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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Maxime on January 19, 2005, at 20:30:48
I hate having to take meds. I really hate it. It wouldn't be so bad if I actually felt good, but most of the time I am not, there is always some depression. And when I am hypomanic it's not a high - it's irritability and racing thoughts and no sleep.
Yet I have no choice. If I go off my meds I am guaranteed a life time bed in a psych hospital.Maxime
Posted by zeugma on January 19, 2005, at 21:03:22
In reply to Fed up with meds altogether, posted by Maxime on January 19, 2005, at 20:30:48
> I hate having to take meds. I really hate it. It wouldn't be so bad if I actually felt good, but most of the time I am not, there is always some depression. And when I am hypomanic it's not a high - it's irritability and racing thoughts and no sleep.
> Yet I have no choice. If I go off my meds I am guaranteed a life time bed in a psych hospital.
>
> Maxime
>I emphasize with you totally. I have a headache constantly, irritable, fatigued, generally wretched.
But I'm in the same position as you, so I take them, although now that the Ritalin's worn off for the evening I'm not sure if I took my last med of the night a few minutes ago.
I need to go to sleep.
-z
>
Posted by Ritch on January 20, 2005, at 0:17:57
In reply to Fed up with meds altogether, posted by Maxime on January 19, 2005, at 20:30:48
> I hate having to take meds. I really hate it. It wouldn't be so bad if I actually felt good, but most of the time I am not, there is always some depression. And when I am hypomanic it's not a high - it's irritability and racing thoughts and no sleep.
> Yet I have no choice. If I go off my meds I am guaranteed a life time bed in a psych hospital.
>
> Maxime
>
>I understand! .. Just wished I could get by on ONE or even TWO meds, my current gripe is the continuous polypharmacy that is required... But I've been off totally for at least two years in the past and it sucks really horribly. I think I could power a couple of small cities with the power I could have generated with all of that pacing....
Posted by johnsmith12345 on January 20, 2005, at 2:10:05
In reply to Fed up with meds altogether, posted by Maxime on January 19, 2005, at 20:30:48
Please list the meds you have tried. Maybe we can suggest an alternative strategy.
Posted by Maxime on January 20, 2005, at 21:49:29
In reply to Re: Fed up with meds altogether, posted by johnsmith12345 on January 20, 2005, at 2:10:05
> Please list the meds you have tried. Maybe we can suggest an alternative strategy.
here is the list, but understand that some have been in combination because I am bipolar. However, I am more depressive that hypomanic/manic. Here is goes:
luvox
paxil
zoloft
effexor
prozac
remeron
wellbutrin
tegretol
lamictal
depakote
topomax
lithium
risperidol
seroquel
zyprexa
anafranil
tofranil
vivactil
traxadone
elavil
immovane (not available in the US used for sleep)
pamelor
thorazine
nozinan
celexa
provigil
Serzone
Restoril
Nardil
Mellaril
Surmontil
Ritalin
Ritalin SR
Cytomel
I am sure there are some I have missed.
------Now on-------
Parnate 80-100mg
Adderall
trileptal
klonopin (as a mood stabiliser not for anxiety)
Thorazine (once a month before the full moon)
Synthroid (for hypothyroidism)
Nozinan (for when I really can't sleep AT ALL)
Keep in mind that many of the meds you can get in the U.S. are not approved in Canada. So I can't try abilify or lexapro etc.So now that you have seen the list you can understand my frustrations.
Maxime
Posted by johnsmith12345 on January 20, 2005, at 23:18:23
In reply to Re: Fed up with meds altogether, posted by Maxime on January 20, 2005, at 21:49:29
Wow, that is a giant list. I don't know if there is anything left besides ECT, opiates and the ones you mentioned. Maybe look out for clinical trials of any medications that are from a completely new class.
What was life like before you began taking meds?
Here is a site, maybe you will find some useful info:
http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000105/Default.htm
Also if you haven't already do a search on medline (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/) for the following queries, making sure "Limits" is set to Title:
(TRD OR (treatment AND resistant AND depression))
treatment resistant bipolar
Posted by Maxime on January 21, 2005, at 23:11:32
In reply to Re: Fed up with meds altogether, posted by johnsmith12345 on January 20, 2005, at 23:18:23
I've thought about ECT and then ruled it out. I know it can work, and I know sometimes it doesn't. I am also worried about the memory loss. They say it's only short term memory you lose but I know several people who lost all their long term as well.
Life before meds? Hmmm. I was a depressed child who grew into a depressed pre-teen and then teen. I attempted suicide for the first time when I was 13. I left the engine running in my mom's car when my parents were out for the night. My brother found and me and luckily I had no brain damage.
Despite these events, we were not to talk about what happened. So I spent another 10 years or so in depressived state and eventually the mood swings started and then everything went black. I was convinced I was going insane. That's when I started taking meds in my mid 20's.
If my parents found help for me I know I wouldn't be this bad.I am not blaming them. It just that it has be shown that the sooner you are treated for bipolar the better chance you have at being stabilised more easily.
I also developed anorexia in my pre-teens and I still suffer today. So I have a lot going on.
I know the Parnate helps a lot. I know that if I had not found a doctor willing to let me try it that I would be much worse. But I am still depressed. Sometimes more than other. And I am often suicidal and I have attempted 2 more times since I was 13.
So life before meds was hard for different reasons than it is now.
Maxime
> Wow, that is a giant list. I don't know if there is anything left besides ECT, opiates and the ones you mentioned. Maybe look out for clinical trials of any medications that are from a completely new class.
>
> What was life like before you began taking meds?
>
> Here is a site, maybe you will find some useful info:
>
> http://www.acnp.org/g4/GN401000105/Default.htm
>
> Also if you haven't already do a search on medline (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/) for the following queries, making sure "Limits" is set to Title:
>
> (TRD OR (treatment AND resistant AND depression))
>
> treatment resistant bipolar
>
>
Posted by johnsmith12345 on January 25, 2005, at 4:02:24
In reply to Re: Fed up with meds altogether, posted by Maxime on January 20, 2005, at 21:49:29
What about deprenyl and mirapex? The deprenyl patch (EMSAM) isn't out yet, but perhaps it is worth a try. It should be out in several months. Mirapex is a dopamine agonist used for parkinson's, which can have good results for depression if I remember correctly.
Also, have you tried the opiates tramadol or buprenorphine? Some report depression relief using either of these two, with lessened tolerance compared to convetional opiates like hydrocodone or morphine.
This is the end of the thread.
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