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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 21 of 21. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Phillipa on March 1, 2007, at 23:26:54
When I joined babble two years ago we had fun even on the med thread now it seems like so much disagreeing going on . It's becoming almost a burden to come here. And what's happened to the names of the people in my address book I e-mail with who used to post here. Now we e-mail instead. And I know a lot of MAOI users and they work for them. But not that many docs will use them Fact. So where are the people who used to post on the SSRI's? I see remedyfind listed a lot here is that where they went? Love Phillipa
Posted by stargazer on March 2, 2007, at 0:35:57
In reply to Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?, posted by Phillipa on March 1, 2007, at 23:26:54
they went out to live their lives? You know when you feel better there is a whole big world out there that doesn't exist when you're so focused on getting better or how terrible you feel.
When your working and living a normal life, there is no time for PsychoBabble. Life is too busy and the time spent here is for those who are the worst off, I think. I know when I felt better I didn't have time to come here, too tired after working and the work stress wore me down. It's unrealistic to spend your free time here when you are feeling better. It would be a reminder of a worse time. Why relive that?
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on March 2, 2007, at 1:24:48
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? Perhaps..., posted by stargazer on March 2, 2007, at 0:35:57
Hey!
I still come here and I'm feeling better! Or at least partly. I like to come here to help other people and to get to know others from different backgrounds etc. I have friends here!
Kind regards
Meri
Posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 10:06:50
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? Perhaps... » stargazer, posted by Meri-Tuuli on March 2, 2007, at 1:24:48
I also found a lot of the posters post from work. Love Phillipa
Posted by TheMeanReds on March 2, 2007, at 12:08:36
In reply to Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?, posted by Phillipa on March 1, 2007, at 23:26:54
I have only been on this board a short time, but I notice alot of disagreements too. Or heated argurments, or fights...whatever they are. I have alot to say about my experiences with ssris. But my doc wont really say anything good about MAOIS. It's like a 'disco is dead' sort of response. It would be nice if you still posted here, it seems you put a light hearted feel to the board. =)
Posted by Quintal on March 2, 2007, at 14:09:22
In reply to Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?, posted by Phillipa on March 1, 2007, at 23:26:54
I've been following this board on and off for five years and I don't remember a time when peace and harmony prevailed throughout all babbleland. It's the nature of discussion that people will disagree and argue different viewpoints surely? Are you sure this isn't a sign that your depression is getting worse Phillipa, i.e., you might be noticing the negative more and being affected by it?
RemedyFind isn't a message board so people haven't gone there, and it's closing down now anyway and being replaced by Revolution Health, which fails to recognize any country exists outside America incidentally.
It seems to me people post about SSRIs and a wide variety of other drugs all the time, with the long-term MAOI users being a minority group.
Q
Posted by randermin on March 2, 2007, at 14:58:21
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » Phillipa, posted by TheMeanReds on March 2, 2007, at 12:08:36
thats awsome
Posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 18:29:55
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » Phillipa, posted by Quintal on March 2, 2007, at 14:09:22
Q No go back a year in the archives. We had many a laugh with the poster on strange behavior they were experiencing. Oh and Spriggy was always here with her ROLF's. When EMSAM was due to come out I started educating myself on it as I loved the idea of a patch. Something you could see. And then I started reading MAOI threads never did that before. And I do e-mail with a lot of posters who have left as they got fed up. I know Ed would start some great discussions too. There is another site a lot of babblers tried to get me to join forgot which but not psych central. Love Phillipa ps for what it's worth I forgot 5mg of valium today and don't notice a differenace. So thats a cut of half my valium in two weeks. Strange that I don't get the withdrawal others speak of.
Posted by Quintal on March 2, 2007, at 22:31:26
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » Quintal, posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 18:29:55
>for what it's worth I forgot 5mg of valium today and don't notice a differenace. So thats a cut of half my valium in two weeks.
That's probably because one day is not enough time for a such a long acting benzo like Valium to produce severe withdrawal symptoms, but I'm guessing you didn't notice too much of a difference because you're probably in a state of benzo withdrawal during much of the daytime anyway, and have been for some time by the sound of things.
>Strange that I don't get the withdrawal others speak of.
Phillipa, you describe yourself as suffering from severe anxiety, agoraphobia and monophobia (fear of being alone), depression and periods of dissociation - classic benzo withdrawal symptoms, but these seem to have become almost a routine part of your everyday life now so that you don't consider them as such. You didn't start out with all of those problems going by what I've read elsewhere, rather they've emerged after decades of use and probably as you lowered your dose? Doing a simple balance of benefits vs. drawbacks it would now seem benzos are causing more problems than they're helping, even though they did help for many years and they're among the safest, least toxic drugs in the pharmacopoeia and you never abused them. In fact it doesn't sound as if they're working at all beyond giving you a brief respite for a few hours at night, before the withdrawal symptoms begin afresh the next morning.
You keep asking me for help Phillipa, but I'm at loss of what to do since the best advice I can give you clearly isn't welcome. As far as I can see by continuing to defend your benzo use you're only trapping yourself into further suffering. I'm not suggesting you withdraw from them out of malice, scare-mongering or benzophobia, but because benzos seem to be causing you so much suffering now and I think you'd be calmer without them. I also suspect your mood would improve and that you may start to respond properly to antidepressants when you're no longer battling withdrawal symptoms.
For what it's worth I suggest as I have done before, that you cross-taper with Lyrica which should help relieve both your anxiety and your depression. I mean this post to be supportive, but that language doesn't trip off my tongue easily unfortunately, and I guess if I did that it might also give you room to dodge the problem again. I'm suggesting all of these things because I'd like to see you well and functioning again, and I think quitting benzos + Lyrica and antidepressant is most likely to do that.
