Posted by JohnL on November 16, 1999, at 3:21:57
In reply to Re: Ending trial of Rebox, posted by Peter on November 15, 1999, at 13:28:36
> > Peter, how's your rebox trial going?
>
> I've decided to go off of it for the time being because of the constipation. I may give it another trial but this time go much slower and start with a lower dose. It's really too bad because Rebox is the last drug in what seems like an endless trial of practically all the drugs on the market. Nothing has worked for very long or I have not been able to tolerate the side effects. The term treatment resistance seems to have been created especially for me! Good luck all.
> PeterPeter, sorry it didn't work out. I think we can all relate to the frustration. And the question of where to go from here. I don't know your history, but I wanted to comment that 'treatment resistant' isn't really an accurate terminology unless the patient has been at a maximum dose for 3 months on three trials of drugs without 50% improvement of symptoms. Does that apply to you? If not, then you probably fall in a category of 'difficult to treat' rather than 'treatment resistant'. For me, and many of us, getting up to a maximum dose and staying there for 3 months is very difficult due to side effect difficulties. I think most of us (not all) are 'difficult to treat' because of side effects. Side effect intolerance is the primary patient-related cause of antidepressant failure (according to international pdoc/author Hagop Akiskal). The primary physician-related cause of failure is underuse of MAOIs. Either way, side effects sure get in the way for you and me huh? I suspect we're more 'difficult to treat' than 'treatment resistant'.
Anyway, where to go from here? Any ideas what's next? I am curious, what meds have you tried? Why were they discontinued? Maybe there's a pattern that can help figure out where to go from here? I can sure relate to your frustration. Making that decision to discontinue is so sweet & sour. Sweet to say goodbye to the lousy side effects, sour to ponder starting all over with something else and the unknown variables it has in store for us. Hopefully we'll both find a drug that's not sweet & sour, but sweet all the way around. :)
poster:JohnL
thread:14098
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991108/msgs/15291.html