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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 chiron on November 12, 2006, at 12:50:20
Why are some meds that are supposed to be sedating actually are activating in some of us? I just tried lithium- too agitating. Same thing with the Geodon I just tried.
And then there are the times that they actually increase depression.
I give up on meds. I'm going back to ECT...if I can hang in there until then.
Posted by stargazer on November 12, 2006, at 13:55:52
In reply to Meds opposite effects, posted by chiron on November 12, 2006, at 12:50:20
That response is known as a paradoxical effect and causes an opposite effect expected of a given medication. Ativan is often given to patients who are in a severe, catatonic type of depression. It can lift a depression when other more specific drugs are ineffective. Unusual but not uncommon.
SG
Posted by blueberry on November 12, 2006, at 15:54:32
In reply to Meds opposite effects, posted by chiron on November 12, 2006, at 12:50:20
Tell me about your ECT experience. I recently had some treatments which turned out with sweet results, though they crashed away in short time without maintenance followup, and absolutely devastating memory loss that would be something right out of a Twilight Zone movie.
I would go back to it, and will be talking to my doctor about it, if they can promise me a way to customize the treatment now that we know how I respond and what the problems are.
I would love to hear the full story of someone else's ECT.
Posted by chiron on November 12, 2006, at 17:21:10
In reply to Re: Meds opposite effects » chiron, posted by blueberry on November 12, 2006, at 15:54:32
> Tell me about your ECT experience. I recently had some treatments which turned out with sweet results, though they crashed away in short time without maintenance followup, and absolutely devastating memory loss that would be something right out of a Twilight Zone movie.
>
> I would go back to it, and will be talking to my doctor about it, if they can promise me a way to customize the treatment now that we know how I respond and what the problems are.
>
> I would love to hear the full story of someone else's ECT.I'm 33, depression since around 11, always wanted to die. I have tried almost every drug. About a year ago I tried Adderall. Loved it initially. Felt good, could study all day, etc. Then my downs got further down. Then we added Abilify. I don't know if it was just the Adderall, or the combination, but I ended up in the hospital for 5 days. But after the hospital I was still a mess. Anxiety/agitation/depression mix (which I think was made worse by the lithium I was on). My mom had a couple of friends that had been helped by it, so I went in to shock my brain. After only 6, I felt great for about a weeek. I actually felt like doing things, it was amazing. Then I slowly went down.
My dr upped my dose of Cymbalta, but I was feeling blah, and ready to feel good again. So about a month later, I went in for I think 5 more. But I didn't get the same results. My hopeful philosophy is that I didn't do as well because I was on a higher dose of Cymbalta, which I have found to make me more depressed & irritable. And on my second round, I would wake up feeling irritable. My dr. doesn't think antidepressants effect the ECT results, but I'm not convinced.
I did have some memory loss. It does suck. But when you are at the point that you just want to have no pulse, I guess it's a fair trade. I just hope it works this time again, and that the memory loss doesn't effect my job perforamance.
My mom has a friend who has maintenance ECT & is a nurse. I also just read "Shocked" by Kitty Dukakis- she goes in about every 8 months for her bipolar stuff.
I think I have gotten so far down again partly becuase of the drugs that I have tried. I'm not against drugs, but they just seem to mess me up worse lately.
If it works again this time, I am planning to make it an ongoing part of my life. I don't want to be miserable anymore.
Posted by blueberry on November 12, 2006, at 18:02:47
In reply to Re: Meds opposite effects, posted by chiron on November 12, 2006, at 17:21:10
> My mom has a friend who has maintenance ECT & is a nurse. I also just read "Shocked" by Kitty Dukakis- she goes in about every 8 months for her bipolar stuff.
> I think I have gotten so far down again partly becuase of the drugs that I have tried. I'm not against drugs, but they just seem to mess me up worse lately.
> If it works again this time, I am planning to make it an ongoing part of my life. I don't want to be miserable anymore.I hear you. I may do the same. I have to figure out a way to get off meds and get on ECT in a way where I can manage memory loss well enough that I can do well at my job.
Back to your original topic, I have no idea why meds that are supposed to make you feel better actually make you worse. But with me it happens almost all of the time. Heck, they give suicide warnings for children or teenagers starting antidepressants. Hmmmmm. Makes you wonder about a lot of things.
Posted by stargazer on November 12, 2006, at 21:21:06
In reply to Re: Meds opposite effects » chiron, posted by blueberry on November 12, 2006, at 18:02:47
The meds can always make you feel worse since everyone's body chemistry and metabolism is different. When I was on either Effexor or Zoloft, everytime the dosage was increased I felt worse and worse, finally becoming extremely suicidal...I told my pdoc this and he thought it was the depression, but trusting my instincts, I stopped the drug and now most of the AD's list suicidal thinking as a side effect. So despite the doctors telling us to "stay the course", I always say..."if a med is making you feel more depressed or suicidal"...that's not the depression but the drug making you feel worse.
I have depression but increased suicidality, above and beyond what you were experiencing starting the drug can be a side effect that may push you over the edge if the drug is either not stopped or reduced in dosage.
Believe me, when you have been taking meds for as long as I have, you get to know when to stop a med, reduce a med or hold at a certain dose to stabalize the side effects.
SG
Posted by Phillipa on November 12, 2006, at 23:05:24
In reply to Re: Meds opposite effects, posted by stargazer on November 12, 2006, at 21:21:06
What I don't understand is how you can work. As the first med error I ever made I quit and I wasn't even depressed just my thyroid becoming desroyed by hasimotos which makes you super anxious. How can a nurse be safe while taking ECT? What if she or he forgets what a med is? Love Phillipa ps am I just too concerned about the patients?
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