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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 21 of 21. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 13:15:05
Bacl from my Doc today.I spoke to her about my condtioining worsening and how i dident want to try anymore mood stablizers at this point because A The depression is pretty bad and i dont think a stablizer will do at this point in time until the depression is grabbled.
B. Because i have klonopon,and personaly i see klonopin as somewhat of a mood stablizer.
I also told my doc i dont want to go to Maois again as i have spinnined around on those for years prior to seeing her.
So we mentioned the fact that i show a lot of ADHD sympomts,on top of the fact i partialy responded to dexadrine,on top of the fact i need an added compenet to help fight my depression off.
So she gave me the lowest dose ritalin to start out with,.5mg to be broken in half at first.
Hopefully this can give me a kick in my depression,if this does not work the next thing shell try is lithium to see if it might jump start my AD.
I havent taken it yet,but ive used dexadrine with no problem,i dont see a problem taking a small dose of ritalin in bewteen a parnate dose for myself?
Does ritalin carry anti anti - depressant effects?
Posted by linkadge on August 30, 2005, at 14:45:44
In reply to Back from the DOC, posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 13:15:05
Ritalin seems to have some antidepressant properties with me.
Are you stopping the parnate? Will you be trying a different AD ?
Linkadge
Posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 15:13:55
In reply to Re: Back from the DOC, posted by linkadge on August 30, 2005, at 14:45:44
No im gonna stick with the parnate.I read on a sheet posted here that both Dexadrine,and adderall have been used on two different occasions for treatment resistent depression.
When i tried dexadrine it worked,but dexadrine for two strong,so i asked for the smallest dose ritalin she can give to start with.
I just took a 5mg ritalin a little while after parnate.My depression today was too intense too notice any improvment but so far hour after taking it i dont feel any INTERACTIONS ETC,or anything to keep me worried about the two.
I will carefully watch,my hopes are ritalin possably will allow me to lower parnate dose in the future and keep it lower and still recieve anti depressant benifit from the two togther.
My doc actualy mentioned this when we discussed the possability of shoing ADHD symptoms.
My depression is very bad now and i dont wanna get off my AD and leave it to ritlain alone.
Hopefully itll help,not downplaying anyone here but i know for myself i need some form of relieaf yesterday,im suffereing pretty bad now.
Guess tommorrow well know how the combo plays togther.
Posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 15:27:09
In reply to Re: Back from the DOC, posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 15:13:55
I mentioned adderal im sorry i of course meant ritalin instead.
Adderal i have no idea where that came from lol think i was just reading a post above and it stuck there!
Posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 16:05:06
In reply to Re: Back from the DOC, posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 15:27:09
Willyee, How do get these docs to Rx these meds for you? Drop me an E-mail. I'm afraid to start the new med I was RX'd Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 16:31:18
In reply to Re: Back from the DOC, posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 16:05:06
> Willyee, How do get these docs to Rx these meds for you? Drop me an E-mail. I'm afraid to start the new med I was RX'd Fondly, Phillipa
What were you RXed?
I.
Posted by linkadge on August 30, 2005, at 16:34:15
In reply to Re: Back from the DOC » Phillipa, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 16:31:18
Was wondering if you've ever tried a TCA. I found the swich from partate to a TCA was a very posative move for me at the time. Was wondering if you'd ever taken a TCA ?
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 18:02:23
In reply to Have you tried a TCA willyee ??, posted by linkadge on August 30, 2005, at 16:34:15
First to answer your question Ilene nortriptaline was Rxd for me. The pharmacy had to order it for me so that's scarey because this shows they don't use it much anymore. And Link why do you think that a TCA would work? Will it help anxiety and depression? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 19:16:39
In reply to Have you tried a TCA willyee ??, posted by linkadge on August 30, 2005, at 16:34:15
I have taken tca in the past imiprimine to no avail,but it was very long long ago.
I take amtrip now at night at a baby dose of 10 mg dose for sleep sometimes,but it is either very weak or im am serious addicted to parnate which is a possability.
Parnate was the only med that worked for me,now its a love hate relationship,it doesent help me but i go through LIVING HELL if i try to go off it.
I would honestly at this point like to get off,i just remeber how bad i did on all the other meds.
Main reason im adding to it now rather plain getting off is im am PTERAFIED of throwing on top of this horrid depression the horrifiying guy wrenching fear and pain i get when i go off parnate,i dont think the condition im in i can tackle getting off now.
Kinda like sending a pitcher out for the big game with a broken arm disadvantage to start.So before i even start the hell of a parnate w/d im already at the disadvantage of being in a giant hole,my options are running thin as paper,nothing is even working cause im so anxiuous before taking something that it WONT i dont give it time.Yada yADA
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 19:20:05
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » linkadge, posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 18:02:23
> First to answer your question Ilene nortriptaline was Rxd for me. The pharmacy had to order it for me so that's scarey because this shows they don't use it much anymore. And Link why do you think that a TCA would work? Will it help anxiety and depression? Fondly, Phillipa
Here's a link to info about nortriptyline.
http://www.mentalhealth.com/drug/p30-a05.html
It is a tricyclic (TCA). The reason your pharmacy had to order it is because you live in a small town. Because TCAs are always prescribed after the SSRIs and newer ADs have been exhausted, and the majority of people do okay with the new drugs, your pharmacy has little call for it. The reason TCAs aren't used much anymore is because they are fatal in overdose, and I think they are considered "dirtier". In other words, they have an effect on more systems than new drugs. Hope this helps,I.
