Posted by JadeKelly on March 19, 2009, at 21:25:21
In reply to Re: Treatment for emotional numbness???, posted by X_ander on March 19, 2009, at 11:10:14
> Wow, firstly Jade, thanks so very much for obviously caring and posting with emotion like you do. Having emotions back is definitely empowering you. It can be the difference in a lot of ways especially because in the state I'm in, I'm almost necessarily vague and indecisive...the numbing makes it hard to know what's good and bad essentially, what you like and dislike.
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> I agree with pretty much everything you have said.
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> On money I agree. Depression is expensive. You lose your life whilst being alive...depending on severity. So money mext to mental health is a distant second.
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> My only real worry is how do you find that kind of fantastic, knowledgable, innovative, creative but still abundantly competent and careful Pdoc. I mean it's not like they have next to their names in the phonebook, "specializes in MAOIs and augmented medications"...or something similar you know...? I've seen 4 pdocs and a clinical psychologist. All as conservative as the last.
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> So yes, finding that kind of pdoc who is willing to listen and understand the difference between symptoms which respond to SSRIs and those which require dopaminergic meds is paramount, but not all that straightforward.
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> Whe you were looking for your Pdoc, was it literally just picking up the phonebook, randomly choosing a doc in you area and trying for a month? Or were you able to find out somehow what they were like before meeting them?
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> Yeah look rEEG is a bit of a grey area I think. It has to be, because I respond at least partially to ritalin, esp with black coffee actually. So I'd imagine carefully augmenting parnate or selegiline would have better results than caffeine. It's just that most pdocs would recoil in horror at the thought of that combination.
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> Thanks everyone for contributing. Really.
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> Xander.Hi Xander ;-)
Thanks for noticing my improved state!! Still working on clarity, short term memory, and cognitive ability (quickness). I feel especially emotional about you getting help because essentially I was where you are and it really pisses me off how much time I wasted in the hands of a PDoc that was ineffective and didn't care.
So, this is IMPORTANT: DO NOT stop taking ritalin. In fact, if it was me, I would tell my PDoc how much its working in all areas other than your depression. Your going to end up needing around 60mg a day at some point to knock out this depression. Now I would have cringed at that before, but you don't feel it. It potentiates the Parnate. Please trust me on this. The reason: When you go to your new PDoc, it would be very unlikely that he would take you off a med that is helping.
Also, make a list of all the meds you have taken. If ssri's never did much for you tell him you can't take them. I'm assuming your current PDoc will not add Parnate? Even if its a small amount, take it. This way you are established on the two meds, and the new PDoc is simply going to raise them to the point that you are in remission. A little tricky I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Okay, about finding the PDoc. I posted this somewhere else, but just as quick to retype I geuss! First I googled something like: Maoi's, stims, desipramine, PDocs. You may have to mix it up a bit but I came up with an article written by my PDoc 10 years ago, and it was essentially what he was lecturing about at various Hospitals, Psychiatric facilities, and the like. My next move was to check with a top notch teaching Hospital in my area, geuss where the lecturer practiced, this same hospital. Actually, he's a professor there now and has private practice in one of their buildings.
Scott told me this about finding a PDoc: "the litmus test is do they prescibe Parnate with augments desipramine and stims", I believe thats how it went. My Doc prescribes all three. Now don't get me wrong, he's not a pushover, you have to do what he says, but it seems unacceptable to him that ANY patient of his was going to be depressed. I liked that attitude.
So, did someone say you live in Australia? I don't know the system there, but remember, difficulty in finding that PDoc is not the same as impossible. I believe you can pull this off. When you find a candidate, call the office and ask the receptionist if he is experienced with MAOI's, and does he prescribe those augments with it. My receptionist was quick to say yes. If Receptionist won't tell you, leave urgent message for PDoc and ask directly. You have a right to know whether he is experienced with certain meds, especially if you are on one/both.
So, with current PDoc, stay on ritalin, ask for Parnate, he may do it if doses are low. Next search for experienced MAOI PDoc's on line (articles, lectures, anything) and at the BEST hospital(s) in your area. When you find someone, call and see if its a match. Don't go for a consultation until you KNOW he is experienced using MAOI's and prescribes the combo you're looking for. Be prepared, the initial consultation is costly.
Good Luck Xander! Feel free to post or babblemail any questions. If you want to tell me where you live and what good to excellent hospitals are close, I can try to do a similar search if you like. Also, I'm gonna try to find that article that got me started.
~Jade
poster:JadeKelly
thread:865523
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090313/msgs/886164.html