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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by zeugma on August 10, 2004, at 20:59:03
In reply to Re: Its over for me » linkadge, posted by gardenergirl on August 10, 2004, at 20:33:24
i think your desire to try a tricyclic makes a lot more sense than escalating a drug that has a flat dose response curve. there is a lot of evidence that adding a TCA to an SSRI can produce remission at a higher rate than SSRI monotherapy.
Why not suggest, instead of maxing out the Celexa in the hope that you will get a placebo response (in my opinion all escalating dosages of SSRI's above minimum effective dosage do is cause placebo response brought on by more s/e, except in rare cases) add desipramine to the Celexa. That is a combination that might actually help.
Posted by Donia on August 10, 2004, at 21:49:11
In reply to Re: Its over for me » gardenergirl, posted by zeugma on August 10, 2004, at 20:59:03
Well if your only 21, I really give you alot of credit for trying to help yourself. I wouldnt do anything until I was 28. I wouldnt even think about talking to a doctor about my feelings. I felt like it was a very embarassing problem I needed to get control of myself without meds. I am doing better on lexapro, but I agree that SSRIs tend to be problamatic in other areas. With zoloft my blood sugar must have went crazy. I was carrying around a box of lucky charms for two months. When I am having down times, it helps so much to know I am not alone in this fight. I still struggle with sleeping problems, but I just get up when I can and get going, when I cant I am not as hard on myself as I use to be. None of us can quit here!!
Donia
Posted by Sad Panda on August 10, 2004, at 22:26:36
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by linkadge on August 10, 2004, at 19:01:29
>
> I want to give a tryciclic a try, but my docotor doesn't beieve in them.
>
>Hi Linkadge,
I'd demand it or find another doctor. Nortriptyline or Desipramine would be ideal to add. I am up to 125mg of Nortriptyline & am having no real problems with it. I have also reduced my Effexor down from 225mg to 150mg.
Can you list the AD's you have tried?Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by mike lynch on August 10, 2004, at 23:04:14
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by Sad Panda on August 10, 2004, at 22:26:36
I'm only 18 and my life is screwed up as well..I hate ssri's with just as much a passion as you do...I wish they were NEVER prescribed to me, as I see it now because of SSRI"S I have lost 3 irreplacable years of my life....I would have been better off if I never took ANY drugs..
Even without them I don't feel the same..because it seems they have fried my brain so much I am unable to function normally without them...I am very angry and pist off , I really do have no merit considering millions of people take it and do fine...i'm just one of those rare cases....well that makes me even MORE pist off...I've always stayed away from recreational drugs due to the long lasting ramifications...who would have known that I would gett messed up from drugs reccomended by doctors.. especially when the same drugs they denounce...probbly wouldn't have had a nearly as drastic effect on me..
I mine as well have smoked weed the whole time for therapuetic effect...NO way would that have messed me up as much as paxil , lexapro and prozac did...MAINLY PAXIL THOUGH..cause that was the drug where I had the initial DIDN"T FEEL THE SAME...on or off....effect Of course doctors say blah blah blah your depressed you need to up paxil 400 more miligrams...and if that doesen't work will perscribe you more medicine until you eventually clapse due to drug over dose..
It seems every problem I have about the medicine...my doc always has the same explanation...YOUR DEPRESSED...I mean you can't blame him who would have known Ssri's cause apathy , aphasia ( word finding difficulties) , anhedonia , concentration problems , speech problems , numerous cognitive problems...Ssri's effecting motivation NOOO WAYYYYY it's always depression...I'm surprised about how ignorant doctors are to these common side effects... especialy motivation...something even the drug companies are starting to recognize
Posted by mike lynch on August 10, 2004, at 23:08:09
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by linkadge on August 10, 2004, at 19:01:29
ALso if sam-e worked so great for you ( something I might try.) There has to be a way to get it to where you live without adding a hefty price to it...can't someone here in the states order it for you and then they can just ship it to you...the shipping can't be that much...especially if you live in wisconsin or Illinois like me...Sam-e is a very popular supplement and used in many countries..It's just strange how you are unable to get a hold of it...There are probbly hundreds of places online that sell it..im sure there's at least one that sells it for a decent price..
Posted by mike lynch on August 10, 2004, at 23:10:59
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by mike lynch on August 10, 2004, at 23:08:09
Oh and *funny* how i just noticed I *forgot* to add *memory problems* to the post before my latter...I wish there was a way you could edit them...I know i forgot a few other things to...things come to me so slowly..I can't get em all down at once..
Posted by KaraS on August 10, 2004, at 23:13:35
In reply to Its over for me, posted by linkadge on August 10, 2004, at 16:34:13
> I quit celexa to give SAMe a try. I was precursoring SAMe using methylating agents (ie TMG)
>
> It was working in a week, and I never felt so good. The problem is that the local health food store, no longer sells TMG nor do any others in the area. I have no credit card so internet order is out of the question.
>
> So I stopped taking it as I don't want to start enjoying something I cannot get a steady supply of.
>
>
> I've stopped exercising and for the past few days I sit motionless for hours.
