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Suggest Alternative Treatment For Anxiety
Question: Hi i am currently on 100mg sertraline and have been for 3 weeks. I also take 30mg lumin at night to try and sleep and the occassional stilnox. I have also been prescribed 30mg alepam twice a day. I take 15 twice a day. I seem to be getting more depressed and obsessive not less. Unfortunately my psych is away till next week. What do you advise?
Brief Answer:
Switch or augment.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I can understand your concerns.
You are having no response with 100mg of sertraline even after 3 weeks.
In this case, I usually choose between two strategies for my patients:
1. To change to antidepressant of other class like venlafaxine.
2. To augment the current drug with antidepressant from other class(like adding mirtazapine to sertraline).
I prefer the second strategy most of the times.
As your doctor is away, you can temporarily increase alepam to help with your anxiety. But please keep your doctor informed about this.
When he returns, you can discuss about the above strategies and follow his advice.
Hope this helps.
Thanks.
Switch or augment.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to HCM.
I can understand your concerns.
You are having no response with 100mg of sertraline even after 3 weeks.
In this case, I usually choose between two strategies for my patients:
1. To change to antidepressant of other class like venlafaxine.
2. To augment the current drug with antidepressant from other class(like adding mirtazapine to sertraline).
I prefer the second strategy most of the times.
As your doctor is away, you can temporarily increase alepam to help with your anxiety. But please keep your doctor informed about this.
When he returns, you can discuss about the above strategies and follow his advice.
Hope this helps.
Thanks.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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