Posted by Ritch on October 24, 2002, at 22:27:19
In reply to Re:ECT and TCAs » Ritch, posted by Chloe on October 24, 2002, at 19:47:08
> Hey Mitch,
> I am not sure if rapid cycling is typical with maintanence ECT. I do know that the edoc conferred with the pdoc, and they are going to try adding T3 to the lithium, dox, diaz, and celexa drops and continue with the weekly treatments. At one time the edoc wanted to add more treatments. But I can't really afford the hour trip down to the hospital. For a time I had to take a cab one way(!), because I couldn't get anyone to drive me there. I could get a friend to take me home. Thank God my insurance is covering the treatments. I also don't want to have ECT forever. I can't imagine it's too good for the body to get all those meds, etc...Can one get too much ECT?Geez, that's something I could't tell you for sure! Never had any ECT. Interesting that he wanted to give you *more* treatments. Maybe you ought to ask him about the "most frequent flyer" he has had to treat and get the skinny on all of that and relate it to us. :-) So... you are going to try a T3+T4 combo right? Please.. tell us how that goes, because if it works out well I might really press that issue with my pdoc. Oh, BTW, that New England Journal of Medicine article is the Feb. 11, 1999 article. It was an editorial and the title was: "Thyroid Hormone Replacemnt-One Hormone or Two".
> The Doxepin comes in 10's and 50's. I take 10mgs in the am, it kinda chills me out a bit during the day. Then I take 50mgs HS. 60 mgs is about my limit without having even more cycling.
OK, I got it!
> > Yes, the WB caused too much generalized anxiety for sure. No panic attacks, but it got close a couple of times. The nortrip. defnitely was anxiolytic, but I don't like the cardiac effects of TCA's, and I had a hiatal hernia before (from the doxepin), and forget eating any bread if I am taking a TCA!
> >
> >
> Hum, it sounds like WB's got to go...I know what you mean about the cardiac effects of TCA's. I really had that problem with amitriptyline. But not so much with Doxepin. I like Doxepin alot. No hernias for me, that sounds terrible, and I don't seem to have any problems with weight on TCA's. I guess I am lucky that way. Gee, what med would be useful without nasty, uncomfortable side effects? Maybe you could take the nortriptyline and still be able to eat bread if you continue on the ritalin? But with a stimulant AND a TCA, you really might have cardiac issues. Humm, I wish I knew of something...
> I hope you feel better
> Chloe
>
>Yes, my pharmacist told me that TCA+stimulant is not a good combo. Don't want to go there. Actually, I don't think I will need to. I really think that a pinch of Effexor + Ritalin in the day and Depakote + Klonopin at bedtime just might work out OK. I am just wondering if I could replace the Ritalin with T3/T4 and it work just as well to keep me out of bipolar seasonal depression.----Mitch
poster:Ritch
thread:124351
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/125107.html