Posted by 49er on April 30, 2010, at 8:48:13
In reply to Re: Saw a new psychiatrist today. » 49er, posted by conundrum on April 29, 2010, at 15:53:03
> Thanks for the post. No I don't really put much stock in the DX. I've never had mood swings, when I was depressed before taking prozac I was just depressed no elated or euphoric moments.
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> While on Prozac I was in a good mood pretty much all the time, unless I had girl problems or someone in the family died. I was between 16-21 years old when I was on the med. Sometimes I'd also get down if I had nothing planned for the weekend, but nothing dramatically bad, not crying or anything. I'm just trying to think of the blue moments I had. Being on Prozac made me more confident as well and play music more. I don't know if that would have resolved on its own.
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> After coming off of prozac I was exposed to conspiracies and believed them. Looking back I know I wouldn't have any interest in them now. I was also very airy headed and into spiritual things like numerology and astrology. I remember towards the end of this time feeling love for the whole world.
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> Well for some reason oddly about a month after stopping ginkgo, which i was taking to help my memory, all these feelings stopped and I could no longer write music or feel anything towards my then g/f. All the spiritual feelings disappeared, eventually I became atheist and was able to rationally debunk the conspiracy theories. I pretty much had normal rational thought back but definitely more blunted.
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> Looknig back I think this period after prozac while taking ginkgo was a period of dopamine rebound. The time when I stopped ginkgo was also two years after I first stopped prozac so maybe it took awhile for the dopamine to go back down? I know that paranoia and religous feelings depend on dopamine.
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> So the psych thought this might indicate a mood stability problem and she said its not Bipolar just something below that.
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> The reason she suggested the Lyme test was because I mentioned joint pains.
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> I know the drugs made my memory worst, it was always great before then, but either way it might help me find something to help? I dunno. Atleast I can prove to my skeptical family that something is wrong.
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> 49er I know you're against psych drugs to an extent, but do you know if any drugs can improve cognitive problems? Before last year I was off prozac for about 6 years and was deteriorating. I hate it.
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Hi Conundrum,Your explanations make sense and I am glad to hear you're not putting much stock in her diagnosis.
I am sorry to hear that meds have worsened your memory. If you feel that neuropsych testing would be helpful as far as getting your family to understand, I definitely understand why it would appeal to you.
As far as drugs helping cognitive problems caused by psych meds, I honestly don't know of any. I know that Wellbutrin is thought of as one such drug but I feel that drug was a main culprit in my memory issues. Interestingly, a Georgia psychiatrist, agrees.
http://www.eveningpsychiatrist.com/side-effects.htm
What can be done for clouded thinking or reduced memory?
These symptoms do not usually go away by just waiting for the patient to get used to it. Reducing the dose or changing the medicine is usually the only solution. Literally, any of the medications can cause it. However, lithium and Wellbutrin are the most common medicines to cause these symptoms. There are multiple medicine alternatives to Lithium and Wellbutrin, if reducing the dose does not resolve the side effects or the reduction causes worsening of the condition that these medicines are treating.
And to be honest, it is trial and error with supplements as I have not found anything that is consistent in helping. It does seem that when I take fish oil capsules with higher DHA than EPA, that helps. But nothing spectacular.
I hope you find something that helps.
49er
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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100425/msgs/945701.html