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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 NewQuestions on September 14, 2009, at 9:31:45
I am 9 months off all medication, after 10 plus years of use, and am experiencing neurological problems, including cognitive problems (memory, lack of concentration, abstract thinking) and weird "head pressures". An alternative doctor recommended Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Any thoughts?
Posted by Phillipa on September 14, 2009, at 10:52:37
In reply to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal, posted by NewQuestions on September 14, 2009, at 9:31:45
Seriously not being rude what's the hyperbaric oxygen do? I know they use it for scuba divers that come up too fast? Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on September 14, 2009, at 20:56:12
In reply to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal, posted by NewQuestions on September 14, 2009, at 9:31:45
I won't expand on my reasons why, just to say I have studied a lot about this treatment in the past month and reviewed an enormous amount of experimental, anecdotal, and hospital results. But the general message is, HBO is showing semi-miraculous to miraculous results for a wide variety of perplexing things where Western medicine has failed. We're talking burns, strokes, infections, immune system, Lyme disease, Autism, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, MS, and others.
Long topic.
All I can say is, if you can afford, by all means do it.
Posted by yxibow on September 14, 2009, at 22:59:36
In reply to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal, posted by NewQuestions on September 14, 2009, at 9:31:45
> I am 9 months off all medication, after 10 plus years of use, and am experiencing neurological problems, including cognitive problems (memory, lack of concentration, abstract thinking) and weird "head pressures". An alternative doctor recommended Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Any thoughts?
Well, you'll get different views here depending on whether one believes in somewhat radical alternative therapy or not.
I don't.
Hyperbaric oxygen (actually oxygen & nitrogen and sometimes xenon I think) is a therapy meant for divers who have come up too quickly from the depths and are suffering from a serious to fatal condition known as "the bends".
Why did you go off your medication in the first place?What was the diagnosis ?
All the above sounds also like a) a rare set of long term withdrawal from medications that will resolve itself or b) more likely causality is not always causation and it sounds like untreated ADHD and/or depression because you've gone off medication.
A condition that seems "cured" doesn't mean that you can remove the medication (not that I'm not about reducing as much as one can) and things will go away. Psychotropics unfortunately aren't antibiotics or aspirin, not to be crass. They help (and yes, have side effects) only when they're there.
And that's why some people (besides reasons of bad side effects or medical conditions that preclude certain treatments such as having liver disease) go off their medications, because they think that it has made them well. It makes one's functionality much better.
Spending thousands to tens of thousands of dollars lying in a tank of oxygen isn't going to help it any more than those "oxygen bars" where people go and "breath in" oxygen and it isn't paid by insurance unlike "the bends" which may be and is the only proven use for such a thing that I know.
We're surrounded by about 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen plus other things, polluted or not.If you want to get a scientifically based answer for what you're suffering from I would suggest seeing a neurologist.
but that's my 2c-- Jay
Posted by NewQuestions on September 15, 2009, at 8:45:29
In reply to Re: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal » NewQuestions, posted by yxibow on September 14, 2009, at 22:59:36
I went off the drugs because they "pooped out" on me and they were actually starting to make be feel worse and not better. I literally cannot tolerate any pyschotropics at this point. I am now 9 months off and experiencing weird neurological problems that I did not experience pre-drugs, including cognitive problems (memory, concentration, abstract reasoning), head pressures and extreme sensitivities to drugs, the sun and exercise. I am hoping the oxygen therapy with clear up the cognitive problems and speed up the healing.
Posted by yxibow on September 15, 2009, at 16:06:23
In reply to Re: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal, posted by NewQuestions on September 15, 2009, at 8:45:29
> I went off the drugs because they "pooped out" on me and they were actually starting to make be feel worse and not better. I literally cannot tolerate any pyschotropics at this point. I am now 9 months off and experiencing weird neurological problems that I did not experience pre-drugs, including cognitive problems (memory, concentration, abstract reasoning), head pressures and extreme sensitivities to drugs, the sun and exercise.
I understand that some medications actually will make you feel worse -- they're not perfect and no medication will work the same way for one person or another.
I don't understand the present comment of extreme sensitivities to drugs ? But I thought you came off all of them.
I am hoping the oxygen therapy with clear up the cognitive problems and speed up the healing.I can't change your mind on that but I would still say to see a neurologist or have another psychiatric consult.
The concept is very alternative and I can't see how it can contribute anything to what you're experiencing, considering its a one time "thing".
-- tidings.
Posted by Phillipa on September 15, 2009, at 19:41:46
In reply to Re: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal » NewQuestions, posted by yxibow on September 15, 2009, at 16:06:23
I second xiybow with the see neurologist. Possibly MRI or another test can find out the reasons for the way you feel. This first okay? Love Phillipa by the way you could also google it?
Posted by bleauberry on September 15, 2009, at 20:32:03
In reply to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal, posted by NewQuestions on September 14, 2009, at 9:31:45
With all due respect, the posters here who have called HBO radical alternative therapy or condemned it as being useless, please study up the topic before forming an opinion.
Example...HBO is pure oxygen, nothing else. It is 3X atmospheric pressure. You lay in a capsule and watch TV or read a book while you breath pure oxygen under pressure. The oxygen forced deep into tissues where it cannot reach under normal pressure is where all the healing occurs. Not to mention, most infectious diseases involve anaerobic organisms...that is, anything more than a normal low amount of oxygen will kill them. Thus the University of Texas's dramatic success in a small trial of resistant Lyme patients.
No one knows how the healing happens, it just does.
HBO is actually frontline treatment for difficult diabetic neuropathy cases. My Dad saved many people's diabetic feet with HBO. Lest you think he was some weird MD, he was Chief of Orthopaedics of all the other Chiefs of Orthopaedics in the US Army. HBO has been around a long time. It is just recently showing the amazing ability to heal all kinds of mysterious things.
The absence of evidence on your desktop does not mean absence of efficacy. The absence of explanation in no way diminishes the results.
HBO by the way has been around a long time. Far from radical, it is commonplace therapy for burns and strokes. Almost every hospital has one. My Dad, and ex MD, used to take rests in them during long shifts. Makes me wonder if that is why he is now 85 and acts as healthy as a 30 year old.
Anyway, all the negative stuff said about HBO on this thread is absolute total hogwash. Please do some homework folks.
Posted by NewQuestions on September 16, 2009, at 8:20:44
In reply to Re: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Withdrawal, posted by bleauberry on September 15, 2009, at 20:32:03
My only fear is that my system is hypersensitive. If you go to paxilprogress.org, you will see that many people withdrawing from years of SSRI use experience hypersensitivity to any psychoactive drugs and sensory inputs like light and sound. It is from automatic nervous system instability. For me, it extends to things like excessive exercise or sun exposure. Too much, and I get confused and depressed, I think because of the way it affects serotonin.
This is the end of the thread.
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