating off me 24/7. I'd wake up with a smile on my face despite any problems I was going through. I suddenly had a charisma and an amazing empathy for others that had been repressed for years. Every repression I had in my personality broke loose and suddenly I could (and desired to) express my feelings freely and confidently. I made people laugh out loud and I felt a need to socialize at all times; it was such an enjoyment to talk to and be around people. I would talk and talk and talk, while before I'd only said the basic stuff and regretted it later or ruminated over my behavior all the time.
This was my EXACT experience with Nardil. I still cry just thinking about it. I've wasted A LOT OF TIME (3 years) trying to get that back! Augmentation, combinations, titrating up & down. Sometimes I thought I HAD IT BACK. But nothing came close really. If I carried on the way I was I'd probably be abusing drugs/alcohol again by now. Sad.
Sorry to side-track.
Posted by Girlnterrupted78 on August 22, 2007, at 0:23:21
In reply to Re: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH WORKS ANYWAY?, posted by nickguy on August 21, 2007, at 20:35:27
>why did you go off celexa? did it just stop working? If so, there are so many different augmentation strategies that can get antidepressants to work. I wouldn't say that if you've experienced that once, it'll you'll probably experience that again.
I went off Celexa because I was getting Celexa samples from my pdoc (I couldn't afford it at the time..) so when Lexapro appeared in the market, my doctor stopped receiving Celexa and received Lexapro instead. So he decided to switch me because Lexapro was a version of Celexa, but "better."
Unfortunately, after 2 weeks on Lexapro, my depression was back and worse than ever. I immediately tried going back to Celexa, but it would not work anymore. I continued on Celexa for another 2-3 years with mild results (30-40% relief, as opposed to 80-90% initial relief.)
That's the sad story and has never repeated in the last 7 years.
I have tried taking a few things with Celexa (Abilify, stimulants, thyroid med, etc..) and nothing. So I decided to try Nardil--but in 4 years couldn't find an MD that would be willing to prescribe it. Till now.
This is the end of the thread.
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