Posted by jd on February 2, 2000, at 21:39:05
In reply to not sure, posted by nick on February 2, 2000, at 21:07:25
Nick,
Sorry to hear you've had such a frustrating experience--many of us on this board can definitely sympathize with you, even if others out there don't seem to. A couple questions come into my mind from reading your post. First, what is your sense of your basic "diagnosis"? (Chronic depression? Social phobia? Dysthymia? Something else entirely?) This can make a big difference in treatment options, obviously. Second, though you seem to have tried a great deal of the ADs out there, have you ever tried an MAO inhibitor like Nardil? Finally, since you have such a positive response to high-dose klonopin (which is an anti-convulsant), have you ever tried any of the newer anticonvulsants like Neurontin (gabapentin) that often help with mood? (For this matter, do you have any reason to suspect that you might have a subclinical seizure disorder, something that can definitely affect mood and that might explain your response to klonopin?) Just ideas, of course, but I figured they might be worth sharing...
Best to you,
jd> I was wondering if you might have some, advice, perhaps for me.
> I have been seeing psychiatrists on and off for over ten years.
> I am 32 y/o and I have tried every antidepressent on the market.
> The only med that seems to work for me is klonipin at
> around 5 to 6 mgs a day all in the morning(or mostly).
> I read your thoughts on this med, and I do agree with you
> 100 percent and there are other effects on ones personality
> that you did not mention (effects in my case anyway)
> but there seems to be no other way to relize life
> as I choose it. As far as I know, I'll only get one
> chance on this planet, and life is short. In other words
> there is no other med that I have taken that allows me to
> be "me". Before I began taking klonipin I felt as though
> I was powerless in the world to exert my will and social
> potential. I was a very lonly and weak (emotionally).
> And I get no sympathy for my illness for although I
> am of average height 5'11" I am addicted to exercise,
> and I am above averge looking but I have been told that
> there is an intimidating look about me. So I would
> imagine that I exude masculine power. however, and I
> know this is a reoinforcing statement, but the opposite
> is more true. still though, people seem to be competetive
> with me rather than sympathetic. That is not to say that
> I feel I deserve eveyones pity, but rather understanding
> I am not excluding family and most Doctors I have had to endure.
> I am a veteran so I am seen by VA Dr's. "government
> health care". Any way, I have tryed everything from
> prozac, paxil, remron, effexor all the new anti-depress-
> ents to lithieum, depakote and many others of which none
> worked, or did anything other than make me very sleepy.
> Where do I go from here. maybe I am seaching for answers
> in the wrong place
poster:jd
thread:20409
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000128/msgs/20415.html