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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 31. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:05:39
Why would Provigil do nothing? I could feel nothing. Or, maybe I felt some fatigue. Is that possible?
I'm more alone now as my best support person has moved further away from me.
All I know is I am really really down there in the depths. Just on ridiculous E-XR 1 a day, then Val 25mg total but 3x a day, and still 75mg Lyrica for sleep.
I was feeling better before I began E-XR. And yep if had to say how I felt on Provigil .. I'd say I felt more fatigued than I already am.
Just dragged myself out of bed to post this.
Hope no one here feels as depressed and lonely as me.
love, cf
Posted by willyee on November 27, 2006, at 12:09:41
In reply to Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:05:39
> Why would Provigil do nothing? I could feel nothing. Or, maybe I felt some fatigue. Is that possible?
>
> I'm more alone now as my best support person has moved further away from me.
>
> All I know is I am really really down there in the depths. Just on ridiculous E-XR 1 a day, then Val 25mg total but 3x a day, and still 75mg Lyrica for sleep.
>
> I was feeling better before I began E-XR. And yep if had to say how I felt on Provigil .. I'd say I felt more fatigued than I already am.
>
> Just dragged myself out of bed to post this.
>
> Hope no one here feels as depressed and lonely as me.
>
> love, cfYoure not alone,as bad and lonly as it seems your not i promise.
Posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:25:15
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by willyee on November 27, 2006, at 12:09:41
Thank you so muhc Willyee!!! It sure feels horrible.
cf
Posted by Phillipa on November 27, 2006, at 12:26:11
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by willyee on November 27, 2006, at 12:09:41
I second that. Love Phillipa
Posted by ronaldo on November 27, 2006, at 13:04:47
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by Phillipa on November 27, 2006, at 12:26:11
Hi corafree,
Sorry you are feeling so low. I hope the sun begins to shine for you real soon.
Provigil = Modafinil = metabolite of Adrafinil
I'm sorry the Provigil did not work for you. If Provigil was not a positive experience then maybe Adrafinil would not work either...
Unfortunately I am not clued up enough to understand properly the difference between Adrafinil and Modafinil.
...ronaldo
Posted by Crazy Horse on November 27, 2006, at 13:17:44
In reply to Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:05:39
> Why would Provigil do nothing? I could feel nothing. Or, maybe I felt some fatigue. Is that possible?
>
> I'm more alone now as my best support person has moved further away from me.
>
> All I know is I am really really down there in the depths. Just on ridiculous E-XR 1 a day, then Val 25mg total but 3x a day, and still 75mg Lyrica for sleep.
>
> I was feeling better before I began E-XR. And yep if had to say how I felt on Provigil .. I'd say I felt more fatigued than I already am.
>
> Just dragged myself out of bed to post this.
>
> Hope no one here feels as depressed and lonely as me.
>
> love, cfSorry it didn't work for you cf, if it makes you feel any better it did nothing for me either. If you don't mind, give me a list of your meds and i can give you some experienced advice. :)
-Monte
Posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 13:26:00
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by ronaldo on November 27, 2006, at 13:04:47
I was only on 200mg and began it prior to preparing this big T-day dinner for fam'. I'd say I was on it a week and a half maybe, and the closer T-day got, the more fatigued I got. So, I stopped it as I was scared I wouldn't be able to 'pull off' the dinner for T-day.
Do you think maybe I should have given it more time? How much time would one wait, can you hypothesize, or do you know, re: Adrafranil?
And, re: Lyrica, someone above in Monte's post mentions it is sedating in lower dose and energizing in higher dose. Well I'm just on 75mg.
Any thoughts appreciated.
cf
Posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 13:43:47
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed » corafree, posted by Crazy Horse on November 27, 2006, at 13:17:44
Tks M .. I've babblemailed you. cf
Posted by rosa63 on November 27, 2006, at 14:01:33
In reply to Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:05:39
> Why would Provigil do nothing? I could feel nothing. Or, maybe I felt some fatigue. Is that possible?
CF, I'm sorry Provigil didn't work for you...it didn't me either. :( All it did for me was keep me awake and gave me physical energy. I could do absolutely NOTHING with that physical energy without the motivation and mental energy! What about a stimulant?
Posted by Crazy Horse on November 27, 2006, at 14:34:12
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed » ronaldo, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 13:26:00
I mentioned that about Lyrica..it's true. High dose is needed for an antidepressant effect and also for energy. Google 'high dose Lyrica' and read for yourself. Good Luck.
