Posted by bee happy on February 15, 2004, at 19:19:10
In reply to Re: Buprenorphine poopout?, posted by Lindsay Rae on February 14, 2004, at 20:19:10
I too was a self medicator and vicodin was one of my drugs of choice...here in the third world where prescriptions are not required it was was possible to get 30mg codeine with none of that nasty asprin or tylenol to mess with your stomache. I have a question for you. When you say a longer acting opiate what do you mean?The only one I know of is methadone. And I see from another post that you have been on it for some time. So you mind my asking what you taking it for? I also gleaned from your post that you had some experience with Bupe. How do the two compare? I also have a wonderful GP who is very involved with hospice who has suggested I might try methadone. I guess it's all those withdrawal horror stories that keep me from considering it.And to answer your suggestion about going up a notch on the Bupe, I tried it and it did help somewhat, maybe I should try another bump...the pdoc suggested that too, but said if it didn't work I'd be sort of stuck at that dose.Any thoughts? If so I'd love to hear them. Bee
> Do you think perhaps that you should go up a mg or so on the Bup? I think it's wonderful that your doctor was so open-minded. Perhaps if this treatment worked for you, another longer acting opiate would as well. The brain is so tricky; there is no real way to measure or calculate all the levels and synapses, so we just let ourselves be used as human test dummies to try to feel better. Your Pdoc could use you as a case study to prove the success of Bup for depression, confidentially of course, without identifying you, and it would be the start of breakthrough treatments!
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> It took me seven years to try an antidepressant because I feared the first few weeks that I might feel worse before feeling better. But oddly enough, I had no problem swallowing Vicodin with a swig of Stoli Vanilla and a marachino cherry chaser. I was a self-medicator, but I always feared the psychotropics!
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> Take Care,
> Lindsay
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> "Lindsay Rae, Right you are about the long way to go before our doctors accecpt opiates as treatment for depression. I was so fortunate to find a therapist and Pdoc willing to explore alternative treatments. After almost a year of trials with assorted ssris we stumbled upon the Harvard study using Bupe for depression. It was so good for the first year+,and perhaps there's something else going on, (physically...am also hypo thiroid, etc)We have decided to try a jump start with strattera...which I know nothing about except it's the new improved non addictive (ha) form of Ritalin..used in adhd treatment. If that doesnt work I may try a break from the Bupe for a month and see if that will do it. I am nowhere near as depressed as I was when I first sought help so it is still working somewhat. It's scary though to feel yourself sinking back into the pit."
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poster:bee happy
thread:312077
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040215/msgs/313781.html