do you think antidepressants really work? i mean, theres no evidence that they perform any better than a placebo. they certainly didnt work for me.

I think it depends on your situation and which antidepressant you take.

A few years ago I was nervous about my first overseas flight (hate flying), and my father was dying of cancer. My doctor prescribed Zoloft and told me it would take about 2 weeks before it started working. It definitely worked. I took a high dose, and got to where nothing much at all bothered me. I took it for a year, and then stopped taking it when all the bad things in my life went away. It really did help me get through some rough times.

Everybody's different. I know people who don't do well on Zoloft, but it was a lifesaver for me.

dont you think though that it will only work if you believe that its going to work? like when i first started to take antidepressants i though, hmm maybe i feel a bit better, then i started to read the drug trials and realised theres no evidence that they work. after that i never felt that any antidepressant made even the remotest bit of difference to the way i feel. just horrible side effects. also, maybe they are just a way for the big drug companies to make an absolute fortune. take this drug, take that drug, just keep trying them until you get one that works. they must shift tons of those drugs.

I do believe they work - at least to some degree. The first one I took was prozac. The initial dose was too high and I was very agitated and anxious. When I decided to try it again, I went to a Psyciatric Nurse Practitioner. She had me titrate very slowly up to a therapeutic dose. It took about 8 weeks before I felt better but I actually felt worse starting about week six (extreme fatigue). Then one day, I realized that I was feeling great. Unfortunately, it only worked for about a year (and I gained a fair amount of weight).

I will second that....

the right drug WILL work on the right person. no single drug is effective for the entire population due to the various differences in genitics and brain chemistry that changes in each person throughout their lives. prozac may work for someone when they are 30 but not later when they are 50 because their brain chemistry has changed with the aging process. that is why there are dozens of drugs for the MD to choose from. they all try to be broad spectrum so they can work for everyone, but thats just impossible since everyone is so chemically different. the right drug will work if fitted to the right patient.

i find it funny the drug companies will say our med worked x times better than a sugar pill, some triumph for medical science.

studies claim antidepressants are effective on about 40 percent of the pple, some doubt its that high. some pple do find relief at least to some degree, some search for yrs for the right combination. the docs make assumptions, like everyone that walks through their doors that suffers from depression has a chemical imbalance, when really they have no idea of that for certain. the shrinks ive had werent interested in helping me find the right med or combo, but were just in a hurry to hear the story and write a script.

everyone is different, some pple have not found relief from any antidepressant. im one of them. as far as what the docs do in prescribing a certain med, they might as well go into their office, shut the door and throw a dart at a board with all the meds listed. the doc has no idea whether it will be effective on the patient, its all a [censored] shoot, an expensive one. and at the end of the day most of these meds leave ya more tired with no energy and still the beast of depression remains.

They do all work, but not necessarily for you. It is a trial and error thing and kind of frustrating because it takes a long time to gauge it. My first experience with an antidepressant was with my dog. This was back when Prozac was the only one available and they weren't even using it on dogs. After a false pregnancy my pooch turned into a demon dog. She would be fine one minute cuddling with her sister and then bam - suddenly she would attack my other dog usually while she was sleeping. It was vicious and often the bites would draw blood. It was bad. I tried training, school, separating, keeping her on a leash always and a few trips to my vet. She was very involved with her alma mater Cornell Vet School that was studying the effects so we decided to give it a try. It was very expensive ($150 a bottle) and when I saw no effect at 5 weeks I figured I wouldn't renew the script when I ran out. Suddenly 2 days after I was ready to give up it kicked in and worked. She turned back into my loving playful sweet girl. She wouldn't know to believe it was going to work or not so it couldn't be mind over matter.

A few years later I tried Zoloft. It made me sooo btchy that my family begged me to stop which I did.

Then a couple years later I heard people on Wellbutrin were having a side effect of losing weight so I asked my Dr to give it a shot. She said it's not for weight loss but would have no objection with me taking it. I don't remember consciously realizing if it was working or not but when I lost my health insurance I just couldn't afford it so I weaned off. I began to reevaluate my life recently and realized I functioned at such a higher level when I was on it - so I just started it again. I know it takes weeks to know but it does give me a little more energy and certainly am even on it so I am looking forward to getting back to that high functioning place again.

I think men have more negative issues than women do with antidepressants. It can effect them sexually so most men I know would rather be in a dark depression with an erection than emotionally even without! Guys I know have done more trial and error than I have had to.

