Posted by 4WD on May 21, 2005, at 22:00:51
In reply to Re: ECT failure? » Bob, posted by jerrympls on May 21, 2005, at 17:08:57
>
> >
> > Jerry:
> >
> > What exactly does opiate treatment do? Does it address anxiety, or give people energy and motivation, or what? I would figure that opiates would knock me out and have me sleeping all day.
> >
> > Bob
> >
> >
>
> For me, opiate therapy helps tremendously with:
>
> - Social fears/anxiety
> - General Anxiety
> - Motivation (apathy, lethargy)
> - Anhedonia
> - Energy
> - Mood improvement ( better general sense of well-being)
>
> I know many people with treatment-resistant depression who resort to self-medicating with opiates because they are the only meds that help them feel "normal" or close to it.
>
> It depends on how you respond to opiates. Some opiates put me to sleep and some - like hydrocodone (opiate in Vicodin) acts more like a stimulant. My doc tried me on Oxycontin first and that really made me foggy and sleepy.
>
> I take 5mg 4x daily. I do not feel a "high" or extreme euphoria. I just feel closer to "normal." I have not had any problems with abuse or tolerance.
>
> I always like to add that opiate treatment is not a cure-all. But, it's what works for me right now until something better comes along.
>
> Jerry
I was one of those self medicaters. Hydrocodone made me enjoy life. I wanted to go plant a garden. I liked to work the crossword puzzle. I liked to clean the house. I even enjoyed working on my taxes!Unfortunately, I couldn't control my use. I didn't take 5mg. I took 30mg. And when it started to wear off, I wanted some more. In the past year or so, I got my use down to once or twice a month, but I still took the large amounts. I didn't just want to feel okay. I wanted to feel super! And it worked. But then more and more often, a day of use would be followed by a week of severe severe depression. So I had to quit.
I wondered if you have an issue with the acetominophen in the Vicodin. I always set limits for myself about how much I would take because I was afraid of the liver consequences. I think, though, if you don't use alcohol it's not nearly as much of an issue.
I'm glad you found something that works for you.
I'm also envious that you can take it and I can't. Oh well.Marsha
poster:4WD
thread:495223
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050521/msgs/500968.html