Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs • Hacker News Board

Re: Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs

#111

Post by PhasmaFelis » Fri, Feb 23, 2018, 5:48 AM UTC

joncrane wrote: post #71

tyu100 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This study, along with long-accepted clinical practice and the generic cheapness of most anti-depressants now, and the effectiveness of CBT/therapy if it's available to you, means you should really avoid self-medicating for major depression. Why take risks with your health when there are lots of safe, cheap and efficacious treatments that can be monitored by your doctor?

One issue worth mentioning is that psychiatrists are one of the hardest specialists to find that participate in health insurance. This is only anecdotal in my area, but many that take insurance have multiple month waiting periods for new patients. Or you can pay $200 to see one on your dime. It's not the cost of the medication that's the problem. It's access to the professional to prescribe the medication that drives…

Ditto. Also, at least for state-provided health insurance, there seem to be quite a few that accept it but aren't on the state's registry for some reason, so it's worth calling and asking.

Re: Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs

#112

Post by icantdrive55 » Sat, Feb 24, 2018, 8:45 PM UTC

smt88 wrote: post #11

This is consistent with my understanding, but: - how serious are the side effects? - how well would harmless placebo pills work in their place? I currently believe that there needs to be a safe, placebo-like option for people without severe illnesses. For those who are severe (and can tolerate side effects as serious as suicidality), it still seems to be a good idea to prescribe them.

Supposedly, in Japan it's common to prescribe placebo pills to patients.

In the United States, it's illegial.

My hope is that they would start teaching kids about The Placebo Effect in grade school. I didn't know about it until college.

Then again, I imagine millions of people are healed each you by the mind blowing phenomena. They might be better off not knowing?

The person just thought they would get better, and they got better.

God like?

Re: Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs

#113

Post by projektfu » Wed, Feb 28, 2018, 9:00 PM UTC

Jaruzel wrote: post #66

projektfu wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, cures happen all the time. I'm an anecdote, but I was cured of depression using venlafaxine. Talk therapy was used at various times but it was not effective. I no longer take venlafaxine and I am not depressed. I will say that getting "off" of venlafaxine is troublesome and must be pursued gradually and slowly because the withdrawal is severe. Once I was cured it took about 9 months to go drug free.

I'm on Venlafaxine (300mg/day). Previously I tried Amitriptyline, and Citalopram, both of which did not suit me, so I pulled myself off them... each time the depression and anxiety returned. Although I am fairly happy on Venlafaxine (it stopped me killing myself, so that's a plus), I'd like to get off it at some point as the side affects are quite annoying. Can I ask you how you feel you were 'cured' and are there an…

I felt that I was not depressed anymore and I started working with my psychiatrist to reduce dosage until I was on the minimum dose. Then I stopped when I was feeling particularly good and kept a bottle of 5-HTP on hand. I'm not sure if that was necessary or not.