Posted by KaraS on September 19, 2005, at 0:31:59
In reply to Re: Name change... » KaraS, posted by neuroman on September 18, 2005, at 0:12:13
> > I haven't tried Lamictal yet but I have tried gabapentin. It really knocked me out and created a lot of nausea too. I didn't like it at all. At least you're trying the right things. Did you say you've tried nortriptyline yet? I think I remember that you have. Could you not take it because of the tachycardia? Am I remembering correctly? If so, maybe you could try it again with a beta blocker (preferably a cardio-selective one like atenolol). Tianeptine sounds interesting. I've wanted to try that one for a while now. Have you thought about amantadine at all?
>
> Have to keep trying stuff. I'm pretty wary of TCA's. The one I took was elavil (amitriptyline) for 3 1/2 years. Besides the serotonin/norepinephrine effects TCA'S also block ion channels (like most anti-convulsants but in a somewhat different manner). By doing this they also suppress the release of glutamate. I didn't know any of this when i stopped it too quickly. I think the rebound secretion of glutamate and/or the influx of calcium may have caused excitotoxic damage which i still haven't recovered from. And of course the rebound anxiety and insomnia all added to the disaster. But what's done is done.
OK, scratch the TCA recommendation.
> Since tyrosine/DLPA do help and bupropion also initially had an unexpected pain relieving effect, I think there is still hope of repairing some of the damage. I'm not sure lamictal is really a good choice for me. While my mood has been somewhat improved, my left side pain hasn't. It may be suppressing transmitter release a little too much. I'm also not sleeping. Here is a short list of some other meds i'd like to try:
>
> amantadine - (definitely) dopamine agonist, NMDA antagonist
>
> hydergine - dopamine and acetylcholine agonist
>
> clonidine - alpha2 receptor agonist, has shown efficacy in treating ADD/ADHD (dopaminergic?), pain, muscle twitches, may be sedating, causes growth hormone release and is reputed to cause pleasant dreams! If clonidine helps then switch to guanfacine which is also an alpha2 agonist but has fewer side effects.
>
> At some point a stimulant.
>
> Maybe try your beta blocker. :-)
Sounds like a good list. Hydergine should be easy to get since it doesn't require a prescription. I've never heard of guanfacine but why start with clonidine if you're only going to switch over? Why not just try guanfacine to begin with?I'll keep you posted as to whether I ever get a stimulant response from the Dexedrine. My fingers are crossed. Even if I feel calm on it but have some motivation, I'd be very happy.
> It all comes down to that darned overactive stress (fight or flight) response. Every time it's activated you get the dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion. Over time this depletes dopamine and generally leaves you with chronically elevated levels of epinephrine. That's not good for the blood vessels. Or anything elso for that matter. I have it all figured out. Except how to fix it. Argh! >-[ By the way, how long have you been taking this combo? I have a good feeling about it. Boost dopamine and ease stress/anxiety. That's the way to go...
I also wonder if the SSRIs are responsible for my low dopamine as well as the overactive fight or flight response. Heredity could be to blame as well since I've got an attention deficit issue, which I'm pretty sure I was born with.I wish you could find a doctor who would work with you on your level.
k
poster:KaraS
thread:556477
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050914/msgs/556725.html