Posted by Tomatheus on October 9, 2013, at 13:15:09
In reply to Re: has anyone had any success with mensah medical ?, posted by kaylah on October 9, 2013, at 2:40:56
Hello again Kaylah,
To answer your question, I would say that it seems at this point that pursuing orthomolecular treatment was worth it for me. I've been taking vitamin D for a little less than two months now, and although I haven't seen any improvements in my positive psychotic symptoms, I have noticed some improvements in my energy level and sleep, and especially in my concentration. The benefits that I've noticed from this vitamin D trial have outlasted those of every supplement trial that I've gone through since the onset of my psychotic symptoms, and although I don't know for sure what my long-term response to vitamin D is going to look like, I'm optimistic that I'll continue to notice at least some benefits from taking the vitamin over the long haul.
At this point, I haven't decided whether or not to return to the orthomolecular treatment center that I was seen at for a follow-up visit. Because I had already tried the nutrient treatments for what the orthomolecular psychiatrists call a "pyrrole disorder" or "pyroluria" without success (and because my pyrroles were just barely above the reference range), I have at this point decided not to take the pyroluria-relevant supplements that the orthomolecular doctor ordered for me. I might just continue on with the vitamin D that I've been taking and ask my regular psychiatrist if he'd be willing to order a vitamin D blood level test a little later on so I can know what impact supplementing with the vitamin has had on my blood levels. But even though I might not return to the orthomolecular clinic that I went to for a follow-up visit, I have no regrets about going in for the initial visit. I don't know if I would have ever suspected that any of my psychiatric symptoms might be related to vitamin D insufficiency if I hadn't gone into the orthomolecular clinic and undergone the tests that they ordered, so because the tests came up with something that I wasn't even expecting, I would say that in my case that the money I put into orthomolecular treatment was well spent. Or at least it seems like it was well spent at this point, given the fact that I'm still responding to the vitamin D that I'm taking.
All in all, deciding whether or not to be seen at an orthomolecular clinic can be a gamble of sorts, because as you said, the treatment sessions are costly, and it can be hard to predict how effective the treatments will be. At this point, I don't feel that I'm ready to try reducing the dose of the Abilify that I'm taking, because I still have some residual positive psychotic symptoms to contend with, even with the Abilify and the vitamin D. I've actually noticed a worsening of some of my psychotic symptoms (namely my sound hallucinations and what I call my pseudohallucinations) at times since starting vitamin D, so taking the vitamin definitely hasn't increased the likelihood of me successfully discontinuing my antipsychotic. But there does seem to be some evidence that low vitamin D levels and psychotic disorders may be related to one another, so perhaps my positive psychotic symptoms will eventually improve on the vitamin D, even though they seemed to get a little worse initially. And maybe, just maybe, at least reducing the dose of my Abilify will become more likely for me as time goes by.
Well, this concludes my response. I wish you luck with your treatment, including orthomolecular treatment, assuming that you decide to pursue it. Please feel free to let me know if you have any more questions for me.
T.
Has an affective psychosis (schizoaffective disorder) with strong symptoms of fatigue, hypersomnia, and difficulty concentrating
Taking Abilify, niacin, vit. D
poster:Tomatheus
thread:1051827
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20130319/msgs/1051904.html