[emptyspace]

.
In general, do you wait for side effects to stop before increasing the dose?
I am talking mostly about GI effects, but also headaches, and clenching teeth.

Or do you just increase because the side effects will continue on a new dose?

(my pdoc is not real clear about side effects, timing, etc... i feel like alot is left up to me)

[gayleggg]

It would depend on if the medications was showing to be working. If the medicine is working you will have to decide if it's worth the side effect. If it seems to be working I would go ahead and increase and see is the side effects got worse. If not then you might need to try something else.

[regretful]

I've tried riding some side-effects out...most recently, the nausea from effexor, and that was okay. But in the past, the anxiety caused by lexapro and the tinnitus from wellbutrin were too much for me to handle. I agree with gayleggg in that it's a cost-benefit analysis. If the gains outweigh the side-effects, then stick with it.

[sewerrats]

how long have you been on the new med

It depends on the side effects really. Is it a problem that is tolerable while I wait, or is the side effect intolerable for any length of time? My pdoc would want me to contact him if the side effect was beyond normal so he could help make the decision as to continuing at the present dose, increasing (which I honestly doubt he would), or discontinuing entirely.

I think my pdoc at least knows me well enough to know I rarely even have side effects much less complain about them when I do. He wouldn't be one to push a dosage increase if I'm already having trouble with a med. He would wait to see if it resolved or discontinue.