Posted by Beliala on November 3, 2001, at 0:51:12
In reply to Re: cognitive decline » Beliala, posted by jn on November 2, 2001, at 22:58:07
8 years ago I suffered what I now realize was a reactive depression. At the time I didn’t think mere psychic misery could induce the insomnia, fatigue, and concentration problems that were seriously affecting my grades at school (it can), and I thought surely I had some sort of "physical" illness. Anyway I first got put on Zoloft and clonazepam, which only worsened these symptoms. I had neuropsychological testing while on meds, I think this particular combination, though it’s all pretty hazy. Formerly an exceptional student, I tested in the bottom 2% for language ability. This got my pdoc all excited that I had a brain tumor or something, but I think it was just the combo of acute depression + meds. As you can see I’ve rebounded somewhat since then. But the thing is, even in the years since then when good things have happened in my life and I didn’t feel terribly unhappy, I never regained my former emotional reactivity or intellect. Even during the "good times" I still had tremendous difficulty concentrating to complete say one dumbed-down correspondence course a year, and I still haven’t gotten my high school diploma (I admit I’m a bit of a perfectionist). Granted I’ve been on at least a low dose of psych meds for the last 8 years though, so I don’t know how my brain work without them. I really have to wonder how things would have turned out if I’d never taken psych meds though.
I’m also told my cognitive difficulties are due to depression, but if that’s the case then why haven’t the two dozen psych meds I’ve been on helped? Okay I take that back, Ritalin/Dexedrine helped slightly but the side effects way outweighed the benefits for me. I think docs will blame just about every symptom on "depression" if no other official medical diagnosis fits the bill. If there haven’t been any double-blind research studies showing the side effects you mention, they don’t exist. Maybe 100 years from now the experts will have this all figured out....cold comfort that is.
poster:Beliala
thread:82942
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011025/msgs/83047.html