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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 stargazer2 on February 24, 2019, at 12:55:23
Hi all,
You may not remember me but I read alot on this site for many years, commented fairly often and learned much about chronic, intractable depression, only to say it continues to haunt me and I see, many of you.
I see many familiar names from years ago. I am continuing my ongoing fight to find a depression treatment that will give me a life worth living. I know I am asking for alot. I went through a divorce in 2010-2011 and reached the absolute bottom. I had no idea how much worse things could get until that time.
I will be commenting on my recovery and attempts to find help for an almost 50 year history of depression. I Have been on many meds, had ECT, TMS and just finished my 10th Ketamine treatment. I guess some of us are just meant to be depressed and that is our life work and definition. However there is always room for improvement and I am back here to see what has helped you recover, thrive and get a sense of meaning in your life besides being held victim to a chronic, poorly treatable and understood condition, that infiltrates our lives most days.
Posted by stargazer2 on February 24, 2019, at 13:07:21
In reply to I'm back from a long absense, posted by stargazer2 on February 24, 2019, at 12:55:23
Weird, now its back. Hopefully it will be up when I check in later.
Posted by Hugh on February 24, 2019, at 14:09:52
In reply to I'm back from a long absense, posted by stargazer2 on February 24, 2019, at 12:55:23
I admire your determination to beat this thing, and I look forward to hearing about your experiences with ketamine.
Posted by beckett2 on February 24, 2019, at 17:51:48
In reply to I'm back from a long absense, posted by stargazer2 on February 24, 2019, at 12:55:23
Hi, nice to see you again. Sorry you're battling the beast, too. I'm curious about your experiences with ketamine.
Posted by PeterMartin on February 24, 2019, at 18:21:47
In reply to Re: I'm back from a long absense » stargazer2, posted by beckett2 on February 24, 2019, at 17:51:48
I like seeing your name again too. Definitely remember it. You've talked about MAOi's before and specifically Marplan which I'm finally going to be able to restart this week. I was sucessfully on Marplan from 2010 until the US manufacturer had problems making it in 2017 and it's been unavailable for almost a year.
Finally the US manufacturer has been given an OK by the FDA to import some from a Denmark company that markets their own varity of Marplan to sell to US patients just this past week. I'll have to pay out of pocket (expensive but even w/ my insurance it would have been). In the year off I've tried to switch to Nardil but it hasn't worked. I think I'm less Bipolar and more depersonalized or something...I dunno but Marplan just clicks me in if I get in the proper dose range...usually between 30 and 40mg. I'm really hoping this new variety works if I'm able to get it this week. Speaking to doc/etc this week.
And I'm really not trying to hijack your thread - just what I personally recall you from since I searched for MAOi info a lot. You commented often :)
Sorry you're not yet cured but keep rolling. There's always a lot of news.
Posted by radish on February 24, 2019, at 19:02:28
In reply to Re: I'm back from a long absense, posted by PeterMartin on February 24, 2019, at 18:21:47
hey, welcome back to the site. i am sorry to hear you're not doing well. i definitely remember seeing your posts during my time spent in the archives.
Posted by stargazer2 on February 24, 2019, at 23:01:38
In reply to Re: I'm back from a long absense, posted by radish on February 24, 2019, at 19:02:28
Thank you all.
Well I started Ketamine back in August/Sept with 6 treatments within the first 3-4 weeks. I was told by an anesthesiologist, who initially was going to give me the treatments, that I had to come off Nardil which I have been on for a few years. This was no surprise to me as one knows the MAO's have interactions with a large percentage of meds.
I was surprised that I was able to come of it with relative ease and few side effects. I also was taking low dose Ritalin, Seroquel 200 at hs and LIthium 300, which I also stopped. Of particular interest was that in the first two weeks of tapering Nardil, 20 pounds came off rather quickly. My abdomen had been somewhat distended for some time but I thought that was due to overeating and lack of exercise. Even when I tried to exercise the abdominal girth didn't budge. so anyone on Nardil should be aware of this side effect. I was on 75 mg of Nardil. After going off all of the meds, the anesthesiologist got cold feet in treating me (my case was too complicated?) and referred me to a very good Psychiatrist who has been doing my K treatments. I just had my 10th treatment. As far as I can tell, I only had one or two treatments that were significant for an increase in energy, mental clarity and the ability to hold conversations that I considered well thought out and intelligent without even trying to appear so. My thinking just flowed easily and without hesitation. My brain really seemed to be in a much better place for social and conversational processing and integration.
The bad part is that did not last very long. I am kind of chasing that brief response now but I am realizing the treatments may not be holding me as well as I initially thought they would. I have gone back on most of my meds so it doesn't seem to make sense for me to do both when I thought K would be the answer and it did seem like it was for a few weeks of "Normalcy". Even my friends said I was like a totally different person which made me think I must have been in pretty bad shape. Now I am back to the Pre-K level of Depression and I feel like I have been cheated of of another chance at a normal, depression free life.
Anyway, that is where I'm at right now. I have alot more to tell but at another time.
Posted by PeterMartin on February 24, 2019, at 23:25:34
In reply to Re: I'm back from a long absense/All of you, posted by stargazer2 on February 24, 2019, at 23:01:38
Sorry if this is a stupid question but:
Is the Ketamine treatment you tried the same as Esketamine (nasal spray) that the FDA may approve as early as next month? (https://www.empr.com/home/news/drugs-in-the-pipeline/fda-committees-vote-on-esketamine-nasal-spray-for-treatment-resistant-depression/)
Or are there 2 chemicals?
Posted by rose45 on March 4, 2019, at 19:37:03
In reply to Re: I'm back from a long absense, posted by PeterMartin on February 24, 2019, at 18:21:47
> I like seeing your name again too. Definitely remember it. You've talked about MAOi's before and specifically Marplan which I'm finally going to be able to restart this week. I was sucessfully on Marplan from 2010 until the US manufacturer had problems making it in 2017 and it's been unavailable for almost a year.
>
> Finally the US manufacturer has been given an OK by the FDA to import some from a Denmark company that markets their own varity of Marplan to sell to US patients just this past week. I'll have to pay out of pocket (expensive but even w/ my insurance it would have been). In the year off I've tried to switch to Nardil but it hasn't worked. I think I'm less Bipolar and more depersonalized or something...I dunno but Marplan just clicks me in if I get in the proper dose range...usually between 30 and 40mg. I'm really hoping this new variety works if I'm able to get it this week. Speaking to doc/etc this week.
>
> And I'm really not trying to hijack your thread - just what I personally recall you from since I searched for MAOi info a lot. You commented often :)
>
> Sorry you're not yet cured but keep rolling. There's always a lot of news.
Hi Peter,
Ive been speaking to Dr. Gillman of Psychotropical Research, and on his website he mentions Civica RX https://psychotropical.info/maois-2019-update/
'which seeks to source or produce generic drugs on a not-for-profit basis. That indicates how bad a large number of American hospitals think the situation has become.'
https://civicarx.org/It might be worth contacting them and informing them about how difficult it is becoming to get maois.
This is the end of the thread.
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