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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by manic666 on November 9, 2008, at 11:15:08
ok this is were i could do with help, in dec i see my h.doc to ask how things are going. then in jan i start my C.B.therapy.i should now be on 60mg cymbalta an 4mg loz. but to be honest the cym dont really work it adds to anxiety if 60mg an your sex life is a bit slow , well a lot slow.so i dropped myself to 40mg sex ok on 40mg an it does give pain releaf, it must have a slight depressive help. im running 50 .50 at the moment but drop lower say 40.60 so you can see it dont realy help.also i dropped a 1mg loz down to 3 on my own.this is the dilema,after comming out of hospital an being on, an comming of velafaxine,i was running at 30. 70 so bad as you can see. i was like that a year before hospital trying various meds dont ask me what, i was out of it at the time.i want to ask about a new med but scared of the 30 .70 per.cent again. the main problem is anxiety hence the loz troubles so what in anyones opinion shall i ask for an dont forget we only get one med at a time in england. i will get of the loz eventually hopfully, my gp doc said i wont an is happy with the 4 but the hospital doc has other idea,s so if he goes for a new med he may want me of the loz .he has said as much when i start the C.B.T why who can say.that scares me a new med an slowly comming of the loz together.the 50. 50 is the best i have been for atime but its still not living .but it may be better than they can offer.sex is ok an i dont get fat is the best i can say about my meds im on but thats better odds than some.thanks manic666
Posted by Phillipa on November 9, 2008, at 12:34:58
In reply to manics hospital appointment HELP, posted by manic666 on November 9, 2008, at 11:15:08
Manic sounds like your combo is working for you so let the doc know that. Even in England I feel he'd be hesitant to change something's that's working. If they do the Ashton thing it will be years of lorazepam. Now I could be wrong these are my thoughts. Love Phillipa
Posted by JadeKelly on November 9, 2008, at 17:56:51
In reply to manics hospital appointment HELP, posted by manic666 on November 9, 2008, at 11:15:08
Hi manic,
Sounds like you've got some thinking to do and I want to help but I'm too spent right now to pay close attention to what your post is saying. I will,however, be back! Appt in Dec right? I have Pdoc appt tomorrow and not a clue what to ask for. Wish me luck!
~Jade
Posted by Phillipa on November 11, 2008, at 23:34:00
In reply to manics hospital appointment HELP, posted by manic666 on November 9, 2008, at 11:15:08
Manic you did feel deserted so sorry. I thought at the time that the lower doses were working I was wrong so sorry. And also I feel you feel deserted as Jade also had problems and only the two of us responded. Feel so bad for you. Love Phillipa
Posted by JadeKelly on November 14, 2008, at 0:18:21
In reply to manics hospital appointment HELP, posted by manic666 on November 9, 2008, at 11:15:08
> ok this is were i could do with help, in dec i see my h.doc to ask how things are going. then in jan i start my C.B.therapy.i should now be on 60mg cymbalta an 4mg loz. but to be honest the cym dont really work it adds to anxiety if 60mg an your sex life is a bit slow , well a lot slow.so i dropped myself to 40mg sex ok on 40mg an it does give pain releaf, it must have a slight depressive help. im running 50 .50 at the moment but drop lower say 40.60 so you can see it dont realy help.also i dropped a 1mg loz down to 3 on my own.this is the dilema,after comming out of hospital an being on, an comming of velafaxine,i was running at 30. 70 so bad as you can see. i was like that a year before hospital trying various meds dont ask me what, i was out of it at the time.i want to ask about a new med but scared of the 30 .70 per.cent again. the main problem is anxiety hence the loz troubles so what in anyones opinion shall i ask for an dont forget we only get one med at a time in england. i will get of the loz eventually hopfully, my gp doc said i wont an is happy with the 4 but the hospital doc has other idea,s so if he goes for a new med he may want me of the loz .he has said as much when i start the C.B.T why who can say.that scares me a new med an slowly comming of the loz together.the 50. 50 is the best i have been for atime but its still not living .but it may be better than they can offer.sex is ok an i dont get fat is the best i can say about my meds im on but thats better odds than some.thanks manic666
Hi Manic, I promise I will answer this the best I can, but I'm not familiar with how things are done exactly in England, particularly for mental/emotional issues. I'd first inquire as to whether you HAVE to drop your benzo as they add new med. IMHO, ANY benz w/d symptoms are going to interfere with your response to new A/D. Thats why when I started Parnate, I decided to hold off d/c my Klonopin (3mg day). Next, did you just drop 1/4 of your Benzo in a day? Been feelin a little anxious/irritable? Maybe too fast? I've heard that 10% is a good taper and thats per week. So if you were taking 4mg of Lorazepam, the ideal taper would be .5mg FOR A WEEK. Then, next week, another .5mg for a week, etc. So based on this, it should take you 8 full weeks to stop Lorazepam. And that doesn't mean you wouldn't have some lingering w/d's. Something to ask your Doc about, especially if you've been on the wrong side of 30/70. IF it were me, altering between 30/70 and 50/50, I'd consider going back to 4mg unless you tapered slowly.
