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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by utopizen on December 29, 2005, at 20:27:13
"I'd like to try Aricept," I asked my Nurse Practioner.
"Well, that's something to talk to a neurologist about," he says.
"But you prescribe my psychotropics."
"Well, um, we're out of time. When can we meet again?" he says.
Two appointments later, he finally has bothered to consult with his underwriting M.D. and thank the Good Lord, after seeing 12 psychiatrists over 4 years of first being diagnosed with ADD, Depression and Social Anxiety...
I am finally entering both remission in areas enough to target my ADD to get someone to finally stop putting my Aricept idea on the backburner!
I start at 5mg, once daily.As I expected, G.I. side effects: upset stomach, um, well, let's leave it at that.
Let's just say, initially, the G.I. side effects are nothing to worry about. Just be happy if you don't get paranoia, hallucinations, mania, or as the makers of Aricept like to say, "psychiatric disturbances" (nice cover-all).
I do not advise this medicine in those suffering from any mood disorder that involves cycling and requires medication.
That said, odds are I'm a bit of a cyclothymic, as I've finally come to terms with accepting to myself after years of head-scratching docs not sure if I was bipolar, immature or just an interesting case study.
As my psychopharmacology course has taught me well, cyclothymia, of course, is not a disorder that requires medical intervention.
That said, it does make for sometimes interesting experiences on, Gabitril, and um, 10mg of Aricept over several months.
Anyhow, those things only last a night, and, go away on contact with Klonopin Wafers (no, really, straight under your tongue!)
Ah, anyhow, 5mg is perfect for me. It's generally the starting dose for geriatrics, and even the pediatric patients in the AD/HD trials, but for me, really did do a whole lot of difference.
I did have to add Prilosec, but, it's generic, my doc prescribes it to save me money, and I had a bit of existing acid reflux that probably required it prior to Aricept anyhow.
Now, for the cool stuff:
I've started writing great.I always tended to write well.
But I now write splendid poetry and prose.
Is it Aricept? No one will ever know. I like to think so. The important thing is, it didn't hurt.
My mood: I had been entering remission.
Yet I happened to note to my Nurse that I feel it may be somehow involved in improving my "poetic faculties."
As my Nurse Practioner commented, a few months into Aricept use,:
"That is the first time you've ever said a qualatative statement."
I had seen him for 2 years.
I use to just want depression to go away, for social anxiety to subdue itself, without knowing Klonopin is the only thing keeping things at bay, etc.Now, I can think of nothing but what countries I wish to visit, what plans for my future, what girls to speak with again, what to write to my blog, what movies to see, what parties to go to, what an author's influence is having on me.
I rarely read this board, but, I wanted you to all know, life not only gets better. It begins anew again, and again, and again. You will take med trials, they will have side effects. You will take meds, you will hope to get better, and it might not. Everything is a trial. If it were predictable, it wouldn't be worth enduring.
Keep going, every last one of you. To the beginning, and never the end.
Posted by linkadge on December 29, 2005, at 21:16:30
In reply to Aricept Me: A Happy Story, posted by utopizen on December 29, 2005, at 20:27:13
I have experiemented with herbal acetylcholinsterase inhibitors, rosemary, Huperzine-A, and green tea. (Aricept may of course feel different)
I seem fair poorly with cholinergic enhancement,
doesn't seem like what is wrong with me at all. I don't like the feeling personally.They generally kind of make me feel like things
are closing in on me. Anticholinergics seem to have the opposite effect. They make me feel like I have more space.
I guess it deepnds where the system lies at baseline.
Linkadge
Posted by utopizen on December 30, 2005, at 6:46:53
In reply to Re: Aricept Me: A Happy Story, posted by linkadge on December 29, 2005, at 21:16:30
> I have experiemented with herbal acetylcholinsterase inhibitors, rosemary, Huperzine-A, and green tea. (Aricept may of course feel different)
>
> I seem fair poorly with cholinergic enhancement,
> doesn't seem like what is wrong with me at all. I don't like the feeling personally.
>
>
Aricept, like most psychotropics, wouldn't begin to have any effect for weeks. We're talking, in my case, 2-3 months.I happened to, when severely depressed, order some Huperzine-A. It made me quite nervous, and agitated, and even perspiration occured, the day I took it.
I really don't know how your post relates to Aricept at all, but wish the best of luck to you.
All I can say is, the herbs you listed are not indicators of Aricept's potential effect at all.
Aricept isn't even an indicator of drugs used for the same indication in dementia!
My golly, loose connections are fun, but, I think the post got a little too loose, if you know what I mean ;)
best of luck, and keep the faith in yourself-- meds only go half-way.
Aricept didn't make me complete. It's a 5mg pill made mostly with talc. I have friends, I have doctors that care about me, I go to therapy, I write poetry, I write prose, I ride my Cannondale, I get up at an early hour, I make a habit of doing work and never staying in the same spot too long. I read many books. I keep in touch with old friends.
Drugs only go half way. It's up to you to go the remainder, and I hope you find a drug that gets you to that point if you haven't already.
best of luck!
Posted by linkadge on December 30, 2005, at 17:15:15
In reply to Re: Aricept Me: A Happy Story, posted by utopizen on December 30, 2005, at 6:46:53
I guess it relates in that Aricept is an acetylcholinsterase inhibitor.
Of course I'm not saying that all drugs labled as acetycholinsterase inhibitors will work the same way, since I won't know for sure unless I try Aricept.
I was just commenting that acetylcholinsterase inhibition didn't seem like it was for me, based on the similar responce I had to different acetycholinsterase inhibitors.
Linkadge
Posted by Phillipa on December 30, 2005, at 20:20:33
In reply to Re: Aricept Me: A Happy Story, posted by linkadge on December 30, 2005, at 17:15:15
Glad it's working for you so well isn't that the one for Alzheimer's? Fondly, Phillipa ps does it help with loss of concentration
Posted by utopizen on December 31, 2005, at 17:14:33
In reply to Re: Aricept Me: A Happy Story, posted by Phillipa on December 30, 2005, at 20:20:33
> Glad it's working for you so well isn't that the one for Alzheimer's? Fondly, Phillipa ps does it help with loss of concentration
>Um, of course, I take it for ADH/D with Executive Dysfunction. There's many studies, published and on-going trials, for this purpose.
Posted by utopizen on December 31, 2005, at 17:18:32
In reply to Re: Aricept Me: A Happy Story, posted by linkadge on December 30, 2005, at 17:15:15
I was adding it to my existing dose of Desoxyn, so, I had to lower my Desoxyn dose from 50mg/day to 5-10 mg/day tops.
And I still had anxiety from the Aricept for the first couple of months, and the hyperfocusing feeling you're probably trying to convey.
But adjusting your tranquillizer dose, while your body adjusts for the Aricept, and lowering any stimulant dose you might be taking as low as possible, should help with this.
Of course, any psychotropic for an anxious person will likely make one anxious for the first several weeks before it works to reduce overall anxiety in the long-run.
It's just one of those things I had to accept, and am glad for it.
Aricept has actually reduced my anxiety, made me feel more confident, as well as more focused, brightened my mood further than merely feel "not-depressed" and it's just been great.
good luck!
This is the end of the thread.
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