Posted by bleauberry on December 14, 2007, at 19:19:13
In reply to Sticking It Out Club thread, posted by Racer on December 14, 2007, at 18:03:23
Yeah, I'll sign up for the Sticking It Out Club. My drug is DMSA, a mercury and lead chelator. This is not an easy protocol to follow. The only safe way to take it is every 4 hours around the clock in rounds, a few days on and a few days off. For me the first couple days are increased depression, fatigue and fogginess as the metals are moving out of tissues. The last couple days feel pretty darn good, like I'm 20 years younger before depression ever hit. Between rounds I relapse to my baseline dysthymia fatigue. It's like creating your own psychiatric roller coaster. But there is no other way to get those metals out. And it is the only thing that is eventually curative.
But when I started Lexapro with dysthymia, and 4 days later I was on my knees sobbing uncontrollably for no reason with a severely worsened depression, would I stick that out? No way. That's not curative. While we are all different, I know with my own body that when something shows a hint of goodness quickly, it ends up being pretty good for me longterm. When something shows worsening quickly, it just stays worse the whole time. I've tried sticking it out with those. Never again. There are various studies at pubmed on that very topic. Basically, an early response is predictive of a good response later, while the lack of an early response is predictive of a poor response later. These are general results, not all inclusive, but do seem to fit my own experience. Scott was an exception. He felt so bad for months it seemed like while titrating up on nardil. It finally kicked in after a long time and lots of suffering. I have to work every day and I have a family depending on me and bills to pay. I do not think I could have done all that in Scott's condition as he waited in deep pain.
But DMSA, the excruciating ride that it is for me, yeah, I'll stick it out.
poster:bleauberry
thread:800854
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071213/msgs/800870.html