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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 10:53:27
Hey guys,
Well, thank god I think my treatment is finally working. After only 5 days of the increased dose of 30mg of prozac from 4 weeks at 20mg, I'm starting to notice a difference. I just feel more upbeat in general. Last night, instead of being so depressed that I stayed up with suicidal thoughts, I couldn't fall asleep because I couldn't believe that I was actually happy and *not* having those thoughts. However, I'm still having the same problems of not being able to concentrate/focus and persistant social anxiety. My pdoc. said that prozac was also helpful for these symptoms. Would it take longer to notice an effect in that dept. than in general mood? Or did he just say that as an excuse to not prescribe benzos or stimulants, which I believe I might need to improve my overall QOL. All opinions welcome.
Thanks,
Jim Bob
Posted by Mats on September 3, 2002, at 11:13:46
In reply to prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 10:53:27
For me, the depression left in about 2-3 weeks with 50 mg Zoloft. The social anxiety and GAD did persist another 4 weeks.
Posted by Arthur Gibson on September 3, 2002, at 13:29:51
In reply to prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 10:53:27
Reduce down to 20mg. It will make no difference to your recovery.
Be prepared for "bad" days, but they will get fewer.
Your concentration and sleep will gradually improve.
Posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 15:32:32
In reply to Re: prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by Arthur Gibson on September 3, 2002, at 13:29:51
What makes you say that reducing the dosage will have no effect? I didn't just arbitrarily increase the dosage myself, that's the doctor's order.
Jim
> Reduce down to 20mg. It will make no difference to your recovery.
>
> Be prepared for "bad" days, but they will get fewer.
>
> Your concentration and sleep will gradually improve.
Posted by joy on September 3, 2002, at 17:07:07
In reply to Re: prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 15:32:32
I found the higher dose of Prozac more helpful. However, when I needed it [seldom]I took .05 Xanax for anxiety/agitation. Some people find adding Buspar [needs a few weeks] helps with the Prozac also. I hope you continue to feel better.
Joy
Posted by jay on September 4, 2002, at 0:10:43
In reply to prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 10:53:27
> Hey guys,
>
> Well, thank god I think my treatment is finally working. After only 5 days of the increased dose of 30mg of prozac from 4 weeks at 20mg, I'm starting to notice a difference. I just feel more upbeat in general. Last night, instead of being so depressed that I stayed up with suicidal thoughts, I couldn't fall asleep because I couldn't believe that I was actually happy and *not* having those thoughts. However, I'm still having the same problems of not being able to concentrate/focus and persistant social anxiety. My pdoc. said that prozac was also helpful for these symptoms. Would it take longer to notice an effect in that dept. than in general mood? Or did he just say that as an excuse to not prescribe benzos or stimulants, which I believe I might need to improve my overall QOL. All opinions welcome.
>
> Thanks,
> Jim Bob
Hey Jim Bob:After many years on antidepressants (including Prozac), I am kinda angry your doctor would not provide something else to at least temporarily help with sleep, nerves, etc.
I have even heard from and read a couple of doctors who *always* either start their patients on a benzo +a.d., or a mood stabilizer+ a.d. In fact, unless the combo isn't working out, they say stay on them indefinitely. Below, I posted a little piece of an article by a doctor who thinks that a.d.'s have been heralded as a "monotherapy cure". Our minds and bodies are too complicated for one little pill (often) to treat so many symptoms.
Anyhow, it's not that I am against Prozac or any a.d....I think they are great medicines. I just think doctors need to be WAY more creative in helping us patients get as "completely" healthy as possible.
Talk to your doc again about adding a benzo, or even a small dose of either a very sedating antidepressant (e.g.. Trazadone, amitriptyline), or a small dose of a mood stabilizer (e.g. Neurontin)
If he refuses, maybe it's best to try and seek out a new doc. Just try to interview new docs first to see what their views on the subject are.I know this sounds like a lot, but it is *your* body, life, and quality of health, and you and all of us deserve nothing short of *the best*.
