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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by manic666 on December 20, 2009, at 11:00:00
i feel the familiar warning sign,s. slurred speech, head pain , could be a blip with the festive season.Memory trouble its already bad,but now embarrasing, i came down to 100mg sertraline a couple of months ago i think? from 150mg. i dont no if to go back up ,or try an ride it out on the 100mg an add valerian, Its not much good but it has a slight effect. the side effects of sertraline are bad on 150mg but may be worth the crap to see if it gets me back on track , an then drop again.i even got the sex side back on 100mg but 150mg is a passion killer.i carnt up the ativan from 4mg as that as many as i get , because of my past down fall.dont tell me the meds to add , as you no i carnt get them in england.just do you think the 150mg good or bad idea.
Posted by Phillipa on December 20, 2009, at 11:04:54
In reply to Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 20, 2009, at 11:00:00
I'm tossing it back at you what do you think? Would it help or not. Yes the hoidays are definitely getting to me also. So could be that? Phillipa
Posted by SLS on December 20, 2009, at 11:16:06
In reply to Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 20, 2009, at 11:00:00
> i feel the familiar warning sign,s. slurred speech, head pain , could be a blip with the festive season.Memory trouble its already bad,but now embarrasing, i came down to 100mg sertraline a couple of months ago i think? from 150mg. i dont no if to go back up ,or try an ride it out on the 100mg an add valerian, Its not much good but it has a slight effect. the side effects of sertraline are bad on 150mg but may be worth the crap to see if it gets me back on track , an then drop again.i even got the sex side back on 100mg but 150mg is a passion killer.i carnt up the ativan from 4mg as that as many as i get , because of my past down fall.dont tell me the meds to add , as you no i carnt get them in england.just do you think the 150mg good or bad idea.
I think you should make some sort of change. Increasing the dosage of sertraline (Zoloft) is certainly one option.
Are there any SRI drugs that you have not tried yet? (Fluoxetine, paroxetine, fluvoxamine, citalopram, escitalopram, venlafaxine, duloxetine, clomipramine). It may be that one of these untried drugs would provide benefits without producing intolerable side effects.
If it were me, I would raise the dosage of the sertraline first, simply to determine whether or not serotonin reuptake inhibition is important. If it helps, you will then have the luxury to make subsequent decisions with more information and being in a sounder state of mind. You can even leave the sertraline in place and try adding another drug to combat sexual side effects (bupropion, methylphenidate, buspirone, cyproheptadine, etc.)
- Scott
Posted by manic666 on December 20, 2009, at 12:37:11
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by SLS on December 20, 2009, at 11:16:06
scott, i asked for escitalopram last visit to the mental zoo. its not generic yet so no go on the nhs,same as i said the shrink looks in the book an said ,sertraline costs the nhs £1-50 a month were escitalopram is £28.thats how they do it if it aint generic you dont get it.i will try a rise in the sertraline an look at the ssri,list to see if theres one i havent tried,i went for sertrline last time because it was supposed to not cause weight to much. well that was a lie.
Posted by Justherself54 on December 20, 2009, at 12:41:27
In reply to Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 20, 2009, at 11:00:00
I'm in the same place, except I'm taking escitralopram..I know I need to do an increase, but often I feel worse for a few days when I start an med or do an increase. In my case, I've decided to ride it out until after the holidays. When I'm in my regular routine I'm more able to control my surroundings and can cope better with any side effects that come along.
Posted by manic666 on December 21, 2009, at 4:15:07
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it » manic666, posted by Justherself54 on December 20, 2009, at 12:41:27
thanks for that, glad you no the feeling, it hard not being able to get in the holiday mood. for the family .So that puts extra pressure on you right.I have gone up to 150mg from 100mg,the main reason i came down was the jiont pain with arthritis, but the gp thinks you are a wimp an carnt see the added pain from the med.i have to go to the gp for med script . so i will ask him about a med called arthrotec for arthritis both my sister,s take an say is cool.i carnt keep crippleing my stomach with ibroferen
Posted by West on December 21, 2009, at 10:20:30
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by SLS on December 20, 2009, at 11:16:06
FWIW I took the generic sertraline and it felt rough. I didn't take it for more than 3 weeks.
Efexor XL felt like an entirely different drug to Rodomel XL, which in retrospect i feel inclined to liken to pushing the rusty carcass of a tank through an airless desert. Push for the cipralex again. Maybe invent a sister who has taken it with fantastic results. It's likely smoother than your sertraline.
Posted by West on December 21, 2009, at 10:21:54
In reply to Generics, posted by West on December 21, 2009, at 10:20:30
Weird. I just read your post about your sisters. Maybe don't invent them then.
Posted by manic666 on December 21, 2009, at 12:39:08
In reply to Re: Generics, posted by West on December 21, 2009, at 10:21:54
west, sertraline generic zoloft is hit an miss where you get it. i always like to get yellow tab,s as zoloft tabs are yellow at 100m. once i got white from a different pharmacy an i swear they were sh*t. could be in my head, but i took them back an the pharmacy guy said dont worry your not the first to say this,now the wife will get the script from another pharmacy an yes there yellow.i have arthritis from constrution work but soon as i started sertraline it became worse at high doses.both sister,s have had hip replacments, so i guess sooner or later i will.
