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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 18:17:09
Hey everyone, I'm currently on a trial of Parnate. I promised that I would update everyone with my progress. On day 8-9 on Parnate, I noticed an increase in libido, motivation/desire, and noticed that my moods were no longer dipping. A few days later, the motivational/libidinal effects faded for the most part (and I see this pattern with dosage increases), but my moods are still not dipping down as low, and I guess I feel more social and like things are less of a burden.
Sounds good, right? Moods aren't dipping. That's the point of medication, right? Well, I still don't feel like myself. I still don't feel nearly as GOOD as I used to - like all my emotions are turned WAY down (because of the depression, not because of the Parnate). I can't romantically bond, truly enjoy music, feel a release from crying, deep empathy, etc. I'm too young to be like this! I haven't even gotten married or had kids yet! D:
Anyways, that's why I'm thinking about getting ECT in a month or two. Anyone had any experience with it? Did it help you get rid of feelings of "emptiness," "apathy," "emotional numbness," or "feeling flat?" Or did it just numb out your anxiety/agitation? I don't need something that just gets rid of the painful feelings of depression, but something that GIVES ME BACK my capacity to FEEL.
Please help! Any info would be appreciated - including advice and/or experiences!! It really sounds scary, but honestly I would have ECT every few weeks and suffer memory/cognitive problems (as long as I wasn't a complete basket case) just to feel completely like myself again!!
Posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 18:27:27
In reply to ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 18:17:09
Also I would like to mention that my doc wants me to increase the Parnate dose and I want to give it a fair trial before ECT, but it is looking like it isn't going to do the trick. I have also had no negative side effects from the Parnate.
Posted by Phillipa on March 19, 2013, at 18:33:33
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 18:27:27
If no negative side effects why not continue? Phillipa
Posted by baseball55 on March 19, 2013, at 18:52:25
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY! » Trevpr, posted by Phillipa on March 19, 2013, at 18:33:33
ECT did nothing for me but give me bad headaches and memory loss. Had absolutely no effect on my mood. Parnate, on the other hand, made me feel normal within days, but didn't keep me there.
Just my experience.
Posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 19:38:27
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by baseball55 on March 19, 2013, at 18:52:25
I plan on continuing Parnate, even through ECT if I have it - but the point that I was trying to make is that I still don't feel right. I feel like my emotions and ability to feel pleasure are stifled. I feel pretty flat and indifferent towards alot of things that I wouldn't be to normally. I feel like it has hit me at the core of who I am, since I used to be a very sweet, caring individual, and now I feel more or less "meh, whatever." This feels unacceptable :(
Posted by ChicagoKat on March 19, 2013, at 22:08:45
In reply to ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 18:17:09
ect ruined my life. not only did it not help, it made my illness much worse; it especially increased my levels of anxiety to sometimes intolerable states. pre-ect meds worked so-so for me. post-ect nothing works.
i lost my job as a pharmacist after ect and had to go on diisability. i used to be an intelligent, productive person - I even went to med school - but post-ect i find doing laundry an almost insurmountable task.
seriously, do a lot of research before you do ect. i wish i had. literally everyone i've met while being hospitalized, (which only happened to me post-ect) *every* single person who had had ect said it did not help them and it often made them feel worse.
good luck whatever you decide, and i hope you find a solution that works for you.
Kat
Posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 23:56:22
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY! » Trevpr, posted by ChicagoKat on March 19, 2013, at 22:08:45
So I'm basically stuck like this??
Meds seem to be subtle at best...
Supplements had no effect
Exercise/mindfulness/therapy had no effect
Tricyclics had no effect
Dopamine Agonists had no effect
Stimulants didn't work fully and were unsustainable
MAOIs aren't getting me there...
Wellbutrin did nothing
Abilify did nothingIf not ECT, then what?? Deep brain stimulation?? TMS I heard is really expensive and wildly disappointing... Ketamine trials??
Posted by poser938 on March 20, 2013, at 16:22:24
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 23:56:22
Was there ever a time when medications such as dopamine increasing meds had more of an effect on you?
A fee years ago I was put on Adderall and it was amazing for about a month. Then one day I had a panic attack while on it and ever since then I dont respond to things like Adderall or other stiumlants anymore. And along with this my ability to feel pleasure was greatly reduced and anxiety and agitation greatly increased.
The only med that has ever helped me *feel* more has been Cyproheptadine. I believe it works similarly to how the serotonin antagonism from atypical antipsychotics can help with some of the apathy and depression that dopamine antagonisdm can cause. Cyproheptadines serotonin blocking can indirectly increase dopamine release in the brain, and it feels a million times more natural than stimulants.
If you want to give it a try, don't expect it to work the first day and it may require a dose increase for a few weeks.
