Posted by AdamCanada2 on May 12, 2009, at 12:22:28
In reply to Re: Best meds for social anxiety (plus depression)? » AdamCanada2, posted by HyperFocus on May 7, 2009, at 21:13:22
thanks for suggestions andn the reminder of abilify. that is one i always wanted to try but not available here in canada. so i will have to order and my doc long time ago said it;'s fine if i did. so time to break the piggy bank and use up the rest of the cash i have left for this month from my measily government cheques.
> How long did you stay on the Parnate and at what dosage? Sometimes improvements can be non-linear - you get blips of improvement and then worsening over the course of a few weeks, but you can only decide what the drug does for you after a moderate amount on it at a sufficient dosage. A poster called JadeKelly had to wait a while for her Parnate to kick in but it did eventually and now she's improved tremendously. She augmented her Parnate with Ritalin - how does that sound to you? Mixing a stimulant with a MAOI can be dangerous however, so you have to find the right doctor who will administer it and monitor it.
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> Have you tried augmenting an AD with and AP? Augmenting with Abilify is all the rage now. The writer of this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/magazine/10Depression-t.html?_r=1&hp got a response with Abilify added to an AD after being severely depressed for many years. There are several APs that can be tried - Abilify, Zyprexa, Geodon, Riserdal, sulpiride, in combination with Prozac or Effexor or a TCA. Low dose sulpiride (50-200mg) has been reported to work for people with SP and improves dysthemia greatly. I tend to believe that the nature of SP and its concomitant disorders means that SSRIs or SNRIs or TCAs by themselves will not be effective.
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> Have you considered a mood stabilizer like Lamictal? Sometimes SP can develop as a result of bipolar II. You might be bipolar and not know it (I most likely am.) Read this: http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/02_diagnosis.html as well as other stuff on that site and see if it strikes a chord with you. You may need to take an AD augmented with Lamictal.
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> Social phobia is almost always accompanied by atypical depression, which is why it is so hard to treat. I know you're suffering but hang in there. There are too many drugs and drug treatment strategies out there to give up. I have had SP and atypical depression a long time as well and I know how bad it can get. You are not alone in this.
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> Oh yeah, currently I take 150mg amitriptyline, 150mg imipramine, and 200mg sulpiride. As for how I'm doing on this - well this week I started on an 'upshift' where I feel like I'm getting better.
> But I don't know if it will last. But I still have hope.
poster:AdamCanada2
thread:894612
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090505/msgs/895365.html