![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by buddhi on August 3, 2005, at 2:24:00
In reply to Re: Reboxetine/Ritilin for Depression?, posted by Katz on December 11, 2001, at 12:30:22
> > > After reading so many positive things about Reboxetine, I ordered some from IAS and eagerly began a course of 8mg/day to treat my depression, anhedonia and social phobia. On or about day four, I began to feel the energizing effects which were encouraging. One particular day into week two, I actually felt almost "happy". I was filled with child like awe as I watched the snow falling outside my window. WOW! Is this what normal feels like I thought! This is cool! My next thought was, "this is to good to be true. I can't last." IT DIDN'T!!! Here I am at the end of week three and the energizing effects that I felt in the beginning seem to have waned. I never did experience any of the other positive results I was hoping for. No increase in socialability, no motivation, no increased self-esteem...none of that good stuff! As I begin week four, I have increased my dosage to 10mg/day. I have little hope that this is going to be the miracle pill I have been waiting for most of my adult life.
> > >
> > > I was wondering if anyone suffering from depression, anhedonia and social phobia has had any positive results with this drug? How long did it take for you to get full relief from your symptoms?
> > >
> > > Several years ago I was seeing a pdoc several states away who prescribed ritilin. At 20 mg/day, it was my miracle pill! I found complete relief from depression, anhedonia and social phobia. I remained on ritilin for 6 months. I took 20mg in the morning only. I never needed to increase the dose. Unfortunately, I could not afford the expense of traveling 3 states away every month (gas, motel, food, etc). I tried unsuccessfully to find someone in my area to prescribe the ritilin for me. All refused and insisted on more trials of anti-depressants! I have tried them all. They don't work! Three years have since past. 3 more years of my life wasted because nobody was willing to prescribe a drug that is handed out indiscriminantly to children as though it were candy! Who's crazy here?
> > >
> > > Has anyone used ritilin or another stimulant to successfully treat depression, anhedonia and social phobia? Any input would be greatly appreciated. I'm desperate. I want a life! HELP!!!
> > >
> > > Katz
> > Hi Katz,
> > I hope you get this because I may have some interesting news for you. I had almost the exact same symptoms that you had and none of the anti-depressants seemed to work, that’s when I picked up a book by Dr. Amen called “Change Your Brain Change Your Life”. Basically, he uses a brain imaging technique called a “SPECT” scan which is like a MRI but instead of showing an anatomical view of the brain, it shows a functional image of the brain. As I read the book, I noticed that I had many ADD symptoms along with depressive symptoms. I thought that a psycho-stimulant may be the answer for my depression, but my pdocs disagreed. Finally, after being fed up with their run-around and tired of trying every AD available with no benefit, I called the Amen Clinic in CA and made an appointment.
> >
> > I went to the Amen clinic in CA a couple weeks ago. They scheduled two scans. A scan during concentration, and a scan at rest. The results of the concentration SPECT didn't look too good. It seems as if my ENTIRE brain is under functioning big time except for the deep limbic area which is way overactive. However, my brain at rest looked just fine. Anyway, my doc at the Amen clinic started naming what he thought some of my symptoms were before we really started talking. Like he would say—I bet your thinking is cloudy all the time? Yes -- Routine tasks are very difficult? Yes – anhedonia? Yes and so forth. It was amazing. It seems that moods and actions are pretty predictable depending on how the brain functions.
> >
> > He diagnosed me with a condition the Amen clinic calls “deep limbic ADD”, and cyclothymia. He told me that the first order of business was to stabilize my moods. Since Klonipin had been successful in the past, he said it should work now. He also said that we should try an amphetamine like Adderal. Funny thing is I already have, (just a few times) and it worked great. He then added an AD- Wellbutrin. He also suggested that I take several aminos and herbal supplements.
> >
> > I just saw my local p-doc for the first time since the visit to the Amen clinic. He had consulted with the pdoc in CA and agreed that I had ADD. Duh? I guess that since Ritalin and Adderal are sold as street drugs, pdocs are very cautious (I believe overly cautious) about prescribing those drugs. My local pdoc told me that depression was common with people with ADD.
> >
> > I should start with the Ritalin or Adderal in about a week and my pdoc seems pretty confident that I will recover. I spent a whole lotta dough, but I finally feel vindicated and I’m ready to move on with my life.
