Posted by dragonfly25 on December 28, 2003, at 9:41:49
In reply to ---- I think I might have the wrong diagnosis-----, posted by socialdeviantjeff on December 28, 2003, at 2:31:44
i don't know if this helps....but...it took me 6mths to figure out that "brain shocks" come from effexor- it was really hard to explain to my doctor, but i played around with my meds and i figured it out and i am off it now. the effexor also causes a loss of interest in sex, and i think that Perphenezine is a neuroleptic? if so i would mention to your doctor about twitches (but i think effexor can do that as well. i don't think it necessarily matters what your diagnosis is, it matters more that you are being treated for your symptoms. the treatments for all mental illnesses are really just a guessing game for doctors, our brain and its chemical actions are not understood enough, so it is just trial and error- taking a very active role in your medication is very important, b/c whether the doctor likes it or not, the patient is the only one who can really tell them if it is working (depending on illness of course). if you don't feel like you are getting any positive results from your drugs, see if you can go off of them one at a time and start over. this is of course if you can be off of meds for a time safely.
sometimes undoing the brain fog from the drugs can help to see things clearer, and in the end you may not need all the drugs you were taking. less is sometimes better :)
good luck> I'm probably beating a dead horse here, but some opinions would be helpful.
>
> My cocktail and durations on meds:
> 150 mg Effexor, 75 mg at night, 75 mg in the morning. 2 months.
> 300 mg Tegretol, at night. 4 months.
> 2 mg Perphenezine, at night. 3 weeks.
> Nicotine, smoked as required depending on stress level. :/
>
> My Dx:
> Atypical refractory depression with psychotic symptoms, Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
>
> I've been reading into the bipolar and borderline spectrums and I'm beginning to wonder if my dx is off.
>
> I've tried a long grocery list of ADs and mood stabilizers. All have had to stop because of allergic reactions or side effects. SSRI's and neuroleptics mess me up or do nothing. TCA's trigger a psychotic state. Any meds that have any benefit have even worse side effects than ones with no effect.
>
> Right now I have constant fatigue, sleep disturbances, short term memory and cognitive trouble, muscle pain (spasms, shooting pain and cramps), bad coordination, lack of emotion (except the bad ones), sexual dysfunction, "brain shocks", lightheadedness, dizziness, transient twitches, nausea and more I don't remember right now. I'm pretty numbed up emotionally, unfortuantely I've felt like I've had the flu for three months. I've endured this in hopes that the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks on these meds. They are literally the last of less than a handfull left to try. I have had a good drop in my anxiety,
>
> I'm beginning to wonder if I have a problem along the bipolar axis. The better I am emotionally, the worse physically. The more energy, the worse the irritability, restlessness, anxiety. The depression can come in anytime, lasting from 1 day to 3 weeks. When I'm not in a depressive episode, I'm dysthemic. This creates a complex web of states, depressed, dysphoric, and mixed. This would seem to be consistent with Bipolar II except that the states are unpredictable, inconsistent and change without warning.
>
> Sorry, I know this is complicated and it's difficult for me to explain. I will try to clarify anything in this post. Any insight is appreciated.
poster:dragonfly25
thread:293938
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031225/msgs/293983.html