Posted by willyee on August 30, 2005, at 19:23:46
In reply to Re: Back from the DOC, posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 16:05:06
> Willyee, How do get these docs to Rx these meds for you? Drop me an E-mail. I'm afraid to start the new med I was RX'd Fondly,
Ill definatly drop u an email very soon,for now about ur question,dont get me wrong,its not every docter doing this.In fact when i swam around for a second opinion every OTHER doc i seen refused to eve work with me on parnate cause its a maoi.
My current doc knows me well,we have been working togther for 4 years,knows my mother and knows my mother gets invovled in my treatment,she also knows how treatment resitent i am,and that i come in with ressources to show her.
I am her ONLY patient however on a maoi,and im the only patient she says she goes to this extent with,mainly because of our past and all the factors i listed above,she would not rx most of the combinations i get to a single person,and i have been turned down a time or two by her.If its in any reasonable doubt she will consider it for me.
But this area in vabeach is very tight actualy,all the docters know each other and to the contary it is actualy quite hard to get certain prescriptions rxed.Very hard.
Posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 20:32:01
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » Phillipa, posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 19:20:05
Ilene, Thanks for the info. It's the taccycardia and stimulation I'm most afraid of. She's starting me at l0mg. Do I take it in the morning or at night? She said it was supposed to help my anxiety. Did you personally ever take one? Fondly,Phillipa
Posted by Ilene on August 30, 2005, at 21:12:04
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » Ilene, posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 20:32:01
> Ilene, Thanks for the info. It's the taccycardia and stimulation I'm most afraid of. She's starting me at l0mg. Do I take it in the morning or at night? She said it was supposed to help my anxiety. Did you personally ever take one? Fondly,Phillipa
I took a TCA called desipramine (Norpramin or Pertofane) for a long time. I don't remember any sides, but I don't get too many unless I'm at very high doses of drugs. It worked for my depression the first time I took it (over 20 years ago) but I had no anxiety problem back then. It didn't work the second time I tried it (about 2 years ago). I think I took it in the morning. The info on mentalhealth.com says to take 25 mg nortriptyline 3 or 4 times a day. Your doctor is starting you at a very low dose. I think you'll be okay.
I.
Posted by linkadge on August 31, 2005, at 7:34:34
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » linkadge, posted by Phillipa on August 30, 2005, at 18:02:23
Nortryptaline is one of the most studied TCA's for depression. It can be very effective.
If SSR's don't seem to be having effects, then this is probably a good second bet.
Just give it a try, the worst it can do is not work.
But just a hint, start low. If the doc says start with 10mg for a week, then start with 2.5mg day one 5.0mg day two 7.5 etc. The start up side effects are what turn people off to TCA's the most, but they do go away.
You will also notice that it is a completely different side effect profile than SSRI's
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2005, at 17:44:33
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ??, posted by linkadge on August 31, 2005, at 7:34:34
Link, I thought they only camein the smallest dose of l0mg capsules? It's the taccycardia that scares me and the fact that I tried a TCA years ago and it freaked me out! Fondly, phillipa
Posted by linkadge on August 31, 2005, at 20:01:36
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » linkadge, posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2005, at 17:44:33
What tca did you try in the past ?
It's just a recomendation. You open the cap in a bottle of water shake it up and pour out half.
When I took clomipramine, the smallest it came in was 25mg I split them into quaters and went up gradually.
Don't worry about tachycardia. See if it works. Adding a mild beta blocker is not too big a deal.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2005, at 21:11:16
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ??, posted by linkadge on August 31, 2005, at 20:01:36
One I tried was ludiomil and I never slept all night in and out of a fog. And the worst was i was a new nurse and had to work feeling that way. And the very first time I wish I knew but the doctor called it an upper downer. Any idea what it was? So far I haven't picked it up cause to be honest I'm really scared. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Racer on August 31, 2005, at 23:53:12
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » linkadge, posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2005, at 21:11:16
PJ, there's a reason your doctor didn't suggest trying ludiomil this time...
I don't think it's a TCA, though -- and it doesn't seem to be prescribed often enough for rxlist.com to bother with having it in its database.
Nortriptyline is NOT going to be anywhere near as bad -- I promise. If it is bad for you, you can come beat my butt. ;^D As I recall, nort. is a sort of daughter-drug to the TCAs, and I know that it and desipramine are supposed to be the least s/e problematic of the class. Nort. was the only TCA I could ever use at all, because of my idiopathic hypotension. NO dizziness, even for me with my 90/60 to 85/50 BP.
Seriously, Peej -- the worst that will happen is that it doesn't work. You've said yourself that you can put up with a certain level of s/e if the drug works. You won't know unless you try this, but it's a seriously good drug.
C'mon, don't make me get my flying monkeys!
Posted by Phillipa on September 1, 2005, at 0:28:59
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » Phillipa, posted by Racer on August 31, 2005, at 23:53:12
Okay Racer since I really trust you I'll pick up the Rx tomorrow. But I still don't know if you take in am or pm as Rx doesn't specify. Fondly, PJ
Posted by Ilene on September 1, 2005, at 0:41:45
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » Racer, posted by Phillipa on September 1, 2005, at 0:28:59
> Okay Racer since I really trust you I'll pick up the Rx tomorrow. But I still don't know if you take in am or pm as Rx doesn't specify. Fondly, PJ
Ask the pharmacist when you pick up the prescription, or call your doctor.
I.
Posted by linkadge on September 1, 2005, at 6:58:39
In reply to Re: Have you tried a TCA willyee ?? » Phillipa, posted by Ilene on September 1, 2005, at 0:41:45
Everone I know who's taken nortryptaline has taken it in the PM. You may be able to take it in the AM, I don't know.
Linkadge
This is the end of the thread.
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