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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 7, 2005, at 1:18:58
Here are two things that get lost on this board and this is an important read for NEWBIES.
1. Every med affects everyone differently. We all have different body chemistry. What may be a miracle for me, may be a disaster for you. Or vice versa.
2. When people are talking about how a primary medicine makes them feel (for example, Effexor) and you are not getting the same results or perhaps even opposite results, sometimes that person may not be mentioning the other meds that he or she takes along with the primary medicine. That makes a big difference. Taking Effexor with Xanax and Neurontin and even a Tylenol PM is likely to have a different effect than taking Effexor alone.
Please keep these two things in mind when reading this message board. You have come to a good place! There are people in here who have been where you are, or even worse. These people want to help you, they want to share their knowledge. Use information on this board not as an absolute truth, but as a starting point for your own careful examination.
Posted by utopizen on December 7, 2005, at 9:58:06
In reply to Warning for NEWBIES to this board, posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 7, 2005, at 1:18:58
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your imperative introduction to this board. Especially for being so concise.
Yes, newbies, something to emphasize:
1. Life gets better, meds or no meds. The worse it is for you now, the more reason to believe this.
2. You are hear likely because you think a lot about meds.
While often healthy, keep in mind wise words said in a sympathetic tone of disbelief from a psychiatrist:
"You don't need to be your own psychopharmacologist."I wanted to cry right then.
It made too much sense, the kind of obvious sense that makes you want to cry because you have to be told something so obvious by a therapist that you can't believe you couldn't realize all on your own.
Read what Dr. Yalom said made him so happy he cried, a small book I hope many of you are familiar with already:
Letters to a Young Poet, by Rilke.In it, you will find refreshing relief from viewing life.
-----------------
And know that I for a few years had great social anxiety, that now is completely gone even without meds.I once danced for the first time in July, with a girl I met that night who was from Barcelona. I told my friends I never danced before.
They thought I had lied once I began twirling with her, and the dance floor was filled with people envious of me from accounts the next day by my friends.
So, my depression has been lifted for some time now.
I have the diagnoses of social anxiety disorder, ADD, depression.
I take Lexapro 30mg,
Aricept 5mg for Executive Dysfunction associated with ADD,
Prilosec for the GI side effects of the Aricept,
Desoxyn 20mg/day for ADD,
Klonopin 1mg Wafers 3x/day (Otherwise, Aricept will make me manic a bit, and Desoxyn makes me agitated/anxious-- this balances it all out)
Evoxac for dry mouth from Aricept and Desoxyn
30mg/3x/day(Careful-- Evoxac I take becaue I already have dry mouth. Most important is to take Flouride rinse every night, too.
Do not take Evoxac for the heck of it. If you have heart problems, it can be a serious drug for you and you should not take it).
Posted by jerrympls on December 7, 2005, at 14:48:03
In reply to Re: Warning for NEWBIES to this board » UgottaHaveHope, posted by utopizen on December 7, 2005, at 9:58:06
> I have the diagnoses of social anxiety disorder, ADD, depression.
>
> I take Lexapro 30mg,
>
> Aricept 5mg for Executive Dysfunction associated with ADD,
>
May I ask what "Executive Dysfunction" is?Thanks Jerry
Posted by Phillipa on December 7, 2005, at 19:00:22
In reply to Re: Warning for NEWBIES to this board » utopizen, posted by jerrympls on December 7, 2005, at 14:48:03
Good message to Newbies. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by vbAgent on December 8, 2005, at 0:34:26
In reply to Re: Warning for NEWBIES to this board » utopizen, posted by jerrympls on December 7, 2005, at 14:48:03
Quoted from The Pediatric Clinics of North America: "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder", October 1999 Edition:
"Executive function is a set of brain functions unique to humans that involves self-regulation, sequencing of behavior, flexibility, response inhibition, planning, and the organization of behavior. In short, it is the executive control center of the brain and allows us to think about ourselves, what may happen in the future, and how we can influence it."
You can now move towards defining executive dysfunction. Anyone diagnosed with ADD/ADHD may think of themselves as someone who displays poor self-control; is easily aroused; impulsive; inflexible; disorganized; difficulty planning for the future; lack of goal-oriented thinking and behavior.
