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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Babak on October 23, 2002, at 11:30:12
October is the anniversary of my depression. This year it will be the 14th year.
I have noticed something, which I think, is very strange and I am as certain as I can be that it is not just psychological. I have noticed that I get a short remission every time I come off medication before all horrific symptoms rush back in.
This is particularly true with Venlafaxine. I hate this drug but it is the only one, which helps with my irritability. I must have come off it at least a dozen times, twice in the last seven months. This is when I noticed it; Two or three days after coming off I start feeling "alive" for four or five days and then the symptoms; irritability, insomnia, anger and the rest start all over again. This is when I am either in transit waiting to go on yet another medication or I have to go back on Venlafaxine.
Why is this and shouldn't there, somewhere, in there be a clue to a "solution" to this wretched depression?
Posted by Tabßitha on October 23, 2002, at 14:15:22
In reply to 14th anniversary of my depression, posted by Babak on October 23, 2002, at 11:30:12
Here's my theory: you feel better after coming off the meds because the side effects stop. There's a delay before the symptoms come back, so for a little while, you've got no side effects and no symptoms. Blissful isn't it?
Posted by Babak on October 23, 2002, at 15:31:46
In reply to Re: 14th anniversary of my depression, posted by Tabßitha on October 23, 2002, at 14:15:22
May be. I assume you experience the same thing?!
Posted by Tabßitha on October 24, 2002, at 3:00:22
In reply to Re: 14th anniversary of my depression, posted by Babak on October 23, 2002, at 15:31:46
> May be. I assume you experience the same thing?!
>Similar. I tried going off ADs 4 or 5 times, when I was diagnosed unipolar (now it's bipolar), and each time I felt good for a month or 2, then gradual steady decline all the way back to the bottom of the black hole.
Posted by Roman on October 24, 2002, at 21:35:06
In reply to 14th anniversary of my depression, posted by Babak on October 23, 2002, at 11:30:12
I had a similar experience when I quit Paxil, and I didn't take it for that long. Apparently, in folks who are lucky in that their depression goes into remission (and stays there), the drug has permitted the neurotransmitter balancing act to occur naturally once again.
Anyway, my thought was: perhaps we need to give our brains more time to get back into shape. Like a really, really slow taper off the meds. When I was a kid, my Dad raised the training wheels on my bike just a touch each time.
Hmmmm...
Posted by MarkCSF on October 24, 2002, at 23:38:24
In reply to Bouncing back... » Babak, posted by Roman on October 24, 2002, at 21:35:06
Roman: Yeah, I had the EXACT same experience with Paxil. I wasn't on it for very long (5 weeks tops?), but I quit pretty abruptly and felt great for 2 to 3 weeks. My theory at the time was that all the serotonin build up had messed with my dopamine system and when I quit the Paxil, the dopamine was attempting to regulate itself back to its "normal", meaning the depressed, state and somehow came upon the REAL normal balance in the meantime there somewhere.. hmmm, but anyones guess is as good as mine..
Posted by Roman on October 25, 2002, at 22:36:36
In reply to Re: Bouncing back..., posted by MarkCSF on October 24, 2002, at 23:38:24
This is the end of the thread.
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