Posted by Ame Sans Vie on October 6, 2004, at 15:16:09
In reply to Re: One month on selegiline now and loving it!! » Ame Sans Vie, posted by SLS on October 6, 2004, at 11:21:25
> Hi Michael.
Hi Scott, glad to see you. :-)
> All I can say is COOL!
lol, my sentiments *exactly*!
> My first question is whether or not you ever tried Parnate.
No, that's one of five *approved* antidepressants I haven't tried (tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid, amoxapine, trimipramine, duloxetine)... six if you count that I've never given a therapeutic dose of trazodone a try. I've been curious about Parnate, and it was actually next on my list were Eldepryl to fail, but I just couldn't bear the thought of parting with my Adderall that helps so much. Though my doctors wouldn't mind a cautious implementation of a psychostimulant and non-selective MAO inhibitor concurrently, Medicaid would never allow me to fill the prescriptions. It was a battle to get them to cover Eldepryl while it was on file that I also took amphetamines. I had to print out a good thirty pages of information on the safety of judicious use of MAO inhibitors with amphetamines, bring them into Walgreens, and basically argue my way with the pharmacist for a good thirty minutes into getting the Eldepryl which it was, "against [his] better judgment to do." He finally did after I showed him an abstract that asserted methamphetamine, when administered along with selegiline, had fewer cardiac effects than when dosed alone. Oh well... at least it means the pharmacy's actually on its toes, lol.
> My second question is whether there is any bipolarity to your condition, and how you would describe the type and severity of your depression.
There may be a mild element of cyclothymia to my affective disorders, but all my doctors (as well as I) tend to feel that my symptomology and history (I used to cut in my teen years a bit) is more consistent with borderline personality disorder. That's still open to debate, though. But thank you for reminding me -- I need to do some more research on the subject. Just for the sake of knowing, I mean... whatever it is, it's already treated. My mood swings were marked by a *very* short fuse -- I would be in an excellent mood, then the littlest thing would cause me to blow up, though this has diminished since adolescence. Until age sixteen or so, this was typically accompanied by violent temper tantrums, destroying things around the house, and usually cutting (generally with a piece of glass I'd retrieve after smashing a hanging picture frame on my head), After that phase of my life ended (thank goodness), my violent rage in response to certain stimuli was replaced by extreme irritability, restlessness, and alienation. My friendships throughout gradeschool (until my problems caused me to drop out to homeschool myself in 1998, 10th grade) were never stable and and intimate relationships were impossible. I was extremely possessive and needy, and any friends I would make quickly grew tired of my mood fluctuations and moved on. But I'm rambling... sorry, lol.
As far as the severity of my depression is concerned, though it was never an official diagnosis, I feel that the "chronic low-grade depression" definition of dysthymia suits (well... suit*ed* <g>) me perfectly. Any setbacks in my treatment, or any area of my life for that matter, and I would spiral into a lengthy episode of atypical major depression. I'd say that over the past ten years, dysthymia (with prominent atypical features) has accounted for about 70% of my life, episodes of MDD about 20%, and euthymia or some form of what I can only describe as brief episodes of "giddiness" the other 10% (hypomania?).
> Thanks
No problemo -- sorry I'm getting so detailed in my posts today, but I'm so damned excited! lol
Take care,
~Michael
SAD, GAD, PD, OCD, agoraphobia, dysthymia, MDD, ADD, AvPD
poster:Ame Sans Vie
thread:399488
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041002/msgs/399688.html