Posted by sweetmarie on June 18, 2001, at 10:45:21
In reply to Re:Treatment Resistant Depression - Efexor/Remeron » sweetmarie, posted by Cam W. on June 18, 2001, at 9:50:31
> Anna - The answer to your time period question is: both are used, it depends on what the person who s talking. More often than not, clinicians (eg. your doc) mean from the time you start taking the antidepressant. Researchers who talk about staying on medication for 6 months mean, "6 months after remission". This would probably be from the time after the last dosage increase, as remission date is usually a range (ie. no on or off; depressed then not depressed).
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> Also, you should stay on medication for 4 to 8 weeks after the highest dose is attained to see if the medication will work for you; or 8 to 12 weeks from the start of therapy (which is roughly the same time frame). Again, the time frame that is used is dependent on who you are talking to. This is, of course, if you are able to tolerate the start-up side effects and are still able to function as much as need be.
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Cam,Thanks for that - it`s answered my question.
As I`ve been on Venlafaxine for 6 weeks now (1 week at 375 mg, which I think is as high as they are going to take it), and Mirtazapine for 5 weeks, I imagine that the combination will be guaged from 5 weeks ago (approx). So, I wouldn`t necessarily have noticed any alteration in mood yet.
The `spanner in the works` was that the professor (who is treating me) told me 3 weeks ago that he "expected me to be better in 3 - 4 weeks". Well, the 3 week period elapsd 3 days ago, and frankly I feel virtually no different to when I was first admitted to hospital (i.e. still majorly depressed). It has taken me years to learn NOT to ask the question "when will I be better?", as there is pretty much no meaningful response. So, when the professor volunteered this 3 - 4 week period, I immediately latched onto it, although I knew it to be tenuous. I don`t really know why I`m mentioning this, except to illustrate the nature of my consultant - i.e. very optimistic indeed. No bad thing, but realism is equally as necessary.
Anyway, thanks again. I`m going back to hospital now (I`m currently on home leave), and will `check in` again when I`m next home (next w/end, all being well).
Cheers once again,
Anna.
poster:sweetmarie
thread:55847
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010618/msgs/66966.html