Posted by PaulB on August 25, 2001, at 14:36:51
In reply to Re: How to stop feeling so shit? » PaulB, posted by NikkiT2 on August 25, 2001, at 11:13:37
> Hi!!
>
> I'm on Zyprexa with Effexor... But I've been on SO many meds over the past 3 years its insane... My GP has given up on me... I wish there was more help available... You'd think being in London would help, but it just means HUGE waiting lists.. its a 4 week wait just to see a GP at my surgery, and I am on an 18 month waiting list for therapy :o( I have Borderline Personality discorder, but have heavy depression associated with it...
>
> Thanks for the replies guys... i feel better today at the moment... but its hot as hell here :o)
>
> Nikki x
>
Nikki:Effexor is a very good medication for severe depression and Zyprexa has been used successfully for borderline personality diosrder. The fact that Zyprexa can be used to potentiate antidepressants makes this combination therapy sensible. But it clearly sounds it aint doing it for you.
I really dont want to give out advice on what you should try because Im not qualified to do so but I dont see the harm in making suggestions. Just like you, I have a mental health problem and other peoples suggestions have helped me.
One of the main reasons I believe that people relapse or even fail to respond to antidepressants is because AD'S increase neurotransmitter activity but not their levels. They allow only what precious little neurotransmitter there is in a depressed person to circulate for longer. That is why I recommended amino acids in the previous post because they do increase the production of neurotranmsitters. There are other reasons of course such as faster metabolism of the drug and its clearance from the body. There is no reason not to go to 375mg/day of Effexor.
Other AD's that are promising are agonists, drugs that 'mimic' neurotransmitters in the synapse. A drug that has been often talked about here at PB is Adrafanil, refferred to as a smart-drug. It is an alpha1 adrenergic agonist and I beleive the feedback from people who have used it has been very positive. And its cheap, honestly.
The anticonvulsant Lamotrigine has been tested for BPD with good results and has antidepressant properties too which are moderate. It was almost marketed as an antidpressant at one point because it has a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor built into it. Its effectiveness for BPD is believed to be because of its ability to stabilise the balance between excitory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain.
Benzodiazepines can be very helpful in crisis situations or periods. The operational word there is "continuous". Intermittenet dosing(i.e. a few times a week does not produce tolerance or physical dependance.
There is so much information available on the internet that you can educate yourself on both the new or now-proven effective medications for mental health problems. But as you and I both know The NHS doesnt just prescribe them.
I wasnt surprised to see that you had to wait for four weeks to see your GP bearing in mind that you live in London. That must be difficult but would your GP allow you to visit him/her more often? If I phone to see my GP I can usually get an appointment in a day or two. I am pleased to hear you are feeling better and I hope you get well soon.
PaulB
poster:PaulB
thread:76242
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010822/msgs/76372.html