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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 20 of 20. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 15:12:15
and i got zero benefit from it. my doctor was unable to get my PET scan i had done 2 years ago. i dont know if that would have helped or not, though.
i met with her today though, and she said my next option would be to let them hook my brain up to elecrtrodes and leth them send high doses of electricity through my brain until i have a seizure (ECT). or i could find some random clinical trial with a new, interesting med to try. maybe a ketamine trial. *sigh*i thought i kinda liked this psychiatrist at first, until she said "you do not have tardive dyskinesia". she thinks it is impossible since it wasnt caused by an antipsychotic. why aere there so many ignorant psychiatrists in this world? if i never would have bought into the idea that antidepressants could help, i probably wouldnt have had to deal with any doctors until im like 50. my life seems pretty gloomy to me right now, bordering on hopeless.
Posted by Roslynn on February 16, 2012, at 15:47:07
In reply to done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 15:12:15
I'm so sorry about the rTMS. Please don't feel hopeless, there will be something else for you to try.
Roslynn
> and i got zero benefit from it. my doctor was unable to get my PET scan i had done 2 years ago. i dont know if that would have helped or not, though.
> i met with her today though, and she said my next option would be to let them hook my brain up to elecrtrodes and leth them send high doses of electricity through my brain until i have a seizure (ECT). or i could find some random clinical trial with a new, interesting med to try. maybe a ketamine trial. *sigh*
>
> i thought i kinda liked this psychiatrist at first, until she said "you do not have tardive dyskinesia". she thinks it is impossible since it wasnt caused by an antipsychotic. why aere there so many ignorant psychiatrists in this world? if i never would have bought into the idea that antidepressants could help, i probably wouldnt have had to deal with any doctors until im like 50. my life seems pretty gloomy to me right now, bordering on hopeless.
Posted by Phillipa on February 16, 2012, at 16:33:57
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by Roslynn on February 16, 2012, at 15:47:07
So very very sorry as posted above something new. Did you doc have any suggestions? Phillipa
Posted by SLS on February 16, 2012, at 16:45:57
In reply to done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 15:12:15
> and i got zero benefit from it.
I didn't benefit from 15 ECT treatments.
I didn't give up. There were still things to try.
I went on to respond to a combination of medications, several of which were not available when I had ECT.
- Scott
Posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 18:58:11
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by SLS on February 16, 2012, at 16:45:57
it is just that medication doesnt mix well with my brain. it is hard for doctors to believe and understand me that when a med has an effect on my brain, i cant really go back.
like when an ssri has made me feel numb, it sticks with me. my brain is a complete mess because of this. this is so different from many others who take medication that doctors and myself are just at a loss for what to do.
i used to be very normal but just let my emotions get to me. but now my brain is completely dysfunctional. it's just so complicated and scary for me.
taking my first antidepressant, cymbalta and adderall, was the worst decision in my life back in 2005. i've been on pysychobabble for about a year now, and someone on here, i cant remember exactly who, but they told me they dont believe mme about meds messing with me long term. and im not sure anyone really does except for my mom.but like i said, my next step is to try getting into a ketamine drug trial, and hope that it can have an effect of actually resetting my brain back to normal functioning like it says in literature about it.
my genes did not make me like this, and no traumatizing events made me like this. it was strictly the meds i have taken, and then more meds to try and fix what meds i 1st took did to me.i thought this site was interesting though:
Posted by SLS on February 16, 2012, at 20:42:34
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 18:58:11
I guess people don't want to believe you because:
1. It upsets their model of depression and how it reacts to treatment.
2. It upsets them to think that you might be untreatable.
3. It upsets them to think that they have been treating you for the wrong illness.
I'm glad you still have hope. Ketamine might be exactly what you need.
> i thought this site was interesting though:
>
> http://www.ketamine.com/antidepressant-potential.htmlYes. Thanks for posting it.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on February 16, 2012, at 21:00:53
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 18:58:11
Poser oh I believe you as when took first SSRI something happened. Benzos fine. Not ads. And your thyroid is fine? What age are you? You have probably already said but I've forgotten. What was your first symptoms? Phillipa
Posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 21:43:59
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments) » poser938, posted by Phillipa on February 16, 2012, at 21:00:53
im 24 now. 17 when i 1st took meds.
my reason for starting antidepressants was, basically i let kids bother me too much at school. my grades were horrible, and i just felt like meds could help me. i was put on cymbalta and adderall. for about the 1st month on adderall i was pretty much sped up all the time and feeling fantastic. i felt confident, and my grades went from D's and F's to A's and B's. after that month, everything went to hell. i could not stay a whole day in school because i would start crying for no reason and just feel so bad and would have to go home. from then on, i have just been a mess. a bit better at time when i would find a med that would help. but i never found a med that helped bring me back to my normal ability of functioning, so then i would try another med only to get messed up even more. right now, i have hardly any legitimate emotions because i feel so blank. my ability to feel pleasure went from a 100(normal) to about a 10. confused all the time. serious lack of motivotion. hair falls out about twice as fast. my muscles in my face flex and twitch on their own.the worst meds for me were adderall, effexor, mirapex, and buspar. and i had my thyroid checked about a year ago and it was fine. but i'm thinking about going back to the doc and seeing if there are other things they can check, like if my body absorbs all vitamins correctly.
Posted by Phillipa on February 17, 2012, at 18:22:06
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 21:43:59
Could some of the supplements be causing some of this? Certain ones I can't take. Strange as years ago I could. Phillipa
Posted by poser938 on February 18, 2012, at 1:21:34
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments) » poser938, posted by Phillipa on February 17, 2012, at 18:22:06
i havent been taking any supplements. im afraid to take anything.