Frankly, i'd stay on Lorazapam at DOC RECOMMENDED DOSE :) and Btw, people I know well have said Venlafaxine (Effexor here) is very hard to D/C, w/d symptoms for a while, especially "zaps" did you get those? I haven't heard this one way or the other, but someone close to me recently d/c'd Cymbalta and had similar w/d effects: Brain "zaps" etc. NOTE: These are just my experiences with these three drugs. Reactons/responses vary so widely depending on the person! In fact, I hear a lot of people respond really well to Effexor (no one I know personally so I'll leave it at that)
So,Manic, in answer to your question, I'd stay on the Lorazepam, just until you find an A/D that keeps you at "50/50". W/d from an A/D is hard enough, and maybe something you'll have to expect as you d/c each drug, but the lorazepam sure would help with that. Tell H.Doc (hospital Doc?).
calmly that you need to stay at 50/50 and Lorazepam helps with that. Be firm if its what you believe. Remember, I'm not sure of all the details about whats going on with Hospital treatment. Sounds like they are treating you for depression, if so, do they prescibe MAOI's? Nardil is sedating, so you could wean off Benzo, Parnate is stimulating for many (me) so people with anxiety tend to stay away. So, I'd say request Nardil, if not, tell Docs you want an A/D in new class of meds from ones you've tried. Effexor a difficult one because I believe it hits all 3 transmitters, but I think different A/D's affect us via various mechanisms. What may affect the same transmitter, may work in one A/D but not in another. I'll check around and see if effexor and Cymbalta non responses is clue to what class, or maybe even what med may work. Again, my best geuss? Nardil and Lorazepam, until your ready to taper. Tell ANY Doc, you don't feel comfortable weaning off 4mg Lorazepam in less than 8 weeks (.5 mg per week) A Doc can hardly argue with that. So let me know if you can get MAOI's there.Hope I helped a little Manic, there's so much I don't know, about your history, and the mental health care sytem over there. I'll be of more help to you as I do! Don't forget too let me know about Maoi's, if answer is no, I can look for other logical meds to try. Any other A/D's you have or haven't responded to in past? that would help.
OK....probably more than you wanted, but a promise is a promise hahaCheers~Jade
Posted by JadeKelly on November 14, 2008, at 0:22:01
In reply to Re: manics hospital appointment HELP » manic666, posted by Phillipa on November 11, 2008, at 23:34:00
Posted by manic666 on November 14, 2008, at 4:53:24
In reply to Re: manics hospital appointment HELP » manic666, posted by JadeKelly on November 14, 2008, at 0:18:21
jade thanks for that, i rang the hospital this morning, an spoke to my docs secretary, he only does 3 days aweek now, so the appiontment will stay as it is .wile i can still sleep i struggle on but they say come to the hospital early if major problems .its crazy in england to many pationts not inough docs you no the score,with all the e.u imigrants looking for free med care its put tht NHS in caos.i got off velafaxine no problem with none flush niacin an 5htp, recomended by a good friend.the babbler are swaying towards zoloft, whats your take on that i once did good on prozac but now my body rejects it , and it took 3 months to kick in.the secratary told me hey manic get back on your 4 loz dont try that again without asking .thanks manic, an thanks specials.
Posted by JadeKelly on November 14, 2008, at 14:06:18
In reply to Re: manics hospital appointment HELP, posted by manic666 on November 14, 2008, at 4:53:24
> jade thanks for that, i rang the hospital this morning, an spoke to my docs secretary, he only does 3 days aweek now, so the appiontment will stay as it is .wile i can still sleep i struggle on but they say come to the hospital early if major problems .its crazy in england to many pationts not inough docs you no the score,with all the e.u imigrants looking for free med care its put tht NHS in caos.i got off velafaxine no problem with none flush niacin an 5htp, recomended by a good friend.the babbler are swaying towards zoloft, whats your take on that i once did good on prozac but now my body rejects it , and it took 3 months to kick in.the secratary told me hey manic get back on your 4 loz dont try that again without asking .thanks manic, an thanks specials.
Thats right! That was one of the posts I remember you from. I thought 3 months on Prozac was very patient of you!! But you said it kicked in then. How long did it last, the Prozac? I'm not sure what to tell you other than if you responded to an SSRI in past, it seems that Seratonin is what you may need. I know someone on Zoloft (haven't tried myself as don't need seratonin) anyway, she says it puts o floor on her depression. Kinda like your 50/50 example. She may do better than 50/50, but on Zoloft, there's a floor she doesnt fall below, like your 50/50. Sorry your system sucks over there. But as you have seen, as far as results, many here just as frustrated!! Hey, you didn't say, MAOI's allowed over there?
Let me know what's up. I'll keep an ear out. I'd say go with the board, Zoloft, or maybe Doc will recommend another SSRI, he'd probably have a specific reason for that as he knows you, JMHO. Again don't know your history fully yet. Unless you can take Nardil! What are you thinking about the benzo? I hope you will take the 8 weeks to taper off. Whats your diagnosis other than depression? If thats a repeat, sorry.
Talk soon!~Jade
Posted by Phillipa on November 14, 2008, at 19:53:08
In reply to Re: MANIC'S HOSPITAL APPT.!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!! » manic666, posted by JadeKelly on November 14, 2008, at 14:06:18
Manic a lot of my family members love zoloft. Love Phillipa ps no weight gain for them.
This is the end of the thread.
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