Posted by Henry Miller on October 7, 2009, at 0:38:35
In reply to Re: SOCIAL ANXIETY / OCD/ ADHD CURE --100%, posted by jparsell82 on October 6, 2009, at 21:37:05
Hey,
Before I say anything, I always recommend getting a genetic screening to see which enzymes of the CYP-450 enzyme family you have. The CYP-450 enzyme, a super family of microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes, is the most important of the enzymes that catalyzes phase-I drug metabolism reaction. If you are lacking a particular enzyme, then you won't be able to metabolize it and it will be akin to taking a sugar pill, hence the large variation in people's reactions to different drugs. All the SSRIS for example are metabolized by varying CYP enzymes.
I stopped taking the Zoloft b/c it zaps my sex drive. Of the SSRI's, Zoloft is the best as far as memory impairment and vigilance performance go. This is due to its concomitant effects on dopamine activity which counteract the negative effects of serotonin on dopamine neurotransmission.Generally, I'm just not a fan of SSRIs. Lamictal is probably the best anti-depressant around and for me, it's anything but dulling. At high doses, yes it can be dulling, but at the low dose that I take, it actually stimulates my creative mind. I can't recommend Lamictal to you though since it effects everyone differently. A low dose seems harmless to try and certainly won't cause the 'rash' that everyone is so afraid of.
Namenda won't improve your memory but it definitely won't hurt it and may prevent any further impairment. I'm mainly interested in it for all the other benefits for anxiety and depression that it seems to have. It effects glutmate which is responsible for excitation and anxiety so perhaps that is the dulling that you are experiencing. The stuff felt like speed when I first took it so who knows? Perhaps i did some serious brain damage from all my years in Hollywood doing too much blow..and the Namenda brought me back to life. Stick with the Namenda, especially if you are taking an amphetamine based drug because Namenda slows amphetamine tolerance.
Try Aricept if you want to notice an increase in cognition. Honestly though, and this is terrible advice, you're better off smoking a pack of cigarettes a day b/c nicotine is one of the greatest cognitive enhancers to date. I believe you can buy Nicowater somewhere on the internet. I know i chew Nicotine gum every now and then when i'm writing. It works. Nicotine will never be marketed to the mass simply because Big Tabacoo won't allow it. Too much money at stake.I stopped Wellbutrin b/c it really wasn't needed with a Stimulant on board. It does seem to make OCD worse over the long all and makes me a bit anxious. I take a little selegeline every now and then instead to keep my dopamine levels normal. Don't do that unless you are very in tune with your body.
I haven't had the Klonopin memory impairment in a long time, ever since I started taking the Namenda and Aricept and working out and running on a daily basis. I eat a gluten free/ dairy free diet too which has helped tremendously with brain function. I also take an amino acid supplement called BAM made by Metabolic Maintenance which has really helped...well it helped me get ripped for sure and that helped my social anxiety. If I do notice any slight dulling in memory, I have a stockpile of provigil that i've accumulated over the years...i pop one of those and I'm fine for the week. Sounds like a lot of meds, lot's of money, lot's of time spent tweaking to find a solution but I'm a strong advocate of finding the right medication and using it properly but only if the medication is getting you out the doors and experiencing life. Because that's where you will see real improvements in your well being...when you get outside and make experiences and go on dates and get pats on the back for a job well done etc... You will realize that you're not all that screwed up. In fact, you're probably far better off than most.
A little known fact about social phobics that they hate to here: Social Phobics really have a strange form of narcissistic personality disorder. They have plenty of empathy, perhaps too much but they lack the emotional filter that most people have so they feel things and see things at a heightened degree and as a result of being so hyper-aware of themselves and everyone else around them, they believe everyone else views them in the same way. If a social phobic can get over the idea that they are not the center of universe and that nobody really gives two sh**s about them, because they are so consumed with their own lives, than the social phobia will slowly go away. Easier said than done after years of neural wiring gone awry. i've been thinking a lot about social phobia and it's correlation with narcissism lately, fear of failure with a strong desire to be recognized. Many social phobics, believe it or not, have God Complexes...but if they could only go outside and show the world just how great they really are? Most social phobics are highly intelligent by default of spending their entire lives analyzing every little detail of every situation. Einstein was a social phobic as are most geniuses. So if you have social phobia, you probably have a great deal to offer to the world. And if you really can't go outside, why not write a book. It makes sense; you have to have a wild imagination to dream up all the scenarios that keep a social phobic in a frozen state. And at least you'll be doing something therapeutic with all those thoughts and it's so easy to self-publish now days with all the marketing tools available on the web.
One last thing about Klonopin. Klonopin no doubt dulls your memory but anxiety as far more dulling. I took the MCAT a few years back on zero meds and scored a 23. I then took it six months later on a moltov cocktails of marijuana, 4 mg of klonopin, 60mg of Adderall, a line of cocaine, a shot of whiskey, 300 mg of Seroquel, 250 mg of LAMICTAL and a quadruple espresso from Starbucks and scored a 38...Go Figure....that score would have got me into any med school in the country had i decided to go. I had a buddy in high school who went on to run the 5000m in the Olympics. I asked him what his secret was one day and he replied, "I drink a couple of beers before every race. It calms me down. In fact, the day I smashed all those records, I got sh*t faced the night before and puked right before my first race!". Just goes to show that even though some of these drugs may take away our 'perceived mental powers', anxiety can have a much greater effect on performance. Still, I know what you mean. Klonopin makes doing simple things like math a pain. The only solution is to lower your dose or get off the stuff. But Klonopin is great stuff and better than becoming an alcoholic..well at least healthier.
HEnry
> Hey Henry,
>
> I suffer from much the same issues as you, Social Phobia, ADD, OCD, occasional depression.
>
> I'm taking Wellbutrin currently and just started Memantine at 5mg/day. When I visit my pdoc next I'm going to get on a stimulant and possibly give Intuniv(extended-release guanfacine) a try with it.
>
> I too am trying to avoid Klonopin because it dulls my memory and makes me depressed. Also, I'm thinking about adding a low dose SSRI to help with some of the over focus... maybe Prozac 20mg 2 or 3 times a week. Or should I stick with Zoloft or Lexapro? I was kinda interested in the 5ht2 antagonism of Prozac though it seems to be the least effective for Social Phobia??
>
> Some questions for you...
>
> Why did you stop the Wellbutrin and Zoloft... not as effective? Are you taking the lamictal for OCD?
>
> I'm only on day 3 of Memantine 5mg/day and I find it to really dull my memory. I hear this goes away after a week or so but does it go away completely? Did you experience this? I don't know if I could handle 20mg/day.
>
> Also, do you have any thoughts on Guanfacine(Intuniv,Tenex)? I'm hoping to get a calming effect on my irritability/distractibility from it without it being too sedating... maybe wellbutrin + stim would counteract that.
>
> Please respond... sorry for the long dragged out post... the combination of quitting smoking recently and this Memantine is giving me addtional cognitive issues.
>
> thanks
poster:Henry Miller
thread:831249
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091001/msgs/920044.html