>
> I hate SSRI's, I'll say it 1000 times, I hate SSRI's. Why isn't there a drug that makes you feel less depressed without making your mind go kooky.
>
> Doctors try and treat depression like they would heart disease. Just keep upping the dose.
>
> Just consider you had a blood pressure pill that sure enough lowered blood pressure, but at the same time gave you high cholesterol and and arrithmia. The doctors think they're so great for lowering your blood pressure without even considering the fact that you're still in bad cardiac health.
>
> It's the same thing with antidepressants. Sure they help my depression, but at the same time they give me insomnia, parania, anxity, apathy, suicidiality, confusion, memory lapses, mind racing, vision problems, unbearable headaches and the list goes on.
>
> I just give up, I just utterly give up. The medications that are supposed to help just put me in a state where I can't function.
>
> It's over for me.
>
>
>
Linkadge,You still have options. You can find another doctor, as Panda recommended, one who is more willing to listen to you and work with you.
Also, iHerb.com sells TMG and they take checks, money orders and wires. They're wonderful to deal with and their prices are good (although you'd have to pay more fees or dutes when ordering from Canada). There's info on their web site and/or you can call them to check things out if you're interested:
"Call us toll free at 1-888-792-0028
8:00 am to 6:00 pm PST (California Time), Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturdays."
You'll find a solution to this problem!!
Kara
Posted by KaraS on August 10, 2004, at 23:20:34
In reply to Re: Its over for me » linkadge, posted by KaraS on August 10, 2004, at 23:13:35
Oops, I just saw that Verne already recommended iHerb. Sorry, I hadn't read all of the responses before I sent mine.
Posted by alesta on August 11, 2004, at 4:05:57
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by mike lynch on August 10, 2004, at 23:04:14
i'm sorry you're feeling that way, linkadge. you've made some great points. it'll get better, i promise.if you are considering another antidepressant, maybe you could try parnate. they have narrowed down the food restrictions to just a few. it sounds like a great antidepressant. if you happen to get low blood pressure it usually goes away in a couple months, and you can take salt pills for that anyway. or finding a store that carries TMG would probably be better since it worked for you.
try and take care of yourself and lower your stress level until then. i know how bad depression feels. hope you feel better. you've got a lot of support here. :)
Posted by jenn007 on August 11, 2004, at 4:55:37
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by verne on August 10, 2004, at 19:46:38
Can someone please explain to me what SAMe is? How does it work ? thank you
Posted by crazychickuk on August 11, 2004, at 7:33:17
In reply to what is that?, posted by jenn007 on August 11, 2004, at 4:55:37
If only we weree able to send drugs in the post, i would get you lots of sam-e and send it to you from the uk, i seen loads i nthe herb shop this morning for £10 a box... about 1 mnths supply.. if that works for you then get it.. fone around, check that iherb website get a cheque, if you dont own a cheque book then most banks will let you have a cheque from the bank..
hope it works out for you i really do..
take care
ps.... get a new doctor..
Posted by linkadge on August 11, 2004, at 8:02:50
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge -, posted by crazychickuk on August 11, 2004, at 7:33:17
I've taken:
Celexa, zoloft, paxil,prozac, remeron, parnate(worked no docotr will represcribe it), trazedone, effexor, seroquel, zyprexa, tegretol,lithium,trileptal, ritalin, dexedrine, depakote, ativan, klonazepam, zopiclone, periactin, SJW, bromazepam, flurazepam, attenolol, and probably a bunch of other I can't recall.
The real problem is that no docotor believes that I could have given all these meds a fair trial.
So they just keep represcribing them.
Linkadge
Posted by platinumbride on August 11, 2004, at 8:16:44
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by linkadge on August 10, 2004, at 19:01:29
How close are you to the Border?
If you aren't close, my shrink said that keppra is a cognitive enhancer. It didn't do %^&( for me as a mood stablizer, but maybe it could be of help to you.
I also remember reading some things about omega 3 protecting your brain......maybe you even wrote it!!!
HUGS,
Diane
> SAMe is not available here in Canada. It is way to expensive to buy it and ship it over to canada. Proably like 80-100$ a month. All I can do is take the precursor supplements which do work, but I cannot locate a regular supplier of TMG which is again way down in the states.
>
> I want to give a tryciclic a try, but my docotor doesn't beieve in them. He will want to max out the celexa (upto 80mg) before trying one of them.
> I can't even imagine what would happen to me if I took 80mg of Celexa.
>
> Linkadge
Posted by woolav on August 11, 2004, at 8:45:03
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge -, posted by linkadge on August 11, 2004, at 8:02:50
It must be ten times worse in the UK..I swear everytime i got to my pdoc, i tell her that i am ready to try something else, because i got no benifit from whatever it was taking. And i told her that I feel bad that i keep asking to change drugs, but she is open to this and has no problem switching me. And even at low points, when i tell her i dont think anything will work for me, she says there is so much more that i can do down the road. So, I guess i should be greatful to be here in the US because it sure sounds like it would suck to live in the UK if you have mental illness.
Im sorry Linkage...
