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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by fachad on July 17, 2002, at 0:59:16
Shawn,
If you'd like to discuss philosophy with me, and hopefully others also, please go over to the faith board:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/
I saw a few things in your posts that really piqued my interest, and besides rationalism is seriously under represented over there on the faith board.
Just to let you know, I completed a B.A. in Philosophy and a B.S. in Psychology at the University of Arizona, where David Chalmers is currently teaching.
I was there long before Chalmers was an item, but when I was there the U of A was putting together their now world renowned Philosophy department, and it was becoming the epicenter for Advanced Studies in Consciousness that it is famous for today.
I focused my philosophy courses on epistemology and philosophy of mind; my psychology courses were focused on cognitive sciences, perception, neuro-anatomy, and neuro-psychopharmacology. I was fascinated then, as I still am, at the interface of these fields, and the newly emerging interdisciplinary approach to consciousness studies.
And I am still a philosopher at heart, even after 15 years of working in the private sector. I just recently bought Chalmers book, and I'm doing a quick refresher from an old college textbook, "Matter and Consciousness" (an introduction to the philosophy of mind) before I tackle "The Conscious Mind".
Anyway, I hope you have the time and interest to go over to the faith board - for me it's a real treat to be able to have a dialogue with someone interested in these issues.
There are so many theoretical issues that are extremely interesting and dovetail into medication issues, ethical issues, and philosophical issues...I doubt we'll have any problem coming up with topics.
So, if Dr. Bob would kindly do his redirect magic...
-fachad
Posted by BekkaH on July 18, 2002, at 0:52:26
In reply to SHAWN. T. - Philosophy, Chalmers, Consciousness, posted by fachad on July 17, 2002, at 0:59:16
> Just to let you know, I completed a B.A. in Philosophy and a B.S. in Psychology at the University of Arizona, where David Chalmers is currently teaching.
>Hi Fachad,
Which Univ. of Arizona campus is this? I'm a New Yorker, but I'm quite familiar with Arizona and have often thought of relocating there.
By the way, I was wondering whether you've tried Focalin yet? If so, what do you think of it?
Bekka
Posted by fachad on July 18, 2002, at 8:49:48
In reply to Philosophy, Chalmers, Consciousness - Fachad, posted by BekkaH on July 18, 2002, at 0:52:26
> Which Univ. of Arizona campus is this?
U of A is the one in Tucson. People always confuse U of A with Arizona State (ASU) which is the one in Phoenix.
> By the way, I was wondering whether you've tried Focalin yet? If so, what do you think of it?
No, haven't tried it yet. My quarterly pdoc appt is today, but I don't think I'm going to pursue Focalin. My insurance will cover it, but at the highest copay of $40/month. I think I'll stick with cheap old generic dex for now.
Posted by BekkaH on July 19, 2002, at 20:53:19
In reply to Re: Philosophy, Chalmers, Consciousness - Fachad » BekkaH, posted by fachad on July 18, 2002, at 8:49:48
> U of A is the one in Tucson.
Hi Fachad,I like Tucson! It's one of my favorite cities.
Regarding methylphenidate versus dexedrine, now that you've tried both, do you have a preference?
Bekka
Posted by fachad on July 20, 2002, at 1:43:15
In reply to Philosophy, Chalmers, Consciousness - Fachad, posted by BekkaH on July 19, 2002, at 20:53:19
> Regarding methylphenidate versus dexedrine, now that you've tried both, do you have a preference?
It's a very close call, and there are several factors that come into play.
Based solely on effect, I definitely prefer methylphenidate. It has far less physical effects for me than Dex, and it also has a "brighter" and "warmer" effect on mood.
But...it wears off so quickly. Is there a Latin abbreviation (like bid or tid) for "take this med every f***ing 2 hours that your are awake"? And if, God forbid, it wears off, then I get a sour mood.
Then there's Concerta. The effects are steady, smooth, and the wear off is very gentle. The only problem is that it only lasts 8 - 10 hrs and my waking day is longer than that.
If I could have two (2) 36mg Concerta tablets, one every morning and one at noon, I think I'd be totally happy. But my insurance will only pay for one Concerta tablet per day, period. And the self pay price of Concerta is very expensive.
Dex, on the other hand, has some somatic side effects like jitters, racing heartbeat, dry mouth. But they are not TOO bad. And for me even the immediate release el cheapo generic Dex lasts 6 - 8 hrs. It doesn't feel as warm and fuzzy as MPH, but when it wears off it doesn’t feel as sour, either.
Well, no things being equal, I'm taking Dex. It is VERY cheap with my insurance, and it lasts long enough that 2 or 3 times a day dosing is fine.
So to give a simple answer to your question, I prefer methylphenidate, but Dexedrine is almost as good and far more convenient than immediate release MPH and far less expensive than Concerta (even with insurance).
This is the end of the thread.
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