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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
It would be nice to hear some good stories or about people who have had good experiences on medications once in a while. I remember a year ago someone posted a collection of posters who had success stories, but I couldn't find it.
I remember JohnL was one of them, but then his disappearance around the time Prozac went off patent coupled by the fact he seemed to respond to a combo of Zyprexa and Prozac (both Lilly products) made me think maybe he was a pharmrep (but I doubt it looking over his posts now.)
Anyways... if anyone feels like sharing some good news about meds I'd love to hear it... I feel I've wasted a great deal of my life futzing with these meds and looking endlessly for a perfect combo. Always tinkering and never knowing quite what was good enough and where normal neurosis ended and true pathology began. Like maybe I should have been accepting my condition and learning how to cope better instead..
I don't know..
Posted by tensor on December 17, 2002, at 4:33:28
In reply to Medication Success Stories, posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
Hi,
I had a working combo that worked pretty well for several years, Remeron and a small dose of Prozac, it actully saved me when my world collapsed. Remeron for depression and Prozac to keep my panic disorder under control. Later I swithched Prozac to clonazepam to better cope with my social phobia and that was a very good combo for me. Until recently :( Now it doesn't work anymore so the success story ends there. But atleast it gave me some proof that a combo exists to live normally, if only for a couple of years..
I don't know your story, but my neurosis kept me in bed and now it does it again but why accept such a condition? I know how you feel and it is really frustrating to not be able to show your full potential. I'm in the same boat right now searching for a combo so I can continue my studies.
Keep going..
/tensor
Posted by Ritch on December 17, 2002, at 8:21:07
In reply to Medication Success Stories, posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
Scott, I am not exactly on the "perfect combo" because of a combination of neuro-psychiatric problems that overlap and a willingness to experiment with different meds, but I have found some meds that do WORK for some specific things anyhow. Depakote definitely works better than *anything* else I have tried for temper problems. Klonopin definitely PREVENTS panic attacks from occurring. I suppose solving half of my troubles is better than solving none. :)
Posted by TerryW on December 17, 2002, at 13:09:44
In reply to Medication Success Stories, posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
I have had good success on two different occassions. Paxil and Wellbutrin worked well for me 1-1/2 years ago. Currently, Lexapro and Ativan (and possibly Wellbutrin in a month if the sexual side effects do not improve) are doing well, though I am only a month into the Lex treatment. I am lukcy as I seem to respond well to most medications. I do not expect one or any combination of drugs to be perfect 100% of the time or absolutely fail-proof, but I am thankful every day that I have the medications and wish I hadn't waited so long to get back on them.
From reading many of the posts here I have come to believe that greater success MIGHT be better obtained by receiving medication and treatment from a psychiatrist or others with more specializd training, rather than a general practicioner. (Of course, I realize that every person will respond differently to different drugs regardless of who prescribed them.)
Wishing everyone else success,
Terry
Posted by Eddie Sylvano on December 17, 2002, at 17:02:40
In reply to Medication Success Stories, posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
It's not a perfect solution, but 400mg of Tegretol a day has significantly reduced my symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and depersonalization...
No tegretol: sharp abdominal pain and surreality
tegretol: mild abdominal pain and normalacy.The tradeoff seems to be lowered libido and flatter emotions, but it's better than the alternative.
Posted by vagen on December 18, 2002, at 5:40:58
In reply to Medication Success Stories, posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
I think relying on medication alone is wrong for me. The medication allows me to learn coping skills so that I can be a productive member of society.
Getting to that point, on the hand, is a long arduous process racked with both physical and emotional pain, stress on the family, and not to mention what we go through.
I have been trying to find the right combo. It kinda stinks that we can’t just take the one thing and wham, we are all better. Even so, the damage we sustain while cycling is something we have to learn to repair later. Or, find ways to avoid it.
Today, I can be this positive because I can see.
The meds are my glasses.
I am taking wellabutrin and depakote.
It’s working for now. I get scared it might stop. But, I decided that we only have this moment anyway, so why push it.
Posted by contemplative1 on February 15, 2004, at 18:23:30
In reply to Medication Success Stories, posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
I agree with the sentiment. It is nice to have an equal amount of postive and negative feedback on a drug to muddle through as opposed to the horrifying experiences found here. Although I do understand the basic underlying motivation for posting when feeling awful vs not posting when feeling good.
My postive experiences so far:
Celexa -
Worked pretty fast and helped with social phobia and anxiety. Only side effect was lack of sexual desire. Quit after 1.5 years due to fact this drug is impossible to find in Costa Rica where I was living.
Paxil w/ Lithium to augment -
Loved this drug in the beginning as it did what Celexa did however with same sides and withdrawals were particularly nasty. I actually decided to go off this out of fear of the withdrawals. Logic being that it would be easier now than months/years later.
I was prescribed Prozac to ease the witdrawals and ended up loving it so much I stayed on it for awhile. And I experienced zero Paxil withdrawals due to the Prozac. I really want to emphasize the value in using Prozac to get off tougher SSRI's such as Celexa and Paxil.
Prozac -
Was the best of all worlds. Even though I was afraid that the activating effects would be too much for me, I actually found this to be motivating and soothing, a nice combo I might add. Covered what the above did without the flatness or apathy that tends to accompany SSRIs. The sexual sides were less. I added Lamictal to offset some of the hypomania and this helped.
Neurontin -
I was prescribed this for an essential tremor and it unexpectedly helped me tremendously with quality of sleep and anxiety.
I decided to go off Prozac and fair the weather without SSRIs for the first time in 5 years to see if there was a monster lurking below the surface as I cannot recall what I was like pre-SSRI. Prozac was much easier to get off of than Paxil and Celexa.
I went up on the Neurontin and began taking it during the day as needed. After 6 weeks without any sign of Prozac withdrawals I hit the skids. In the early afternoon I became short tempered and irritable and quite depressed. I found that going up on the Neurontin during the day helped but feared that this was masking the underlying problem not solving it. I convinced my psychodoc to let me try Remeron and after the first dose of 15Mg I slept 18 of the next 24 hours and 48 hours later, which brings me to today, I am still zombified.
The next thing on the list is Abilify or bust and go back to Prozac.
Posted by leo33 on February 15, 2004, at 23:20:16
In reply to Re: Medication Success Stories, posted by contemplative1 on February 15, 2004, at 18:23:30
I tell ya, it is/would be refreshing to hear some positive stories. I'd tell ya one, if I had one on medications.
Posted by Sad Panda on February 16, 2004, at 3:29:37
In reply to Medication Success Stories, posted by Mr.Scott on December 17, 2002, at 0:32:53
> I remember JohnL was one of them, but then his disappearance around the time Prozac went off patent coupled by the fact he seemed to respond to a combo of Zyprexa and Prozac (both Lilly products) made me think maybe he was a pharmrep (but I doubt it looking over his posts now.)
>LOL!, If you follow my posts I look like a Remeron salesman. :)
I suffer from atypical depression mostly. I'm feeling pretty happy on 225mg of Efexor + 30mg of Remeron. I just need some drive & motivation & I'll be fine.
Cheers,
Panda.
This is the end of the thread.
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