Posted by jerrympls on March 16, 2006, at 3:19:16
In reply to Vicodin questions............, posted by fairywings on March 15, 2006, at 0:57:52
> I noticed after my last couple of migraines, that if I took Vicodin I wasn't as prone to get ticked off at my kids when they're doing things that annoy me - like fighting and then carrying on excessively.
>
> So, yesterday and today I was a bit depressed, pms-ing and really irritable, but didn't have a migraine. I took Vicodin to see what it would do for me, and I was calm and not irritable at all.
>
> I've been more depressed and more irritable lately, but I'm not on an anti-depressant right now. Is there an anti-depressant that will make me less depressed and less irritable, but not sleepy or lethargic, help with the irritability, not affect my cognitive abilities, and not cause weight gain? Ah, the perfect med. right?
>
> Should I tell my pdoc what the Vicodin did for me, or would taking it when I didn't have a migraine be a no-no? I mean rationally, I know I shouldn't take it when I don't have a migraine, but does it help to know it affected my mood like that? I'd hate to lose the one thing that really helps when I have a raging migraine.
>
> Any thoughts?
> fwYes - I'd share your Vicodin/antidepressant experience with your psychiatrist - IF he/she has somewhat of an open mind. Hard to tell sometimes. But if your doc keeps up on studies, publications, etc relating to newer approaches to the causes and treatments of depressive disorders then he/she WOULD know that opiates ARE used in severe treatment-resistant cases with great success. I'm am one of those successes. Luckily I had a psych. doc at a big teaching hospital/university so approaches to the use of novel treatments for depression weren't scoffed at.
My doc added hydrocodone to my other meds about 8 months ago and it has worked very well. I have had no problems with tolerance, addiction or abuse of any kind and I come from 2 alcoholic parents.
The antidepressant/anti-anxiety response you got from the Vicodin is not uncommon amongst those with depressive disorders. Depression is not just serotonin and norepinephrine - but also cortisol, hormones and opioid related. It's tough to find any good published studies on the use of opiates for depression - mainly because of our fear of "feel-good" pills. Celebrities and the media have done a great job of demonizing opiates -blaming the opiates for their addiction. But I digress. Studies CAN be found and are being increasingly published. We must stop the nonsense that any substance that makes us feel good is inherently bad. NOT that I am suggesting cocaine, crack, etc., be legalized or used for mental disorders - but certain medications - including opiates DO have their place.
Although my experience with an opiate for depression treatment has been a positive one, it is certainly *not* a panacea by any means. It's a crude way to alter our endogenous opioid systems so that they will then bring balance to other connected systems that contribute to depressive disorders. I have no doubt that therapies involving the opioid system are being studied as we speak. They were at the university where I saw my psychiatrist.
I do NOT recommend self-medicating with opiates or using an opiate as a first-line treatment for depression or anxiety - however, I am saying that your response is noteworthy.
I hope that you are able to discuss this with your doctor and that you both can find a suitable treatment that works.
Jerry ;-)
poster:jerrympls
thread:620477
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060315/msgs/620854.html