*Note: "easily aroused" does NOT mean sexually stimulated. I think it means effective behavioral excitation. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Could YOU, the reader, have executive dysfunction? I know I'm a dysfunctional executive, but at least I'm wearing a suit, tie and leather loafers.
I'm unsure how that last bit got there. It can only mean it's time for bed.
Peace everyone...
--------------------------------------------
This could easily branch-off to a new post/thread.
Posted by utopizen on December 8, 2005, at 17:53:43
In reply to Re: Executive Function, posted by vbAgent on December 8, 2005, at 0:34:26
I just happened to do a whole presentation on executive dysfunction in psychopharma today =)
25-50% of ADDers have it.
It's this simple: Selectively being able to attend to a task means selectively NOT attending to an alternate task at the same given time.
ADD is, in essence, doing what is most attractive to you. This is clinically a problem because what is most attractive is not always most productive.
Executive Dysfunction is involved in the following such GOAL-ORIENTED tasks:
--Time management
--Inhibition of impulsitivity
--Planning ahead
--Staying on task
--Switching in-out of a given task to maintain productive, goal-oriented behavior.The key word: GOAL-ORIENTED behavior is selectively attended to in healthy subjects, and this is achieved by the healthy brain only because non-goal-oriented behavior is selectively NOT attended to and shunted out as to focus on the goal-oriented task.
=)
Posted by fires on December 8, 2005, at 21:00:46
In reply to Warning for NEWBIES to this board, posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 7, 2005, at 1:18:58
> Here are two things that get lost on this board and this is an important read for NEWBIES.
>
> 1. Every med affects everyone differently. We all have different body chemistry. What may be a miracle for me, may be a disaster for you. Or vice versa.
>
> 2. When people are talking about how a primary medicine makes them feel (for example, Effexor) and you are not getting the same results or perhaps even opposite results, sometimes that person may not be mentioning the other meds that he or she takes along with the primary medicine. That makes a big difference. Taking Effexor with Xanax and Neurontin and even a Tylenol PM is likely to have a different effect than taking Effexor alone.
>
> Please keep these two things in mind when reading this message board. You have come to a good place! There are people in here who have been where you are, or even worse. These people want to help you, they want to share their knowledge. Use information on this board not as an absolute truth, but as a starting point for your own careful examination.
Even when I told my previous pdoc that I was aware of what you stated, she told me to avoid all internet sites like this one. She said there's just too much misinformation and too much negativity re: meds.
Posted by vbAgent on December 9, 2005, at 0:02:53
In reply to Re: Warning for NEWBIES to this board » UgottaHaveHope, posted by fires on December 8, 2005, at 21:00:46
>> Even when I told my previous pdoc that I was aware of what you stated, she told me to avoid all internet sites like this one. She said there's just too much misinformation and too much negativity re: meds.
That is sound advice from a good psychiatrist. Everyone uses this site at their own risk. If a person understands the disclaimer, among other things, they can most certainly benefit from the mutual support and education offered by Dr. Bob's web site.
Posted by vbAgent on December 9, 2005, at 1:00:28
In reply to Re: Executive Function, posted by utopizen on December 8, 2005, at 17:53:43
The executive in charge of my function must be on sabbatical. What else explains the reason that I have been acting like an alzheimers's patient?
For example, I place my keys on the kitchen counter and walk away. No later than 30 seconds pass and I walk around my cramped apartment trying to find my keys! Where are they? Then, I think about where my cell phone is. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, I know my keys are on the kitchen counter. Mission #1 accomplished. So, I'm continuing to walk around to get ready for work when out of nowhere, as if from another dimension,I slowly insert my left hand in my coat pocket and find my cell phone; which was placed there before I walked into the kitchen with my keys.
Incidents like this are happening to me more frequentely. Something 'aint right. Maybe it's a problem with working memory...but I know what happend. Working memory isn't working at all. He's on sabbatical along with the executive.
Is this what happens to an adult ADDer who is under a lot of stress? They get CRS (Can't Remember Sh*t) disease? Extreme absentmindedness? Well, not remembering where you just put something is simply frustrating to no end.
Anyway, I'm rambling nonsense because I'm getting sleepy. Time for bed.
Take care people... :-)
Posted by utopizen on December 12, 2005, at 18:37:09
In reply to RE: Executive Function ..... (Read My Comedy!) » utopizen, posted by vbAgent on December 9, 2005, at 1:00:28
I don't get it.
