Posted by cmcdougall on April 19, 2002, at 10:21:48
Hi all:
Long time no post... This could mean I'm better - could mean I'm worse. Hard to tell. Will I ever know what it feels like to be "normal"?
Wanted to chime in about Omega 3 supplements. During my last med check, my long-time (10 years) and very trusted psychiatrist was very excited about a book he just finished called The Omega 3 Connection. He suggested I read it and try the supplements. I can't be bothered reading another book about yet another treatment. However, like most of you nice people I am always willing to try something new. Especially if it can't make me worse.
My dr recommended a specific brand of omega 3 called Omegabrite that you have to order online. My antenae immediately went up! Why can't I just buy the stuff at my local health food store. Dr. said this particular brand has a higher ratio of EPA to DHA ????? (since I haven't read the book, I have no idea what this means) I checked out the site and found to my surprise that it was priced lower than the store brands, and if you take into consideration the concentration of oils, it was much cheaper.
Dr. said he is taking it and noticed a profound difference in his mood right away. He did admit it could be placebo effect, but hey - even placebo is ok for as long as it lasts. :-)
I have been taking it for about 1 week. I might notice a little difference (or it could be wishful thinking). I started on the recommended beginning dose - today I increased. In another week I will increase again if I don't see a significant change.
I currently take 40mg Celexa, 50mg desipramine, 20mg Adderal Prn, and 50mg trazodone at night. I would like to someday get rid of the SSRI - I don't really think they help me that much. I've taken the desipramine for about 6 months and it made a big difference right away.
In the past I have tried:
*Prozac 6 week trial-caused anxiety and 20 lb weight gain
*Trazodone 4 yrs-worked well but had to increase dose regularly till AM grogginess forced a change. Got up to 350mg - slept REAL WELL!
*Pamelor 3 week trial-caused anxiety
*Serzone 3 yrs-worked ok, had to increase ultimately to 350mg, eventually pooped out
*EffexorXr 2 yrs-worked great, had to increase ultimately to 300mg, pooped out BIG TIME, horrendous w/drawal, psychotic episode, hospitalization (this is when psycho-babble taught me soooo much)As I withdrew from the Effexor (way too fast I now know), I added Celexa slowly till I reached 40mg. When I still felt like poopoo, doc suggested more Celexa. I felt like trying something something different, and after discussing it, I decided on Desipramine. My intuition told me not to keep increasing the SSRI.
I have taken a stimulant as needed for over 7 years, first Ritalin and now Adderal, usually 20-40mg per day - occasionally more. A little trial of Provigil did nothing but cause anxiety.
I really could dig up this info myself, but I have some mild cognition probs lately (could they be caused by my drugs?). Anyway, some of you babblers have this info right on the tips of your tongues. My questions are:
*Are Effexor and Serzone both SSRIs (I know Celexa is)?
*What role does desipramine play in neurotransmission and how does it differ from the SSRIs?
*What about the stims?
*Based on my responses to the different treatments, is there a pattern of what might work?
*What about the other old tri-cyclics? Are there any good ones? (side effects like constipation and dry mouth are manageable for me, weight gain is not)
*And finally, what about the MAOIs? Nardil's sexual probs and weight gain seem bad, although I had those big time on Effexor .Thanking you all in advance,
Carly
poster:cmcdougall
thread:103529
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020416/msgs/103529.html