Posted by Lorraine on January 25, 2002, at 23:25:59
In reply to Last post of it's Kind.., posted by Mr. Scott on January 25, 2002, at 22:34:26
Scott:
I wish I could be more helpful. I believe that nobody knows what they are doing with this illness and that they follow this paradigm or that or better yet just do what you suggest. It's a fairly pathetic state that this medical establishment is at. "He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool, shun him".
I sort of believe that it is all about random trials and you try to make the "best" guess you can given your past re what might work. I do not think that DSM categories are meaningful. Nevertheless, I've found myself wondering if I am bipolar II because nothing seems to work and all I do are trials.
We go on because we must and because we might roll that lucky number with the next cocktail and because eventually knowledge will enter this field.
I can only tell you that I am walking the same path as you and will continue walking it until something good happens or my naturally allotted time on this planet ends. I try to find the joy I can in the things that I can enjoy and otherwise try to survive. I do belong to a support group NDMDA, which helps me quite a bit. You might try something like this if it fits.
I wish you the best on your journey--
Lorraine
> This sums up where I'm at and asks one final time for ideas on how to proceed. Henceforth I shall restrict my posting from being so desperate like and complaint oriented and accept that life is not ever going to exist on my terms. It seems the wisdom I seek is not to be found where I seek it. And so I will bandage up my wounds and proceed onward as I always have.
>
> Here goes..
>
> This happened a while ago, but I feel compelled to tell the story.
>
>
> I saw 4 shrinks in 6 weeks...
>
> One was known to diagnose BP II a lot (or see it where others miss it as my referring shrink put it), and he said he was diagnosing me with BP II but seemed disturbed that I never ever ever had a time in my life where I needed less sleep than usual. He said to take Depakote or Lithium, because not enough research has been done on the others for first line use. And that I can't take AD's. I tried the Depakote up to 750mg and was constipated and tired all the time...To the point where I could barely communicate. It helped a little but not much considering the side effects. I took it up to 1500mg, where I heard for the first time in my life absolutely no noise in my mind at all, yet I was conscious. I also began eating like a bear.
>
> Another shrink said "Take Prozac if it worked for you before" So I did and all it did was make me tired this time. Slept non-stop. He Adderall which made me overall worse. He then got as frustrated at me and started to punish me I believe with Depakote repeatedly saying my mood was unstable.
>
> Another shrink Said I have a neurological condition requiring anticonvulsants and his first choice was Dilantin which he said would "wake me up". I din't notice anything significant at all from the Dilantin.
>
> Another shrink said I had ADD as a child and am now depressed and anxious because of it. He gave me Serzone and Provigil. Serzone made my face swell.
>
> They all ignored the fact that I had broken up with a girlfriend of 5 + years not long before that. Or even consider that I could be in Zoloft Withdrawal which I recently discontinued due to muscle pain.
>
> So in the absence of any clear consensus I decided to seek out a physician who would give me both what worked in the past or the alternative I wanted to try.
> Klonopin-Effexor-Provigil/Adrafanil-Omega 3
> But I worry a great deal one of them was right and I've missed the boat entirely, or that I've made a bad choice about the meds, and think about the withdrawal syndromes, and side effects.
>
> Any thoughts?
poster:Lorraine
thread:91632
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020124/msgs/91637.html