Posted by Atreyu on February 22, 2007, at 11:04:39
In reply to Re: Brain Steroids: Cocktail for Calm Clarity, posted by stargazer on February 22, 2007, at 9:38:26
Stargazer,
I've been searching for the perfect blend of meds ever since I was 18. I've been my own test subject and as a result have made some drastic mistakes. Inevitably it was my failures that lead to my success. I eventually concluded that most of my problems were stemming from neurotransmitter deficiencies in my prefrontal cortex (but this took 7 years of trial and error to determine). I had to suffer through the BAD to discover the GOOD. I've read almost every psych book out there (most are written by garbage pdocs trying to make a buck) yet have learned the most from websites like dr.bob. I knew about drugs like Aricept and Provigil 5 years ago (Cephalon's putting out a new Provigil called Nuvigil which is encouraging-since Provigil will go generic and be affordable-but then of course everyone's going to want Nuvigil). I've tried every psych drug on the planet in hopes of discovering something that would help my issues with a minimal side effect profile. What I've discovered is that you have to willing to work with a drug and tweak the doses. I'm extremely sensitive to drugs so 12.5 mg of Seroquel does the trick...most pdocs will slam you on 100mg and of course you're going to hate the drug. The bottom line is that most drugs can be helpful if the drug is titrated to work in cohesion with your brain chemistry. Provigil didn't work for me at 100mg and I figured I'd just wasted 170 bucks. Once I upped the dose to 400mg(which is expensive I know)-it's amazing.My case was particularly difficult since I was searching for a combo to calm my nerves without impairing cognitive function. I really wanted to be on monotherapy but found that a cocktail of multiple meds at low doses can often be a better solution. You're right in your assumption that MOST pdocs are clueless. Most have serious psych issues themselves (which is why they practice psychiatry) and are dabbling in their own meds. I had two pdocs that were clearly alcoholics(or benzo addicts) and I found that my knowledge of psychiatry at age 20 far surpassed theirs. I eventually came to terms with this unfortunate reality: THE ONLY GOOD PDOCS ARE THE ONES THAT DON'T TAKE INSURANCE(you're disillusioned if you think otherwise). My pdoc now is amazing (she has far more knowledge than I could ever hope to have and is the first pdoc that doesn't let me dominate. I actually listen) but she costs an arm and a leg and doesn't take insurance. Why would she? She's the best! You want to find a pdoc that is working at a major University like Stanford, Harvard, etc...B/c they're in a situation that forces them to be on top of their game as they have conferences every week where they get grilled. You're best bet is to find one that is younger(they tend to be more willing to experiment with newer off-label drugs b/c they're all looking to get published...for ex. who would have thought that Aricept would help with social anxiety??) Old pdocs are 'old' and out of touch with all the new brain gear that's about to hit the shelves. Take the years 2010, 2012, and 2014...a slew of new meds for bipolar, ADD, anxiety will hit the market at these stages and will change psychiatry as we know it. If drugs aren't working for you now, just hold out for a few more years(try to focus on healthy living and reducing your stress, mediation, yoga, all that stuff that seems like b.s. but it does help. Reading as much as possible is also key). As for taking drugs now, my advice is "the newer the drug, the better (as far as side effects go)". For ex. Lithium may be a great drug for some but it was discovered nearly a century ago, along with Arsenic. Regardless of whether or not you have side effects on them, it's ridiculous that these drugs are still being used. The same goes for amphetamine-based stimulants and benzos. In 50 years...nothing better has come a long? Well I'm sure you know the answer to that. It wasn't until the US military got involved in psychiatry that psychiatry got the stank pumped back into its tank. There are a bundle of super drugs in the line up with low side effect profiles that will begin to hit the market. The military is dumping crates of cash into the production of drugs that will help their soldiers function longer, better and with zero side effects. This is where Provigil and Aricept got their funding (although you'll find people that will disagree). In the military's pursuit to produce BrainRoids for their super soldiers, they've as a side effect, developed drugs beneficial to the general population. As I said earlier, by 2014 you will see many of these drugs popping up. By 2030, pill popping will have become obsolete and instead you'll just have a little chip implanted into your brain(the military is dumping buckets into this kind of research too-mainly for soldiers suffering traumatic brain injury but of course, benefit to the general public will ensue). There will come a time when drugs will have become so good that ethical concerns will begin to arise. People will be popping drugs like Aricept as a daily multi-vitamin. To compete, you'll need to take these drugs however, will you be able to afford the?? The pursuit for the ultimate BrainRoid will continue to go forward and as usual, only the wealthy will be able to benefit and the poor will be stuck having to wait for the far-inferior generic version. Do a little research into what constitutes a generic drug and you'll begin to understand why you're having so many side effects (if you're on generics). Stick with Brand Name if you can (that's what I'm on and I've yet to experience anything serious...I exercise and eat healthy though which is the most important thing you can do).
PS. A good book to read just for your own psychological awareness is "Ego and Archetype"...by Endinger(nothing to do with drugs but a great read...it's dense but stick with it b/c it may change your life). My motto is, if anything in life is easy, it's probably a waste of your time! Atreyu
poster:Atreyu
thread:734959
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070219/msgs/735078.html