Posted by Sobriquet Style on May 10, 2006, at 7:30:38
In reply to Re: had same problem, posted by SLS on May 9, 2006, at 15:25:28
Firstly, this is something i'm finding very helpful in treating the illness, and which is working for me, so in no way can this predict whether it will work for you, and basically theres many reasons why it won't. That said, through reading your posts I think we have something in common with the treatment resistant factor and whereby when we take medications we possibly respond, if only for a few weeks to then be let down as the response wheres away into feeling nothing.
So, this is what I do. Firstly, I've come to the conclusion that thinking taking a drug that gives me relief - and hoping that it will continuously is a false hope based on experience with being somewhat treatment resistant. My psychology before would tell me, if only this will work, if only *this* will the *one* and i'll be okay, if only etc.. was to eventually let me down in the long run. Now I use the thinking process which tells me - the drug I take and gain relief, *is* 100% going to be short-lived and let me down without a shawdow of a doubt.
So my stratgy has been this. Use and have to hand drugs which you gain relief from. Use them in a kind of as - needed basis. I'm not so much talking just for one day, but perhaps for afew weeks - knowing that you will gain relief, then slowly discontinue the drug. Depending on how you feel, you may not need to add another drug replacement and get by day-to-day living okay.
If, however you can't, have another drug (hopefully) which which provide the symptoms you need to be addressed, and use this drug for the time period in which it will gain relief, and then like before, slowly discontinue the drug when you know it will be likely to stop. This also gives somewhat different flavours of remission, but you can use this to your advantage.
The key is the timing, knowing that you can get relief, and not taking the drug any longer whereby the drug stops working and the illness begins to re-emerge. It is a juggling act, and like juggling, takes practice.
Basically you're tricking the body, just as it tricks you, playing it at its own unpredictable game. Cyling your drug treatments just as the illness cycles itself. knowing that your illness will return, but having the tools to manipulate it in such a way that things do not get out of control.
This may sound ridiculus what i'm doing, and i'm not sure how long this will work for, but so far in the previous months I have gained much relief from this method.
I always use a base medication too, which I never stop, but occassionally vary the dosage.
Heres an example:
I take Neurontin daily (this is my base) [yours might be Lamictal for instance] I keep the dosage between 600mg - 900mg but this is irrelevant. The main thing is, this is taken consistently.
Then I have Lamictal. I can gain mood stabilizing effects from this drug and good anti depressants effects. The problem is, after 3 to 4 weeks it disappears and then starts to cause problems. Therefore at the moment, I dont need it, if I do in the future, (which I will no doubt) I'll take it for 2 - 3 weeks then stop. I'll gain relief, and just as the un-wanted effetcs kick in, I'll discontinue and gain relief again. (I find when a drug that works, then starts to not work and possibly create problems, when discontinued, I gain relief.)
For anxiety, and somewhat other symptoms related to the anxiety/depression chicken and egg syndrome, I've got Valium. As needed. Daily, or for afew days. Taken for a few days I get relief, soon after it'll make me feel slightly depressed, then I'll reduce the dosage, again then I'll gain relief from the depression it produced.
Phenibut - (it feels close to a drug for me) I'll take for mood enhancing, depression, sleep and anxiety. It will give me relief for a short while and then I'll stop.
Any other symptoms come in to play then, only if I absolutely need to, will I re-start another drug. It can and has been the case that inbetween I'll feel fine, and if I do, I'll just stick with my base medication, when the illness re-appears I'll fight back with the arsenal above (also including Provigil) to manipulate it once again depending on symtoms. Safe in the knowledge that because its been a while since I took the medication, when I restart it relief is more or less guaranteed to happen.
The past few months have been going great using this system. Keeping the dosages low, keeping my body in balance not changing too quickly but just adapting the drugs to the illness my health has greatly improved. I'm now using reverse psychology too, saying to myself every once in a while "come on, i'm waiting for this to strike me, catch me if you can" But, like in other ways in life when you want something to happen, sometimes it never does! (Fortunately with manic depression this a good thing it hasn't!)
Sure, somedays are worse than others, but this strategy has been great for combating things and adapting my needs when they arise, socially, day to day things for example, and playing the cyling game at its own game. Its by no means perfect, but has it been a solution I'm having sucess with. If it ends tomorrow, (hope its does - reverse psychology! lol) then at least I can be pleased its lasted a good few months so far.
Like I say though, this may work, and although I havent described it in the best of ways, as this is a complex system, if you can get it to work, like practicing something, you'll get better and better over time and so will the illness. Because of our unique chemistry's, i'm unable to offer any more advice on which medications to use, you're the one who will know best at the end of the day, more importantly whether or not this may be of any use...
~
poster:Sobriquet Style
thread:641676
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060510/msgs/642057.html