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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 mtdewcmu on April 26, 2011, at 14:52:03
I took 20mg Celexa and 15mg Dexedrine this morning, and I feel totally transformed. My ability to stay on task has improved by at least 100x. I spent 1.5-2 hours doing work and I accomplished about what I would have accomplished in a week in my prior state. And the dose of Dexedrine is very moderate, so I think it's safe to attribute this to clinical benefit and not euphoria or amphetamine intoxication. If Dexedrine is a drug that helps you get stuff done, I must surely be the poster child. I have never met anyone else whose problems are so centered around the inability to get things done. My anxiety is virtually entirely about not being able to get things done, and my depressed ruminations relate to the sense of failure associated with not being able to get things done. It is miraculous that this drug arrived just as things were approaching unbearably bleak, but not before passing the point of no return. I hope this continues, and I hope that you too can find the solution to your problems.
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 26, 2011, at 14:56:00
In reply to Meds still going well, posted by mtdewcmu on April 26, 2011, at 14:52:03
Whoops. I meant that it arrived *before* the point of no return. At least I hope.
Posted by Phillipa on April 26, 2011, at 18:31:26
In reply to Re: Meds still going well, posted by mtdewcmu on April 26, 2011, at 14:56:00
Congratulations!!!! Must be a good feeling to find the perfect combo for you. Phillipa
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 26, 2011, at 20:43:33
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » mtdewcmu, posted by Phillipa on April 26, 2011, at 18:31:26
It's a bit too early to say perfect combo. Looking back at that post from this morning I was really exuberant, but I started to get anxiety a few hours later. I think I may always be walking a tightrope between focus and anxiety with Dexedrine. Fortunately I was still able to get work done even after it turned anxious. And it is definitely worth it to be able to work.
Posted by Phillipa on April 27, 2011, at 0:38:26
In reply to Re: Meds still going well, posted by mtdewcmu on April 26, 2011, at 20:43:33
Could the anxiety later have been nervous energy a different way of looking at it? Phillipa
Posted by SLS on April 27, 2011, at 9:02:55
In reply to Re: Meds still going well, posted by mtdewcmu on April 26, 2011, at 20:43:33
> It's a bit too early to say perfect combo. Looking back at that post from this morning I was really exuberant, but I started to get anxiety a few hours later. I think I may always be walking a tightrope between focus and anxiety with Dexedrine. Fortunately I was still able to get work done even after it turned anxious. And it is definitely worth it to be able to work.
I have heard some people say that Adderall is "smoother". It might be worth a try if the anxiety predominates as your source of discomfort and reduced function. I have never tried it. I have tried Dexedrine a few times. It has virtually no effect on me, even at 20mg. I must have really been brain dead.
- Scott
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 10:19:11
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » mtdewcmu, posted by Phillipa on April 27, 2011, at 0:38:26
> Could the anxiety later have been nervous energy a different way of looking at it? Phillipa
Yes. I think it is the other side of the same coin.
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 10:30:16
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » mtdewcmu, posted by SLS on April 27, 2011, at 9:02:55
> I have heard some people say that Adderall is "smoother". It might be worth a try if the anxiety predominates as your source of discomfort and reduced function. I have never tried it. I have tried Dexedrine a few times. It has virtually no effect on me, even at 20mg. I must have really been brain dead.
>I have tried an Adderall here and there in the past. IIRC, it always gave me a terrible headache followed by an awful crash. Unless those side effects are transient, I can't tolerate Adderall.
The anxiety wasn't comfortable, but I could still function better than at baseline. Normally, when I am anxious, I can't focus on anything but the anxiety. Yesterday evening I was feeling some anxiety, but I was still productive.
It could have been drug interactions that made Dexedrine ineffective for you. When I got my first Dex script about two weeks ago, I was apparently suffering an accidental overdose of Luvox (due to an interaction with Paxil), and since 5-ht and DA oppose each other, I could barely feel Dex at 20mg. There's no way you could be totally immune to Dexedrine. There is no ceiling on the effect. It will take you all the way to psychosis.
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 13:59:01
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » mtdewcmu, posted by SLS on April 27, 2011, at 9:02:55
> I have heard some people say that Adderall is "smoother". It might be worth a try if the anxiety predominates as your source of discomfort and reduced function.
I don't get why d-amphetamine and l-amphetamine should necessarily have a good synergy. Despite being enantiomers of each other, they are basically two different drugs. There is probably a better companion molecule out there for d-amph for those people that need it. It would be worthwhile to search for one, anyway.
I have taken 20mg of Dexedrine already today, and I don't feel as productive as I did yesterday on 15mg. It must be either a case of extremely rapid tolerance, or there is something to the interaction with melatonin, as I didn't take melatonin last night as I did the night before.
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 14:36:01
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » SLS, posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 13:59:01
Actually, my focus kicked in. Still at 20mg, have not taken more. I forgot that I'm no longer taking Wellbutrin, so those levels must be dropping, and Celexa levels must be rising simultaneously.
Posted by SLS on April 27, 2011, at 18:50:27
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » SLS, posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 10:30:16
> It could have been drug interactions that made Dexedrine ineffective for you
The first time I tried Dexedrine, it was as monotherapy under the direction of Columbia Presbyterian. I experienced a mood-lift for a few hours after the first dose. Thereafter, nothing. I really don't know how they interpreted this. My case was extremely treatment-resistant even then. If anything, amphetamine puts me to sleep. Caffeine packs a more powerful punch for me.
- Scott
Posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 19:34:52
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » mtdewcmu, posted by SLS on April 27, 2011, at 18:50:27
> > It could have been drug interactions that made Dexedrine ineffective for you
>
> The first time I tried Dexedrine, it was as monotherapy under the direction of Columbia Presbyterian. I experienced a mood-lift for a few hours after the first dose. Thereafter, nothing. I really don't know how they interpreted this. My case was extremely treatment-resistant even then. If anything, amphetamine puts me to sleep. Caffeine packs a more powerful punch for me.
>I think the effect on attention and the stimulating effects are more durable than any mood elevation. I would not want to use it solo for depression, because any mood benefit is inevitably balanced by a crash.
Posted by SLS on April 27, 2011, at 20:04:20
In reply to Re: Meds still going well » SLS, posted by mtdewcmu on April 27, 2011, at 19:34:52
> > > It could have been drug interactions that made Dexedrine ineffective for you
> >
> > The first time I tried Dexedrine, it was as monotherapy under the direction of Columbia Presbyterian. I experienced a mood-lift for a few hours after the first dose. Thereafter, nothing. I really don't know how they interpreted this. My case was extremely treatment-resistant even then. If anything, amphetamine puts me to sleep. Caffeine packs a more powerful punch for me.
> >
>
> I think the effect on attention and the stimulating effects are more durable than any mood elevation.This is probably true. However, for me, amphetamine did nothing to improve my impairments in mental energy, cognition and memory. Perhaps my case is unusual, but it is not unique. I have seen other people remain able to sleep on 20 mg of Dexedrine taken late in the day.
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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