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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by therock on April 9, 2008, at 10:42:20
Any SSRI I have ever taken, causes me to have suicidal thoughts and anxiety. All the newer generation medicines and also the older TCA's.
My diagnosis is recurrent major depression. My symptoms are anxiety, panic and some OCD anxiety (but not actual rituals).
Does anyone have any ideas of what to ask my doc for?
The only things that ever worked a tiny bit were depakote and trileptal. Both did not work well enough to stick with. Benzo's also work a tiny bit.
Posted by Phillipa on April 9, 2008, at 10:46:09
In reply to reacting to all SSRI's, posted by therock on April 9, 2008, at 10:42:20
Luvox or generic in USA is an SSRI most sedating and was marketing for OCD. Only SSRI I can tolerate with benzos. Good luck Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on April 9, 2008, at 18:59:15
In reply to reacting to all SSRI's, posted by therock on April 9, 2008, at 10:42:20
All I can say is you gotta keep trying things, but keep the focus on trying things of different classes. Things that work differently and on different neuro circuits. For example, the little bit of help you got from depakote and benzos hints that somehow someway there is a GABA involvement. Maybe that hints to too much glutamate activity. Just tinkering with ideas here.
I remember reading about one doctor who specialized in very resistant patients. He had about 20 drugs, many of them off-label, but knew from experience that someone would respond to at least 1 to 3 of those 20. But there was no way to know which. So he and the patients embarked on blind trial and error tests, one drug at a time, fully prepared for many failures, but also fully confident that laws of random chance would find the right one.
Lamictal, lithium, zyprexa, seroquel, dilantin, gabapentin, memantine. Just some psych meds you maybe haven't tried, but offer an attack at the problem from angles you haven't explored yet.
It may take a comination of 2 or 3 meds. If a benzo helped, and if depakote helped, keep them in the mix, but don't use them just by themselves.
Magnesium. Too simple, I know. Have you tried magnesium glycinate supplements? Even magnesium citrate can have a very calming effect almost right away if for some genetic flaw or environmental insult you are not using magnesium properly. A quick way to absorb magnesium is to pour 2 to 3 cups of Epsom salts in a hot bath and soak in it for 10 to 20 minutes. Last time I did that I slept real deep and was so calm the next day. I don't tolerate oral magnesium supplements well.
Things you would absolutely not expect to work might work great. For example, a dopamine agonist such as pramipexole, ropinirole, or trivastel. And ponder the fact that with hyperactive kids, guess what mellows them out...powerful stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall.
This will sound weird. But seriously. Long story. How about a 2 month trial of a course of antibiotics like minocycline or doxycycline.
I wonder if you have food intolerances you are not aware of. If you are allergic to gluten, as an example, a common reaction is anxiety/panic. That is usually followed by exhaustion and fatigue, but then the next meal starts the cycle all over again.
This probably does not apply, but...have you ever had or do you have silver fillings in your teeth. How about any lead exposure? It might be worth doing a hair sample with Doctor's Data labs to see what the metals/minerals status of your recent history is. If the minerals are abnormally deranged, or especially if there is obvious lead, mercury, arsenic, excess copper...well, you just found the problem.
Speaking of copper. Excess amounts cause psychosis, anxiety and panic. To gradually lower it, avoid vitamins with copper in them, and take zinc supplements at 25mg to 50mg per day. Zinc forces copper out.
Basically, don't rule anything out. Try things. Expect failures. But the more you try things, the closer you get to finding something that works. Logic thus far has not worked very well. Everything you've tried is logical. So at this point it actually makes logic to avoid logic.
Posted by therock on April 9, 2008, at 20:20:32
In reply to Re: reacting to all SSRI's, posted by bleauberry on April 9, 2008, at 18:59:15
thanks! this was helpful!
This is the end of the thread.
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