-Monte
Posted by willyee on November 27, 2006, at 14:54:51
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed » willyee, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:25:15
> Thank you so muhc Willyee!!! It sure feels horrible.
>
> cf
I know its obvious im gonna recomend or ask about my drug,but have you tried parnate,if your tried provigil i think i know what type of feel your looking for,and parnate usualy works best for people who are laid out,as in staying in bed,dragging themselves etc.Nardil is a lil more for the anxious avoidant type,i of course recomend parnate.I know i speak a lot about how much trouble i have with it,but remember im on it 5 years now,however even now with the lowered effectivness i can still usualy count on it when im in a HOLE,i refer to a whole as one step deeper than the average hell we fight everyday,the HOLE is when you feel your in serious serious trouble.At these times i raise the dose,or add klonopin,HOWEVER ive yet to not become stuck in one.
Other than that,id ask have u looked into provigils cousin,adfranil i believe is its name,or even olimifion something along these lines,it was out before provigil and some say it holds more of a long term stimulant effect.
Posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 15:12:08
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed » corafree, posted by rosa63 on November 27, 2006, at 14:01:33
Tks Rosa.
What 'stimulants' .. could you enlighten me a bit further?
I thought Provigil was 'a stimulant'.
cf
Posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 15:30:59
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by willyee on November 27, 2006, at 14:54:51
Willyee, RU in the discussion above about Adrafanil? I'm not sure I can/should get it.
Have written down olimifion, parnate.
Appreciate suggestions 'may' share w/ P.
Also, out of the discussion above on Adrafanil, Lyrica arose. I'm on a low dose of Lyrica and sounds like I should increase.
I did only stay on the Provigil less than 2wks. Might should have given it more time.
I feel 'too confused' to put my thoughts into correct wording to communicate to P. Ya' know, I feel ill-equipped to express how I feel about which med.(?)
All I know 4sure, want to lower Valium dose.
tks4beinghere, cf
Posted by blueberry on November 27, 2006, at 17:26:14
In reply to Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:05:39
Modafinil usually, but not always, gives decent results. But trying to find one drug that fits everyone is kind of like trying to find one shoe size that fits everyone. It just won't happen.
Could modafinil have worked? Maybe. Some people need 400mg a day. In clinical trials they go 6 to 12 weeks on it, not 2 weeks. Modafinil and adrafinil both can provide immediate benefits, but their true efficacy doesn't kick in until about 3 to 4 weeks and then continues to improve with each passing week. In a perfect world anyway.
I wonder if you were starting effexor near the same time as modafinil? Were you taking both at the same time? If so, there is a good possibility there was some kind of drug-drug interaction you experienced. Maybe the way effexor made you feel worse just drowned out any early benefits modafinil might have had. Maybe modafinil somehow increased effexor levels so what you were feeling were effexor side effects. Modafinil probably would have sped up the clearance of valium from you system, so that could be something involved too. Or it could be the action of valium negated what modafinil was trying to do, which would have required a higher dose of modafinil to overcome it. Who knows. Complicating stuff.
I'm so sorry you feel so horrible. Man I can relate bigtime. You aren't alone. Personally, when a med makes me feel worse right at the start, like effexor and you, I say forget it and move on. But that's just me.
You should call your doc for an emergency meeting and really go over meds in detail. Somewhere in your bad responses to previous meds are clues as to where to go from here. I wish I knew more of your history.
Posted by Jost on November 27, 2006, at 18:38:47
In reply to Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:05:39
Hi, Corafree.
I'm sorry to hear you're so low.
It occurred to me, having read SLS's posts about Lyrica-- to ask how much you're taking and how long you've been on it.
Scott said he had a very depressive reaction to it-- maybe you can check some of his many posts about his reactions.
Is it possible the Lyrica is affecting you negatively and even negating the positive benefits of provigil. Modafinil isn't a super-strong drug-- and will help only if you aren't so exhausted or enervated or depressed that it can lift your mood or energy.
Maybe this combination isn't the right one for you?
Jost
Posted by Crazy Horse on November 27, 2006, at 19:06:05
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed » corafree, posted by Jost on November 27, 2006, at 18:38:47
> Hi, Corafree.
>
> I'm sorry to hear you're so low.
