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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sadperson on February 12, 2014, at 17:29:15
I'm on 90 mg Remeron, 120 mg Cymbalta, 200 mg Lamictal, 5 mg Abilify, 1600 mg Neurontin, 2 mg Klonopin, and 150 mg Trazodone. The latter 3 are for sleep, Trazodone being the most effective. I'm feeling depressed a lot, especially starting around 3 or 4 PM every day. Could increasing the Trazodone help?
At other times in my life, I've tried and failed with Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Nardil, Desipramine, Pamelor, Wellbutrin, Buspar, Serzone, and ECT.
Posted by Phillipa on February 13, 2014, at 11:13:30
In reply to trazodone, posted by sadperson on February 12, 2014, at 17:29:15
Quite a few meds. Diagnoisis or symptoms other than tired? Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on February 13, 2014, at 18:33:21
In reply to trazodone, posted by sadperson on February 12, 2014, at 17:29:15
When someone has had a long history of different meds and ect, and their quality of life still has significant suffering, then that sort of hints to me....the problem isn't really psychiatric, it only looks that way on the outside. The problem could likely be something else totally unsuspected, such as lyme disease, other tick borne infection, other stealth infection viral/fungal/bacterial, toxin accumulation from the environment, and either way, disruption of many bodily biochemistries. All of that makes it extremely difficult and probably impossible to rid of the symptoms until the disease itself is suppressed.
That's a long list of meds and you don't feel good. Then why take them? Why add on another one? The whole reuptake inhibitor thing just doesn't appear to be doing it for you.
To get a better idea of what's going on, try doing a search of burrascanno md or horowitz md and search for their lyme questionnaires. Not that you have lyme, who would know that, but because it asks a ton of questions to help you see and identify other symptoms that you have. Sometimes other symptoms exist but the connection is never made how they form patterns along with the psychiatric stuff. The doc doesn't ask about the other symptoms, and if he does, doesn't ask the right questions. In 15 minutes, he can't possibly see the big picture or make an accurate diagnosis.
I can say from personal experience that any kind of infection you don't know about, lyme being the most suspect, or any kind of toxin accumulation over the many years and decades, difficult to treat psychiatric symptoms almost go hand in hand with those. That's because so many biological systems are impacted, especially the brain and all of its receptors and nerve endings. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see now why my 20 years of psych meds and failed ECT never got me better. I had lyme disease the whole time. I got better on antibiotics and herbs, no psych meds at all.
Anyway, check out the questionnaires. It will probably give you some ideas and some clues.
As to the trazodone, I don't know, at this point in the cocktail it doesn't really seem to make that much difference to me. But if it is helpful, then yeah. I just think the writing is already on the wall....your turnaround needs help from outside of psychiatry. Actually it's all stuff the psychiatric folks should know like experts. Someday hopefully.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Posted by phidippus on February 13, 2014, at 23:01:22
In reply to trazodone, posted by sadperson on February 12, 2014, at 17:29:15
You're over medicated. And a couple of your meds could actually be making you depressed: Lamictal, Neurontin and Klonopin.
If you want, you can raise the dose of trazadone to 600 mg and see if that helps.
Eric
Posted by jrbecker76 on February 14, 2014, at 10:32:10
In reply to Re: trazodone » sadperson, posted by phidippus on February 13, 2014, at 23:01:22
Trazodone and Nefazodone both increased my afternoon depression, anxiety and dysphoria. I believe it had to do with the metabolism of the parent drug into mCPP, a metabolite with a very anxiogenic and depressiogenic profile. Both of these drugs would be ideal as a good augmentor if it wasn't for that conversion. I also found that getting off both drugs was considerably difficult.
Just my take.
JB
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