Posted by Molybdenum on June 1, 2008, at 19:45:31
In reply to Re: how fast can i increase effexor? Help!!!!!!!!, posted by shadowmon on June 1, 2008, at 5:41:39
Hi shadowmon,
There's certainly nothing to be scared of. One of the reasons why a small dose of mirtazapine is often combined with venlafaxine is that the mirtazapine can overcome the nausea & insomnia that the first drug commonly produces as side effects. If you're not having these troubles then that's one less reason to consider a combination.
Venlafaxine is a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) whereas mirtazapine is a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA). So they both try to increase the amount of serotonin & NE that's present, albeit they attack the problem in different ways.
Some people feel "some benefit" from one alone but but not enough of an effect to bring them out of the depression. Increasing the dose might help. If not, then it can be augmented with something that affects the same pathways but in a different way. ie the rocket fuel. So combining them for this reason is based on the assumption that "two guns are better than one". So that's reason # 2 to consider it. And BTW, I wouldn't be concerned with the "rocket fuel" expression. It certainly never made me feel manic or even "bursting with energy".
It is certainly more scientific to methodically go through one drug at a time, slowly adjusting the dose to see if it's right for you. It's just that some people want to feel better ASAP & the waiting is torturous for them. That's certainly always been my thinking. I just couldn't wait to feel better and so the combo may have helped me get OK again sooner. So the final reason to combine them is the "give it both barrels" approach rather than wait & see. And that is reason # 3.
FYI that's how I felt. Given that your post started out with "how fast can i increase effexor? Help!!!!!!!!", I assumed this might be the case for you too...?
Sorry for all the gun analogises today..!
Good Luck & let us know you you're going :)Take Care
M.
poster:Molybdenum
thread:831305
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080528/msgs/832411.html