Q
Posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 22:49:57
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » Phillipa, posted by Quintal on March 2, 2007, at 22:31:26
Q hence why my pdoc said to up the luvox thinking since it's the most sedating one it will work. She'd be quite unhappy to know I gone down in dose as she doesn't even know about the first 5mg. I'm saving them up for an experiment. And she said no to adding any more meds doesn't think I need any meds. And the PHD is going to work on behavioral techniques plus her two referrals didn't work out but there is an MD psychiatrist here not taking new patients at the time that deals in holistic too. Plus the endo seems to think that my thyroid going from hypo to hyper and then hypo adjusting the dose isn't helping. And my husband has been on the thyroid chat boards seems T3 needs cytomel as it changes rapidly while T4 is from the pituitary and has a long life that is what the synthroid treats only. So I have a lot of options. I never needed the benzos except .l25 of xanax for about 20 years before the hasimotos autoimmune got me. Love Phillipa.
Posted by dbc on March 3, 2007, at 9:38:01
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » Quintal, posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 22:49:57
Every board i read is pretty much SSRIs and benzo talk all the time. Benzo arguements more precisely, i dont think i can say anything more about those topics that i havent allready.
Posted by stargazer on March 3, 2007, at 20:21:24
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » Quintal, posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 22:49:57
Phillipa,
I know I mentioned Cytomel to you many months ago so that's no surprise that may be the missing link in your thyroid treatment. What took so long in realizing this as viable recommendation?
The most recent opinion I got said for anyone with thyroid issues, the thyroid is considered the primary disorder with any residual psych symptoms being treated secondarily.
I asked him about this specifically for your
situation.SG
Posted by Phillipa on March 3, 2007, at 20:53:35
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?/Phillipa, posted by stargazer on March 3, 2007, at 20:21:24
Stargazer sorry my husband got me off track when he started going to thyroid boards. And it was you wasn't it that sent me that thread? As now my neice is asking her endo for cytomel. So sorry about that. Love Phillipa
Posted by stargazer on March 4, 2007, at 14:14:47
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?/Phillipa » stargazer, posted by Phillipa on March 3, 2007, at 20:53:35
P...
Well at least you're following up on it. I had a few people tell me that Cytomel is the med that can really help balance things out esp with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.Again, why can't the docs we pay good money to, figure out what they should know about these unresponsive conditions...anyone can just prescribe synthroid and have you going back and forth for months or years, whatever it's been, while you lose your life waiting and hoping they know what they are doing.
Then at some point, through our own research, we tell the doctors what others say works for them, and then the docs listen to our suggestions, the meds get changed and we improve.
Why are these doctors even in business if they can't handle anything that is not routine medicine? Why can't they make a referral when 6 months has elapsed and you are no better than when you started with them. How do we find doctors that really know their stuff, it seems like this is a universal problem with complicated depression or in your case thyroidits.
SG
Posted by Phillipa on March 4, 2007, at 19:45:15
In reply to Doctors unable to treat complicated cases/Phillipa, posted by stargazer on March 4, 2007, at 14:14:47
But the worst part is when you give them the written research you've done they well we can't help you. Then what? As that Charge Nurse in the ER said she's been through all the endos here and finally found an internist and then it's back to square one. A therapist telling you to get out and do more and you'll be better, and a pdoc saying no take this med. I'm overwhelmed like you. Sometimes I just want to take my sleep meds and not wake up to the same old thing. Love Phillipa
Posted by KayeBaby on March 10, 2007, at 12:29:31
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » Quintal, posted by Phillipa on March 2, 2007, at 22:49:57
Hey Phillipa,
Have they said anything about adrenal function or has that been checked?You have some symptoms that could be your adrenal underfunctioning. Apparently sometimes when thyroid meds start causing what looks like hyperthyroid it can be weak adrenals/low cortisol.
Just a thought-maybe your husband has encountered this info?
Peace,
Kaye
Posted by Phillipa on March 10, 2007, at 19:24:50
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?, posted by KayeBaby on March 10, 2007, at 12:29:31
Endo did some blood work for the adrenals but this new pdoc doesn't think he did enough and my Mother had Addison's disease. Thanks Phillipa
Posted by bulldog2 on March 10, 2007, at 23:16:07
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » KayeBaby, posted by Phillipa on March 10, 2007, at 19:24:50
I've done some reading about adjusting thyroid. One doc says the adrenals must be adjusted first before the thyroid. If the adrenals are not addressed what happens is everytime the thyroid meds are increased to bring them into a more normal range the patient experiences to much anxiety and the thyroid meds have to be backed down. I'm not sure why or how they interact. From what I've read it's hard to find subtle adrenal problems. Some doc prescribe low dose hydrocortisone if they suspect adrenal problems. If the patient feels better than they know that's the problem. They don't go over 20 milligrams a day of hydrocortisone. They use that instead of pred because it has a much shorter half life and doesn't shut down the adrenal axis but does relieve some of the stress on the adrenal glands.
Posted by Phillipa on March 11, 2007, at 20:08:00
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?, posted by bulldog2 on March 10, 2007, at 23:16:07
Do you have a site you could send me? My Mother had Addisons disease. This endo did one adrenal test as I have a small pituitary tumor. Read by numerous radiologists who said it was nothing. Thanks Phillipa
Posted by bulldog2 on March 13, 2007, at 9:19:09
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else? » bulldog2, posted by Phillipa on March 11, 2007, at 20:08:00
There is a site called stop the thyroid madness. There's also a book called the "Yeast connection" which mentions thyroid and adrenals.
Posted by Phillipa on March 13, 2007, at 18:58:19
In reply to Re: Noticing a Trend Anyone Else?, posted by bulldog2 on March 13, 2007, at 9:19:09
Thanks bulldog. love Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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