Did you lose weight?

I did! Actually about 45 pounds but don't know if I can credit the wellbutrin. I think it was a hormonal change because my hair texture really changed, actually got thicker and pin straight. Both are great changes and am in my 40s so I am attributing it more to perimenopause. God's giving me a years before I dry out and shrivel up for menopause.

they work at least to some degree, on some pple. certainly not everyone finds comfort and relief from antidepressants. thats why the estimates of their success remains at 40 percent. if they really worked so well the overall success rate of antidepressants would be much higher. many pple still have a terrible struggle, though on antidepressants.

of course men would opt for not taking a med that will create yet another problem for them to deal with. but if i had to choose, id prefer to not be depressed than "be in a dark depression with an erection than emotionally even without".

Hell yeah they work. They saved my life and let me live my life as the person I really am. Depression was a horrible monster that kept me locked up in a cage.

No.Some people BELIEVE they do though.So if their BELIEF makes them feel better,then I suppose anti-depressants SEEM to work for some people.

Of course some types* of aniti-s work, for some problems.
(Mine was prescribed for pain along with depression associated with chronic pain)

Question is, are you willing to be a guinea pig for a few years until they find the right *family, *type *dosage for YOU?

That was my deal,.. about 4 years of trial /error. I stopped and and dealing with other* alternatives.
I like it better this way, I KNOW whats going into my body and brain. Heck, 2 - 3 times a week at the gym therapy pool
does a lot more than any of the aniti-s ever did,
but, thats just my story.

couldn't have said it better myself. That is just what happened in my case...I told my doctor he could try all those freaking pills until he got it right and to let me know how he felt. I just got tired of being his GUINEA PIG. They don't have a clue either, they just read what has had the best feedback and assume it will work for everyone. Then have you ever noticed when a new med comes out, they jam it down your throat? I wonder what kind of kickbacks these doctors get?

I heard recently they just outlawed those kickbacks. Done are the pens, books, clipboards and checks to Docs - but I don't believe it. The Pharmaceutical companies will find other ways to reward the Docs - they always do and truthfully while some Docs are making millions I think the vast majority are living a middle to upper middle class salary which ridiculous hours, insane malpractice insurance and student loans most of us couldn't imagine. If my Doc can get a perk here or there I hope she takes advantage of it. She deserves it.

Paroxetine is very popular in europe. But for beginners I recommend Fluoxetine (prozac) because it is the weakest of all the SSRI's, and it have also the longest half-life time. Now i'm looking for a good shop where I can find medication like Paroxetine (paxil), and Fluoxetine(prozac).

I haven't found one yet that works, but I've found a site that offers some hope, for those of us that are struggling to pay for treatment that works.

http://www.clinicalconnection.com/searchstudies.aspx

I posted a thread in the 'Other meds and medical conditions' forum, if you want a little more info. Since I'm using them to find help with my depression I thought I'd post it over here, as well. Desipramine, Nortriptyline, Amitiptylene, Trazodone, Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, Cymbalta, EffexorXR, Pristiq, Symbyax, Seroquel, Gabapentin, Ativan, and Klonopin have all failed me so far. It's discouraging but I'm still hanging in there.

thanks pillar. yes its very discouraging.

code21, glad they helped you, as i said they help some pple.

silo, most established docs dont have the burden of medical school on their heads. some that agree to work in left overshoe, wy, or someplace similar, get at least part of their school paid for by signing on for a cetain time, plus a decent salary.

perks? to be dished out meds because it benefits the docs pocket, and not because it is the best med for the patient... is wrong. pens fine, give em pens. there are no poor doctors. ive never known a doc that was making middle class wages. lets all have a pity party for these poor overworked healers.

there are a few that truly have a compassionate bone in their bodies, let alone doing good in the world. doctors without borders, is the exception.

i was a healthcare administrator, i know alot about docs.

Hi everyone.. just noticed this topic and would like to help by saying i was on sarafem (form of prozac) for my pmdd ,, (womans intense pms problem with mood swings, depression, pain, etc),, it really did help me but made me a little loopy ,,, I would stare at the sky and get all---wow look at the pretty clouds,look at the pretty trees--- look at the pretty man peeing on the corner of 14th street on the wall...lol ,,, i cut the dose and felt alot less spaced out ,,, i had stoped using the prozac about a 2yrs ago as i was afraid to mix pain meds and them together but have been needing to go back on them .. they did help me but i personally dont want to rely on them .. take care everyone sincerely Faith

I feel they do help. But sometimes a patient may not respond to the first antidepressant prescribed. It is very important to find the right one for you, and not to give up if the first one tried did not produce results. Also it's very important to communicate with your physician if you feel they are not working. Not all antidepressants produce the same effects in all patients.

