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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Extreme on October 8, 2008, at 16:20:40
In the omega-3-thread I told of a strange reaction to a fishoil-supplement I tried and rskontos replied to that later saying:
" You'd be surprised by what all I have found out researching my own issues."
This sparked the idea of a thread which can cover strange effects/side effects of medicines/drugs/supplements. Feel free to define "strange" as you like and speculate all that you want! I will start out with two very strange reactions.
1. Benzo: During the first 6 years of my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and fibromyalgi-like pain (which lead to sleeping problems and very serious trouble relaxing at all) in the body I would on benzo experience enormous IMPROVEMENT in vision. Yea.. I got better eye-sight during influence! No kidding! No small changes either... the stronger benzo, the better vision-improvement. This strange effect vanished when my pain in my body got better after about 6 years. I miss that effect I can say! Have anyone in here experienced something like this? I actually know of persons who I have known that would get some of these vision improvements but I think I was "the worst".
Possible explanation: Overproducing several substances naturally that speeds up the process in the visual part of the brain... then "forcing" it down with benzo which acts in several parts of the brain as an organizer among neurotransmitters.. and whoa.. we got "supervision"!
2. Effexor XR 75 mg: Two hours after ingesting one capsule I lost just about every emotion that exists in me. I could no longer see facial expressions in others, I could no longer hear the tone of others voices if they were sad or happy or anything. This lasted some 18 hours I remember. I got this medicine because a doctor believed I had ADHD. I guess he was more surprised than me. Some years later I tried another capsule just to try.. got half of the strange effect that I got the first time. Somewhat more normal I assume. Still thought it was terrible.
Possible explanation: Extremely high dopamine-level at that time.
Feel free to talk about your strange "encounters" and conclusions!
Posted by Extreme on October 8, 2008, at 16:48:02
In reply to Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by Extreme on October 8, 2008, at 16:20:40
Correction to the text:
-then "forcing" it down with benzo which LIKE GABA will act in several parts of the brain (very much in the visual cortex actually) as an organizer among neurotransmitters but much stronger -
Posted by Phillipa on October 8, 2008, at 16:52:01
In reply to Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by Extreme on October 8, 2008, at 16:20:40
Just that benzos now make me tired and used to give me energy. Oh another one none of the SSRI ever put weight on me and none ever upset my stomach nor did I get withdrawal effects even after three months of 60mg of cymbalta just stopped. And finding can cut down on benzos . But the strangest is that I have a body that wants 50 of luvox as last summer a doc put me very high doses of benzos throughout the day 8mg of Ativan and time release xanax 6mg and didn't sleep two weeks and that was cause he removed the luvox. Minute added it back low doses of benzos. My Story Phillipa
Posted by Extreme on October 9, 2008, at 5:53:55
In reply to Re: Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements » Extreme, posted by Phillipa on October 8, 2008, at 16:52:01
> Just that benzos now make me tired and used to give me energy.
Recognize that Phillipa... same thing here.
Posted by Phillipa on October 9, 2008, at 12:33:06
In reply to Re: Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by Extreme on October 9, 2008, at 5:53:55
Extreme you too? Why not babblemail me since no else replied as of yet anyway and maybe we can share? Phillipa
Posted by Extreme on October 9, 2008, at 12:39:47
In reply to Re: Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements » Extreme, posted by Phillipa on October 9, 2008, at 12:33:06
How do I send babble-mail? :P I havnt figured that out!!!!
Posted by Phillipa on October 9, 2008, at 19:43:44
In reply to Re: Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by Extreme on October 9, 2008, at 12:39:47
Extreme see my name is blue? click on that and a screen appears and you type a private message to that person. And then top of page if you want one for you but must click at the bottom of page to send one. Then it will say babblemail sent. And your's isn't on to activate go to registration and click yes I want babblemail. Phillipa
Posted by chiron on October 9, 2008, at 23:10:58
In reply to Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by Extreme on October 8, 2008, at 16:20:40
Interesting. I've always been intrigued why we have such unique experiences. I don't recall anything as quite as bizarre, but my dr. has told me he has never seen someone with such paradoxical effects to meds. (most make me worse).
...and it's weird how one little thing can upset the whole eco-system of our bodies, or our gene influences. Sometimes even nutrients.
