Posted by blueberry on November 12, 2006, at 17:54:49
In reply to Re: ECT » blueberry, posted by tensor on November 12, 2006, at 16:07:31
> Hi blueberry,
>
> to be honest, ECT scares me. And I don't see myself as a candidate, not yet anyway. It's not that I haven't responded to meds, I have responded to a lot of meds through the years. The problem is that they cease to function after a year or so, and when they function I have an unstable mood. I can be down a few days then fine for a week or two and so on.
>
> The best combo so far was remeron+zoloft.
>
> /MattiasBased on your description of meds, perhaps the only missing link is 300mg to 600mg lithium salts. Lithium needs a minimum of a few weeks to start working but over several months it stabilizes things and actually has all kinds of benefits in terms of improving genes and brain grey matter. Though its exact mechanism is still a mystery, they do know that one of the many things it does is stabilize glutamate to proper levels, which represents 80% of the neurotransmitter pool in your brain. All this other stuff we talk about...serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, etc...is the rest. Perhaps the ups and downs you experience are glutamate, genetics, faulty grey matter, or damaged neurons, all of which are fixed over time with lithium.
Considering all the heavy duty meds, it is nice to know lithium is natural treatment, just a salt of the earth, with an overall track record unmatched by anything manmade.
Choose the best meds you like so far and add 300mg lithium, then shoot for 600mg when you are ready. Give it a few months even if it doesn't feel like it is doing anything at first.
poster:blueberry
thread:702869
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061110/msgs/702949.html