Posted by blueberry1 on January 13, 2007, at 21:26:17
In reply to Re: Is ECT all that is left? » blueberry1, posted by Karen44 on January 13, 2007, at 20:49:08
Yeah, that's quite a list. I'm sorry you've had to endure all that. All those side effects. All those withdrawals.
The list is primarily drugs that dam up concentrations of neurotransmitters at the synapse. Some of the drugs block receptors. But there is nothing on the list that causes an increase in firing of neurotransmitters, other than remeron which is not really along the lines I was thinking. I was thinking in terms of stimulants. Adderall in particular. Instead of damming up neuros, maybe what you need is for more of them to squirt out in the first place. There are people at remedyfind who have been through decades of antidepressaants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics, only to find rapid significant improvement with stimulants, mostly Adderall. Lots of good scores on Provigil too.
While the medical community always thinks of depression as something to do with not enough serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine at the synapse, they rarely recognize that the same thing can happen with the opioids. Have you ever gotten a runner's high? That is, after really exhausting exercise you feel unusually good and tingly? If not, then your opioid system may be the one that is lacking, not the others.
Before ECT, you could do 2 quick tests. Try Adderall for a week or less. Then judge. Try Tramadol 50mg 3 to 4 times a day for a week. Then judge. That should pretty much cover the stimulant and opioid angles. If you get some response to either one, but not enough, at least you will know you are in the right arena. Then the list is short...Desoxyn, Ritalin, Burpenorphine.
Your research and preparation for ECT sounds thorough. I wish my docs would have done that with me.
Anyway, there are other suggestions to. I mean for example the Prozac+Zyprexa thing, favorite AD+Xanax, favorite AD+Depakote, Nardil. But these are all time consuming trials that still kind of in the same arena you've been in this whole time. That's why I brought up stimulants or Tramadol. They are completely new arenas for you, different mechanisms, and they are fast to try. No long trials needed.
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> Okay; here is the list, and I expect I am forgetting some. Just to preface, my diagnosis is Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, Severe - has been my diagnosis per many different doc's, and I would agree with the diagnosis. I am not bipolar, and no one has thought so. I have, however, taken med's that bipolar folks take and have taken them to stabilize mood. Also, I have taken low doses of antipsychotics to help with sleep. So, that having been said, here is the list though I am probably forgetting some.
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> Abilify, BuSpar, Celexa, Cymbalta, Effexor, Elavil, Haldol, Lexapro, Lithium, Ludiamil, Luvox, Mellaril, Norpramin, Pamelor, Paxil, Prolixin, Parnate, Remeron, Risperdal, Stelazine, Thorazine, Tofranil, Trazadone, Valium, Wellbutrin, Zoloft.
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> Currently, I take Emsam, 9 mg., Lamictal, 100 mg, Neurontin, 900 mg, and Seroquel, 25 mg.
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> I also take meds for COPD, GERD, hypertension, and hormone replacement therapy. I think I am probably forgetting some.
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> Yes, I have tried other things includingthe light box and herbs and vitamins. Currently taking fish oil, calcium, and multivitamin.
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> I have already tried to research some re ECT and would not allow bilateral under any circumstances. My pdoc agrees. Also, I would probably only consider once to twice per week RUL and with consideration of some of the other factors including how much above seizure threshold level and factors like pulse width, charge, restimulation, etc. I am not sure my demands would be acceptable to anyone as they are acceptabvle as far as my pdoc is concerned, and he used to do ECT treatments.
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> I guess that's it for now. Just writing this message has worn me out.
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> Karen44
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poster:blueberry1
thread:722043
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070113/msgs/722091.html