Posted by alesta on December 14, 2004, at 3:51:59
In reply to Re: over everything » alesta, posted by ceesea on December 13, 2004, at 20:52:04
hi CC:),
those flu-like symptoms are typical with lithium. (my theory is that it affects hormone levels, as unbalanced hormones are linked to allergies.)ok, on to the med suggestion (hope you haven't tried it yet):
my suggestion to you would be an MAOI, preferably Parnate, as it's much better tolerated than nardil typically. it works *great* for OCD (much better than SSRIs, contrary to popular belief). MAOIs are also *great* for depression, and help with bulimia, and anxiety disorders as well. it may not be sufficient on its own to help with anxiety, however. i'd try it as monotherapy first to see how it goes. you can always add later.if you do need to add something for anxiety (which you probably won't), i would try low-dose klonopin. this is a great anti-anxiety med, and is ideal for generalized anxiety disorder. but remember, more is not always better with benzos. (eg .5 mg is a good dose for many.) i'd start really slowly.
btw, a note for the future. you will not necessarily have to stay on a med/s forever. just something to keep in mind. if you do get to a point where you don't need them, you don't want to keep taking them out of habit.
i hope you are able to try these. and i hope your doc isn't MAOI-phobic. if he is, maybe you could find one who isn't. the diet restrictions are way overhyped. there is a new very short list of foods to avoid. all you would probably miss is cheese (you can still eat certain types of cheese, and you can have, for instance, domino's pizza i think (fake cheese i have read). :) my point is i don't think the cheese restriction would be a big deal.
additional info that may or may not be helpful:
my own depression is due to a very bad situation, not due to a chemical imbalance at this time (and i have no access to meds). but i think you could use a little help from the biochemical end right now. (i just didn't want you to wonder why a person who's depressed themselves thinks they can help your depression.:))anyway, it would also be good to correct any bad circumstances in your life, if you have any, while on meds eg bad relationships and possibly get an outlet to socialize if you don't already have one. but these things, if you need them, may evolve naturally when you feel better.
*if you've tried an maoi, let me know, and we'll come up with something else.
amy :)
poster:alesta
thread:427677
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20041209/msgs/429299.html