>
> It occurred to me, having read SLS's posts about Lyrica-- to ask how much you're taking and how long you've been on it.
>
> Scott said he had a very depressive reaction to it-- maybe you can check some of his many posts about his reactions.
>
> Is it possible the Lyrica is affecting you negatively and even negating the positive benefits of provigil. Modafinil isn't a super-strong drug-- and will help only if you aren't so exhausted or enervated or depressed that it can lift your mood or energy.
>
> Maybe this combination isn't the right one for you?
>
> JostScott had a bad reaction to Lyrica. He's the only person that i know of that had a 'bad response' to this drug. Please don't quit w/out first giving high dose 500-600mgs. of Lyrica a chance-it could be just the right drug for you. I swear by it..I was suicidal before i got to 500 mgs. Low dose made me feel Lousy, i almost quit it at 50mgs t.i.d., thank God i didn't. So please just give it a chance. If you get to the 500mg. mark in 2 divided doses and don't get the energizing feeling, then taper down and go off.
-Monte
Posted by Morhoun on November 27, 2006, at 19:40:11
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed » rosa63, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 15:12:08
Provigil is a stimulant but I believe it's the weakest one. You may have just been experiencing the come down of the stimulant. You might try Adderall XR or Concerta if you want to do the stimulant thing. They can be tricky though, they can make you more emotional and even the extended release versions can still have a crash period at some point in the day. Stimulants generally don't become more effective with time like ADs, they usually work right away or they don't. Potentially smoother stimulating drugs might be Abilify, Desipramine, Wellbutrin or Parnate. Smoother in the long run that is. The acclimation period can of course be tough.
I have to wonder if the Valium is doing more harm than good. Seems to be a lot of GABA action with the drug combos you are on and they can make things worse long term. Ditch the provigil and try a better stimulant, if that doesn't help look for a different class of meds that hit NE and/or DA. I believe Effexor does that but at higher doses and after some time when the NE effects kick in.
> Tks Rosa.
>
> What 'stimulants' .. could you enlighten me a bit further?
>
> I thought Provigil was 'a stimulant'.
>
> cf
Posted by Phillipa on November 27, 2006, at 19:43:40
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by Morhoun on November 27, 2006, at 19:40:11
Corafree aren't you still on pain meds too? I agree a consult with your doctor is in order as soon as possible. Love Phillipa ps Parnate is an MAOI.
Posted by Jost on November 27, 2006, at 21:17:04
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed » Jost, posted by Crazy Horse on November 27, 2006, at 19:06:05
Let me clarify: I'm not making any suggestion about taking any action.
My only question was if it *could" be the Lyrica-- I simply think it's important to consider the possiblities.
It may very well not be Lyrica-- although I'd also be a bit surprised if the Provigil caused greater depression.
Usually, there isn't the coming-down feeling with Provigil, though, because it doesn't generally give you much of a high.
How much provigil, and when do you take it Cf?
Have you noticed any intensification of the depression as the provigil goes out of your system?
Jost
Posted by Crazy Horse on November 28, 2006, at 0:56:13
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by Morhoun on November 27, 2006, at 19:40:11
> Provigil is a stimulant but I believe it's the weakest one. You may have just been experiencing the come down of the stimulant. You might try Adderall XR or Concerta if you want to do the stimulant thing. They can be tricky though, they can make you more emotional and even the extended release versions can still have a crash period at some point in the day. Stimulants generally don't become more effective with time like ADs, they usually work right away or they don't. Potentially smoother stimulating drugs might be Abilify, Desipramine, Wellbutrin or Parnate. Smoother in the long run that is. The acclimation period can of course be tough.
>
> I have to wonder if the Valium is doing more harm than good. Seems to be a lot of GABA action with the drug combos you are on and they can make things worse long term. Ditch the provigil and try a better stimulant, if that doesn't help look for a different class of meds that hit NE and/or DA. I believe Effexor does that but at higher doses and after some time when the NE effects kick in.
>
>
>
> > Tks Rosa.
> >
> > What 'stimulants' .. could you enlighten me a bit further?
> >
> > I thought Provigil was 'a stimulant'.
> >
> > cf
>
>Provigil is not a stimulant. It is usually used for narcolepsy. It is not a controlled substance as Adrafinil (it's cousin) is not a CS.
I agree, i think you are gettig too much valium, i wouldn't go completely off it, but a gradual taper could help a lot.
