Posted by yxibow on November 27, 2006, at 4:40:27
In reply to Re: Is this Tardive, EPS,..My Own Diagnosis » Phillipa, posted by blueberry on November 26, 2006, at 17:20:32
> > Blueberry you never complained or mentioned this til after the ECT? Could they be connected? And not to insult you as you are brillient to me could you have forgotten when they started? Love Phillipa
>
> Actually Phillipa this stuff started in early 2005. I never complained about it. I've been fighting it ever since and all docs want to do is raise the doses even higher. And yes, things have gotten worse after ECT.
>
> One thing did work in 2005...Kira St Johns Wort. I took 600mg of it along with 20mg prozac and 5mg zyprexa and every symptom I have disappeared...all of it, the depression, anxiety, tardive stuff, weirdness upon waking, everything gone. It was great. The problem was I think I ran into the early stages of serotonin syndrome at about the 6 week mark and backed away quickly. As the SJW wore off, all the symptoms that had been gone started to come back again.
>
>Have you ever had your doctor or any psychopharmacologist do an AIMS exam ?
They're generally done on a 6 month interval for long term neuroleptic usage but you should be able to request one from your doctor and they should know what it is. Its just a subjective set of movements that a doctor does to evaluate a patient.
One thing to remember about TD is that the more one is aware of it happening, the least likely it is actually TD but more of an EPS syndrome -- the two are on a continuum of sorts and several experts in the field generally say self-awareness is a key that it is not TD. (i.e., someone has to point it out.)
Serotonin downregulates dopamine -- it is possible that the toxic combination of SJW (it is not benign in this combination) with serotonergic agents not only precipitated serotonin syndrome but also reduced the dopamine activity, hence reducing the symptoms.
As asked before, have you challenged it with Benadryl (diphenyhdramine) ? Anticholinergics generally help EPS but usually antagonize TD. Or you could have your doctor write a script for Akineton, Artane, or the rather sedating Cogentin.
Clonazepam may help. Propranolol can help certain EPS.
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:707288
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061123/msgs/707735.html