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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mcp on August 19, 2004, at 18:27:17
Well, I am three weeks into my withdrawals from Lexapro. I find that I am having new forms of anxiety that I didn't get before they put me on my cocktail of Lexapro, Zyprexa, and Depakote. Anyways, I have no idea if the obsessive thoughts are part of the withdrawal or a new condition. The constant fear that I won't feel normal again I know is part of the withdrawal. Anyways, I was looking into "natural" remedies for this and depression and I thought I'd ask you which is better, tryptophan or SAM-e. I have been taking a low dose of tryptophan(500mg) to little effect. You thoughts would be appreciated.
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 20, 2004, at 8:47:01
In reply to Question for Larry. Tryptophan vs. SAM-e, posted by mcp on August 19, 2004, at 18:27:17
> Well, I am three weeks into my withdrawals from Lexapro. I find that I am having new forms of anxiety that I didn't get before they put me on my cocktail of Lexapro, Zyprexa, and Depakote. Anyways, I have no idea if the obsessive thoughts are part of the withdrawal or a new condition.
You're still on Zyprexa? There is some overlap in receptor binding between Zyprexa and Lexapro. It's hard to predict the combined effect, or the effect of removing one from your system after it has become used to having both.
> The constant fear that I won't feel normal again I know is part of the withdrawal.
You will feel better. But that doesn't mean you also won't ever feel worse. It's temporary. This too, shall pass.
> Anyways, I was looking into "natural" remedies for this and depression and I thought I'd ask you which is better, tryptophan or SAM-e. I have been taking a low dose of tryptophan(500mg) to little effect. You thoughts would be appreciated.
500 mg of tryptophan is really a very tiny dose. I'm not surprised there's no effect. You can try increasing the dose gradually, and there really isn't an upper limit to consider. You just take more until you decide one of three things: a) this dose really helps; b) this stuff is worthless; c) this stuff sucks. Same thing with SAMe. You just can't solve the problem (i.e. predict the outcome accurately) by thinking about it. You have to try different approaches, and see what fits. Think of it like shopping for clothes. What fits you, and the style it presents, is a very personal thing. A fifty-year-old in hip-hop clothing looks dorky, eh?
I couldn't possibly predict which might work better for you, SAMe or tryptophan (or the combination). In any case, do absolutely separate trials, so you know which substance does exactly what for you (or to you, in the case of adverse effects). Once you get to a stable and comfortable dose on one, you can start a new trial by adding in the other. They're safe to combine, so long as you pay strict attention to the dose. The dose makes the poison. All I mean, in this context, is that you might find that the combination induces mania, as an example. It's a possible risk (as there are with all meds, or all supps), and a fully-informed consenting adult considers the risks along with the benefits.
Lar
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 20, 2004, at 11:54:04
In reply to Question for Larry. Tryptophan vs. SAM-e, posted by mcp on August 19, 2004, at 18:27:17
> Well, I am three weeks into my withdrawals from Lexapro. I find that I am having new forms of anxiety that I didn't get before....
Oh, another thought....
It may not seem obvious, but the old-fashioned antihistamine Benadryl (diphenhydramine, very cheap as generic at Walmart), may help with the withdrawal effects.
Lar
Posted by mcp on August 20, 2004, at 13:57:04
In reply to Re: Question for Larry. Tryptophan vs. SAM-e » mcp, posted by Larry Hoover on August 20, 2004, at 8:47:01
No, I am off all three drugs. They gave me some Ativan to deal with the anxiety, which has been crushing. THanks for the advice. It makes sense and means a lot to me. As far as the benedryl, I try to stay away from antihistamines due to blood pressure issues. I am three weeks off the Lex and I haven't had any Zyprexa or Depakote for about 7 weeks. The scary part is the unknown. How long will it last? etc.> > Well, I am three weeks into my withdrawals from Lexapro. I find that I am having new forms of anxiety that I didn't get before they put me on my cocktail of Lexapro, Zyprexa, and Depakote. Anyways, I have no idea if the obsessive thoughts are part of the withdrawal or a new condition.
>
> You're still on Zyprexa? There is some overlap in receptor binding between Zyprexa and Lexapro. It's hard to predict the combined effect, or the effect of removing one from your system after it has become used to having both.
>
> > The constant fear that I won't feel normal again I know is part of the withdrawal.
>
> You will feel better. But that doesn't mean you also won't ever feel worse. It's temporary. This too, shall pass.
>
> > Anyways, I was looking into "natural" remedies for this and depression and I thought I'd ask you which is better, tryptophan or SAM-e. I have been taking a low dose of tryptophan(500mg) to little effect. You thoughts would be appreciated.
>
> 500 mg of tryptophan is really a very tiny dose. I'm not surprised there's no effect. You can try increasing the dose gradually, and there really isn't an upper limit to consider. You just take more until you decide one of three things: a) this dose really helps; b) this stuff is worthless; c) this stuff sucks. Same thing with SAMe. You just can't solve the problem (i.e. predict the outcome accurately) by thinking about it. You have to try different approaches, and see what fits. Think of it like shopping for clothes. What fits you, and the style it presents, is a very personal thing. A fifty-year-old in hip-hop clothing looks dorky, eh?
>
> I couldn't possibly predict which might work better for you, SAMe or tryptophan (or the combination). In any case, do absolutely separate trials, so you know which substance does exactly what for you (or to you, in the case of adverse effects). Once you get to a stable and comfortable dose on one, you can start a new trial by adding in the other. They're safe to combine, so long as you pay strict attention to the dose. The dose makes the poison. All I mean, in this context, is that you might find that the combination induces mania, as an example. It's a possible risk (as there are with all meds, or all supps), and a fully-informed consenting adult considers the risks along with the benefits.
>
> Lar
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 10:18:08
In reply to Re: Question for Larry. Tryptophan vs. SAM-e---Lar, posted by mcp on August 20, 2004, at 13:57:04
>
> No, I am off all three drugs. They gave me some Ativan to deal with the anxiety, which has been crushing. THanks for the advice. It makes sense and means a lot to me. As far as the benedryl, I try to stay away from antihistamines due to blood pressure issues. I am three weeks off the Lex and I haven't had any Zyprexa or Depakote for about 7 weeks. The scary part is the unknown. How long will it last? etc.Why are they pulling you off everything? That is harsh, dude.
Lar
Posted by mcp on August 24, 2004, at 13:57:16
In reply to Re: Question for Larry. Tryptophan vs. SAM-e---Lar » mcp, posted by Larry Hoover on August 22, 2004, at 10:18:08
Because they were making me feel like a zombie. > >
> > No, I am off all three drugs. They gave me some Ativan to deal with the anxiety, which has been crushing. THanks for the advice. It makes sense and means a lot to me. As far as the benedryl, I try to stay away from antihistamines due to blood pressure issues. I am three weeks off the Lex and I haven't had any Zyprexa or Depakote for about 7 weeks. The scary part is the unknown. How long will it last? etc.
>
> Why are they pulling you off everything? That is harsh, dude.
>
> Lar
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 28, 2004, at 8:43:15
In reply to Re: Question for Larry. Tryptophan vs. SAM-e---Lar, posted by mcp on August 24, 2004, at 13:57:16
> Because they were making me feel like a zombie.
But why go off *all* of them? It seems to be a drastic fix. Are you planning to try different drugs? Are your symptoms returning at an intolerable level? Are you being monitored by a doctor?
Lar
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