-Monte
Posted by Crazy Horse on November 28, 2006, at 1:04:12
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by ronaldo on November 27, 2006, at 13:04:47
> Hi corafree,
>
> Sorry you are feeling so low. I hope the sun begins to shine for you real soon.
>
> Provigil = Modafinil = metabolite of Adrafinil
>
> I'm sorry the Provigil did not work for you. If Provigil was not a positive experience then maybe Adrafinil would not work either...
>
> Unfortunately I am not clued up enough to understand properly the difference between Adrafinil and Modafinil.
>
> ...ronaldoronaldo, what exactly is the difference between the two? Do they work differently? Which one is stronger? Any info you can give me is greatly appreciated. :)
-Monte
Posted by Crazy Horse on November 28, 2006, at 11:26:50
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by Crazy Horse on November 28, 2006, at 1:04:12
My pdoc explained provigil like this 'It's like drinking a strong cup of coffee but without the jitters' It's not a miracle drug for someone who is deeply depressed..you may need a real stimulant like dexidrime(sp?). But i wouldn't expect much from provigal..it's good for narcolepsy, and afternoon fatigue, but it's not going pull someone out of a deep depression
-Monte
Posted by corafree on November 30, 2006, at 15:10:50
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by Crazy Horse on November 28, 2006, at 11:26:50
Posting 2 explain reason not participating in thread. SO (of 11yrs) left me & I'm grieving. Didn't want 2 worry or suggest disinterest. W/o u, my best friends, here, I'd not have tools 2 tap into capability and way to recovery. But, at this time, I can't 'do my part' here. Pls forgive me.
cf
ps: Provigil 'is working'; just needed higher dose.
Posted by KayeBaby on November 30, 2006, at 21:04:26
In reply to Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by corafree on November 27, 2006, at 12:05:39
> Why would Provigil do nothing? I could feel nothing. Or, maybe I felt some fatigue. Is that possible?
Yes-it is possible. When I first took provigil at 100 or 200mg just on occasion I got a little mood lift and if I was sleep deprived it did help a little. As I took it more often and after trying it at higher dosages I noticed that I just felt...kind of stoned or flat. Glazed over. No lift in mood, clarity or alertness.Don't know what the two drugs share in common but I have this same issue with Wellbutrin.
At the 75 or 100mg dose it's just great, subtle but real improvement in mood. At 300mg I was just..Flat is the only way I know to describe it..souless and without dimension.
It took me awhile to figure out that it was the WB making me feel despondant like that (duh) Honestly, that was the first time I had ever been close to suicidal. Ritalin-while swell at first does this same thing to me.
Corafree, I'm sure you are upset about your partner leaving but I think that you will feel better after the provigil is out of your system.
Also-just a thought-but the Lyrica is not a drug that permits me to half-*ss it. I either take it every 4-6 hrs. and at the amount my body requires (which varies) or forget it! I will be in withdrawal. I am not looking forward to getting off Lyrica because the w/d I have experienced is a pervasive "I suck, you suck-everything sucks" feeling coupled with just wanting to lay there tired and weak feeling.
Also my face swells up.
This is one way I know if I am not taking enough of it. It is a noticeable chipmunk cheeks type of edema.> is I am really really down there in the >depths. Just on ridiculous E-XR 1 a day, then >Val 25mg total but 3x a day, and still 75mg >Lyrica for sleep.
> I was feeling better before I began E-XR. And yep if had to say how I felt on Provigil .. I'd say I felt more fatigued than I already am.
>
> Just dragged myself out of bed to post this.
>
> Hope no one here feels as depressed and lonely as me.
>
> love, cf
I sure hope you are feeling better.
Peace,
Kaye
Posted by corafree on December 1, 2006, at 3:18:47
In reply to Re: Provigil 'did nothing'(?) ... Deeply Depressed, posted by KayeBaby on November 30, 2006, at 21:04:26
I can't help myself out of this one . . . still awake .. very late .. afraid to sleep .. afraid to wake up. I give up. Called P as havin' 'somebody left me' anxiety, and he gives me 1mg of Xanax for 10 days ... had an anxiety attack and didn't even touch it. Lucky it wasn't a real heart attack, for him .. nah for me. It's someone elses turn. (I mean, not mine this time, not yours this time; it's their turn!) Maybe go to hospital. No one to talk to. But they will take away my cigarettes and I'll get so sick (really). I give up.
cf
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