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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by AMD on September 4, 2004, at 0:08:40
chemist, all,
I had an unauthorized CT brain scan about a year ago after a night of drinking (and falling unconscious in the bar). Recently I read an article than a full body scan contributes to an increase in the chance of cancer. Mine was, I believe, a brain scan only.
Is it possible some of my recent cognitive slowly, memory issues, and depression may have been triggered by the x-rays emitted during the scan? Do x-rays, in general, kill or rewire brain cells? If so, would one CT scan cause long-lasting irreversible damage? If I have felt OK at times since then (and I have, or at least functional), am I "in the clear," or would any damage have taken additional time to show up, and thus may only now be rearing its head. I have read about cognitive dysfunction later in life of babies who'd been scanned. Can I expect the same dysfunction now or in the future?
Thanks in advance for your input.
a
Posted by Sad Panda on September 4, 2004, at 4:01:32
In reply to CT SCAN - brain damage? chemist, posted by AMD on September 4, 2004, at 0:08:40
Hi AMD,
Chemist is going to be away for a few weeks, but I will give you my opinion. The occasional CT scan or X-Ray won't hurt you, you probably have more chance of getting a brain tumor from excess mobile phone useage than these two pieces of equipment. Generally, the human body can take nearly anything in moderation.
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by jlbl2l on September 4, 2004, at 7:43:43
In reply to Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs ATM. » AMD, posted by Sad Panda on September 4, 2004, at 4:01:32
I've had 24 brain scans total now.
Many of them were MRI, a couple fMRI, several CATS a few PET's and 5 SPECT scans.
Am i in danger?!?
Thanks
Jlbl2l
Posted by AMD on September 4, 2004, at 19:22:21
In reply to Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs ATM. » AMD, posted by Sad Panda on September 4, 2004, at 4:01:32
Thanks for the clarification ... I see now that my worries were foreshadowing depression. Today I awoke feeling glum and motivationless, no doubt the result of having lowered my Lamictal from 200 mg to 100 mg (about a week ago), and my Celexa from 80 mg to 60 mg. This after four months of relative stability. Distressing.
So, I'm back on the standard dose. My delusions that somehow I might be able to exist without medication have proven false. Or at least it seems so. The more medication I take, the more I seem dependent on it.
A couple of questions:
a. Having lowered the Lamictal, have I thus rendered it ineffective? Can I expect it will no longer work reliably at 200 mg as it has for the past few months or more?
b. Is it possible that this depression is merely a withdrawal effect I should fight through, while continuing on my goal to be medicine free? Should I, in other words, continue tapering down regardless of my feelings -- at least in the short-term, to see if they might past -- as long as I can function well enough to work, eat, get out of bed?
c. If the answer to b. is "yes," and I do continue to suffer during my decrease in medicine, am I risking permanent damage to my brain from the depression -- a lowering of cognition, an increased risk of not being able to bring myself out of it (via medicine or not) if the depression persists?
Thanks in advance for any who might address these questions.
Regards,
a
P.S. I hope chemist is well and wish him all the best.
Posted by SLS on September 4, 2004, at 20:55:11
In reply to Re: Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs ATM., posted by AMD on September 4, 2004, at 19:22:21
Hi AMD.
I know how attractive the idea of reducing medications can be. I am often tempted to reduce the dosages of two drugs at the same time. However, when you adjust more than one at a time, it is difficult to assess the relative contributions each has to illness or wellness. Why don't you leave the Celexa at the lower dosage and bring the Lamictal back up?
- Scott
Posted by Sad Panda on September 5, 2004, at 0:25:19
In reply to Re: Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs ATM. » Sad Panda, posted by jlbl2l on September 4, 2004, at 7:43:43
> I've had 24 brain scans total now.
>
> Many of them were MRI, a couple fMRI, several CATS a few PET's and 5 SPECT scans.
>
> Am i in danger?!?
>
> Thanks
> Jlbl2l
>
>You will be fine. There really is no point in worrying about it is there?
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by Sad Panda on September 5, 2004, at 0:33:22
In reply to Re: Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs ATM., posted by AMD on September 4, 2004, at 19:22:21
Scott's advice is great as usual, I'd increase the Lamictal back up to 200mg as this seems to be the most common effective doseage.
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by AndrewB on September 5, 2004, at 22:39:40
In reply to Re: Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs ATM., posted by Sad Panda on September 5, 2004, at 0:33:22
Sad Panda,
If your name is Troy, sorry about not answering your email. Please email again if still having questions.
Referent text: ( "read some of your post regarding amisulpride maybe you can take time out and answer a few questions i have. i also have add(no h) plus sad (both dopamine deficiency syndromes) have tried ritalin, adderall, dexedrine all were ineffective all i got from 0them was a jittery feeling no confidence or focus. my belief is my body just doesn't produce dopamine like regular people...........")
