Posted by JohnX2 on October 27, 2001, at 1:15:47
In reply to Re: Looking for some advice before I see the psydoc, posted by JGalt on October 26, 2001, at 11:18:45
JG,
Don't worry about the rambling. I am the king
and I think that Cam may come in 2nd. ;)
My case history of treatment refractory
depression (now bpii) is not typical for most
people. Most people will find relief from depression after 1 or 2 trials. A lot of times
people can get depression relief but will switch
meds from the side effects.My problem has mainly been misdiagnosis. My
list of meds, which I laugh about now, would be
much shorter had I gotton the right diagnosis. I think if I researched my problem better *before*
seeing the doctor I would have been able to give
him the right symptoms to make an accurate diagnosis. You are in that boat and seem to have
a really good head start on treating your issues.
I think your treatment will be smooth.No-one in my family has symptoms of bp disorder
,but lots of depression and alcoholism.
I believe that my bp is actually a subset
of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). PTSD
is tricky to treat, it involves complicated
disruptions to the hpa axis and the "fight-or-flight" feeback mechanisms in the locus coerulus
area of the brain. Anyways, to make an ugly story
short, I had some bad years as a kid with a depressed alcoholic mother, divorce,
family businesss near bankruptcy, blah, blah.
It was after this that i developed non-text book cases symptoms
of bp ii (but text book major depression). The best meds to treat ptsd are actually called crf antagonists,
but these are still experimental and not available. Curiously
nmda antagonists are indirectly crf antagonists and can thus
be anxyiolitic.Anyways, my goal is to reach logical conclusions
as to how to treat my problems in a manner with least side-effects
and most cure. I do not like "dirty" drugs. I
do not like meds who's "mechanism of action are
unknown". I refuse to use this dart-board approach my early physicians had. So I
think if I can nail down why I get AD poop-out and
find a good treatment (crossing my fingers on memantine and a few
others) then I believe I may see a full remission.Anyways, my left-brained,mr.spock, stoic, unemotional thought process
are also symptoms of ptsd (emotions get
blunted). I would like to recapture my emotions
(feelings of well-being and being "attached").
I can experience wild euphoria, but this is
different from feeling "well". I wish I could
describe what I mean. i have had a few full remissions
where my emotions came back and i can not describe the feeling.As far as the brain frying goes, I do believe
that kindled states I experienced on simple
substances like caffeine inducing mania could have
over the long haul bantered noradrenaline and
dopamine neurons. This would definately be analogous
for people abusing strong stims like meth.
I really wish you the best of luck.
Keep us posted on your progress.Oh yeah, forgot to mention that you are correct
about gaba agonists being neuroprotective agains
nmda hypoactivity. Anaesthesiologists are well aware
of this as are their insurance carriers.-john
> Interesting, so right now you're basically are same I am diagnosis wise, except I've never had bipolar symptoms. Obviously you've been through an incredible amount more than me, it is amazing how difficult it is to find the right combinations. I imagine with your education and research on antidepressant combo's you're in a better boat than you might otherwise be.
>
> Overachievement through college years, we have that in common, though personally I view that as an asset to my personality (which reminds me, I know it is not the most accurate, but did you ever get into Meyer-Briggs typecasting?). Of course, if it was leading you to abuse drugs, that's not a positive thing, though I did not think that caffeine was capable of damaging the dopamine system? Was there something else you don't mind mentioning that was?
>
> We also both have the family history thing going for both of us. My mom is the only one who was ever diagnosed with depression, but panic/anxiety attacks seem common on my dad's side, and we believe many on both sides do have depression but refuse to seek help.
>
> You mention overdisclose of personal issues during your manic state. I have that as well, though without the manic state. The only information I have on why that may be (I used to be extremely shy) for me is one of my friends from another board in pharmacy school said they were taught that long term ephedrine use wrecks havoc (long lasting) with the GABA system. I don't claim to understand the GABA system very well, but he suggested that people with long term ephedrine use may suffer (in some cases benefit depending upon the extremity) from lack of some (perhaps mostly verbal) inhibitions. I have to wonder, if GHB does affect the gaba system significantly (as opposed to the other theory that it only effects dopamine release), then why am I still the same way. I don't know, it doesn't particularly bother me, and my friends repeatedly telling me that I disclose way too much, especially if on ghb (1,4 butanediol, GHB is illegal and I don't use it), has made me fake a bit of modesty, but still probably more disclosure than average, particularly in the area of drug use (if someone mentions drugs I'm willing to talk for hours about my experiences a theories, its fun on this board, but dangerous and perhaps damaging to ones image by those holding antidrug views in real life).
>
> Hopefully no one minds the fact that my sentences run on. I write papers much better, but am obviously only writing off the top of my head here, and include the full train of thought often without interruption.
>
> Best Regards,
> JGalt
poster:JohnX2
thread:81980
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011025/msgs/82423.html