Posted by manic666 on December 22, 2009, at 5:56:38
In reply to Re: Generics/// west ///, posted by manic666 on December 21, 2009, at 12:39:08
luvox, citalopram, paxil ,snri,s dont go down well effexor bad reaction, cymbalta no reaction,looks like im left with the 3 worst, luvox not great on anxierty,paxil makes you the size of a house.citalopram seems favorit, but carnt get escitalopram as its not genetic, what you think
Posted by Doric on December 22, 2009, at 10:03:32
In reply to Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 20, 2009, at 11:00:00
I was 150mg of Zoloft for 4 years. It was the first and most successful anti-depressant I ever took. The doctor took me off it for a trial, I relasped within a couple of weeks. I went back on it, and from a miracle drug it stopped working completely (multiple attempts, high doses, augmentation) It took another 5 years to get onto parnate 90mg. After 6 months full remission, the doctor dropped the dose to 60mg--but it was not strong enough, so I went back up to 120mg for 5 years with limited results.
I am now taking 80mg Parnate and 30mg dexamphetamine--which is no too bad
If you are dependent on medication as I am, you take the amount required for full remission--no more, no less, and if you achieve it, don't ever touch it.
Posted by manic666 on December 22, 2009, at 13:11:28
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by Doric on December 22, 2009, at 10:03:32
DORIC, sounds like you have a big regret comming of the zoloft, not your fault i see,but from what i read an experience sertraline the genetic is not a patch on zoloft.i have never had total remission on any med. But must admit setraline has its up sides,the p doc put me on 100mg/// 10 week in the gp put me on 150mg an i hit the best i would get.But the side effects at that level are to much an i crept down to 100mg an was cruiseing as at 150mg but less side effects,i have just hit a bad spot , could be tempory i dont no.Ihave just done 2 days on 150mg an im not impressed there may be a ballance say 125mg i will try. the 50mg hike was a little brutal in my delicate state,i go for a med review tommorow at the gp, but that means nothing i could see any of 10 gp,s you get what you get,in england its generic meds or nothing an 1 med at a time dont ask for add ons as there is no such luck. I could when desperate see the p, doc but i know more than him, he is just a pill dispencer
Posted by West on December 22, 2009, at 16:43:36
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 22, 2009, at 13:11:28
Ah, well, the Ionic is my favourite order. Anyhow. Manic what's the situation with mood stabilizers. Are things worsened on them? As a bipolar you're not being effectively treated without one surely.
You might have a scan of this: www.mcmanweb.com/mood_spectrum.html. In the meantime I think if you can, stick with sertraline, assuming everything has to be a generic. It and escitalopram had efficacy over most of the current new generation ADs in the Cipriani meta-analysis.
Side effects are a big factor for most, so if it means going on a lower sertraline dose and augmenting then psychiatrists will obviously want to try you on lithium/valproate/lamotrigine first.
Also, they're more likely than GPs to be sympathetic about how varied your responses are to different generic versions of the same drug. Give them a good reason to let you try something you might be helpful by showing initiative- if you ask for their e-mail you can usually send them something to read before an appointment, which MAY/MAY NOT, depending on how many patients are under their care/whether they still care/ or whether they have a developed robotic detachment from their job as a result of spending day after day staring into the faces of the miserable and the insane and back again/ make feel more inclined to give things a go.
Posted by manic666 on December 23, 2009, at 5:14:29
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by West on December 22, 2009, at 16:43:36
west, im not bipolar,cronic anxierty that leads many times to clinical depression,hence the addiction to ativan,all be it not a big as it was.when trying new meds it was the only thing to keep me on the planet,mabye not this one, man ive done the rounds . the big booze self med , flat line on that one, stopped drinking on my own can even drink a couple of beers with no addiction . 10mg atvian an booze, cold stop on ativan ,not my choise,put back on 4mg to stop convultions.locked myself away for months to detox 6 mg ativan , because they would only give me 4mg.o an i forgot spent time in mental hospital , after my space mission on many selfhelp remerdies.so they are a little cautious with my meds , as i overdosed once. my wife is incharge of my meds fearing a ativan revival,i get just enough meds for 1 month at a time, no more or less. Loose any an i dont get any more, it used to be on a week to week basis, but i have been a good boy an now monthly, i dont no where the meds are in my house. the wife is my carer, an no booze comes in the house to.i am a guy with loads of freinds an no brain, i have never had mania.in fact i have never been labled it just says clinical depression on my documents,
Posted by West on December 23, 2009, at 11:45:13
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 23, 2009, at 5:14:29
Wow, what a story, I like your anecdotes. You just keep on keeping on I suppose... your handle is confusing!
Posted by manic666 on December 23, 2009, at 12:28:46
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 23, 2009, at 5:14:29
west, i just made up the most of the wall handle , 666 of course the devil , an manic as in crazy.on one site i was asked how i can live with the devil sign,an dont it scare me,wwwwwwwwhat the sh*t else could happen to me. live on the edge was my motto ,changeing my mind as i get older.funny thing the 666 was took of car reg in england because of freak fatal crash,s with cars carrying that plate i kid you not. it is now available now.an is a cult to show you dont give a f***.let me explain in england you can buy number reg for your car,some make thousands of pounds as a status symbol.i.e. SEX Y1 .£15,000
Posted by West on December 23, 2009, at 14:38:28
In reply to Re: Do i go up on the meds or ride with it, posted by manic666 on December 23, 2009, at 12:28:46
> west, i just made up the most of the wall handle , 666 of course the devil , an manic as in crazy.on one site i was asked how i can live with the devil sign,an dont it scare me,wwwwwwwwhat the sh*t else could happen to me. live on the edge was my motto ,changeing my mind as i get older.funny thing the 666 was took of car reg in england because of freak fatal crash,s with cars carrying that plate i kid you not. it is now available now.an is a cult to show you dont give a f***.let me explain in england you can buy number reg for your car,some make thousands of pounds as a status symbol.i.e. SEX Y1 .£15,000
hahaha that's hilarious. Btw I think you get that in America too. Anyway I'm native to this sceptered isle, an englishman born and bred, like your fine self.
This is the end of the thread.
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