Posted by Horned One on May 29, 2008, at 15:22:38
Can anyone lay their hands on the studies that showed buprenorphine was an effective antidepressant? I know they're probably in the bowels of PubMed somewhere, but I'm too depressed to sort them out right now (besides, it's much nicer to have someone else do it for me). I'm thinking of bringing them with me to my next appointment. I don't have much hope because I've been begging for an antidepressant since February, and the answer is still 'no'. My pdoc must surely be sadistic because he's putting me through Hell, and he knows it.
Anyway, I'm also seeing a new pdoc who happens to be an addiction specialist. I have more hope for him because he already agreed to long-term prescriptions for zopiclone (even though he's an addiction specialist), and he actually seems to listen to me.
The points I'm thinking of putting forward are:
* I'm addicted to OTC codeine products, and have been for a number of years. I could therefore be classed as 'opiate dependent' and thus a candidate for maintenence therapy. Although codeine is a weaker opiate than bupe, this is how we could write it on the official documentation.
* I've tried nearly every antidepressant going, and opiates are the only class of drugs that have consistently helped my mood.
* I have chronic fibromyalgia-like pain and what might be early onset arthritis, which is one of the motivating factors behind my codeine usage. A strong painkiller would therefore be most welcome, if not appropriate.
In any case, I think it's time they looked seriously at my opiate consumption. I'm hoping the new pdoc will be less resistant to the idea of using bupe for depression because he prescribes it every day anyway for much more serious addictions than mine, and also because he's a down-to-earth common sense sorta guy who doesn't blow the addiction potential of certain drugs out of proportion.
I hoping so hard that I'll be able to try this drug. Please help.
-Horny
(T.B.F.K.A.Q)
poster:Horned One
thread:831927
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080528/msgs/831927.html