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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 zonked on September 26, 2011, at 15:48:19
In Partial/Full Remission: There is full remission when there is an absence of symptoms for at least two months. For partial remission, full criteria for a major depressive episode are no longer met, or there are no substantial symptoms but two months have not yet passed.Let's see how I do in two months. What I can tell you is that if I get up late or forget to apply AndroGel I do not feel like this. It's as if it is required for me to sustain a response (I'm supposed to apply it daily after a shower anyway!)
About an hour later, I notice a general calm and feeling that my obstacles are surmountable.. that lasts all day. I finally don't have to skimp; I have enough packets to last until my October 1 refill.
I strongly suggest any men still struggling with TRD to look at their testosterone levels as a potential missing piece. I know there is also some evidence for T-replacement for women as well, but I don't know much about it. I'd personally stay away from whatever, say, Suzanne Somers says and look at the research.
A part of me wonders if, after a long time of stability, I could taper the Nardil.
Weird, what it took this time.
The ADD problem is what I'm facing most; and until there's a way to prevent tolerance to stimulants I will just have to deal.
Some of that improves with T-therapy as well. When I eat healthy and exercise, even better; although those two are sort of hit and miss with me (eating healthy DOES cost more) and I prefer to exercise at a gym which I lack the dough for until I get hired somewhere.
The 40 or so pounds I've gained since I started Nardil isn't the best thing in the world, but I told myself and my doctor that if that's what I have to do to live normally, I'll live with it.
We'll see how I do consistently over the next two months. It's been a rocky road this time, so I wanted to thank Babble. I don't dare post about this stuff on Facebook for obvious reasons. Stigma is real. Reviewing my posts can help serve as a reminder for how I've done over time.
-z
Posted by floatingbridge on September 26, 2011, at 16:06:42
In reply to On my way to remission (I hope), posted by zonked on September 26, 2011, at 15:48:19
Hey Zonked, good news :-)
I forget if you have tried emsam. I ask only because I have ADD too, and it's wicked for me, but I don't want to go back to stimulant therapy. The emsam actually helps a little with my ADD.
I am so glad you are feeling improvements. That's wonderful.
Please don't do any tapers for a little while, okay? Let your successes blossom.
Yay!
fb
(I'll happily read your post back to you if you ever have a bad day and need the encouragement.)
Posted by zonked on September 26, 2011, at 16:24:44
In reply to Re: On my way to remission (I hope) » zonked, posted by floatingbridge on September 26, 2011, at 16:06:42
> Hey Zonked, good news :-)
>
> I forget if you have tried emsam. I ask only because I have ADD too, and it's wicked for me, but I don't want to go back to stimulant therapy. The emsam actually helps a little with my ADD.I tried it in pill form. While it made my depression better, it made the anxiety worse. It got me through a rough patch until I decided to try Nardil (for the first time, late 06/early 07 I think.)
It's metabolized in a different way taking it in pill form, so take that with a grain of salt.
> I am so glad you are feeling improvements. That's wonderful.
Oh, yeah I know. My family and friends have their son/brother/nephew/friend back, really.
Now I work on the psychological setbacks. They don't go away just because the biology's fixed. There are things which so natural in MDD have become habit for me; even ways of thinking about myself. That's nice to (at least for now) not have to focus on getting the meds right. I like that when I go in for refills only. :)
> Please don't do any tapers for a little while, okay? Let your successes blossom.
>
Much appreciated, and likewise.
> (I'll happily read your post back to you if you ever have a bad day and need the encouragement.)Thanks so much. I honestly don't know what people did before the Internet - it puts so much health information at the patients' fingertips. Some doctors I would imagine do not like this. Heh. But not mine!
-z
Posted by Phillipa on September 26, 2011, at 17:56:35
In reply to Re: On my way to remission (I hope) » floatingbridge, posted by zonked on September 26, 2011, at 16:24:44
Congratulations and yes testosterone is one of the three female hormones. Get mine from a real MD. Cream form. Suzanne Is playing with fire.
Not having to think about meds will free your mind to think and do other things. Phillipa
Posted by g_g_g_unit on September 27, 2011, at 8:19:12
In reply to Re: On my way to remission (I hope) » floatingbridge, posted by zonked on September 26, 2011, at 16:24:44
zonked - while Nardil doesn't really help your ADD, does it noticeably hinder your cognition (via brain fog or whatever)?
I have a lot of trouble reading, partly due to depression and partly due to ADD-related sluggishness. so far, Lexapro has made matters worse; I find my mind can barely even absorb simple web articles; it's like the words simply don't register. I figure it might also be sleep-related (in that SSRIs alter sleep architecture for the worse)..?
Posted by floatingbridge on September 27, 2011, at 8:49:09
In reply to Re: On my way to remission (I hope) » zonked, posted by g_g_g_unit on September 27, 2011, at 8:19:12
ggg,
I'd like to know as well about nardil and cognition/brain fog, too.
Posted by SLS on September 27, 2011, at 8:53:26
In reply to Re: On my way to remission (I hope) » g_g_g_unit, posted by floatingbridge on September 27, 2011, at 8:49:09
> I'd like to know as well about nardil and cognition/brain fog, too.It probably depends on the dosage, the individual, and the drugs being administered concomitantly. Some of my clearest states of mine occurred while I was taking Nardil.
- Scott
Posted by zonked on September 27, 2011, at 10:47:31
In reply to Re: On my way to remission (I hope) » zonked, posted by g_g_g_unit on September 27, 2011, at 8:19:12
> zonked - while Nardil doesn't really help your ADD, does it noticeably hinder your cognition (via brain fog or whatever)?
No. Occasionally it makes me *sleepy*, but that's different. The overwhelming urge to nap in the afternoon has disappeared with time and/or the addition of testosterone. Unfortunately, the weight gain's gotten worse. To anyone reading this now or later and you've tried everything (and everything else didn't work) and you're tempted to throw Nardil in the toilet because of the weight gain, I urge caution. This is what destroyed my remission and career last time, stopping Nardil due to weight gain. I guess I'd rather be fat than tortured with severe depression.
> I have a lot of trouble reading, partly due to depression and partly due to ADD-related sluggishness. so far, Lexapro has made matters worse; I find my mind can barely even absorb simple web articles; it's like the words simply don't register. I figure it might also be sleep-related (in that SSRIs alter sleep architecture for the worse)..?
In severe depression I can't focus on sh*t. I know what you mean. The only SSRI that helped, Zoloft, enhanced cognition (I think it's the most pro-dopamine of the SSRIs).
Parnate made me sharp as a tack, unfortunately, it also lost efficacy at typical doses and the dose required to have any effect at all threw me into a nasty (euphoric, but nasty in terms of $$ and relationships and other embarrassing stuff) hypomanic state.
-z
Posted by torrid on October 1, 2011, at 19:33:44
In reply to On my way to remission (I hope), posted by zonked on September 26, 2011, at 15:48:19
zonked I do'nt seem to have tolerance to stimulants been on concerta since it came out but I take days and sometimes weeks off. I never had atolerance problem but my doc likes me to take holiday 1-2 days a weeks. Have you heard if that new non stimulant is effectice intunive, something like that
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