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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Winfield on September 9, 2000, at 15:36:39
Hello all,
I am writng this to counter what most of the posts have said
about serzone. For the most part I have only read
negative reports and experiences pertaing to this medication
Having been on it for about a month and a half, I have
been happy for the most part with how it is working out
for me. I am taking 500 mg per day, (morning and night)
and it has been working fine. In the beginning it was
rough simply due to the side effects which included
nausea, lack of appetite and visual distrubancs. The only
part that really bothered me were the stomache problems.
But, after a couple of weeks to a month most of the symptoms
disapeared. There still is however a more groggy feel
to my day, but that was how I was before the meds anyway!
So once again I only wanted to give an honest report
on my experiences with serzone, and also to try to
counteract all of the negative and scary things that
people have written about it.
Thank you, and I hope to get some response?
Scott
Posted by stjames on September 9, 2000, at 16:38:18
In reply to SERZONE: It does work, posted by Winfield on September 9, 2000, at 15:36:39
James here....
I think I know how you feel. I take Effexor and don't have the horrible problems many on this list have. Do remember that this list is were many come to when they have problems with meds
so reading it can give a biased view. It is safe
to say with any psyco med some people are going
to have significant side effects. It is good to hear from those who do not; reminding us how effective these meds can be.james
Posted by Donna Lynn on September 9, 2000, at 18:05:20
In reply to SERZONE: It does work, posted by Winfield on September 9, 2000, at 15:36:39
> Hello all,
> I am writng this to counter what most of the posts have said
> about serzone. For the most part I have only read
> negative reports and experiences pertaing to this medication
> Having been on it for about a month and a half, I have
> been happy for the most part with how it is working out
> for me. I am taking 500 mg per day, (morning and night)
> and it has been working fine. In the beginning it was
> rough simply due to the side effects which included
> nausea, lack of appetite and visual distrubancs. The only
> part that really bothered me were the stomache problems.
> But, after a couple of weeks to a month most of the symptoms
> disapeared. There still is however a more groggy feel
> to my day, but that was how I was before the meds anyway!
> So once again I only wanted to give an honest report
> on my experiences with serzone, and also to try to
> counteract all of the negative and scary things that
> people have written about it.
> Thank you, and I hope to get some response?
> ScottScott, I've only been on the Serzone for a few days, and I think I'm going to stick with it. After all, I really didn't give it a chance, did I? I haven't had any side effects except maybe a little teeth grinding, and I've been able to double my dose in two days. I'm taking a whopping 100mg!!!!!WOW! But working my way up. I'm glad you wrote that it helps, I need to hear that so that I stick with it and give it a chance. D.
Posted by Cindy W on September 11, 2000, at 9:08:35
In reply to SERZONE: It does work, posted by Winfield on September 9, 2000, at 15:36:39
> Hello all,
> I am writng this to counter what most of the posts have said
> about serzone. For the most part I have only read
> negative reports and experiences pertaing to this medication
> Having been on it for about a month and a half, I have
> been happy for the most part with how it is working out
> for me. I am taking 500 mg per day, (morning and night)
> and it has been working fine. In the beginning it was
> rough simply due to the side effects which included
> nausea, lack of appetite and visual distrubancs. The only
> part that really bothered me were the stomache problems.
> But, after a couple of weeks to a month most of the symptoms
> disapeared. There still is however a more groggy feel
> to my day, but that was how I was before the meds anyway!
> So once again I only wanted to give an honest report
> on my experiences with serzone, and also to try to
> counteract all of the negative and scary things that
> people have written about it.
> Thank you, and I hope to get some response?
> ScottScott, I agree with James...it's nice to have positive posts when something works. Serzone worked for me also, for depression and sociail anxiety (450 mg/day) but unfortunately not for OCD. --Cindy W
Posted by noa on September 14, 2000, at 15:59:00
In reply to Re: SERZONE: It does work, posted by Cindy W on September 11, 2000, at 9:08:35
I have posted several times to say that serzone is helping me, in combo with effexor. ONly thing is the initial adjustment was a doozy.
Posted by Winfield on September 18, 2000, at 11:14:17
In reply to Re: SERZONE: It does work, posted by noa on September 14, 2000, at 15:59:00
> I have posted several times to say that serzone is helping me, in combo with effexor. ONly thing is the initial adjustment was a doozy.
YOu use both drugs? HOw does that work out for you
?
Posted by JasonL on September 18, 2000, at 15:00:33
In reply to Re: SERZONE: It does work, posted by Winfield on September 18, 2000, at 11:14:17
> > I have posted several times to say that serzone is helping me, in combo with effexor. ONly thing is the initial adjustment was a doozy.
>
> YOu use both drugs? HOw does that work out for you
> ?Win,
How would you have characterized your depression in terms of severity and symptoms. Currently, I take Serzone and Welbutrin along with Ritalin?
JasonL
Posted by noa on September 24, 2000, at 14:39:35
In reply to Re: SERZONE: It does work, posted by JasonL on September 18, 2000, at 15:00:33
> > YOu use both drugs? HOw does that work out for you
> > ?Sorry I haven't responded to this question. I was unable to access this site for about a week. Don't know why.
Yes, I take 300 mg. effexor xr, and 300 mg serzone. The effexor, I take in the morning, and the serzone in the evening. I also take synthroid and cytomel for hypothyroid and hypothyroid-related depression. And ritalin.
This recipe was finally arrived at in the spring, and thank goodness. It is a good one for me. The effexor is a good basic antidepressent for me, but it caused me to feel restless, agitated, nervous, twitchy, and unable to sleep, especially when taken at higher doses. So, for a while, I was taking trazodone at night to be able to sleep, but the trazodone's effect got weaker and weaker. The doc recommended trying serzone, which turned out to be less intensely sedating than the trazodone, like a longer-acting, smoother sedation. If I took it at night, as I had with the trazodone, I couldn't fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning, and then couldn't get up in the am. But, I discovered that if I take it at 6 pm-ish, it works well.
I think others can explain better how the serzone and effexor target different serotonin receptors. Apparently, the effexor acts on the serotonin system, as well as norepinephrine, but the serotonin effect was too strong for me. The serzone somehow deactivates the unwanted serotonin effects, like restlessness, twitchy movements, and insomnia.
This is how it works for me. Others find that effexor makes them sleepy and in those cases, I don't know if adding serzone would be beneficial or not.
But this combo is the best I have found, after years of searching. Figuring out the hypothyroid peice was a major major major factor in my depression finally starting to let up, but I also feel that the serzone/effexor combo is important, too.
This is the end of the thread.
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