Posted by viridis on January 27, 2003, at 1:02:55
In reply to Does anyone feel better OFF an SSR/SNRI?, posted by utopizen on January 26, 2003, at 23:19:24
That's a tough call -- if it was SSRIs/SNRIs or nothing, which would be better? These drugs definitely work for some people; I have friends whose lives have been turned around by Prozac, Celexa, Paxil etc. I guess it just depends on your brain chemistry and disorder.
Personally, I'd never touch either again. My reactions have ranged from disastrous (Zoloft, Wellbutrin) to disappointing (Prozac). I have the most experience with Prozac, having taken it on and off for years (often for many months at a time, at various doses). The pattern is always the same: heightened anxiety at first, then a wired yet detached state in which I don't really care about anything, and people find me "spaced out". Without it, or any other meds, I have my ups and downs, ranging from fine to intensely anxious to severely depressed. But at least I'm motivated some of the time. I wouldn't want to live my life on Prozac, and I couldn't tolerate the others (although I certainly haven't tried them all).
In any case, there are lots of alternatives, and I seem to have found a good combo, at least for now. My psychiatrist agrees that I'm a "no-SSRI" type, so I don't have to worry about having those drugs pushed at me any more (and won't allow them to be in future, should I have to change doctors). Interestingly, he mentioned that he's taken SSRIs himself for depression, so is personally familiar with the potential side effects (it's nice to have a doctor who's actually experienced some of the meds he prescribes).
But SSRIs/SNRIs definitely have their place for some people, so I wouldn't write them off completely. I am very skeptical about their use in people with serious anxiety problems though.
BTW, my pdoc says that SSRIs cause sexual problems in at least 60% of patients, and told me that he considers this a very conservative estimate.
poster:viridis
thread:137715
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030125/msgs/137729.html