![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by owenus32 on May 23, 2005, at 13:44:51
I hope so. After 7 years of being on them I'm afraid that maybe they take over the chemical functions and then maybe my brain can't do it wehn I come off of it? Please telll me it aint so!
Posted by SLS on May 23, 2005, at 21:30:54
In reply to I'm afraid that ssris ruined my brain, crazy?, posted by owenus32 on May 23, 2005, at 13:44:51
Hi.
> I hope so. After 7 years of being on them I'm afraid that maybe they take over the chemical functions and then maybe my brain can't do it wehn I come off of it?
That is a very logical fear to have, but not necessarily one that has any basis in fact.
I believe that the exposure to a particular drug sets into motion a series of physiological events downstream that result in changes in the way the neurons react to subsequent exposures to that drug. This would help explain why some people do not respond to the same drug once they discontinue it and later restart it. However, this is not the same as creating a condition whereby the brain no longer is capable of working well on its own after a drug is discontinued. If anything, the antidepressant response process coaxes the brain to re-regulate itself so that it can function on its own. The problem lies in the recurrent nature of some people's illnesses. A history of frequent relapses indicates the need for treatment indefinitely, in which case one should not discontinue an effective medication for fear it will not work a second time. Sometimes moving on to another drug will yield success, but sometimes not. It is prudent to continue with treatment, regardless of how well one feels or how long the remission has lasted.
> Please telll me it aint so!
It ain't so.
:-)
- Scott
Posted by linkadge on May 27, 2005, at 23:52:30
In reply to Re: I'm afraid that ssris ruined my brain, crazy? » owenus32, posted by SLS on May 23, 2005, at 21:30:54
In my oppinion SSRIs have ruined my brain, my life, and everything that I ever treasured. It is entirely possble that they do cause problems. The fact is that the issue has not been studied well enought.
Life just isn't the same for me. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I jog etc, there is always just someting mising. I am just perpetually blue.
I think that when a doctor says to a patient that they need to take an antidepressant long term, it is just a sorry attempt to cover over the fact that they are just now realizing how addictive they are, and starting to realize that "medically" they don't really have a heck of a lot of other options. I found it kind of ironic, that in a study I recently read, that majority of patients are being told by their doctors that their depression necessitates long term treatment.
What did people do before antidepressants were invented people ask me ?? Did you know that if not treated, depression almost never lasts longer than two years. But somehow we need to take these drugs indefinately?? Something is just not adding up.
Posted by Margie24 on June 1, 2005, at 23:26:28
In reply to Exactly how I feel, posted by linkadge on May 27, 2005, at 23:52:30
How long have you been off of all SSRIs?
> In my oppinion SSRIs have ruined my brain, my life, and everything that I ever treasured. It is entirely possble that they do cause problems. The fact is that the issue has not been studied well enought.
>
> Life just isn't the same for me. No matter what I do, no matter how hard I jog etc, there is always just someting mising. I am just perpetually blue.
>
> I think that when a doctor says to a patient that they need to take an antidepressant long term, it is just a sorry attempt to cover over the fact that they are just now realizing how addictive they are, and starting to realize that "medically" they don't really have a heck of a lot of other options. I found it kind of ironic, that in a study I recently read, that majority of patients are being told by their doctors that their depression necessitates long term treatment.
>
> What did people do before antidepressants were invented people ask me ?? Did you know that if not treated, depression almost never lasts longer than two years. But somehow we need to take these drugs indefinately?? Something is just not adding up.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Withdrawal | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.