How do doctors determine if I need an SSRI or an SNRI for depression?!
Question: How do doctors determine if I need an SSRI or an SNRI for depression.?
I've been on Effexor 300mg (SNRI) for years but have been feeling really down lately and have been worrying a lot. My psychiatrist was thinking of trying me on Zoloft (SSRI). Do you think Zoloft would work for me.? I was taking an SNRI before and now she wants to put me on an SSRI. I'm scared it wont work and I will get worse! Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Well, SSRIs certainly are a step back from SNRIs and SNRIs certainly aren't first-line treatment, they act on two neurotransmitters rather than a single one - I've been on Effexor for about a year and it was only because a whole stack of SSRIs had failed to work - however, I would have a little faith in the practioner, when you think about it - you could have tried another SNRI that did not work and a bunch of SSRIs that did not work, and while they all claim to do the same thing, for some odd reason people seem to respond differently to them and what works for one person doesn't work for another. Perhaps because of the failure of your medicine your doctor is placing you on one which is more widely prescribed in hopes that if it works for most people it will work for you, where others have failed. He/She might of thought that the drug was making your symptoms worse or new symptoms may have emerged which they deemed better treated by Zoloft. Give it a chance.Health Question & Answer