AndrewB
Posted by SLS on September 6, 2004, at 1:44:33
In reply to Re: Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs AT » Sad Panda, posted by AndrewB on September 5, 2004, at 22:39:40
Hi Andrew!
What a pleasant surprise. How are you getting along?
I don't know if you've been keeping up with the board, but it seems that Cymbalta represents my next treatment failure. I experienced the same pattern of a brief 3-day antidepressant response 1-2 weeks into treatment that usually occurs with me.
I would be most happy if you were to contact me via e-mail. My address is the same:
sl.schofield at att dot net
Thanks.
Stay well.
- Scott
Posted by AndrewB on September 6, 2004, at 10:12:36
In reply to Re: Chemist is having a rest away from Dr. Bobs AT » AndrewB, posted by SLS on September 6, 2004, at 1:44:33
Hi Scott,
I should think I can say I'm doing very well; happy and self-satisfied and all that other "soul puddin'". I used to think I was a cracked egg, know I just think modern mankind in general is a bit cracked!
You know I do peek at the board from time to time. I saw your post a while back where someone was asking about me and you had replied that you guessed I was one of the lucky ones (who got out of the 'hole'). I just had to laugh because 'lucky' seemed just 'spot on' for describing it. I've continued to read and research about depression, its psysiology, biochemistry, etc., and I've come to believe that if I knew then what I know now, I never would have done what I had done then....unless it just so happened that I was willing to go on the 'blind' with meds, hoping to get lucky, because I was desperate. Yes, I was desperate, and lucky.
By the way, good webiste. I've had it bookmarked for a long time and continue finding myself referring to it.
To anyone else who may be reading this, you may not know that Scot has been a constant helpful voice since near the inception of this board. Unless someone has changed their ID, I think he is the only person who has stayed around the whole time (I promised I would, but...). In that whole time I've never seen a disrespectful or 'screwy' post come from him. I like to think that God, in whatever his manifestation may be, is watching Scott and is pleased with the one who is tending to his forgotten children.
Hey Scott, time to sign off, but doing a bit of catching up with one another is good by me.
Catch you on the email,Andrew
Posted by TenMan on September 6, 2004, at 23:07:29
In reply to Re: Hi Scott, posted by AndrewB on September 6, 2004, at 10:12:36
Hi Andrew,
Good to see you posting. If you don't mind me asking are you still taking the same combo of selegiline/amisulpride/memantine and adderall that you were doing so well on?
Thanks
Posted by AndrewB on September 8, 2004, at 0:07:37
In reply to Re: AndrewB, posted by TenMan on September 6, 2004, at 23:07:29
> Hi Andrew,
>
> Good to see you posting. If you don't mind me asking are you still taking the same combo of selegiline/amisulpride/memantine and adderall that you were doing so well on?
>
> ThanksTen Man (Give Me FiveMan?),
On the memantine and adderall still, as well as the nightly Klonopin that I've been on for years.
I stopped the amisulpride and selegiline in February. I had not intended to. My amisulpride order was late, so I ran out. I expected to feel awful, like before when had stopped. Not this time though. Actually I was a little better without it. More mentally flexible. I interpret that as having been a lil' OCD symptomology that had slowly crept in. OCD stuff is a fairly clear sign that you've over stoked the limbic system in relation to the PFC, that is, gone on over to the other side of the teeter totter.
Anyway, it was nice to be able to drop a couple meds. Just maybe it's a sign something in my brain has changed for the better. My gut tells me I can go off the Adderall too. It would be a long period of titrating down though, I figure, so I've put it off. I think I will always need the memantine and klonopin, from what I've read about the biophysiology of my condition.One side note: as you know effective treatment for fatigue states depends on the individual. The closest thing I've seen to a 'Rosetta Stone' for figuring out and treating fatigue states is "Tuning the Brain" by Jay A. Goldstein, M.D. All sorts of 'secret' concoctions are spelled out in there and the mechanisms behind why they work when they work, and an algorithm for subtyping yourself so you don't have to blindly try everything. I did like it when I read his lament that he didn't have access to sulpiride, because there was no US drug for dealing with situations of supersensitive DA autoreceptors in the NAc.
Amazon sells the book at a righteous price, and, by gosh, Dr. Bob has a link right on this page I think.AndrewB
Posted by Dr. Bob on September 9, 2004, at 3:53:48
In reply to Re: TenMan, posted by AndrewB on September 8, 2004, at 0:07:37
> The closest thing I've seen to a 'Rosetta Stone' for figuring out and treating fatigue states is "Tuning the Brain" by Jay A. Goldstein, M.D.
> Amazon sells the book at a righteous price, and, by gosh, Dr. Bob has a link right on this page I think.On which page? I've added a feature since you were here last, double double quotes:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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