S
Posted by KaraS on August 11, 2004, at 9:35:13
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge -, posted by woolav on August 11, 2004, at 8:45:03
> It must be ten times worse in the UK..I swear everytime i got to my pdoc, i tell her that i am ready to try something else, because i got no benifit from whatever it was taking. And i told her that I feel bad that i keep asking to change drugs, but she is open to this and has no problem switching me. And even at low points, when i tell her i dont think anything will work for me, she says there is so much more that i can do down the road. So, I guess i should be greatful to be here in the US because it sure sounds like it would suck to live in the UK if you have mental illness.
> Im sorry Linkage...
> S
I believe he said that he lives in Canada, not the UK.
Posted by Sebastian on August 11, 2004, at 11:26:04
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by linkadge on August 10, 2004, at 19:35:37
My life was flutering away at 21. I spent that whole year in Canadian mental wards. My best advice; take the medicine regularly. What other meds were you taking? Celexa works great for me, but only when I take zyprexa with it.
Posted by linkadge on August 11, 2004, at 15:50:44
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by Sebastian on August 11, 2004, at 11:26:04
Celexa and zyprexa is what I am supposed to be taking now. If I take them, I sleep upwards of 16 hours a day. I loose all interest in life.
More antidepressant = more apathy and more suicidiality. I've been in the hospital twice this year but I just don't want to go back. I'd rather die. They ramp you up on the antidepressant so fast and they give you the worst treatment. I figure the people they listen to the *least* in this health care system, is those who are admitted to a hospital with a psychiatric disorder.
Linkadge
Posted by JohnDoenut on August 11, 2004, at 15:57:14
In reply to Re: Its over for me, posted by linkadge on August 10, 2004, at 19:01:29
> I want to give a tryciclic a try, but my docotor doesn't beieve in them. He will want to max out the celexa (upto 80mg) before trying one of them.
> I can't even imagine what would happen to me if I took 80mg of Celexa.
>
> LinkadgeSo dont! Tell your doctor you are but dont take it! Just say its not working!
Posted by waki on August 11, 2004, at 17:52:59
In reply to Its over for me, posted by linkadge on August 10, 2004, at 16:34:13
I felt the same way you did after 3 years of trialing these anti depressants.
My doctors and I clearly understand that SSRI's do nothing for me but make me a walking zomby who is forgetful.
You are correct in walking away from ssri's because they are not for you.
However, try the others. There are so many meds out there to balance your brain chemistry.
I don't know reather to be more frustrated these med experiments take so darn long, or to be plain mad I lost 25 years of my life.
When I think of things in a life time perspective and review my diarys, I get really sad but I end up feeling better that progress is being made.
Hang in there!
Posted by jparsell82` on August 11, 2004, at 20:43:16
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge -, posted by linkadge on August 11, 2004, at 8:02:50
> I've taken:
>
> Celexa, zoloft, paxil,prozac, remeron, parnate(worked no docotr will represcribe it), trazedone, effexor, seroquel, zyprexa, tegretol,lithium,trileptal, ritalin, dexedrine, depakote, ativan, klonazepam, zopiclone, periactin, SJW, bromazepam, flurazepam, attenolol, and probably a bunch of other I can't recall.
>
>
> The real problem is that no docotor believes that I could have given all these meds a fair trial.
> So they just keep represcribing them.
>
>
> Linkadge
>I'm in the same situation... I'm about 22 and have tried about everything... I also hate ssri's. I'm gonna be on Parnate now though... couldn't get my pdoc to prescribe it but I found a website(after some searching on google) for it until I can find a willing pdoc. You said you don't have a credit card to order off the internet... couldn't you get a debit/check card from your bank? Good luck!
Posted by Dr. Bob on August 12, 2004, at 0:58:48
In reply to what is that?, posted by jenn007 on August 11, 2004, at 4:55:37
> Can someone please explain to me what SAMe is?
I'd like to redirect follow-ups regarding SAMe to Psycho-Babble Alternative. Here's a link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040718/msgs/376705.html
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by linkadge on August 12, 2004, at 8:10:48
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge - » linkadge, posted by jparsell82` on August 11, 2004, at 20:43:16
I've got a debit card from the bank, what internet stores can use debit card ??
Linkadge
Posted by platinumbride on August 12, 2004, at 11:14:48
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge -, posted by linkadge on August 12, 2004, at 8:10:48
almost all wesites accept debit cards.....especially if they have a visa or mastercard logo on them. Or you could get paypal with your debit card from ebay.Maybe someone will even have sam e to sell on ebay!!
Diane
> I've got a debit card from the bank, what internet stores can use debit card ??
>
>
> Linkadge
Posted by Sebastian on August 12, 2004, at 11:19:28
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge -, posted by linkadge on August 12, 2004, at 8:10:48
All of them.
Posted by jparsell82` on August 12, 2004, at 16:52:45
In reply to Re: linkadge -linkadge -linkadge -, posted by linkadge on August 12, 2004, at 8:10:48
> I've got a debit card from the bank, what internet stores can use debit card ??
>
>
> LinkadgeAll of them I think. Your debit card is a Visa or Mastercard right? I always use my debit card or my paypal account to order off the internet... I've never owned a credit card. By the way, I think you can get a paypal account setup through your checking account.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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