![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Katey on September 30, 2001, at 11:26:32
that effexor in either the regular form or the XR seems to be the new miracle drug that the gp's are pushing? it really makes you wonder just how intense the studies were before marketed. also....do you ever wish that the docs would actually try the meds they prescribe before they give them to us? i think it would make them so much more empathetic. but thats enough of my rambles for now.
Posted by Aquage on September 30, 2001, at 17:34:02
In reply to Has anyone noticed...., posted by Katey on September 30, 2001, at 11:26:32
Effexor is the only one that worked for me and worked quickly, so I was glad my dr. offered it to me.
Posted by Noa on October 4, 2001, at 15:28:29
In reply to Re: Has anyone noticed...., posted by Aquage on September 30, 2001, at 17:34:02
It wasn't "pushed" on me. I tried a number of other meds which either pooped out or didn't work or cause intolerable side effects for me, until my doctor recommended effexor, which worked.
Keep in mind that if it seems like a lot of people here are on certain meds, this is probably not the typical sample of people on medications. I would suspect (and of course I may be very wrong) that people who post here are more likely than the average patient to have had a rocky road in trying to find medications that work.
Posted by SLS on October 4, 2001, at 21:25:34
In reply to Re: Has anyone noticed...., posted by Noa on October 4, 2001, at 15:28:29
> It wasn't "pushed" on me. I tried a number of other meds which either pooped out or didn't work or cause intolerable side effects for me, until my doctor recommended effexor, which worked.
Dear Noa,I feel bad for not knowing that you switched to Effexor and have done so well with it. I am very, very happy that things are going right for you. I probably should have guessed as much, as I haven't seen your name appear very often lately.
Very cool.
- Scott
Posted by Katey on October 4, 2001, at 21:29:11
In reply to Re: Has anyone noticed.... » Noa, posted by SLS on October 4, 2001, at 21:25:34
effexor wasnt necessarily pushed on me...it was handed to me in sample form as zoloft was three years ago, when it seemed like a lot of people were on zoloft. i was simply curious to see if people saw marketing/drug trends...
Posted by SLS on October 4, 2001, at 21:34:01
In reply to Re: Has anyone noticed...., posted by Noa on October 4, 2001, at 15:28:29
Never mind. Now I remember.
I first remembered the Serzone, but not the Effexor. After reading one of your posts below, my memory decided to catch up with my mouth. Anyway, I'm glad things have remained well with you.
- Scott
Posted by SLS on October 4, 2001, at 21:54:14
In reply to Has anyone noticed...., posted by Katey on September 30, 2001, at 11:26:32
> that effexor in either the regular form or the XR seems to be the new miracle drug that the gp's are pushing? it really makes you wonder just how intense the studies were before marketed. also....do you ever wish that the docs would actually try the meds they prescribe before they give them to us? i think it would make them so much more empathetic. but thats enough of my rambles for now.
Hi Katey.
Effexor has unequivocally shown itself to be statistically superior to the SSRIs. A recent study of over 2000 subjects verified this. Of course, *any* of the antidepressants can be effective for any one individual, even trazodone. Not only does Effexor get more people well than any of the SSRIs, it also tends to get them better and keep them better for longer. Effexor doesn't poop-out nearly as often as the SSRIs. The only real gripe that people have with this drug is that it is often difficult to discontinue due to withdrawal effects. A similar case can be made for Paxil. Although perhaps not as difficult as these two, almost any antidepressant will produce a withdrawal reaction if discontinued too abruptly. So I guess it sort of comes down to this: Effexor might be somewhat more difficult to discontinue than most of the SSRIs, but it is less likely that one would have to for lack of success.
- Scott
Posted by Willow on October 5, 2001, at 8:51:32
In reply to Re: Has anyone noticed.... » Katey, posted by SLS on October 4, 2001, at 21:54:14
Last year when my mind became so static that I couldn't think, my doctor suggested trying an AD. I agreed so he listed a few different alternatives. I recalled effexor from my internet travels, it was different from everything else I had tried thus far, so I chose it. It hasn't been side-effect free completely for me, but it has helped so much more than the nuisance of the side-effects.
Now I wonder if the doctor has a similar patient to myself come into his office will he suggest effoxor?
Whistling Willow
Posted by Noa on October 5, 2001, at 15:30:55
In reply to Re: Has anyone noticed.... » Noa, posted by SLS on October 4, 2001, at 21:25:34
That's ok, Scott, I don't expect you to remember what meds I'm on. That would be a tall order, no?
Just fyi, I have been on the following for a while:
500 mg Serzone, at night
262.5 mg Effexor XR, in the morning
Adderall 10 mg in morning and midday and 5 mg late afternoon
12.5 mcg cytomel twice a day
50 mcg synthroid in the morningI also take Glucophage XR for insulin resistance and Alesse 28 for hormone regulation (both of which have peripheral affects on mood)
I have been doing well, and thanks. It has been improving steadily over the past 15 months since getting the hypothyroid situation under control. But I especialy have had a boost in the past few months since putting some very distressing personal loose ends behind me, and feeling freer to really move on.
The effexor is not side-effect free for me, either, but definitely fine for now. I reduced the dosage sometime last year and raised the Serzone (in consultation with my pdoc, of course) and that helps somewhat. I still do notice the sweaty head sometimes, occasional difficulty sleeping, and tightness in my facial muscles. The last is the most bothersome, but liveable. If something better comes along, I would consider trying it out, but for now, I feel pretty darn good on this cocktail.
Posted by SLS on October 6, 2001, at 18:20:03
In reply to Re: Effexor cocktail » SLS, posted by Noa on October 5, 2001, at 15:30:55
> That's ok, Scott, I don't expect you to remember what meds I'm on. That would be a tall order, no?
>
> Just fyi, I have been on the following for a while:
>
> 500 mg Serzone, at night
> 262.5 mg Effexor XR, in the morning
> Adderall 10 mg in morning and midday and 5 mg late afternoon
> 12.5 mcg cytomel twice a day
> 50 mcg synthroid in the morning
>
> I also take Glucophage XR for insulin resistance and Alesse 28 for hormone regulation (both of which have peripheral affects on mood)
I’m so glad that I am forgiven. Now I’ll be able to sleep nights. :-)I sometimes get the impression that T4 is underutilized when treating affective disorders. I am curious as to why T4 was added and how you feel it has helped with depression or changed your overall thyroid balance. What criteria, clinical or measurment, determine when either T4 or T3 or both are to be used? How regularly will you be having your thyroid levels checked?
Thanks.
Just so that you know – It looks like Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Prozac, will be coming out soon with an Effexor-like drug called duloxetine. I don’t know how it compares to Effexor with respect to side effects. I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We’ll see.
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.