Posted by PaulW on April 6, 2001, at 14:36:55
In reply to Re: Effexor XR:5 weeks:no effect:HELP!!!, posted by JohnL on April 6, 2001, at 6:14:51
> Hi Paul,
> Though my views are sometimes controversial, I no longer trust or believe in the long torturous six week wait. To me that is just a sign of an inferior drug match. I prefer superior ones, which are characterized by fairly rapid response, complete response, and few side effects.
>
> I suffered for years and years trying one antidepressant after another in long trials. It wasn't until I started a new program of rapid fire sampling that I began to get better. No more long trials. I tried each of three antipsychotics for a week each, three stimulants for a few days each, and mood stabilizers for a couple weeks each. I was able to sample more drugs in a few months than would have otherwise taken years. I'm glad I did.
>
> Most of those drugs were duds. That is, they did nothing in a week or two, or they had bad side effects, or they made me worse. However, a few drugs stood out as being superior matches. I felt better with them almost immediately. Side effects were nill. Why was that? In my layman thinking it was evidence of a good match between my chemistry and the drug. The drugs that stood out as being obviously, without a doubt, superior for me were Prozac, Zyprexa, Amisulpride, and Adrafinil. Each came with fairly rapid response. If not for quick sample trials, I would still be suffering way back in the SSRI category, and could likely have lost my job, wife, or life. In just a couple months I was able to identify which drugs to consider for longer trials. I see no sense in committing to a long trial until a medication has proved in a short time that it is worth the committment. It has to prove itself for me to commit.
>
> Anyway, there is always more than one way to solve a problem. I prefer the quickest way.
>
> There is evidence in every clinical trial of patients who responded quickly in one day to two weeks. There is ample real life evidence right here at this board and in the archives. In my own therapy I wanted to be one of those quick responders. It was simply a matter of trying enough medicines to see which would do it. Most were frustrating disappointments. They probably would have been ok if given more time, but they would have also been acting indirectly through chain reactions. I didn't want that. I wanted something that would work directly. When it works directly on the real problem, it works fast. It's quite simple logic really, and supported completely by the facts, and yet is not embraced by many people. But it is a view to consider if you really want to get well as fast as possible.
>
> Weed out the losers. Identify the winners. Quick trials will do that. Then end result is you can get completely well in a fraction of the time.
> JohnJohn
thanks for your reply, but, given the postings from the good people above, you can probably apppreciate the dilemna I'm facing.
Given that effexor xr has been sloshing around me for 5/6 weeks now, a decision to quit would no doubt require the tapering regime repeatedly advised elsewhere.And then what? I am too far gone for a quick fix, although, what I'd give for that right now. I admire your courage , effort and discipline you've approached finding the right med. I, meanwhile, dumbly retain faith in my doc's musings, who sees me for 5 minutes max every fortnight. My fault, but my confidence is so shattered at present,I don't have the wherewithal to make decisions for myself at the moment. I do feel that the various ADs I've dabbled with have jellied my brain somewhat.Michele ,thanks, I've been following your postings since you appeared to be mirroring my regime here. I too have had the odd day when I feel 'normal' again and could barely sleep with excitement that I'd cracked it, only to gingerly awake the next morning for the grey weight to start descending again. Please keep posting and I hope it remains positive for you. Do you mind saying whether you experience depression and/or anxiety. For the record, I enjoy both conditions, although I feel that the depression is anxiety lead.
The reason I ask is to try and assist me in deciding whether XR is the ticket for me.
James, just how far can I bump this one up?Hey Ho, Happy Days. Thanks to all for replying.
Tis Friday night and I must get on with my self obsessing, rather than drag my light hearted thoughts down the pub with my girlfriend and others. They just don't know what they're missing
Cheers
Paul
poster:PaulW
thread:58816
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010403/msgs/58939.html