Executive Functions occur at the Central Executive (CE).
It's a part of your brain. It's in the prefrontal cortex.
I think you're confusing terms with something else....
Posted by vbAgent on December 20, 2005, at 20:57:50
In reply to RE: Executive Function ..... (Read My Comedy!) » vbAgent, posted by utopizen on December 12, 2005, at 18:37:09
> I don't get it.
>
> Executive Functions occur at the Central Executive (CE).
>
> It's a part of your brain. It's in the prefrontal cortex.
>
> I think you're confusing terms with something else....I probably was confused. Thanks for heads up. I should steer clear of this site after taking Ambien b/c that post was just a little jacked up.
Posted by jerrympls on December 22, 2005, at 1:47:42
In reply to Re: Executive Function, posted by utopizen on December 8, 2005, at 17:53:43
> I just happened to do a whole presentation on executive dysfunction in psychopharma today =)
>
> 25-50% of ADDers have it.
>
> It's this simple: Selectively being able to attend to a task means selectively NOT attending to an alternate task at the same given time.
>
> ADD is, in essence, doing what is most attractive to you. This is clinically a problem because what is most attractive is not always most productive.
>
> Executive Dysfunction is involved in the following such GOAL-ORIENTED tasks:
>
> --Time management
> --Inhibition of impulsitivity
> --Planning ahead
> --Staying on task
> --Switching in-out of a given task to maintain productive, goal-oriented behavior.
>
> The key word: GOAL-ORIENTED behavior is selectively attended to in healthy subjects, and this is achieved by the healthy brain only because non-goal-oriented behavior is selectively NOT attended to and shunted out as to focus on the goal-oriented task.
>
> =)VERY interesting! Thank you for the post!
Jerry
Posted by jerrympls on December 22, 2005, at 1:53:24
In reply to Re: Warning for NEWBIES to this board » UgottaHaveHope, posted by fires on December 8, 2005, at 21:00:46
>
> Even when I told my previous pdoc that I was aware of what you stated, she told me to avoid all internet sites like this one. She said there's just too much misinformation and too much negativity re: meds.I strongly feel that sites like this are VERY VERY helpful for a certain population of the mentally ill - IF they heed any and all disclaimers (especially on this board). For example, I would never increase my Lexapro just because another poster said that 30mg of Lexapro worked better for her than 20mg. Instead, I would talk to my doc and say "I've read that for some people a higher dosage of Lexapro works better - do you think this may be something to consider for me?"
I do not agree with your doctor when she says to avoid any and all internet sites like this one. The doctor, if a good one, should be advocating patient education not supressing it.
That's my 2 cents.
Jerry
Posted by fires on December 22, 2005, at 11:50:22
In reply to Re: Warning for NEWBIES to this board » fires, posted by jerrympls on December 22, 2005, at 1:53:24
> >
> > Even when I told my previous pdoc that I was aware of what you stated, she told me to avoid all internet sites like this one. She said there's just too much misinformation and too much negativity re: meds.
>
> I strongly feel that sites like this are VERY VERY helpful for a certain population of the mentally ill - IF they heed any and all disclaimers (especially on this board). For example, I would never increase my Lexapro just because another poster said that 30mg of Lexapro worked better for her than 20mg. Instead, I would talk to my doc and say "I've read that for some people a higher dosage of Lexapro works better - do you think this may be something to consider for me?"
>
> I do not agree with your doctor when she says to avoid any and all internet sites like this one. The doctor, if a good one, should be advocating patient education not supressing it.
>
> That's my 2 cents.
>
> JerryI understand your point regarding doses.
The pdoc who made the comment is now Chief Resident of outpatient treatment at a major university. She made some critical mistakes regarding my care.
In spite of the disclaimers here, I'm baffled why some posters ask if anyone had a good experience with _______ med. The med would not be available if some people didn't have good responses. Are they hoping that a sufficiently large number of people will respond so that they can come up some kind of consensus?
When I was taking Effexor, I have to admit that I was somewhat concerned about the seemingly endless posts regarding the bad reactions to it. Also, folks who don't know better might come to the false conclusion that Effexor causes extreme discontinuation effects in most patients, when severe discontinuation symptoms to Effexor are relatively rare.
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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