![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Enigma on November 27, 2007, at 19:42:25
Currently taking Selegiline, 20mg a day - best A/D I've tried (which isn't saying much as it only brings me to a mood level of 5/10 (10 being a great mood).
Also taking 10 mg of Abilify which has completely stopped my severe and almost marriage-ending irritability (which comes and goes, weeks/months at a time).
But, now, I'm on disability, been so for 2 years, as I have 0 drive, motivation, compassion (for work), lack of interest in anything, etc.
My depression and thoughts of suicide are held at bay with the Selegiline (Emsam caused severe rashes), and the irritability is pretty much gone. BUT, I can't pass the time during the day now. I have 0 interest is doing *anything*, good or bad, meaning, things I used to like or dislike. I'm almost literally pacing the floors trying to pass the time.
The Abilify causes intense vivid dreams and sleep disturbances, even after being on it for 2-3 months. The nervous ticks and such are gone though. I think the Abilify is causing the anxiety and disinterest in things (not just the depression alone).
What else can I try? Zyprexa made me gain a ton of weight. Topamax did the opposite, but had no other positive effect. Seroquel knocks me out the day after taking it, Depakote causes intense fatigue. Lamictal made me more depressed. Trileptal is an unknown, but I have 2 bottles of it. They are very old though.. 2003-2004.
If I can get the irritability under control, and mood and interest in life back, I can go back to work again. Been out of work for 2-3 years now and tried countless drugs with no luck.
Ideas?
Does abilify cause anxiety in anyone else?
Posted by Phillipa on November 27, 2007, at 20:11:28
In reply to Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time..., posted by Enigma on November 27, 2007, at 19:42:25
I know the feeling the bordom just started doing ebay and it's kind of fun. As far as the lamictal being good it should be as long as kept in a damp free emviorment and closed bottle. Good luck. No experience with abilify. Phillipa ps hope you get to feeling like working and keep irritability under control. Pdoc thought of a second mood stabalizer? I know what you mean by seroquel didn't agree with me at all. Still prefer the benzos.
Posted by Tomatheus on November 28, 2007, at 5:03:42
In reply to Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time..., posted by Enigma on November 27, 2007, at 19:42:25
Enigma,
I've found DMAE to be helpful in increasing my level of motivation, but I felt more irritable after I tried adding it to a regimen of quercetin and SAMe. I'm currently taking DMAE with quercetin, Armour Thyroid, pregnenolone, and evening primrose oil, and I'm not experiencing significant feelings of irritability. It might be worth trying.
Tomatheus
Posted by Enigma on November 28, 2007, at 9:53:03
In reply to Re: Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time.. » Enigma, posted by Tomatheus on November 28, 2007, at 5:03:42
> Enigma,
>
> I've found DMAE to be helpful in increasing my level of motivation, but I felt more irritable after I tried adding it to a regimen of quercetin and SAMe. I'm currently taking DMAE with quercetin, Armour Thyroid, pregnenolone, and evening primrose oil, and I'm not experiencing significant feelings of irritability. It might be worth trying.
>
> TomatheusWow, since I don't know what a single one of those things are, I guess I have some googling to do. :)
Thanks for the help.
Posted by Zyprexa on November 29, 2007, at 11:33:53
In reply to Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time..., posted by Enigma on November 27, 2007, at 19:42:25
I take zyprexa! With 2000mg metformin er. This keeps the weight easy to keep off. Deceases appatite and increases metabolizom.
Posted by Enigma on November 29, 2007, at 15:23:09
In reply to Re: Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time..., posted by Zyprexa on November 29, 2007, at 11:33:53
> I take zyprexa! With 2000mg metformin er. This keeps the weight easy to keep off. Deceases appatite and increases metabolizom.
I don't recall zyprexa helping me at all, besides the 30 pounds it gave me. I lost it all with Topamax and depression - both give me no appetite. Never heard of metformin er. Even with it, zyprexa, again, as I recall, didn't do much for me.
Thanks for the info. Yet another drug to google. ;)
Posted by cumulative on November 29, 2007, at 17:35:26
In reply to Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time..., posted by Enigma on November 27, 2007, at 19:42:25
I'm usually not the type to suggest this sort of thing, but I wonder if something gentler than Abilify, like a mood stabilizer, or even magnesium supplementation (some very good evidence for this being helpful) would suffice for curbing irritability. I'm really not fond of antipsychotics. Huge list of long-term side effects, shallow long-term research, and also they're nothing but godless, dopamine-murdering machines! I like my volition ...
Posted by Zyprexa on November 30, 2007, at 12:00:56
In reply to Re: Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time.., posted by Enigma on November 29, 2007, at 15:23:09
Sorry, I thought you were saying the zyprexa worked, but came with weight gain.
Posted by Tomatheus on November 30, 2007, at 18:17:43
In reply to Re: Anxiety, severe boredom, can't pass the time.., posted by Enigma on November 28, 2007, at 9:53:03
> Thanks for the help.
You're welcome. I hope you succeed at finding an effective treatment for the symptoms that you're still experiencing.
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about any of the meds/supplements that I mentioned in my last post (DMAE, quercetin, Armour Thyroid, pregnenolone, and evening primrose oil).
Tomatheus
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | 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.