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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 20 to 44 of 44. Go back in thread:
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:23:08
In reply to my suggestions..., posted by med_empowered on February 28, 2006, at 1:58:21
> I guess I'd say try it up to 8, 9 weeks at your current dosage (Prozac works slowly, so you'll need a longer trial to really see whether it'll help or not).
Oh God, 4 more weeks of waiting.
> If you can't take zyprexa, maybe Abilify? Or Geodon? Seroquel? I don't like APs myself, but they do help a lot of people.
I would like to try Abilify but it's not available in Canada. Seroquel also makes me lactate. I don't know if Geodon is available in Canada ... I will check.
> I don't know how you feel about vitamin therapy, but it might help. Apparently, alot of people w/ depression also have low-levels of some B-vitamins, so maybe a high-potency B-complex, plus a multi-vitamin? I doubt it'll hurt anything, and the cost is pretty minimal.Yup, I take a high-potency B complex, zinc, selenium, fish oil and a few others.
> Did you respond well to the stimulant? Stimulants were often used in depression, and are still used (along with mood-stabilizers and/or antidepressants) for low spirits...it may be worth while to give Adderall/Dexedrine, perhaps Ritalin, another shot. (Here in the US, I think the usual preferred add-on stim for depression is Ritalin, then the amphetamines...Provigil is also emerging as a viable option).
I was on Adderall and it helped. But now my pdoc doesn't want to prescribe it for me anymore.
> Adding BuSpar might help; it isn't the greatest med in world, but it can help out some people..it can also help w/ some SSRI side effects, so thats a good thing. Mirapex and other dopamine agonists may also be worth a shot.Mirapex is being added on Friday
> Adding a mood-stabilizer might help. Personally, I think it **could** help, but you'd need to watch the dosage; too much and you could end up with a low-grade, drug-induced depression (or generalized apathy and slow-mindedness). I'd go for Trileptal or Lamictal personally, but I imagine depakote and lithium could help a lot, too.I take a low dose of Trileptal ... 450 mg.
> Have you tried Wellbutrin?Yup twice and it made me psychotic both times.:-(
> Good luck!
Thanks
Maxime
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:25:09
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by JaclinHyde on February 28, 2006, at 4:05:39
Thanks, I was on an MAOI and then it stopped working. Doctors think it because I added the trileptal.
Effexor made me manic.
Thanks for your support.
Maxime
> Your problem obviously is NOT serotonin so don't let him start that dumb med-go-round. There is the snri (Effexor) which hits norepinephrine as well as serotonin. That might be a viable option. And then of course I have to say it: MAOI all the way.
>
> What ever you decide we are here to support you!
>
> JH
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:26:54
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by greywolf on February 28, 2006, at 7:09:25
Yes, NArdil made me very ill. Parnate worked but then stopped working.
Maxime
> I don't know if you've gone the MAOI route yet. If you haven't, I'd highly recommend giving it some thought. After being on just about every SSRI, NDRI, SRNI, and TCA out there, I tried Nardil and found it to be relatively effective with few SEs. Even though it has not been the answer long term, Nardil certainly brought some relief to my life for many months.
>
>
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:30:02
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by Meri-Tuuli on February 28, 2006, at 9:08:03
I agree with you. I do CBT exercises from various books. I try to stay positive, which is almost impossible right now. I know there is no med out there that is going to make me better. I will always have issues to deal with.
I wish I had the money to get away from my environment.
Maxime
> Perhaps there is something in your environment that is causing your depression? I find I get suicidal with stress, so I therefore look at ways to reduce my stress levels..... I went through a period trying to find the 'prefect med' that would work wonders for me....I mean its easier to blame a chemical imbalance and to think that 'if only I found the right med/combo..' rather than face up to the idea that it might be your circumstances/history/hurtful thought patterns... Have you tried CBT? Sometimes, I think, its about control. If you have a painful living environment eg being isolated, unemployed etc etc, its often easier to try and change the things that we think we have control over, ie our medication, whilst ignoring the things that we think we can't change, eg unemployment, being stuck in the house. So we channel our engeries into finding the prefect med .
>
> Anyway at any rate, I truly sympathize with you - its horrible. Being depressed in itself is depressing!! And thinking you're going to be like this forever. But try and focus on the things that make you feel good - a walk on a sunny day etc. I try to view medication as only part of the whole picture - there are other things that can help, eg CBT, omega 3 oils, exercise, changing your environment. Little by little things will come together.....have you thought about St John's wort???? I'm taking it, and I have to say, its the best 'med' I've ever taken.....and no side effects!
