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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cee on August 17, 2010, at 12:46:37
hello and good day
my pdoc thinks iam high in the spectrum towards bi polar ,so i take 750mg of seroquel xr to keep my moods and anxiety in check. I am only 75% of the way to getting better. He has given me the choice of trying lithium ,pristiq ,ciprelex,parnate, to get me feeling better does any one have any insights
thanks again
cee
Posted by Phillipa on August 17, 2010, at 12:59:34
In reply to Seroquel and ?, posted by cee on August 17, 2010, at 12:46:37
Wouldn't lithium be the first choice? Phillipa
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 17, 2010, at 14:33:18
In reply to Re: Seroquel and ? » cee, posted by Phillipa on August 17, 2010, at 12:59:34
Those are all very different drugs. What remaining symptoms do you have that bother you? I think you might want to try making a list of problems you still have that you want/need to treat with meds. Then see if those problems are treatable with meds (some aspects of "mental illness" aren't easily treatable by meds). If they are, then see what med(s) on your list will treat your symptom(s) w/ the lowest side effect burden. Also, talk to your doc; I think its kind of odd that your doctor gave you a short-list with such a wide variety of psychotropics on it.
Good luck.
Posted by cee on August 17, 2010, at 16:35:19
In reply to Re: Seroquel and ?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 17, 2010, at 14:33:18
thanks for the great feed back I have made alist of my symtoms and will go over it with my pdoc and try to fine tune my ilness with the right drug. I think he is going to suggest lithium because of all the blood work that i just had done
My symptoms are anxiety,loss of confidence,not doing the things i love,heavy sedation due to the seroquel and weight gain I just feel troubledthanks for your posts they really help
cee
Posted by morgan miller on August 17, 2010, at 17:15:03
In reply to Seroquel and ?, posted by cee on August 17, 2010, at 12:46:37
So your doing pretty good on Seroquel I assume. 75 percent is pretty damn good, most people here would love to feel 75 percent better. That's great seroquel is working out for you, it seems to have a bad track record for a lot of people, including me.
What are your remaining symptoms? What has Seroquel taken care of and what is remaining that needs to be addressed?
It really depends on how you are feeling and what your symptoms are, but Cipralex stands out as the first drug I would try out of those you listed. You probably want to start off with a low dose, say 5 mg. Give 5 mg at least a 4 to 6 weeks and see if you notice the improvement you are looking for. Then increase to 10 mg if you are noticing some relief but feel like you need more.
I would also consider taking lithium orotate or aspartate. This way you can take very low doses and still possibly benefit from mood enhancement and neuroprotection.
You may also want to consider some supplements:
A good Multivitamin-a must-who knows what essential nutrients the medications we take are depleting-I know Lamictal depletes folate.
Fish oil-a must-better mood, more energy, brain health/protection, heart health/protection, eye health/protection, healthy cholesterol, may help better process fats
Magnesium Glycinate-also a must-for sleep or stressful days-should be taken almost daily-Magnesium assists in the production of serotonin and catecholamines dopamine and norepinephrine
Glycine-great for sound sleep-Also protects against glutamate excitotoxicity, something implicated in bipolar.
Holy Basil-New Chapter-smooth relaxing and uplifting herb-haven't used it lately but plan to add it back into my regimen-blood sugar control as added benefit-you may need this with Seroquel
Cordyceps-best to buy in bulk(need to find a good supplier) powder-may need up to 2 to 4 grams to notice mood/energy lift-I think I notice anxiety relief with this as well-has immune boosting and cancer preventative properties
Reishi-Paul Stamets' brand(expensive, maybe look for a more affordable but good brand)-may be good for sleep, mood and energy-has been shown to have immune boosting properties.
Schizandra-Planetary Herbals Schisandra Adrenal Complex-feeling a smooth energy and mood boost-subtle but good-also increases glutathione and is good for liver health-taking medication requires taking extra care of the liver
Ashwagandha-Himalaya Herbs-good for relaxation/sleep-may stimulate thyroid fuction-could be good for weight loss-modulates cortisol-improves immune health through Th1 immunity stimulation.
Rhodiola-New Chapter, 100 mg-I like the energy boost in low doses-could be overstimulating and agitating, but then again, some of the antidpressants you listed can do the same
Chyavanphrash-Himalaya Herbs-I may feel better from this, not sure with everything else I'm taking-Liver health, energy boosting, supports immune function, healthy blood sugar
You may also want to consider taking a good Resveratrol product to help with the potential blood sugar/insulin sensitivity issues that come with antipsychotics, including Seroquel
Sorry if I overwhelmed you, you were just asking for advice on the medications listed : )
Morgan
Posted by morgan miller on August 17, 2010, at 17:25:09
In reply to Re: Seroquel and ?, posted by cee on August 17, 2010, at 16:35:19
> thanks for the great feed back I have made alist of my symtoms and will go over it with my pdoc and try to fine tune my ilness with the right drug. I think he is going to suggest lithium because of all the blood work that i just had done
> My symptoms are anxiety,loss of confidence,not doing the things i love,heavy sedation due to the seroquel and weight gain I just feel troubled
>
> thanks for your posts they really help
> ceeIf you do take lithium, start with a low dose, 150 or 300 mg. A low dose without "therapeutic" blood levels, may work out just fine for you.
I think Cipralex could be very helpful for your symptoms, it may just take 2 or 3 months to really notice a full benefit from it.
I would consider adding lithium and taking between 300 to 600 mg, adding lexapro, and eventually wean off Seroquel. IMHO, Seroquel SUCKS! Again, JMHO.
Are you getting some good old therapy?
Morgan
Posted by cee on August 18, 2010, at 12:52:26
In reply to Re: Seroquel and ?, posted by morgan miller on August 17, 2010, at 17:15:03
Hello Morgan
wow excellent post it has to be one of the most helpful ones that i have read in a long time. Seroquel has taken care of my depression and anxiety for the most part but i still need to get the other 25% back that i used to have. i have decided to talk to my pdoc about taking ciprelex or lithium when we meet next week.You also had some great info on vitamins and herbs.
thanks
cee
Posted by morgan miller on August 18, 2010, at 13:47:23
In reply to Re: Seroquel and ? morgan millar, posted by cee on August 18, 2010, at 12:52:26
Glad I could help some. Your doctor will hopefully be the one who really helps you and get you on something that works.
Like I said before, you may want to start with a low dose of Cipralex, say 5 mg. Stay on this dose for a good month, especially if you start to get some relief. You may find that a dose as low as 5 mg with a powerful drug like Lexapro works just fine. Talk to your doc about it. Good luck!
Morgan
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