Posted by Trevpr on March 20, 2013, at 16:51:21
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by poser938 on March 20, 2013, at 16:22:24
I've heard of a person using cyproheptadine (periactin) before to combat anhedonia-like symptoms. My beef with meds so far has been that they have been pretty subtle at best. After trying so many, I don't expect another one to exactly be an "eye opening" experience. Even with pure stimulants, my mood was lifted, but not all the way to baseline, I quickly formed a tolerance, there was a crash after each high, my heart rate went up substantially, I kept needing to escalate the dose, and I became addicted/began having cravings for them. Like, with Ritalin, it only worked for like an hour a day, and only worked for like a couple of days before it stopped working, forcing me to keep increasing the dose until I overdosed.
I've heard people say that ECT is no "cure," but what else is there really?
I'm not sure that Periactin/cyproheptadine can be taken with MAOIs, and I think I should stay on Parnate because it at least prevents my moods from dipping.
Posted by vanvog on March 22, 2013, at 20:45:56
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by Trevpr on March 20, 2013, at 16:51:21
Check out this website: http://www.electroboy.com/electroshocktherapy.htm
Posted by alexcanada on March 27, 2013, at 21:24:19
In reply to ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 18:17:09
The success rates of ECT are extremely over stated. Just like medications there is zero guarantee that it will specifically work for you. Your odds of significantly improving on ECT are likely no better than another trial of an anti-depressant.
I have been on over 2 dozen medications and the few which helped me the most for severe melancholic depression were Paxil, Parnate, Ritalin, Dexedrine, Gabapentin and possibly Risperidal.
ECT I had several years ago when I felt desperate and was dealing with some terrible doctors at my old hospital. I will always regret it. My memory has been damaged and I suffer from Antero Grade Memory Loss every single day of my life. Difficulty retaining new information. That on top of my deep melancholic depression problems is a world of pain to bare.
Please consider other options. There have been some studies published a few years ago about how ECT can reduce a person's IQ by upwards of 40 points.
Please do not add brain damage to your list of health problems. Do not make the same mistake I did.
> Hey everyone, I'm currently on a trial of Parnate. I promised that I would update everyone with my progress. On day 8-9 on Parnate, I noticed an increase in libido, motivation/desire, and noticed that my moods were no longer dipping. A few days later, the motivational/libidinal effects faded for the most part (and I see this pattern with dosage increases), but my moods are still not dipping down as low, and I guess I feel more social and like things are less of a burden.
>
> Sounds good, right? Moods aren't dipping. That's the point of medication, right? Well, I still don't feel like myself. I still don't feel nearly as GOOD as I used to - like all my emotions are turned WAY down (because of the depression, not because of the Parnate). I can't romantically bond, truly enjoy music, feel a release from crying, deep empathy, etc. I'm too young to be like this! I haven't even gotten married or had kids yet! D:
>
> Anyways, that's why I'm thinking about getting ECT in a month or two. Anyone had any experience with it? Did it help you get rid of feelings of "emptiness," "apathy," "emotional numbness," or "feeling flat?" Or did it just numb out your anxiety/agitation? I don't need something that just gets rid of the painful feelings of depression, but something that GIVES ME BACK my capacity to FEEL.
>
> Please help! Any info would be appreciated - including advice and/or experiences!! It really sounds scary, but honestly I would have ECT every few weeks and suffer memory/cognitive problems (as long as I wasn't a complete basket case) just to feel completely like myself again!!
Posted by alexcanada on March 27, 2013, at 21:27:07
In reply to Re: ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY!, posted by Trevpr on March 19, 2013, at 19:38:27
Licorice Root, an herbal SSRI is capable of providing empathy. It had that effect on me. Also it made me feel quite ''lovey dovey''. I had to stop taking it due to an interaction. But it definitely has merit for improving mood, empathy, and positive emotion.
Resveratrol also has very positive effects on empathy, energy, mood, enjoyment.
> I plan on continuing Parnate, even through ECT if I have it - but the point that I was trying to make is that I still don't feel right. I feel like my emotions and ability to feel pleasure are stifled. I feel pretty flat and indifferent towards alot of things that I wouldn't be to normally. I feel like it has hit me at the core of who I am, since I used to be a very sweet, caring individual, and now I feel more or less "meh, whatever." This feels unacceptable :(
Posted by Jimmyboy on April 4, 2013, at 15:27:12
In reply to Please reconsider ECT. It's too dangerous » Trevpr, posted by alexcanada on March 27, 2013, at 21:24:19
I agree whole-heartedly with the previous poster. DON NOT DO ECT! I did it recently and it made me forget everything including my identity for awhile. The doc said at best it would last a few months only - and it damages your brain and you become stupid. Being in the hospital watching the people coming out of the room with swollen up faces and eyes was a something akin to watching a 9-inch nails or marilyn manson video. A real horror show. I hate my doctor for recommending it and I feel that he did not give me all the facts beforehand.
This is the end of the thread.
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