Posted by ChicagoKat on July 29, 2012, at 13:28:59
In reply to Re: Ritalin not working? Depression » ChicagoKat, posted by SLS on July 29, 2012, at 0:49:22
> Perhaps you have "developmental ptsd".
>
> http://www.positivehumandevelopment.com/developmental-ptsd.html
>
> If developmental PTSD is a component of your condition, you could look to trying things that reduce norepinephrine (NE) activity or glutamate (GLU) activity.
>
> 1. Prazosin (Minipress)
>
> Prazosin is a NE alpha-1 antagonist originally used as an antihypertensive. It has a great deal of data supporting its use in PTSD. It tends to be a very "clean" drug with regard to side effects. It may produce some sedation, fatigue, and dizziness at first, but these things usually disappear rather quickly.
>
> 2. Clonidine (Catapres)
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> Clonidine is a NE alpha-2 agonist originally used as an antihypertensive. It reduces NE from the opposite side of the synapse from prazosin. Clonidine has been used to treat PTSD for a few years, but it sometimes causes depression as a persistent side effect. I don't know the statistics on the frequency of this.
>
> 3. Topiramate (Topamax)
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> Topiramate was developed as an anticonvulsant, but has utility for other conditions. It does quite a few things pharmacologically, including increasing gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) activity and reducing glutamate activity through mechanisms that are different from those of the benzodiazepines.
>
> 4. Tiagabine (Gabitril)
>
> Tiagabine is a GABA reuptake inhibitor originally developed as an anticonvulsant. There are conflicting opinions regarding the utility of tiagabine to treat PTSD. Tiagabine is unpredictable. It reduces anxiety and promotes sleep in some people, and does quite the opposite in others.
>
> My doctor believes that developmental PTSD is a component of my depressive disorder. I have been using prazosin since December, 2011 with good results. I combine it with several other drugs. The severity of my depression has ameliorated a great deal. Prazosin has a short half-life (3 hours), so it is best taken three times a day. My current dosage is 6 mg/day (2 mg t.i.d.) To me, prazosin feels like an antidepressant rather than an anxiolytic.
>
>
> - Scott
Scott, thank you very, very much for all this info. I believe you have let me know about a condition that may well have a lot to do with explaining why I am the way I am. I will certainly take your list of meds for my doc to see, and i bet he will give me a trial of one of them.
Thanks again,
Kat
poster:ChicagoKat
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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120718/msgs/1022369.html