![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Babak on March 11, 2013, at 1:27:00
Hi,
I have a big dilemma. I suffer from some sort of narcolepsy as well as depression.
I was on Venlafaxine for years and I put up with its side effect (tension, headaches and at times palpitation, etc..) but I am now 54 and after my aortic valve replacement I seem to have become even more sensitive to adrenaline. So I don't seem to be able tolerate stimulants.
I tried Modafinil but I not only had nervousness and chest pain it also made me even more sleepy.
I am on Paroxetine and 8mg of Subutex which has done wonders for my treatment resistant depression but I still have problem with being lethargic, lack of concentration and motivation even if I didn't have this narcolepsy.
I know if I don't do something about it then I will go back into depression. I am pretty sure that I have had ADHD/ADD since childhood but NHS has refused to refer me for a proper diagnosis. But even if it was diagnoses I don't see what difference that would make since in terms of drug therapy I would get the same thing that I already have. Can some one guess at what is wrong with me because my life has been ruined and the more I try to stay engaged the worse I get.
Babak
Posted by Phillipa on March 11, 2013, at 9:53:39
In reply to Andrenaline and Modafinil, posted by Babak on March 11, 2013, at 1:27:00
Babak due to the fact that you also have medical issues I think your doc is the best person to suggest meds for you. What has worked in the past? Does the aeortic valve replacement mean you are on any cardiac meds? As some can cause fatique. Phillipa
Posted by Babak on March 11, 2013, at 10:46:54
In reply to Re: Andrenaline and Modafinil » Babak, posted by Phillipa on March 11, 2013, at 9:53:39
No, I am not on any heart medication. I was on Ramipril for a year not not any more.
I have consulted my doctor but no one seems to take it seriously.
Babak
Posted by Phillipa on March 11, 2013, at 18:47:57
In reply to Re: Andrenaline and Modafinil, posted by Babak on March 11, 2013, at 10:46:54
I don't know what to say not familiar at all with your past medical history other than above. How bout a second opinion? Phillipa
Posted by Babak on March 12, 2013, at 0:45:18
In reply to Re: Andrenaline and Modafinil » Babak, posted by Phillipa on March 11, 2013, at 18:47:57
Is there any known condition with these symptoms?
I tried Atomoxetine which is not supposed to an stimulant but it is basically NRI which I assume means that it will result in higher concentration of adrenaline. But the result was the same edginess nervousness.
Could there be a hormonal imbalance with regards to cortisone imbalance?
It has plagued me all my life. Even when I was child sometimes I used to get palpitations and nausea if I did too much exercise or rode my bicycle too fast.
It kind of went away passed my early adolescent years when I used to play Rugby.
Babak
Posted by alchemy on March 13, 2013, at 0:27:04
In reply to Andrenaline and Modafinil, posted by Babak on March 11, 2013, at 1:27:00
Just an uneducated thought. Did you get tired right after you took modafinil or a few hours after? For me, it seems to only last about 4 hours. And then later i really can crash.
If it does actually help for a little while, then there is still the activation problem. Maybe combining it with something more calming. I take xanax. After taking it for a while it doesnt make me sleepy, just anti-anxiety/activation.
I dont have narcolepsy, but depression and some aspects of add.
Posted by Babak on March 13, 2013, at 12:33:36
In reply to Re: Andrenaline and Modafinil, posted by alchemy on March 13, 2013, at 0:27:04
Yes, on 100mg it kind of made me edgy which was OK but then when I increased it to £150.00 I had some anxiety so I took 5mg of Diazapam and within an hour I felt sleepy.
I have a lot of mood swings. If am angry then obviously I don't get my narcolepsy episodes. If I am not then I nod off while doing something or even listening to some one. I can't follow a conversation.
This morning I woke up angry and I didn't have any nodding off episodes.
But over the previous few days I was feeling quite relaxed but I just kept nodding off.
Everything points to ADHD/ADD. Frustration, irritability, forgetfulness, no concentration, hypersensitivity. I have also become gradually more and more isolated. I don't seem to want to or be able to engage with people unless I am complaining. I feel easily rejected. But what is the solution? I am heading for suicide as the next logical step.
Posted by alchemy on March 13, 2013, at 15:27:51
In reply to Re: Andrenaline and Modafinil, posted by Babak on March 13, 2013, at 12:33:36
It sounds like a fun mix that might include some rapid cycling bipolish 2. Have you been on stabilizers? Stimulants can suck even if you have dormant bipolar tendencies, I should know.
Posted by Babak on March 14, 2013, at 3:13:56
In reply to Re: Andrenaline and Modafinil, posted by alchemy on March 13, 2013, at 15:27:51
Yes, I tried Lithium which I had to come of after the first blood test.
I also tried Sodium Valproate which used to make me really sleepy and I also had to come off after a while because of my liver tests.
Then there was the most horrific experience I have ever suffered, i.e. Olanzapine which initially worked wonders, so I thought, but soon the side effects rendered me paralysed with apathy and other horrific symptoms. Unfortunately words like apathy are used so often in day to day language that even doctors forget about their meaning in pathological context. So when I mean paralysed by apathy I mean paralysed. This believe it or not went unnoticed FOR FOUR YEARS by my so called psychiatrist despite the fact that kept missing appointments because I just couldn't move. I kept asking for someone to come and see me but again people didn't seem to believe that one could actually become paralysed with apathy. Then after god knows how long they came around and they found me starving in my bed because I couldn't go out and buy food. But even then it was not diagnosed. I still don't know why I didn't stop it myself, but these side effects include poor judgement as well. They did tell me to reduce the dose which I did and I suppose it must have helped because I was able to force myself to do the minimum. But the horror continued. I had so many small car accidents and then I had two really bad ones within few months of one another. I ended up in ICU and three weeks on morphine drip. I got hooked on morphine first and then heroin because they eased the symptoms. Finally I really thought that I was dying because of some of my symptoms which were noticed by this woman who used to come and clean the place because I just couldn't be "bothered". This was after two suicide attempts when I eliminated it from my medication which was tough but only for a few weeks and then to my amazement all those symptoms got better. I was so amazed that after three months I actually went back on it to check and the symptoms returned after a few days. No one still believes me.
Posted by alchemy on March 14, 2013, at 11:38:44
In reply to Re: Andrenaline and Modafinil, posted by Babak on March 14, 2013, at 3:13:56
I am so sorry, you have been through hell. My apathy hasnt been to that extreme. When people don't believe you that makes it so much worse.
Have you ever tried lamictal? That is the standard for rapid cycling I think.
Don't you love being asked what your interests or hobbies are when you have no intetests in anything? At least I don't anyway.
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.