You probably know this, but there is a location in the brain that recognizes facial expressions. WEIRD how quickly it affected that area. I swear my 2 tiny doses of neurontin were involved in screwing up my nervous system to create weird feelings I can't even describe. Caused a lot of chaos in my life for a long time.
The same neurotransitter can have a completely different affect in different areas of the brain.
Bodies are wierd. I get pissed at mine a lot. :)
Posted by Extreme on October 10, 2008, at 10:06:12
In reply to Re: Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by chiron on October 9, 2008, at 23:10:58
> ...and it's weird how one little thing can upset the whole eco-system of our bodies, or our gene influences. Sometimes even nutrients.
Yes! It is like ONE simple change effects everything. During the years of strong body pain and with that complications with my body temp (never got that checked... regret that today) different supplements that I used to take to make my stomach feel better, like enzyme-q10 and L-theanine just DID NOT WORK under some of these conditions... it was like my body totally ended all work inside itself when in normal inactivity. Remember I had a job within 20 minutes walking time and that was enough to make the supplements work. But when I was home... it did not work at all. I espiaclly wonder about L-theanine that would work quite fine on my stomach that it DID NOT do that effect when I simply was home "doing nothing"... it should have been able to cross the blood brain barrier and given effect to the nervecells witout being affected by such a factor of what I was doing for the moment!!! Complete mystery.
> You probably know this, but there is a location in the brain that recognizes facial expressions. WEIRD how quickly it affected that area. I swear my 2 tiny doses of neurontin were involved in screwing up my nervous system to create weird feelings I can't even describe. Caused a lot of chaos in my life for a long time.
Yes, I do know that it exists such an area. Effexor must have slammed that area pretty good.
> The same neurotransitter can have a completely different affect in different areas of the brain.
> Bodies are wierd. I get pissed at mine a lot. :)Yes Indeed... I so wish I had on a computer program connected to the brain a complete view of the stuff that goes on in the brain and nervous system. That would probably explain a lot... but I guess that lies some hundred years into the future.
One other thing about my strange reactions... melatonin made all my stomach troubles and body pain and depression and problems with relaxing go away... it was stronger than anything I have ever tried before or after... and that witout feeling "druged". Thats why I have some hopes to AGOMELATINE. Why I quit melatonin? The "immunity" the brain uses to control natural substances already present in the brain... it goes in very quickly so I only got this enormus effect 6-7 times ,, then it faded away.
Phillipa: Ah :) so thats how it works.. I'll mail you when time allows me.
Posted by Phillipa on October 10, 2008, at 12:19:39
In reply to Re: Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by Extreme on October 10, 2008, at 10:06:12
I'll be waiting. Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on October 10, 2008, at 19:47:55
In reply to Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by Extreme on October 8, 2008, at 16:20:40
I had some longlasting clusters of dormant boils on my buttocks. Antibiotics, hydrocortisone, and stuff, all useless. Nothing worked.
At one time I tried 5htp for my depression. In the end it didn't help much except make me kind of numb like ssris do, and totally killed sex even worse than ssris do. But, and it was kind of amazing, within 24 hours of the first dose those boils had shrunk about 50% in size. By the end of 2 weeks they were practically gone. No powerful drug could touch them, but a little 5htp dust worked incredible.
My explanation? Gosh. All I know is that the immune system, the hormone system, and our neurotransmitters are all tied together. We often tend to compartmentalize these different systems, as if they were completely separate from each other. But they aren't. They are all tied together. We cannot impact one area without indirectly impacting all others. I mean, what dermatologist in the world would have guessed that serotonin could kill those staph germs when the best antibiotics couldn't?
Posted by Extreme on October 11, 2008, at 5:58:22
In reply to Re: Strange reactions to drugs/medicines/supplements, posted by bleauberry on October 10, 2008, at 19:47:55
Pretty amazing, bleauberry!
I remember eating 5-htp for a time but it didnt do anything for my depression either. But it did give me some powerfull dreams like most stuff in the serotonin-related family does and some small effects on my stomach. Hm, about dreams.. xanax XR is THE most potent "dream-substance" for me it seems. I get sooooo long dreams from it. And they are good! Fun stuff always happens in them. I do get horrible nightmares when coming off benzo (who doesent?? :P ) but I am pretty used to "beating monsters" in dreams so aggression really helps when the bad dreams come *lol*
This is the end of the thread.
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