Posted by JohnL on April 22, 2000, at 4:33:28
In reply to Q for JohnL re: adrafinil trial, posted by michael on April 21, 2000, at 11:45:46
> Hey John,
>
> Just wondering if you were working w/dr. jensen in conjunction w/the adrafinil trial?
>
> The reason I ask is that I'm curious if the adrafinil might be an exception to the short term trial theory, or if you think that you could get a good "feel" for it in just a few days? I thought I remembered you saying that it took longer...? maybe not...?
>
> One other question - do you know if dr. jensen typically works w/meds like adrafinil or amisulpride - meds not officailly approved in the US? Thanks again.
> michaelMichael,
Good questions. I have worked with Dr Jensen once. But he is not involved in my trial of Adrafinil and Amisulpride. I do not know if he would prescribe these or not at the patient's request. Some doctors might be willing to, but can't because their own malpractice insurance carriers disallow prescribing non-FDA meds. Their insurance won't cover them if something goes wrong. I ran into that problem with my local pdoc. After showing him all the info I dug up on these drugs, he was excited and all for it. But his insurance carrier would not allow him to write a script. He was very very apologetic, but his hands were tied.But working with Dr Jensen one time (an hour session) was extremely beneficial for me. I came to know his reasonings and strategies very well. And I gained all kinds of insightful tips and tricks with various meds we talked about. It was almost like a student having a private personal coaching with an esteemed professor. The best result of the experience is that I got my own docs to accept the quick trial method in my case. Dr Jensen spoke with them personally and put to rest any hesitation, doubts, or reluctance they may have had. He comes across as a professional, expert, polite, yet modest, with outstanding bedside manners. He is very thorough. And no ego whatsoever. Anyway, from this point on, I can now walk into my doc's office and say, "I would like to try X for a week, Y for a week, and Z for a week", and come out with a prescription for all three drugs to try and compare and then choose the best for a longer trial. My docs are now in that mode, they're on the same page as me, and I get no resistance to my requests. I have Dr Jensen to thank for that. It was his influence and intervention that steered my doctors in the direction I wanted to go.
I carried the process a little further though my trying non-FDA drugs, on my own without physician guidance. I modestly admit I've done some serious homework and knew what I was doing. I had just been so fed up with USA drugs, I felt compelled to explore what the rest of the world has to offer. And I'm glad I did.
Neither Adrafinil or Amisulpride were exceptions to the rule. Adrafinil provided immediate results, which then faded but returned over a two week period. Amisulpride provided immediate results in quieting my long-standing tinnitus. I figured anything that could do that was doing something good in my brain. It was about two weeks later that I started to feel the mood benefits. The other ingredient in my current cocktail is, of all things, St Johnswort. I've tried it with just about everything, and did again this time too. I was amazed that I felt immediate improvement. It mixes very well with Adrafinil and Amisulpride, for me. While the two French drugs are stimulating NE and dopamine, the SJW is raising and stabilizing all neurotransmitter levels. Apparently, with me, simply increasing levels isn't enough. There must be some stimulation as well. With all of these, I did indeed notice immediate and obvious benefits--either on day one or day two--and the benefits continued to improve more with longer trials.
The only thing in Dr Jensen's methods I have modified is the trial time period. I firmly believe two week trials are better than his 5-day trials. But I also believe anything longer than 2 weeks is ridiculous. The drug certainly can go on to work well in 4 or 8 weeks, but it's clearly missing the mark. There is very likely another drug that can target the problem more directly, with faster results and fewer side effects--a superior match. That's what his method is all about--not just finding a drug that works, but finding the BEST drug that works. The search for that molecule that matches our chemistry the best. For example, even if a patient responded well to one of the SSRIs, he would have them try the others as well, just to be sure they are on the best in the bunch. We never know without trying.
In summary, Dr Jensen did not directly lead me to Adrafinil and Amisulpride. But what I learned from him guided me on my own in that direction. So he was an indirect--yet crucial--catalyst for all good things to happen. JohnL
poster:JohnL
thread:30832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000420/msgs/30933.html