how necessary are meds?

I have been thinking of seeing a doctor to start meds such as paxil or prozac. How necessary do you think medication is with SAD? Have they helped you more than light therapy could alone?

I found Prozac helpful too. I've been quite anti-meds in the past but the first time I took it I really felt desperate, I couldn't cope at all, very depressed and tearful, also high anxiety levels and feeling quite phobic about going out anywhere. I'd tried St John's Wort before that but did not find it very effective at all, and you have to bear in mind that it makes you more light-sensitive, which may not be the best thing if you're thinking of combining it with light therapy.

Within 2 weeks of starting the Prozac I was feeling normal again, that was on a 20mg per day dose. I haven't taken it for the last two years but I think I took it about 3 winters running, stopping about March or April each time. I went down to one pill every other day for a few weeks before stopping, each time, and I did not find it difficult to stop. I have managed without it more recently, just using light therapy, but I would take it again if I felt the need. I nearly started it again towards the end of last year because I was feeling so bad, but that was partially because I had been a little careless and started light therapy very late in the year. I need a week or two for the light therapy to really start helping me. I don't feel such a great need for it right now, I use both a lightbox and one of those bodyclock alarms and that seems to be just about sufficient right now. But if I didn't feel the light was enough, I'd take Prozac again.

I don't think it's perfect, I noticed a couple of side effects, I became a very light sleeper, and also my libido was reduced considerably after a few months (mind you, I felt that was a reasonable tradeoff in exchange for not feeling terrible 24 hours a day!)

Lorraine