>
> I'm really sorry you're going through this. I hope we can all help you through this difficult time.
>
> ~Meri
>
>
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:32:21
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by fenix on February 28, 2006, at 4:54:11
> To bother with something that doesn't help you will only make you worse and , in the least, keep you the same.
>
> This extends to family members as well.Ha! you are right on both counts.
Maxime
Posted by JaclinHyde on February 28, 2006, at 12:08:56
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » JaclinHyde, posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:25:09
That's right...sorry, I forgot you said that. So what about switching the trileptal to Topamax? They don't interact with each other and you'll lose a ton of weight to boot.
JH
Posted by TylerJ on February 28, 2006, at 12:10:59
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by JaclinHyde on February 28, 2006, at 10:20:42
> Just my humble opinion here but if you are that down that you are suicidal, St. John's Wort is a bit too weak. All it is is a natural SSRI. If you are that down you need industrial strengh medication. Don't know if you mentioned this before but have you ever tried an MAOI? You sound the way I did 25 years ago when there was nothing left to try but the MAOI's. I was terrified of it because of the dietary restrictions. But you know what? I was MORE terrified of living another day in the hell that was my depression/panic attacks/hypochondria. I am totally convinced that if I had not taken that first scarey step I wouldn't be here today. I push these drugs whenever I can because I know that they will bring you a miracle. And honey, you deserve it.
>
> JHShe's right, I totally agree...you need something much stronger than st. john's wort. maybe a good trial w/ one of the maoi's..they usually work when nothing else does.
Ty
Posted by JaclinHyde on February 28, 2006, at 12:14:30
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » greywolf, posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:26:54
The new and improved (haha) Nardil has made a lot of people sick. I know I keep posting these links but they really needs to be seen....
http://www.stratguitar.com/nmember/nardil.php
and....
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/rx/pfizer_nardil.html
JH
Posted by TylerJ on February 28, 2006, at 12:49:39
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » JaclinHyde, posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:25:09
> Thanks, I was on an MAOI and then it stopped working. Doctors think it because I added the trileptal.
>
> Effexor made me manic.
>
> Thanks for your support.
>
> Maxime
>
>
> > Your problem obviously is NOT serotonin so don't let him start that dumb med-go-round. There is the snri (Effexor) which hits norepinephrine as well as serotonin. That might be a viable option. And then of course I have to say it: MAOI all the way.
> >
> > What ever you decide we are here to support you!
> >
> > JH
>
>
Do you have to be on the triletal?Tyler
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on February 28, 2006, at 13:06:42
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by JaclinHyde on February 28, 2006, at 10:20:42
> Just my humble opinion here but if you are that down that you are suicidal, St. John's Wort is a bit too weak. All it is is a natural SSRI.
Well, actually, they don't know how it works, but people seem to think that it acts like a very weak MAOI.
It might be too weak in Maxime's case, but on the other hand, if she's running out of meds to try.... and it has helped me far more than any of the SSRIs/SNRIs/WEllbutrin ever did. Plus I live in the UK and basically, it is very hard to get your hands on a MAOI/benzos....
Posted by ed_uk on February 28, 2006, at 15:38:26
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » fenix, posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 11:32:21
RE the SJW
Maxie,
Have you ever tried St John's Wort?
Ed xxx
Posted by fires on February 28, 2006, at 20:06:24
In reply to Should I bother anymore????, posted by Maxime on February 27, 2006, at 19:25:55
My 2 cents worth (generally considered somewhat radical):
Has your MD considered other possible causes of Dep.? Not just the horses, but also the zebras?
I'm always amazed how many treatment resistant folks have never had adequate workups.
PS - An unrelated story about zebras: When working with autistic children, a teacher of aut. children informed me that one of her students was NOT autistic. He was found to be profoundly deaf. He was 9 years old! The teacher made the discovery, not medical pros or his parents!
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 22:21:27
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by JaclinHyde on February 28, 2006, at 12:08:56
> That's right...sorry, I forgot you said that. So what about switching the trileptal to Topamax? They don't interact with each other and you'll lose a ton of weight to boot.
>
> JHI go psychotic on Topomax (twice).
Maxime
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 22:25:26
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by TylerJ on February 28, 2006, at 12:10:59
Yup, I was on Parnate and it pooped out on me. But doctors think it's because of the Trileptal I take.
