Posted by undopaminergic on July 6, 2008, at 7:40:28
In reply to Re: agitation, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia » undopaminergic, posted by llurpsienoodle on July 5, 2008, at 18:26:41
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> > Have you tried codeine cough syrup or tablets? It might work great for occasional use, but there's a serious risk that it would lose its effects if used too often. However, you may be able to extend its usefulness by adding memantine or dextromethorphan.
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> yikes! cough syrup! I prefer not to mess with narcotics/opiates unless I'm in grave pain. Which I'm not. I'm just trying to salvage a couple of low-quality hours in my day, which happen to coincide with a couple of important activities- driving, spending time "relaxing" at home, etc.
>"Relaxing" may be precisely the best term to describe my experience with codeine. On the other hand, buprenorphine, which I'm currently on, doesn't have the same effect, so not all opioids are the same.
Anyway, especially because you're not responding well to benzodiazepines, you should not discount opiates prematurely.
> Interesting. I took a bronkaid tablet yesterday (for stuffy lungs, not bipolar-- cat has been sleeping on my pillow, llurpsie is allergic to cat) and I felt so much better within a bit, moodwise. This tablet has Ephedrine Sulfate in it. perhaps there's something ADHD about my bipolar agitation?
>Maybe. Ephedrine has lots of effects, so it's difficult to say which of its actions may be the useful one in your case.
However, for bronchial problems beta2-adenoceptors are known to be the important ones. For this effect, albuterol/salbutamol (Ventoline) tablets may be a better drug than ephedrine, and who knows, they might have a paradoxical calming effect on you although the opposite is more typically the case. Also for the allergy, combination with a non-sedating antihistamine may be a good idea.
> > > 2)what about upping my dosage of wellbutrin to 300mg SR or something like that XL, whatever?
> > >
> >
> > Yes, or maybe Ritalin would have a similar effect? Then adding some of that might be an alternative.
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> see ephedrine sulphate, above
>Methylphenidate is less adrenergic and more dopaminergic in comparison. Whether that's better or worse for your condition is another question.
> > Also, you could try guanfacine. It helps reduce excessive adrenergic activity.
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> centrally or peripherally?Both. It's known as a centrally acting antihypertensive agent (but don't worry, it's doesn't lower blood pressure very much). It's also used for ADHD, perhaps making it even more interesting from your point of view.
> what about a betablocker?
>It would slow your heart rate and probably reduce tremor, if you have that. Unfortunately, betablockers may have depressive effects, and may worsen allergic problems, including bronchial constriction and possibly itching. However, atenolol and other beta1-selective agents are less likley to have those adverse effects than propranolol, timolol and other non-selective ones.
> lots of helpful ideas- thanks lots. Now I'm off to look up more nootropics.
>I'm not sure whether these are correctly called nootropics, but they are frequently available from the same sources: phenibut, picamilon and L-theanine are said to be particularly useful for their calming or anti-stress effects. I personally didn't notice anything from picamilon, haven't tried phenibut, but theanine has definite focus-enhancing, calming and dose-dependent sedative effects.
poster:undopaminergic
thread:838031
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080706/msgs/838338.html