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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by 1980Monroe on July 18, 2004, at 18:48:56
Compared to all the other Classes, statistically what are there ratings?
This also includes your opionions too......
Alrignt well i hope some one knows some, thanks
Matt
Posted by Racer on July 18, 2004, at 21:17:37
In reply to Are SSRI's really the best?, posted by 1980Monroe on July 18, 2004, at 18:48:56
First of all, what do you mean by "best"? If you mean are they the most effective against depression, probably not. What they are is the *safest* class of anti-depressant, with the lowest incidence of serious side effects. That's why they're the first line drugs for depression for most doctors.
Someone here will have more up to date and specific information, but the sense that I've gotten from looking at studies is that most of the different classes are pretty comparable in terms of effectiveness, with a fair number of people saying that MAOIs are the closest to a miracle drug out there. The problem is that MAOIs and TCAs can be lethal in overdose, have some pretty significant side effects, and can be disruptive for patients, leading to compliance issues. MAOIs in particular involve a pretty major commitment on the part of patients in terms of dietary restrictions, and failure to comply can be quite dangerous.
When you're asking about issues like "best", "strongest", "mildest", etc, in terms of antidepressants, there's no easy, set answer. This is a great illustration of Wittgenstein's "Word Games" -- it depends on the boundaries you set for the meaning. If you mean "best" as in working the best for the largest number of people, it might be SSRIs, for instance, because they are prescribed for larger numbers of people overall. If you mean which works best for the highest percentage of people taking them, it might be MAOIs simply because they've been on the market the longest. The more specific the questions you ask, the more informative the answers you will get.
Cheers
Posted by 1980Monroe on July 18, 2004, at 21:31:44
In reply to Re: Are SSRI's really the best?, posted by Racer on July 18, 2004, at 21:17:37
You gave a good moderate post thanks, and anyways, i ment to say in treating depression. MAOI's yea i know i've heard are effective in it, but it would take about a year litterly to get a doc to prescribe it to you without trying everyting else.
Well with taht getting off the subject..
Thanks for your info, i guess the TCA's are "modest" in between. I heard Nardil is effective, in posts. Same to Parnate.
Thanks Racer
Matt
Posted by cpallen79 on July 19, 2004, at 17:55:46
In reply to Re: Are SSRI's really the best?, posted by 1980Monroe on July 18, 2004, at 21:31:44
I really like what racer said, he's very right. I also posted an earlier comment on this issue in another thread. It's really hard to say which is the best one because so many people have really varied results (depending upon their chemistry)... I have to laugh because I had one woman preaching at me as to how "evil" Paxil is today.. and I LOVED that med. I on the other hand, have to keep myself preaching about the "evils" of Effexor because I had harsh withdrawals from it... then again that's my chemistry and I'm at least trying to keep my mouth shut about it because Effexor is an absolute life saver for many people (though admittedly it's very hard at times!) I have a hard time with this . Basically, some people cannot tolerate SSRIS (as the menagerie of anti-ssri websites demonstrate), whereas some people do well and can take them and withdraw from them, free of hassle. For example, I take trazodone to sleep (which seems to really help a bit), Lexapro for OCD/GAD/Depression (which is NOT working well for me... LUVOX is what I'm going to try next) and Adderall for ADHD (works but I absolutely hate the mood swings everyday during valleys and the comedown that it causes ME)
Here's what I think you should do Matt, talk with your doctor or psychiatrist on these issues and pursue an aggressive attack on whatver ails you. Be leery of what people say about one SSRI being more effective than another... it's an opinion based on a personal experience, and not tailored to your chemistry. ok, enough of my rambling.
Cheers
> You gave a good moderate post thanks, and anyways, i ment to say in treating depression. MAOI's yea i know i've heard are effective in it, but it would take about a year litterly to get a doc to prescribe it to you without trying everyting else.
>
> Well with taht getting off the subject..
>
> Thanks for your info, i guess the TCA's are "modest" in between. I heard Nardil is effective, in posts. Same to Parnate.
>
> Thanks Racer
>
> Matt
>
This is the end of the thread.
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