>
>
> Hi Manowar,
> Thank you for all the information. I hope that you are doing well on the stimulants. Funny thing, I had a test similar to the one you describe approx. six years ago. It was called the BEAM. It was basically an EEG hitched up to a computer which prints out a color topography of brain functioning. A cap with lots of electrodes are attached to the scalp to get the readings. Like you, large areas of the brain were underfunctioning. Alpha, deta and theta were all very low and slow in amplitude. I have shown these test results to conventional doctors and they discard them as *experimental* and refuse to take them seriously. It's maddening.
>
> It's been a year since my first post on this board. My condition remains unchanged although for a time I was having some good results on Yohimbe and huperzine. I did find a psychiatrist who prescribed ritalin and then adderal at my request. I was disheartened to find that these meds no longer worked in the positive way they had in the past. It was as though I was taking no medication at all...go figure!
>
>
>Hi wondering what brand of huperzine you were taking? and what good effects it had on you
? thanks !!!!you can email me or write back on board amy@pause.com thanks again
Posted by buddhi on August 3, 2005, at 2:27:31
In reply to Re: cognitive decline Lost in Des Moines, posted by JGalt on November 2, 2001, at 14:12:26
> I don't know that I have much advice for you, but I can certainly relate to your experience. I used to get this same feeling after milder drug use than you described. It became as though very few connections/associations existed between people/places/things and thus I didn't really feel able to follow thought processes or conversations. I felt that my mind was constantly deteriorating as well. However, I no longer believe that is/was true. It just took a little while drug free to regain this. While in your case this may take a while longer due to the extent of your drug abuse, I still think it is probably the case that you will recover most of your original function. I tried numerous nutritional and drug approaches to solve the problem, some seemed to help, some didn't.
>
> The one thing that seemed to help the most was a combination of "smart drugs" known as "huperzine-A " (that u may be a y, I'm not sure) and "vinpocetine" in the amounts of 10microgram and 10milligrams, respecitvely. It is far from a cureall but it is the only thing besides time that seemed to help all that much. Of course, stimulants such as adderal and ritalin help too, but they seem to burnout for their positive memory effects rather quickly (maybe not for long if JohnX2's research is correct). Many other drugs which are supposed to increase memory exist but those are the only two that worked significantly for me. Experiment as you would like if you so choose with the others.
>
> Another thing to try is learning a new skill or doing one that you used to do. Math, science, whatever, type of problems...these usually serve to build confidence once you learn/relearn them, which is another thing that drug abuse lowers and contributes to the memory less effect (part of the reason depressed people usually score a lot lower on memory tests yet improve significantly once the depression is lifted or they get a good dose of adderal).
>
> Hope this helps,
> JGaltHi wondering what brands you took of vinpocetine and huperzine ???? wanting to try these for cognition don't want to waste money on !#xx$ so just looking for some advice on specific brands that worked for you thanks so much you can write back on this or email me amy@pause.com thanks agin!!!
Posted by Declan on August 3, 2005, at 2:27:31
In reply to Re: question about huperzine and vinpocetine » JGalt, posted by buddhi on August 2, 2005, at 13:10:15
I found Intellectol, available from xxx to be effective vinpocetine.
Declan
Posted by Dr. Bob on August 3, 2005, at 2:35:12
In reply to Re: question about huperzine and vinpocetine, posted by Declan on August 2, 2005, at 21:14:38
> I found Intellectol, available from xxx to be effective vinpocetine.
Please don't use this site to exchange information that could be used to import into the US prescription medication without a prescription.
If you or others have questions about this or about posting policies in general, please see the FAQ:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#illegal
Follow-ups regarding these issues should be redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration.
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by Declan on August 9, 2005, at 23:54:49
In reply to Re: medication without a prescription » Declan, posted by Dr. Bob on August 3, 2005, at 2:35:12
Is vinpocetine a prescription medicine in the USA? I thought it was a supplement there (not here in Australia though).
Declan
Posted by Dr. Bob on August 10, 2005, at 20:21:39
In reply to Re: medication without a prescription » Dr. Bob, posted by Declan on August 9, 2005, at 23:54:49
> Is vinpocetine a prescription medicine in the USA?
It's not that, it's what else is available there. Sorry, I should've said that before.
Bob
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Alternative | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.