Good luck...
Jay
Posted by Arthur Gibson on September 4, 2002, at 2:46:13
In reply to Re: prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 15:32:32
Just try the lower dose. You can increase if it does not work. I think that time on PROZAC is healing you, not the extra 30mg. The less you have in you the better. All these ADs are foul things really and one day you will have to wean off them.
Ask for good old fashioned Valium for the nerves, but take as little as possible, even 1mg or less if you can get away with it. Put up with slight nerves, just try to stop the worst of it with Valium.
PROZAC has a very long half life, just staying on 20mg will "increase" your dose, if you see what I mean.
Valium + PROZAC gives Valium a VERY long half life, sometimes hundreds of hours.
See: http://www.benzo.org.uk/profash.htm
for more information. Great site for Valium and some about ADs.
If you take Valium, get of it as soon as possible.
Learn relaxing exercises if you do not already know them. They can work like 2mg Valium within 5 minutes with no side effects or doping.
Ask me again if you don't know what I am talking about and I will write a long reply.
Be warned that your recovery will be fragile. You may have problems for the rest of your life, but drugs can solve most of the trouble. Learn coping mechanisms for the remaining troubles.
We all have a cross to bear, there are worse ones than this!
Posted by J200 on September 5, 2002, at 21:30:20
In reply to prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by Jim Bob on September 3, 2002, at 10:53:27
Jim Bob,
Having used Prozac for about 5 years, yes, it will help with social anxiety, and yes, you will need to wait a while for that effect to kick in. It may be several weeks before you notice a real effect, but it can be dramatic.
Posted by Arthur Gibson on September 6, 2002, at 3:20:02
In reply to Re: prozac working, but all symptoms not gone, posted by J200 on September 5, 2002, at 21:30:20
I thought it "pooped out" after six months. Is this not true?
What's it like after 5 years? Still working?
What dose?
Posted by J200 on September 6, 2002, at 6:39:40
In reply to 5 years on PROZAC???, posted by Arthur Gibson on September 6, 2002, at 3:20:02
Yes, the anti-depressant effect definitely "poops out", I would not say after six months, but certainly after a year.
But it did help to regulate my sleep patterns, which has a big problem for me for many years. Most of the SSRI's just screw up my sleep even more, so having tried most of them, I don't take any of them anymore. They all "poop out" pretty quickly, but doctors just keep refilling prescriptions and people keep taking them anyway. I finally got off the boat about six months ago. I just started taking a small dose (25 mg) of a TCA (Sinequan) nightly because I took it for a number of years and it solved my sleep problem quite nicely. I had to fight with two doctors to get a prescription, though - it's an "old drug" that has been replaced by "something better" they keep telling me (something better, my butt !). This makes to me about as much sense as taking an expensive prescription arthritis pain medication when plain old cheap over-the-counter aspirin will do nicely, and help your heart too.
Posted by Arthur Gibson on September 6, 2002, at 7:33:46
In reply to Re: 5 years on PROZAC???, posted by J200 on September 6, 2002, at 6:39:40
Thanks for the info.
Arthur
Posted by linkadge on September 8, 2002, at 9:06:01
In reply to Re: 5 years on PROZAC???, posted by J200 on September 6, 2002, at 6:39:40
My mom took Sinequan and swears
by it. It is definatly good
for sleep. It has a stronger
Ser than Nor effect.Quite a few studies show that
the Tricyclics are more effective
than the SSRI's but unfortunatly they
have some nasty risks. Although
Sinequan is not one of the ones
with an increased risk of Cancer.Antidepressant inefficacy has
been linked to low folic acid
levels. I reccomend anyone on an
AD to take folic acid + B12 with
an AD every day.
One study showed that it increased
Prozac Responce by %20-30
Good Luck
Linkadge
linkadge@hotmail.com
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