I have been on 4 different antidepressants in the past and they did not work. My doctor was giving to me for my back pain and to help me sleep. They were very hard to stop taking though, but I got off them. The last was effexor--brain zaps and strange feelings when I turned my head-- but tapered off them and those feelings went away.

if you have had to go through the frustration of new meds time and time again without positive results, waiting for the benefits and trying to cope with the side effects, you might take a more cynical view of antidepressants, as i do. many pple do struggle literally yrs trying to find the best combination, and go through several doctors as well. some do hit a combo that works, many others never do, and struggle with finding some relief before its to late.

ive yet to find a doc that really was concerned or cared for that fact. to them, its like...well lets try this one next. big deal they arent coping with major depression symptoms.

as i said, they help some pple and many others are left meds that provide them little or no relief. i hope in the future there will be some alternatives to the antidepressants we have available now.

quoting g.w. bush...now that made me laugh.

"I'm telling you there's an enemy that would like to attack America, Americans, again. There just is. That's the reality of the world. And I wish him all the very best." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009

Toddz, I understand how frustrated you must feel and I am so sorry medication wasn't effective on your depression. You know sometimes I feel a Psychiatrist, may have a better understanding and be more sensitive to patients experiencing mental or emotional problems. Thats just me not all people feel this way. Sometimes support groups can help also.

Well, I am glad my Bush quote didn't make you more depressed , then I would have felt really bad.

I hope someday you are free of your depression, I do understand how debilitating it can be , as I have experienced depression as well. If you are ever really down and need someone to talk to I am here.

I think the problem is alot of times the shrinks overmedicate and zone out people so they become numb. I know someone right now on a combo of 5 and she is just a shell of the person I used to know. I think an outside objective perspective is really important to help determine if the med is working.

I know when I was on antidepressants before I would say they did nothing for me. After about 18 months I weaned off them and a year later re-evaluated my life...when were things better - when was I more successful, less pain, less stress and I realized the previous year was a lot better - and I just functioned better. I don't really know for certain if it was just circumstance or the med but I decided to go back on it to see. I know it takes a long time to see a change but once the first weeks are over I have no negative side effects so why not. My Dr said people never think antidepressants are working until they are off them for awhile. You may think they are a waste of time but it takes awhile to see result. If the side effects continue after a few weeks - yes, a change is needed but otherwise you wont be able to tell much for a few months in my experience.

Well, there are good ones and bad ones Sio. If your friend is experiencing a dramatic change as you have described and I was a family member I would be very concerned. And be confronting him( with the patients permission of course) or searching for a different physcian.

MAOI's are another anti-depressant you will probably never hear about. Most modern doctors do not even know what they are.

They were some of the first anti-depressants ever created and to this day still remain the most powerful. When SSRI's like Prozac came out, MAOI's became forgotten about in medical literature. This was mainly due to MAOI's having a lot of dietary restrictions and adverse side effects where as Prozac had very few side effects in comparison.

SSRI's are completely bunk. They do not work, they are just a sugar pill that makes your thing malfunction.

There are two effective MAOI's in existence:

1. Nardil
2. Parnate

Nardil is the most effective and even has the added benefit of generating gaba within your brain. Gaba is what controls or inhibits anxiety. So not only is Nardil prescribed as an anti-depressant, but also a Social Anxiety drug as well.

Parnate on one hand acts very differently, it converts to amphetamine within your body and raises dopamine to very high levels. Doctors always have to prescribe a sleep-aid like ambien alongside it because it will have you wired all day long.



The best prescription for combating depression is 75-90mg of Nardil daily + 1 or 2mg of Klonopin daily.


-Peace

They are very effective but I'd leave out the clonazepam, as it can worsen depression.

Nephro, the anti-depressant effects of Nardil are so strong that they negate or prevent Clonazepam from making you feel depressed.

Speaking of MOA Inhibitors, here's an article I found that backs your assertion appleorange http://www.mdpsych.org/SP99_dGoodman.htm

It's a bit dated, but not so dated that I won't bring it to my Dr.'s attention, this Wed.