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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bassman on May 7, 2006, at 20:32:37
I was taking Wellbutrin for panic/depression and decided to try and add Prozac at a low dose after reading a post on this board. I tried 5 mg and thought I felt somewhat different-but 10 mg is definately different! The daily periods of depression and fear have all but gone. So maybe low-does AD's do work...I wonder how long? :>}
Posted by willyee on May 7, 2006, at 23:02:02
In reply to low dose prozac-works!, posted by bassman on May 7, 2006, at 20:32:37
> I was taking Wellbutrin for panic/depression and decided to try and add Prozac at a low dose after reading a post on this board. I tried 5 mg and thought I felt somewhat different-but 10 mg is definately different! The daily periods of depression and fear have all but gone. So maybe low-does AD's do work...I wonder how long? :>}
I have a book on Natural methods of healing depression,pretty old as i nagigated that route pretty deep to end up with nothing but green pea and empty pockets.
Anywayyyyy in the book it mentions there were times they believed medication could be of benifit,and they spoke of how they in a lot of cases when choose to use Prozac would have the capsules opened and a dose of 5MG used,this according to the book worked really well on a lot of cases,and if more was needed rather than rasing the prozac dose the amino acid L Tryptohan was added instead,kinda makes me wish when i was on ssris i thought of it.Keep us posted!
Posted by Phillipa on May 7, 2006, at 23:07:54
In reply to Re: low dose prozac-works!, posted by willyee on May 7, 2006, at 23:02:02
Hey that's great I was thinking of asking for that at my next pdoc appointment thanks. Love Phillipa
Posted by ed_uk on May 8, 2006, at 12:59:24
In reply to low dose prozac-works!, posted by bassman on May 7, 2006, at 20:32:37
One of the initial clinical trials for fluoxetine used 5mg/day. It worked!
Ed
Posted by blueberry on May 8, 2006, at 17:59:42
In reply to low dose prozac-works!, posted by bassman on May 7, 2006, at 20:32:37
It's just my own experience and mileage does vary...
I think 5mg to 10mg prozac is better than higher doses. It feels different than other ssri's at a low dose. When the dose is raised it starts to get the blahness and flatness similar to other ssri's.
If 5mg or 10mg doesn't do the job, I think someone is better off augmenting with something else rather than raising the dose.
But of course, there are people that love their 40mg or 60mg or 80mg. It's just that whenever someone comes to pbabble with comments of being flat or motivationless on prozac, they are usually on high doses.
I did feel best on 20mg for a while. It took time, but eventually I realized I was flat. Wished I would have stayed at 10mg and augmented with something else.
Posted by bassman on May 8, 2006, at 18:12:39
In reply to Re: low dose prozac-works!, posted by blueberry on May 8, 2006, at 17:59:42
That's interesting, blueberry-augment with what would you suggest?
Posted by minimal on May 8, 2006, at 19:48:04
In reply to Re: low dose prozac-works!, posted by blueberry on May 8, 2006, at 17:59:42
I agree totally with Blueberry, etc. I have had fantastic results at 10 and 15 mgs of Prozac a day.
20 mgs is just too much: I felt as if I was drowning in serotonin. I had all of the talked about side-effects: weight gain, severe fatigue, sexual side effects, on and on...
5 mgs was too low for me however. I had a complete return of depressive symptoms at 5 mgs (but it could be because I was taking 10mgs every other day, I don't know).
Posted by Phillipa on May 8, 2006, at 22:05:04
In reply to Re: low dose prozac-works!, posted by willyee on May 7, 2006, at 23:02:02
I know I'm wierd but 20mg made me jump out of my skin with panic. I was never tired or apathetic. Love phillipa
Posted by cecilia on May 9, 2006, at 19:05:25
In reply to Re: low dose prozac-works!, posted by Phillipa on May 8, 2006, at 22:05:04
You're not weird, at least not any weirder than the rest of us, Prozac also made me feel very anxious and increased my already bad insomnia. I tried it when it 1st came out and was only available in 20 mg capsules; I've read that the manufacturer knew that almost as many people responded to 5 mg as 20 mg but chose to only release it in 20 mg doses because they thought doctors (especially primary care doctors) would prescribe it more often if they didn't have to make decisions on choosing and increasing doses. If Emsam doesn't work, I may consider trying Prozac again, starting at a very low dose, though who knows what it would do after 16 years and countless meds since. I sometimes wonder if every med you try changes your brain in some way, that's the only explanation I can think of as to why some meds I've tried that had few side effects the 1st time I tried them had much worse ones on retrial. Cecilia
Posted by Phillipa on May 9, 2006, at 19:12:44
In reply to Re: low dose prozac-works!, posted by Phillipa on May 8, 2006, at 22:05:04
Cecelia I've had the same thought. Since my first trial that I stuck to with l0mg of paxil and it worked with low dose xanax nothing has worked since. I stopped the paxil after two years . I didn't need an AD anymore. Now since the hypothyroidism I do and it seems as if a lot of people with low thyroid I used to check the lab values when I worked. The majority were women and they were all depressed. I wonder if the meds as ever wierder than this sounds could somehow cause changes in someone's Thyroid? Love Phillipa
Posted by Pfinstegg on May 9, 2006, at 22:40:49
In reply to Re: Prozac:Phillipa, posted by cecilia on May 9, 2006, at 19:05:25
I read recently that HPA axis dysregulation- the "stress cascade", may also cause hypothyroidism. I always thought it was the other way around- that a person became hypothyroid, and could have some depression as a result. Getting my TSH down low- with Cytomel, not Synthroid- has really helped me. More and more psychiatrists are becoming familiar with that, I think.
Posted by Phillipa on May 9, 2006, at 22:44:18
In reply to Re: low dose prozac-works! » Phillipa, posted by Phillipa on May 9, 2006, at 19:12:44
Maybe the bad pdoc wasn't so bad. He said he liked cytomel better than sythroid when the internist put me on it. Love Phillipa now what?
Posted by Larry Hoover on May 10, 2006, at 9:41:27
In reply to Re: Prozac:Phillipa, posted by Pfinstegg on May 9, 2006, at 22:40:49
> I read recently that HPA axis dysregulation- the "stress cascade", may also cause hypothyroidism. I always thought it was the other way around- that a person became hypothyroid, and could have some depression as a result. Getting my TSH down low- with Cytomel, not Synthroid- has really helped me. More and more psychiatrists are becoming familiar with that, I think.
I'm glad to hear this is becoming more common. People can become insulin-resistant. Why is it so hard to postulate thyroid resistance? Normal TSH, with weak response. Some people just do better with some T3 handed to them. So what if it messes with the TSH score, IMHO. It is the subjective response that matters.
Lar
This is the end of the thread.
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