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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Regnad on July 26, 2000, at 22:58:42
I'm a 40 year old male and have been diagnosed with refractory depression. I've tried over 10 anti-depressants over the last five years -- including TCAs, SSRIs, and others -- but the best results I've achieved during this time is a partial response to trazodone.
Besides the fact that it helps me sleep, one of the biggest benefits of trazodone for me is that it practically eliminates the strong need I feel to engage in "rocking" behavior, which otherwise is a real problem for me. However, it's just not adequately helping my depression.
My doctor and I have decided to once again try venlafaxine, since I feel I might not have given it enough of a chance the first time around (less than a month at 150mg daily). But now that I've been tapering off the trazodone, my "rocking" is coming back. So I'd like to get some feedback on the risk level associated with combining trazodone (200-300 mg) with venlafaxine (150-350 mg). I'm particularly concerned about the possibility of serotonin syndrome.
Can these meds be mixed safely?
Posted by shar on July 26, 2000, at 23:32:48
In reply to Trazodone/Venlafaxine and serotonin syndrome risks, posted by Regnad on July 26, 2000, at 22:58:42
I rock also, and have never seen any posts on it. I thought it was just me. I can control it (like in a meeting) and it's not extreme, but it is definitely there!
Can you say more about that part? I'm very interested.
Thanks,
Shar
P.S. Are you Regnad Kcin???
Posted by Andre Allard on July 28, 2000, at 18:55:00
In reply to Trazodone/Venlafaxine and serotonin syndrome risks, posted by Regnad on July 26, 2000, at 22:58:42
I successfully used this combo for months but at lower dosages - 100mg traz, 300mg effexor.
With the dosages you are speaking of, be careful.
Posted by Regnad on July 31, 2000, at 3:05:15
In reply to I Rock Too,,What's that about? » Regnad, posted by shar on July 26, 2000, at 23:32:48
> I rock also, and have never seen any posts on it. I thought it was just me. I can control it (like in a meeting) and it's not extreme, but it is definitely there!
>
> Can you say more about that part? I'm very interested.
>
> Thanks,
> Shar
> P.S. Are you Regnad Kcin???Hi, Shar
Sorry for the delay in responding...
I've rocked as long as I can remember, at least since I was little. Like you, I can control it when I make an effort, but most of the time if I let my concentration slip I automatically start rocking again. Most of the time I can limit the rocking to my legs or feet, but I often move my torso back and forth while sitting as if I'm in a rocking chair. While taking 300mg trazodone daily, I can control it much more easily, but otherwise it can get to be very annoying and intrusive; for example, it can pretty much prevent me from trying to read.
After talking to a couple of shrinks about it, I've learned that this behavior is more common than you might think. They've explained that it's a way that some people use to basically comfort themselves. The psychiatrists insist that it's not a compulsion, although that's what it feels like to me when I'm not on trazodone.
I'm not sure that's the only med that helps this in other people; perhaps any AD that one gets a response to will work.
And by the way, pay no attention to the Regnad -- I'm speaking in Chinese...
Regnad
Posted by dj on July 31, 2000, at 7:54:17
In reply to Re: I Rock Too,,What's that about?, posted by Regnad on July 31, 2000, at 3:05:15
> I've rocked as long as I can remember, at least since I was little. Like you, I can control it when I make an effort, but most of the time if I let my concentration slip I automatically start >rocking again.I don't rock but found your posts interesting. It reminded me of Oliver Sacks (author of "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat", etc.) discussing folks with Tourettes disease, who had physical and verbal tics which they can control when focusing on them. In one of his books ("An Anthropologist on Mars", I think) he writes about a surgeon with Tourettes who can operate and fly a plane when focused though in the latter case he can be twitiching away in the cockpit but not the former.
Bill Gates is a noted rocker, which I think may be linked to Asperger's Syndrome which is a mild form of autism which we've discussed here a while back...
Sante!
dj
This is the end of the thread.
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