Posted by androog on October 18, 2001, at 18:33:01
In reply to Re: opiates and major depression » androog, posted by Elizabeth on October 16, 2001, at 18:33:46
Hi Elizabeth, and everyone else who has been kind enough to respond to my original posting-
Elizabeth had asked what drugs I had been on in the past that were related to my depression. Here they are (or at least the ones I have documentation for):
Klonopin, Risperdal, Zoloft, Revia, Lamactal, Serzone, Zyprexa, Celexa, Imipramine, Nortriptyline, Pamelor, Prozac, Buspar, Remeron, Wellbutrin, Sinequan, Effexor, Nardil (that one landed me in the emergency room hooked up to an EKG and eating nitroglycerine).
As is often the case, my depression brings with it much anxiety. That's why some of the names on this list are not strictly antidepressants.
It's interesting to note that I actually was taking Ultram as prescribed by my previous psychiatrist in Indiana. I had forgotten that, as I have forgotten many things, due to the ECT. My wife, however, had obtained a complete list of my medical records going back many years, and the evaluation of the psychiatrist who had me on Ultram was that I was responding favorably to it.
Today I tried contacting a number of doctors to see if they could help me out. I said to their representative (I never did talk to an actual doctor) that I would like to know if prescribing Ultram for the treatment of depression was an option before I spent $150 to find out it was not. Only one rep said that her doctor would likely think of doing it, but I'd have to plunk down $345 to see if I qualified. I can certainly understand having to pay for an office visit, but yikes! I don't even have health insurance!
I'll let those of you who are interested in my situation know of any developments, and I thank you for the constructive advice.
P.S. To Elizabeth:
I would NEVER recommend ECT as a treatment for anything. I keep telling my current doc that I wish I'd never had it done because I can't remember so many things. He said there was nothing else to do given the severity of my depression, and that it helps thousands of people. This may be so, but here is just a partial list of things I don't recall (as related to me by my wife):
-My wedding
-My honeymoon
-Selling my house in Indiana
-Moving to Chicago
-Gutting & re-habbing our kitchen and many other rooms in the house
-The names and faces of our neighbors who say "Hello, Peter (my real name) to me.
-Two visits from my dad after moving here
-Several visits from friends from out-of-state
-All sorts of furniture we have around the house
-How to get the keys out of my ignition (a friend has since shown me how to do that.)One last thing that's somewhat humorous: My wife and I were recently in the grocery store. I was in the candy aisle, as usual, when I ran into a face I knew that I'd encountered in the past, but couldn't even remotely recall. He didn't see me, so I scrambled out of his view, coward that I am. I found my wife, pointed out this man, and said "Who is that guy and why am I so scared of him?" She replied, "That's the doctor who gave you the ECT."
Nuff said.
PPS to Elizabeth-
May I ask where you get the Buprenorphine from? Do you have to inject it? I read that it's an opiate agonist/antagonist which sounds contradictory to me.
poster:androog
thread:81414
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011015/msgs/81610.html