Maxime
> She's right, I totally agree...you need something much stronger than st. john's wort. maybe a good trial w/ one of the maoi's..they usually work when nothing else does.
>
> Ty
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 22:27:09
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » Maxime, posted by ed_uk on February 28, 2006, at 15:38:26
Yup. Different brands. None of them worked. Nada.
Maxime xxx
> RE the SJW
>
> Maxie,
>
> Have you ever tried St John's Wort?
>
> Ed xxx
Posted by Maxime on February 28, 2006, at 22:31:21
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » Maxime, posted by fires on February 28, 2006, at 20:06:24
Yes and no. He thought it might be chronic fatigue syndrome, but then he dismissed it. Then I was suppose to see an endocrinologist who specialises in psychiatric disoders and hormones. But I never got to see her.
Maxime
> My 2 cents worth (generally considered somewhat radical):
>
> Has your MD considered other possible causes of Dep.? Not just the horses, but also the zebras?
>
> I'm always amazed how many treatment resistant folks have never had adequate workups.
>
>
>
> PS - An unrelated story about zebras: When working with autistic children, a teacher of aut. children informed me that one of her students was NOT autistic. He was found to be profoundly deaf. He was 9 years old! The teacher made the discovery, not medical pros or his parents!
>
>
>
Posted by MidnightBlue on March 1, 2006, at 23:07:09
In reply to Should I bother anymore????, posted by Maxime on February 27, 2006, at 19:25:55
Maxime,
Sorry to hear you have been so sick. I'm actually doing better! Hang in there!
Hugs,
MidnightBlue
Posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 11:47:07
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore????, posted by MidnightBlue on March 1, 2006, at 23:07:09
> Maxime,
>
> Sorry to hear you have been so sick. I'm actually doing better! Hang in there!
>
> Hugs,
> MidnightBlueI'm glad you are doing better. What helped?
Maxime
Posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 15:19:03
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » MidnightBlue, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 11:47:07
I've lactated on the desipramine now. I am so fed up!!!! I hope I have a malignant growth on my pituatary gland and that I die.
Maxime
Posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2006, at 18:37:48
In reply to MOO!, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 15:19:03
Maxie not trying to be funny or mean but I really do have a microadenoma on my pituitary gland. The docs said not the worry about it. Have you had an MRI of your pituitary? Thats where they fond the little tumor. Love Phillipa
Posted by MidnightBlue on March 3, 2006, at 14:45:29
In reply to Re: Should I bother anymore???? » MidnightBlue, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 11:47:07
Maxime,
Well, the Ambien still helps with sleep. That is most necessary. I have to stop it every two weeks or so for a couple nights so it will keep working. I try VERY HARD to get 7 hours sleep most nights. Better sleep, better mood. Also I am up to 6 Omega Brite capsules a day and I try to sit near a full spectrum light most of the day.
Otherwise no antidepressent for now. I still am not 100%, but I'm at least 80% Also--and this sounds dumb, but I've been crocheting.
MB
> > Maxime,
> >
> > Sorry to hear you have been so sick. I'm actually doing better! Hang in there!
> >
> > Hugs,
> > MidnightBlue
>
> I'm glad you are doing better. What helped?
>
> Maxime
Posted by MidnightBlue on March 3, 2006, at 14:46:39
In reply to MOO!, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 15:19:03
I hope you have a benign one they can easily remove!
> I've lactated on the desipramine now. I am so fed up!!!! I hope I have a malignant growth on my pituatary gland and that I die.
>
> Maxime
Posted by ed_uk on March 3, 2006, at 16:57:15
In reply to MOO!, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 15:19:03
Hi Maxie
Dopamine agonists usually inhibit lactation very quickly. Cabergoline, quinagoline and bromocriptine are all effective. Ropinirole (ReQuip) and pramipexole (Mirapex) would also be expected to lower prolactin and inhibit lactation, but they haven't been studied for this purpose.
Love
Ed
Posted by ed_uk on March 3, 2006, at 16:58:29
In reply to MOO!, posted by Maxime on March 2, 2006, at 15:19:03
Sending you a big hug. I'm sorry things are so bad for you at the moment.
Ed xxx
Posted by Maxime on March 3, 2006, at 18:19:21
In reply to PS Maxie, posted by ed_uk on March 3, 2006, at 16:58:29
> Sending you a big hug. I'm sorry things are so bad for you at the moment.
>
> Ed xxxThanks Ed. I needed it. :-)
Maxime xxx
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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