Hi all,
Have been taking a tricyclic antidepressant for the past 4 weeks - Dothep, gradually upping the dosage to what the neuro tells me. Apart from the fact that they’re supposed to work as migraine preventatives, on the antidepressant side of things, I was wondering what are you supposed to be feeling if they’re effective. I just imagined that I’d be feeling this kinda ‘chilling-out’ sensation. I don’t think I really feel anything just yet, or what to expect if they are working??
Any thoughts or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
I guess it depends on whether you actually need Dothep as an antidepressant. they all work a little differently and even when people take them for depression they often have to go through a few before hitting on the right one. I was lucky - Zoloft brought me out of a deep panic/depression. Calmed me and brought me back to the land of the living with a very small dose.
One sister also did very well with Zoloft - took her out of panic/depression after a battle with colon cancer.
Another sister has tried Lexapro for panic, which is tops among the panic community - no dice.
My husband got so crazed last year when I was sick he tried Lexapro - no dice.
I have a friend who is on the dreaded Effexor for hot flashes. She said in the beginning she felt this mellow feeling, but she’s either gotten used to it and doesn’t comment on it anymore, or it was just something happening on titration (i thing the latter, she doesn’t seem mellow to me:)
See what I mean? If you want an antidepression and Dothep isn’t working, it may not be the one for you.
That’s one of the reasons (only one of them) I decided to go with Topamax next instead of trying Effexor. I would have had to come off my Zoloft, which worked so well for my depression. And maybe I wouldn’t need it anymore since the depression came on with the MAV, but it was SO BAD, i’m not taking any chances. And as far as “well you could always re-start it” Anecdotally, i could tell you many stories, and it is well known among people who have to take these drugs to function, that re-starts don’t always work.
Thanks Julie,
I think initially I felt that ‘mellow’ feeling on a smaller dose, my neuro started me on 25mg increasing to 75mg which is where I am at present (he said max for me would be 100mg, so I’m not sure whether to further increase or just wait and see). I can say that I’ve had some rather bizzare dreams lately and I attribute those to the Dothep, I imagine that should settle in time.
Thanks for the insight into the effects of other anti-depressants. All I can remember some years ago my mum developed chemical depression and was like a tiger to cope with, eventually the family sought medical assistance for her and she was prescribed Prozac. Within no time she went from tiger to pussy cat, she coped so much better with life. I just imagined I’d become a pussy cat (lol), but it hasn’t happened yet. Perhaps just a bit more time will tell me more, they say it takes 4-6 weeks before results may be felt. Here’s hoping! It’s starting to wear thin the idea of hopping from one med to another!
the thought of having to get off a med in order to get onto another would be a drag. I feel lucky that I’ve been able to just add one to the next and so on.