Posted by SLS on February 18, 2012, at 6:25:37
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 18, 2012, at 1:21:34
> i havent been taking any supplements. im afraid to take anything.
I imagine that you lose a certain amount of optimism with each successive treatment. How many treatments do you have left?
- Scott
Posted by bleauberry on February 18, 2012, at 15:19:37
In reply to done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 15:12:15
I think maybe it is time to go back and rethink the meds....there has to be a few "unique" blends you haven't tried or haven't thought of.
Someone is so desperate that ECt is needed, well, I see anecdotal evidence all around that for them simply medical marijuana does what the last 20 years of their treatment couldn't. Happens a lot.
And I think at this point other stones have to be unturned. Have to look places that previously were never suspect. Stuff like inflammation, occult infection, fat soluble toxins. Pretty straight forward to diagnose these things clinically or to test them by challenge. All of them have one thing in common....depression that won't respond to anything. When the inflammation is dealt with, or the immune system modulated, or a mystery infection lessened, or chelation....depression cannot help but either improve or completely go away.
I think for the most part we as humans downplay the importance of food choices as well. Blood type diets, gluten free diets, high protein diets, high carb diets...these all have significant places in medical treatment and symptom reduction. And in some cases our food choices themselves were the enemy all along.
I guess what I am saying is if you are going to stick within the limited circle of things that are used to treat primarily depression, the prognosis doesn't look very good to me based on your history so why would anyone purposely stay within that confined circle of thought? Face it there are lots of gray areas in medicine and if someone really wants to get better at some point I think they have to accept the idea of thinking outside the box and trying stuff....definitely justified when conventional optioins are running out (and proved they were the wrong mechanisms for whatever the actual problem is).
Posted by Phillipa on February 18, 2012, at 20:03:31
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments) » poser938, posted by SLS on February 18, 2012, at 6:25:37
Scott not sure but isn't Poser done with the rTMS? phillipa
Posted by poser938 on February 18, 2012, at 20:46:33
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by bleauberry on February 18, 2012, at 15:19:37
well i have a few ideas of meds i could try, but im still just nervous about trying them. deplin is one, even though i guess it doesnt really count as a med. then there is saphris. there are a few certain serotonin receptors that it works on that MIGHT benefit me. and then Ketamine.
i have tried to look at all the possibillities. like, could there be something wrong with my diet? is my body not absorbing a certain vitamin or mineral correctly.
one thing that could have caused my brain to not accept meds is when i was in a coma at the end of 2001 from encephalitis from a cat scratch. my immune system was attacking my brain. i dont i had any noticeable long term problems from it, but it could have caused my brain to not react normally to meds.and yes, im done with rTMS.
Posted by papillon2 on February 18, 2012, at 20:51:53
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 18:58:11
> my genes did not make me like this, and no traumatizing events made me like this.
Your experience of long-term, treatment-resistant illness could be considered traumatic.
I'm sorry to hear that rTMS did not work out for you.
Posted by mogger on February 21, 2012, at 22:12:53
In reply to done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments), posted by poser938 on February 16, 2012, at 15:12:15
I am so sorry to hear that you got zero benefit from it but this story on npr a few weeks ago has got UCLA psychiatrists using ketamine with great results. Very hopeful.
Posted by JohnLA on February 22, 2012, at 14:04:13
In reply to Re: done with 2 1/2 weeks of rTMS (24 treatments) » poser938, posted by mogger on February 21, 2012, at 22:12:53
joseph, my dear neighbor...
i am booked for a ketamine consultation at ucla next week. the consultation is covered by insurance but the ketamine procedure is not. it's $1200...
i have listed elsewhere here on the forum about a doc down in san diego who works with psychs (she is a neurologist).. she only does it nasally or sublingually at a much lower dose and cost after her $400 consultation. i made an appointment w/her for late march. she promise much fewer side effects and still good results for treating depression.
i am thinking of still going ahead and trying the ucla treatment. i'm just curious what the doc has to say. i have mentioned before he did the ect on me almost 2 years ago. so, i know him and respect him.
as i mentioned in the other posts i will keep people posted.
john
Posted by SLS on February 22, 2012, at 14:21:35
In reply to joseph; like 2 peas in a pod...:), posted by JohnLA on February 22, 2012, at 14:04:13
> joseph, my dear neighbor...
>
> i am booked for a ketamine consultation at ucla next week. the consultation is covered by insurance but the ketamine procedure is not. it's $1200...
>
> i have listed elsewhere here on the forum about a doc down in san diego who works with psychs (she is a neurologist).. she only does it nasally or sublingually at a much lower dose and cost after her $400 consultation. i made an appointment w/her for late march. she promise much fewer side effects and still good results for treating depression.
>
> i am thinking of still going ahead and trying the ucla treatment. i'm just curious what the doc has to say. i have mentioned before he did the ect on me almost 2 years ago. so, i know him and respect him.
>
> as i mentioned in the other posts i will keep people posted.
>
> john
Sounds good to me.Good luck!
- Scott
Posted by mogger on February 22, 2012, at 14:37:14
In reply to joseph; like 2 peas in a pod...:), posted by JohnLA on February 22, 2012, at 14:04:13
John,
Sounds fantastic man. I really wish you good luck with that and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you. I have a very good feeling about this. I know it is expensive but it is worth it's weight in gold if you are comfortable with the Dr. at UCLA as respect is so important in this field. Please keep us updated.
Joseph :)
Posted by poser938 on February 22, 2012, at 22:19:13
In reply to joseph; like 2 peas in a pod...:), posted by JohnLA on February 22, 2012, at 14:04:13
cool, i wish you good luck and hope this treatment works well for you.
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