Customer Reviews

Prozac and the New Antidepressants (Revised Edition): What You Need Know abt Prozac Zoloft Paxil Luvox Wellbutrin Effexor Serzone Vest

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This "little" book (it can be read in a few hours yet consulted as a comprehensive reference tool) is the one own if you must limit yourself to one (and given the abundance of material in print and on-line, it may be wise to have just one reliable resource). It provides user-friendly yet responsible information about all of the SSRI's (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil) as well as the drugs that preceded them (tricyclics, benzodiazapines) and the more recent antidepressants (Effexor, Remeron, Celexa). Appleton looks at many promising drugs awaiting approval as well as the vast number of touted herbal remedies. The author has no agenda. He provides balanced information about the percentage of consumers who are likely to be helped and to what degree. He also suggests 2 and 3-step drug programs for individuals who are "treatment-resistant." Best of all, the author combines appreciation for the medical efficacy of certain drugs with healthy skepticism and an experienced professional's common-sense.

As a support person for a clinically depressed person, this book provides a wealth of up-to-date information that assists in guiding the reader through the maze, and often complicated world, of psychopharmacology. What makes this book so useful is Dr. Appleton's combination of the review of research with his own clinical judgment. In addition, the book is one of the few that I have found that reviews psychopharmacological drugs with options for other treatments if drugs (which don't help apporximately twenty percent of patients who take them) don't work. The book is easy to read with both technical information and "translations" for the lay person.

This is the most reader-friendly, reliable, balanced overview of the field of pyschoactive drugs that I've been able to lay my hands on. Having been overwhelmed by the technical and profuse language of the PDR and Merck Manuals, and having been misled by the many popular books that tout Prozac and its many descendents as surefire "happy" pills, it's refreshing and reassuring to find a book this clear and discriminating. Use it as a reference book as well as an introductory text to the entire field (it can be read in several hours). Those who require the "placebo" effect of an unqualified endorsement of these drugs may wish to avoid the book. On the other hand, those who have discovered that Prozac is not necessarily any more effective than tryciclics or who have experienced negative reactions from an SSRI, will certainly appreciate this author's warnings and disclaimers along with the encouraging but candid claims about how much a drug might actually contribute to well-being. Let the drug companies provide the hype; Appleton simply provides clear and accurate information (his is one of the few books, for example, to point out the dangers of combining Ultram with an antidepressant).

The book is not very long but offers just the right amount of information and makes for easy reading without all the technical jargon. It gives a very informative background on the various new antidepressants and is a must read for those already on antidepressants who are curious or have concerns about what they are currently taking. What I liked most were the comparisons of the various kinds of new antidepressants as well as the side effects known to each.

Dr. Appleton has never taken any money from a drug company and so he is able to write a completely honest book. He understands what depression is and how it can harm your life and he offers a realistic and TRUSTWORTHY view of the drugs. Anyone considering taking an antidepressant or caring for a depressed friend or relative should consider this book required reading. It's written so clearly, while grounded in careful research, that it is easy to understand and makes the decision to use a drug (or try a different one) simple and less fearful. I have bought many copies for friends who agree.

I'm quite surprised by the last review. I wonder if it was even intended for this book. Dr. Appleton is certianly not against drug therapies-he's for well-informed patients. His book is reassuring. It answers all the questions you wish your doctor had the time to respond to. It makes sense of the confusing variety of antidepressants available. I would highly recommend this book as an invaluable resource for anyone who is depressed or who is caring for a depressed family member or friend.

I recommend in my own book that every patient, as well as supporter, needs to become educated about their brain disorder - depression or bipolar disorder. This book is extremely helpful in teaching people about the medications used to treat these disorders. It is easy-to-understand, yet very thorough - this is not an intimidating book to read.

If you are trying to beat your disorder, you need to learn about the medications you may take. Education is the key to "winning your battle."

I recommend this book to all my readers.

As a person who suffers from depression and has found anti-depressents to only partially work, I found this book to be excellent. The author is neither strongly pro-drug nor strongly anti-drug. Instead, he points out (from both scientific studies and professional experience as a psychiatrist), that sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. But he also covers side effects, drug interactions, and possible reasons why a drug might not be effective for a particular case. If you are looking for an honest, informed, professional opinion, backed up by experience and an objective review of the evidence, then this book is for you. If you are looking for the one best answer, or for an anti-drug tirade, or for a pro-drug solution, then skip this book because you will not be happy with this book's honesty.

This book is an excellent introduction to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. Appleton provides the reader with accurate information about this important group of medications, leaving it to the reader and his doctor to choose an effective remedy to this all-too-often fatal disease.

The only problem is that like most medical books, this book was obsolete before it was published. New drugs and non-drug treatments have been developed since _Prozac and the New Antidepressants_ went to press. A depressive searching for help might do best by talking to his or her family physician or psychiatrist first.

This reassuring guide to medication options can help prepare you or your loved ones to try one of the many brands of anti-depressants. My one copy is always out on loan to one of my clients so I logged on to see if others agreed with my impression, that I should go get a few more copies!