Posted by chemist on May 2, 2004, at 11:53:58
In reply to Re: relative efficacy of Effexor to the SSRIs }} SLS, posted by seeknsolace on May 2, 2004, at 6:13:19
well, thanks!...i think your stance in re: not taking any more meds is refreshing, as i, too, limit the regimen to the least amount of meds for the most effective response...an interesting thing about bipolar is that it goes for years undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and this is in a way a ``fault'' of the malady itself: if you're manic/hypomanic, you don't feel any need to seek out help - everything is fine. when you get dysphoric/depressed, then you go see a psychiatrist, and naturally you present with those symptoms. so, out you go with a script for an antidepressant. then the cycle begins. the antidepressant makes you manic/hypomanic and insomnia, anxiety, and agitaton set in. so back you go, and come away with a less-activating antidepressant, a benzo, and maybe some ambien for sleep. and that combo brings you back down. as so on and so forth...as for enduring, on my part it largely has to do with self-education and taking matters into my own hands: instead of blaming the (admittedly lousy) healthcare system, the doctors, and the pharmaceutical companies, i switch therapists/psychiatrists. i also have a passion for my work, and have no intention of letting bumps in the road get in the way, no matter how large. it sounds to me like you are that kind of person, too(?). forums like this one are exceptionally good outlets for discourses like this one, i.e., to hear how others have dealt with their condition in a proactive way....all the best, chemist
> I applaude you chemist.. I've only been on about 4 antidepressants: zoloft, buspar, topamax, lithium, and lastly effexor.. ok thats more than four.
>
> Now I understand only the past few years that I'm bipolar and been diagnosed as such, realized I've been so since adolescence.
>
> I'm not being sarcastic towards you either, I could never endure as much as you have. I do not plan on returning to any meds.. maybe its the mania speaking :) Actually life has been so difficult, dont have many manic times, at least during those times, life was "great"!
>
> Your a strong and very intelligent person. Theres a bible scripture that says "those who endure to the end, shall be saved". I think its appropriate to apply it towards our condition.
>
> I had a hard time reading your post, maybe cuz its so early in the morn, but wanted to say.. my doc once told me, bipolar people are some of the smartest people in the world! :) So I conclude with, maybe thats our problem.. we're just too damn smart! ;)
> > i concur. for those who have not picked up on my personal history, i have been on the development end and the receiving end of psychopharmaceuticals. and i don't mean marketing. improperly diagnosed as unipolar depression with agoraphobia and GAD over 10 years ago, i ran the gamut from luvox to remeron to celexa to parnate to paxil, and not in that order. additionally, there was tegretol, trileptal, topamax, neurontin, depakote. and then there were (concurrently) ambien, xanax, restoril, dalmane, halcion, klonopin, valium, and ativan. i am certain i missed a few, but it took a psychotic break while on parnate and a visit to a leading authority on bipolar (details for anyone who wants to know; involved with DSM-III and is a proponent of verapamil) to get things kind of straight. did i mention geodon and dexedrine? probably not.....or ritalin, come to think of it....you and the rest of us are not alone. and as you point out, effexor and countless other meds have helped many, and the last thing any drug manufacturer wants is for their product to fail, and that is for financial reasons. we, their target audience, also want success, because our lives can be (at least) marginally better if the right combination is found. it is not to anyone's benefit to go after drug companies, and citing a dearth of long-term studies is usually because the drug has not been on the market for long-term, randomized, controlled longitudinal studies. want a target? health insurance companies. preexisting conditions ranging from ``have you seen a mental healthcare practicioner in the past five years?'' to ``do you have high cholesterol?'' put you in the high-risk category. i am looking at the recent insert from a script i had filled yesterday for 60 2 mg generic alprazolam (xanax) tablets from a common pharmacy in a grocery store: my savings vs. the brand-name was $173.48, and i do not have prescription coverage. instead of being on the hook for $196.56, i strolled out for $23.08. yet i digress: doug's anger is misdirected, and i am no stranger to anger, but i know where to draw the line. if you don't like your therapist, try another. if your shrink is predisposed to prescribing for you a drug that is ineffective, try another. the greatest realization we have within ourselves is the ability to instigate change and not feel victimized by an industry that, on the whole, has done more good than harm. all the best, chemist
>
>
poster:chemist
thread:1016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040429/msgs/342459.html