Posted by SLS on July 11, 2004, at 8:04:23
In reply to Re: end of rope » SLS, posted by platinumbride on July 11, 2004, at 1:27:28
> > There are still a gazillion things you can try. Fortunately for you, the odds are still in your favor that you will find something that works. That you have been partially or transiently responsive to medication in the past is a good indicator of this.
> Why is this true?It means that your system is "plastic" to a degree. "Plastic" means that your brain is capable of change; it can be molded into a new shapes. It is a term used figuratively. I remember one poor soul who didn't respond in the slightest to anything except a procaine challenge. Now *that* is treatment refractory. I hope he is doing well. He was a research patient at the NIMH, NIH while I did my time down there. I went there to try a few investigational drugs. They didn't really help too much. Besides, the drugs are no longer available unless you are a lab rat.
> > It might take awhile, but you'll get there. One step at a time. (I'll bet you're a Parnate + lithium girl).
> Why can't I just be a friggin' Ivory Girl???? ha ha
> And see? Lithium is a mood stablizer? So what does the diagnosis matter?In this situation, you would be using lithium not as a mood stabilizer at dosages of 900-1500mg, but as an augmenting agent at dosages of 300-600mg. Lithium helps the antidepressants work better. The Parnate + lithium is just a guess, but it serves to demonstrate that there are things you haven't tried yet. I know someone who is doing wonderfully with a combination of Effexor 150mg + lithium 900mg. Neither drug by itself worked.
See? The rope is getting longer.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:364276
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040710/msgs/364966.html