Posted by JohnL on August 29, 2000, at 5:09:08
In reply to Is the cure worse than the problem, posted by BrianD on August 26, 2000, at 1:16:07
> So what is the deal? I'm on 150mg Effexor XR daily and .5mg Clonazapam twice a day. That was a change from 100 Mg of Zoloft which did nothing for me. But I am almost completely unable to function (as compared to before my depression set in). Fatigue, fogginess, memory loss, can't sleep or I sleep too much, I can't maintain an erection (if I can get one). If this is what I have to look forward to, I don't know if I should be on anything! Please, what do you all think?
Brian,
The cure is indeed worse than the problem IF we are on the wrong medication for our own unique chemistry. Whatever the underlying root problem is that is causing your depression, it seems obvious to me that neither of your meds are on the right track to treating that problem. Instead, they are affecting all kinds of other things that don't need to be messed with, and you are ending up with a whole bunch of unwanted feelings and side effects on top of the depression that isn't being addressed by those meds.In your shoes, I would be starting to ween off these meds and decide what to try next. If Zoloft and Effexor are the only SSRIs you've tried, then it might be worth trying Prozac for a month. If you have already tried other SSRIs besides Zoloft, then I would instead look into a totally different class of meds. No sense beating a dead horse. I mention Prozac instead of Paxil or Celexa, because it is least likely of them all to cause that foggy feeling, and it is least likely to cause sexual problems among men. It might, but it is less likely than others. For me Prozac actually made my love life a lot better. It is also somewhat stimulating, not dulling like the others. But if it too proves disappointing after four weeks, I would abandon the whole class of SSRIs.
What other meds instead of SSRIs? Top choices in my opinion (through your doctor) would be Desipramine, Nortriptyline, Zyprexa...and a possible stimulant like Ritalin or Adderall in combination with any of them. Top choices without a doctor would be Amisulpride, Adrafinil, or both. Both is my favorite. And believe me, I've tried more than my fair share of meds.
Hope something here helps. I just wanted to say that I think all the clues are readily apparent to suggest that your current meds are off-target. And that's why things are worse right now than the original problem. When you are on the right meds to target your unique chemistry, these lousy feelings will not occur.
John
poster:JohnL
thread:43754
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000822/msgs/43981.html