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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by BRC on June 25, 2004, at 19:15:53
I have been on and off SSRI's for about five years now to treat anxiety, depression, and OCD.
I was wondering how long you can remain on these meds. I have read and researched where the drug companies conduct clinical trials for only a peroid of months.
Can these meds be taken for the rest of your life without damaging the body? Is it safe to take these meds for the long haul? My doctor seems to think I will need the medication to maintain my symptoms for the rest of my life. I am only 28. I was wondering if anyone else has been told this.
Anyone who has any ideas or knowlege about this subject please feel free to respond. Thanks in advance.
Posted by linkadge on June 25, 2004, at 19:27:54
In reply to How long can you stay on an antidepressant?, posted by BRC on June 25, 2004, at 19:15:53
I know people who have been on nardil for the long haul, but I the newer antidepressants are don't have the same show time.
Linkadge
Posted by utopizen on June 25, 2004, at 21:07:46
In reply to How long can you stay on an antidepressant?, posted by BRC on June 25, 2004, at 19:15:53
I think you should be more concerned about remaining stable like the rest of us, not worrying about some hypothetical fear that doesn't really exist.
All drugs are tested for, at the most, a few months. Ambien's maker couldn't afford to do this, so it only did 7-10 day trials (but sleep observations are thousands a patient).
A recent study, published a few weeks ago, found the hypothylmus (sp) -- a major part of one's thought process- to have a smaller mass in patients who were on and off antidepressants than those who were on them. The conclusion? Patients should think twice before thinking they can rough it out without an antidepressant, because the risk of relapse at some point is high and that may risk your brain mass basically.
Depression is thus far more of a legitimate concern to fear than going off a thing that prevents/controls it from relapsing, is it not?
Think about what you're taking it for, and remind yourself the disease is worse than the treatment. Also, it helps to remind yourself that this isn't crack, and you're doing a good thing for remaining committed to your treatment.
Please don't do what I did, which was go off it for the sake of my social anxiety and my 90mg/month supply of Klonopin and Ambien and all those stupid patchworks that help your symptoms but don't stop your depression/anxiety from getting worse and worse over a year's time. I finally went on Remeron a few days ago, and tonight, maybe, it's helping me to be happy for the first in a long time. I hope it stays tomorrow.
Posted by King Vultan on June 26, 2004, at 0:17:44
In reply to How long can you stay on an antidepressant?, posted by BRC on June 25, 2004, at 19:15:53
I've heard of people taking SSRIs and tricyclics for over a decade, and MAOIs for decades. I personally think antidepressants are physiologically safe for the long haul; the problem is that the SSRIs, in particular, seem to have a tendency to poop out after a while. Then you have oftentimes have to go through the nuisance of withdrawal symptoms; although, Effexor is the real notorious one for this at this point in time.
Todd
Posted by BRC on June 26, 2004, at 10:38:45
In reply to Re: How long can you stay on an antidepressant?, posted by linkadge on June 25, 2004, at 19:27:54
> I know people who have been on nardil for the long haul, but I the newer antidepressants are don't have the same show time.
>
> LinkadgeThanks for your response to my post. Wish you the best.
Posted by BRC on June 26, 2004, at 10:44:06
In reply to Re: How long can you stay on an antidepressant? » BRC, posted by utopizen on June 25, 2004, at 21:07:46
> I think you should be more concerned about remaining stable like the rest of us, not worrying about some hypothetical fear that doesn't really exist.
>
> All drugs are tested for, at the most, a few months. Ambien's maker couldn't afford to do this, so it only did 7-10 day trials (but sleep observations are thousands a patient).
>
> A recent study, published a few weeks ago, found the hypothylmus (sp) -- a major part of one's thought process- to have a smaller mass in patients who were on and off antidepressants than those who were on them. The conclusion? Patients should think twice before thinking they can rough it out without an antidepressant, because the risk of relapse at some point is high and that may risk your brain mass basically.
>
> Depression is thus far more of a legitimate concern to fear than going off a thing that prevents/controls it from relapsing, is it not?
>
> Think about what you're taking it for, and remind yourself the disease is worse than the treatment. Also, it helps to remind yourself that this isn't crack, and you're doing a good thing for remaining committed to your treatment.
>
> Please don't do what I did, which was go off it for the sake of my social anxiety and my 90mg/month supply of Klonopin and Ambien and all those stupid patchworks that help your symptoms but don't stop your depression/anxiety from getting worse and worse over a year's time. I finally went on Remeron a few days ago, and tonight, maybe, it's helping me to be happy for the first in a long time. I hope it stays tomorrow.Thanks for replying to my post. I guess I am just weary off taking medication, especially ones that deal with the brain. But you are right severe depression is nothing to play around with because I have been there (still there).
I hope you find good results with Remeron. I have been taking 30mg for about a year and a half now. It makes you sleep like a babby. I also take Klonopin and have taken Ambien in the past. But to me the Remeron helps me sleep the best.
Thanks for the response and best of luck.
Posted by BRC on June 26, 2004, at 10:47:06
In reply to Re: How long can you stay on an antidepressant?, posted by King Vultan on June 26, 2004, at 0:17:44
> I've heard of people taking SSRIs and tricyclics for over a decade, and MAOIs for decades. I personally think antidepressants are physiologically safe for the long haul; the problem is that the SSRIs, in particular, seem to have a tendency to poop out after a while. Then you have oftentimes have to go through the nuisance of withdrawal symptoms; although, Effexor is the real notorious one for this at this point in time
Thanks for the info. When an SSRI begins to lose its effect do you increase the dose or have to change to another med?
Thanks again for your response.
BRC
Posted by King Vultan on June 26, 2004, at 10:57:27
In reply to Re: How long can you stay on an antidepressant? » King Vultan, posted by BRC on June 26, 2004, at 10:47:06
>
> Thanks for the info. When an SSRI begins to lose its effect do you increase the dose or have to change to another med?
>
> Thanks again for your response.
> BRC
>
Either method could be tried, but in general, people do seem to wind up eventually changing to something else.Todd
Posted by Sebastian on June 26, 2004, at 20:26:20
In reply to How long can you stay on an antidepressant?, posted by BRC on June 25, 2004, at 19:15:53
When I started celexa, I asked my doctor how long I would be needing to take this. He said anywhere between 6 months and 60 years. It has been 3 now. He says they are very safe, you can take as long as you want and as much as you need. Said I could take 4-40 mg celexa's, wow thats 160 mg, the most I ever took was 80 mg. He told me I would need these meds for the rest of my life too, I'm also 28, I have scitzoaffective disorder, I take zyprexa also, 5 years. I honestly can not live without zyprexa.
This is the end of the thread.
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