Posted by katekite on July 21, 2002, at 20:34:33
In reply to Re: I'm a PRISONER of the past! What should I do?, posted by JGm on July 21, 2002, at 7:11:33
Hi JGm,
If antidepressants haven't really helped at all then its logical to move on to another class of medication.
What you describe reminds me of post-traumatic-stress + either anxiety or obsessing. Post-traumatic stress is where people practically re-live bad previous events. It doesn't have to be vietnam to be considered post-traumatic. It could be many small traumas. Like you go to buy a car and for the weeks beforehand you re-live every vehicle accident you had including little fender-bumps, or every poor purchase you ever made, because the current event seems similar, or that it could be similar. (Most people remember past traumas but without the depth of feeling.) If you hate this vivid remembering or obsess about it all, it gets very awful very fast and interferes with thinking constructively about the present, let alone the future.
Take the PTSD idea with a grain of salt as I'm sure anxiety, obsessing or depression itself could do this to someone too.
But since I'm already on the PTSD idea, I'll keep going. There are several drug classes used. Mainly the ssris, neuroleptics and the anti-epileptics. You've done the ssris I'm thinking since you said you've taken antidepressants.
Neuroleptics: Xyprexa is a good possibility. Risperdal is very similar and you would choose between them based on what particular side effects are more common with each. Be aware that they are strong drugs, you will feel drugged until you get used to it (a week or so to find the right dose). In a study of ptsd xyprexa decreased symptoms by something like 70% though, so it may be worth a try. Usually in the studies they try to get people with very classic ptsd (like soldiers just off the boat or whatever), so its hard to know how the statistics might apply to people who have a different type of it.
The anti-epileptic I've heard of in PTSD is Topomax. But probably if that works then other anti-epileptics would work too. Lamictal is another one that supposed to have slight anti-depressant properties too.
Have you ever tried the anti-anxiety drugs like Klonopin, Ativan or Buspar? What did they do?
Kate
poster:katekite
thread:112937
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020718/msgs/113203.html