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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 20:35:44
I don't know what is going on with me right now but I feel awful. I'm trying to think back to what may be causing these awful symptoms and I can only think back to stoppin the Ritalin.
A week ago my pdoc said it was okay for me to try the L-phenylalanine to my stimulants, since it's known for underlying mood enhancers and focus, plus a bit of concentration. So, I thought to myself, great!
I stopped one of my stimulants which was the Ritalin, kept the Adderallxr and added the L-phenylalanine, that way I wouldn't have to use two stimulants if the L-phenyl worked well.
For the last 3-4 days I've been feeling depressed, having dry heaves, night sweats, tired, fatigued. It's awful! I don't know what to do and now today, I'm just sitting in the house doing nothing. I feel awful.
Posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 20:53:12
In reply to I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land...., posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 20:35:44
Rina so sorry. Have you called your pdoc? Did you feel good before on the two stimulants? If so I'd say go back to them. Isn't phenalanine what they test babies for for digesting proteins? Phillipa
Posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 20:57:29
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land.... » rina, posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 20:53:12
It's a free form amino acid that breaks down to L-tyrosine but what I'm thinking is I might be feeling this way because I stopped the ritalin. He added first to my adderall-focalin, then tried dextroamphetamine and then ritalin. Now last week I just stopped the ritalin. So, I don't know, maybe that's why I feel this way.
Posted by cumulative on September 20, 2007, at 21:10:49
In reply to I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land...., posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 20:35:44
Hello Rina. Phenylalanine is preferentially used to make norepinephrine over dopamine. A lot of people seem to react with irritability, overstimulation, sweating, etc.
You may have better results with other supplements.
Posted by med_empowered on September 20, 2007, at 21:28:29
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land..., posted by cumulative on September 20, 2007, at 21:10:49
hey...this is kind of off-topic, but have you tried Desoxyn? Or maybe Parnate with an amphetamine? Just a random suggestion.
Posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 21:35:09
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land.... » Phillipa, posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 20:57:29
Rina can you go back on it? And is there withdrawal with stimulants? That could be part of it sorry you feel so horrible. Phillipa
Posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 22:05:17
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land..., posted by cumulative on September 20, 2007, at 21:10:49
You've just described how I felt yesterday. Irritable! Definitely drenched the bed with sweat last night. I can't win for loosing with this thing. I only tried to reduce having to take two stimulants by trying to use an alternative such as the L-phenyl. Just my luck.
Posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 22:12:16
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land... » cumulative, posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 22:05:17
But you can fix it. Go back to the orignal ritalin or try the new vyvanase. I know two people on that who love it. Phillipa
Posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 22:14:12
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land..., posted by med_empowered on September 20, 2007, at 21:28:29
Thanks but by Parnate being an (MAO)inhibitor and all with the list of drug and food interactions, I'd probably be the one to end up in the emergency room for eating food that interacts with it. As for the Desoxy, I'm trying to decrease not add stimulants but thanks for the suggestions.
Posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 22:17:16
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land... » rina, posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 22:12:16
Since it's been almost a week out of my system I may as well ride it out.
Posted by Phillipa on September 20, 2007, at 22:22:32
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land... » Phillipa, posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 22:17:16
Rina here's some info if you change your mind. Phillipa
Approves New ADHD Drug Vyvanse
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) for the treatment of ADHD. Vyvance was designed to lower the potential for abuse. Stimulant medications are the first-line treatment for ADHD, but many clinicians are reluctant to prescribe stimulants because they are often misused in our society. However, children and adolescents with untreated ADHD are at an increased risk of developing a problem with substance use, and effective treatment of ADHD significantly decreases that risk.
The route of administration of a stimulant has a strong affect on abuse potential. Drugs that are rapidly absorbed and achieve higher blood levels can produce a euphoric effect. This effect is easier to obtain by crushing short acting tablets and snorting or injecting them. Longer acting tablets and capsules are not easily put into a form that can be snorted or injected, and thus have a less abuse potential.
Vyvanse is d-amphetamine (dextroamphetamine) that is linked or bound to a naturally occurring amino acid, l-lysine. This compound is inactive (is inert) until this bond is broken by enzymes (metabolized) in the GI tract (stomach and intestine), releasing the active drug, d-amphetamine.
Since there are no enzymes in the nasal passages that can break this bond, blood levels would be 96% lower if Vyvanse were snorted than if d-amphetamine were snorted, and 75% lower if it were injected. When given intravenously to adults with histories of stimulant abuse, Vyvanse produced less euphoric effects than d-amphetamine, and the effects were not significantly different than intravenous placebo.
Absorption of Vyvanse is delayed, compared to d-amphetamine, and without a quick onset, the intensity and "likability" (drug-seeking behavior) drops. When Vyvanse is taken orally, increasing doses produce increasing blood levels, but only up to a certain point (130 - 150 mg), beyond which higher doses will not produce higher blood levels, which might reduce abuse potential and toxicity from overdose.
Vynase is given once daily in the morning, and it is significantly effective until at least 6:00 PM. Its effectiveness, potential for side effects, and safety is comparable to Adderall XR. It does have the potential to reduce stimulant abuse or misuse, and may protect against toxicity from overdose.
Posted by cumulative on September 20, 2007, at 23:26:37
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land... » med_empowered, posted by rina on September 20, 2007, at 22:14:12
Well, going with what med_empowered wrote, what's your main reason for wanting to curb the stimulants? Do they make you feel too wired? Too many side effects? Which side effects? Appetite? Sweating? Crash?
By supplementing phenylalanine, or phenethylamine which is what I might've suggested earlier, you're basically achieving a similar effect that the stimulants produce, although Chairman_MAO indicated in some earlier posts that PEA is less adrenergic than the others.
If you want fewer peripheral, "body" effects than the suggestion of desoxyn is wise because desoxyn is considered to be much more centrally stimulating than the others.
If you just want focus without adrenergic/peripheral side effects, methylphenidate is preferable to the amphetamines, but you also might look into routes other than psychostimulants ... or stimulating monoamine precursors. Dopamine agonists, perhaps. Perhaps an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, or again, a MAOI.
Posted by rina on September 21, 2007, at 15:27:25
In reply to Re: I Feel Like A Depressed Zombie In Lala Land..., posted by cumulative on September 20, 2007, at 23:26:37
The methylphenidate products don't really add the focus or concentration that I need. They're just another stimulant added to the regimen. That's why I wanted to try the L-phenylalanine. Ritalin and Dextoampetamine didn't work for me.
My pdoc didn't want to try the MAO inhibitors because of all the drug and food interactions involved and because he didn't think we needed to go down that road as of yet. I just didn't want to keep taking the Ritalin if it wasn't working.
I had no idea stopping would making me feel this awful. In a sense I guess I'm detoxing from the methylphinidate products in my sytem but I thought that since I was still taking the Adderallxr that wouldn't be the case. I guess I was wrong.
This is the end of the thread.
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