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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by floatingbridge on August 24, 2011, at 21:58:17
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by ralphrogers on August 24, 2011, at 21:31:11
Scott,
Do you think the lamictal has helped, and how long have you been with it?
Seems like you have a nice balance of meds on board right now.
Posted by SLS on August 25, 2011, at 7:28:40
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by ralphrogers on August 24, 2011, at 21:31:11
Posted by SLS on August 25, 2011, at 7:29:47
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by Phillipa on August 24, 2011, at 20:12:40
> Can or would you share your symptoms of beginning of illness or too private? Phillipa
More melancholy and anxiety early in illness.
More cognitive impairments later in illness.
- Scott
Posted by SLS on August 25, 2011, at 7:32:44
In reply to Re: 40%, posted by floatingbridge on August 24, 2011, at 21:58:17
> Scott,
>
> Do you think the lamictal has helped, and how long have you been with it?I have been on Lamictal for almost ten years. It is the addition of Nardil a year ago that provided a trajectory towards remission. However, each drug contributes. I experimented with all of them, and I relapse when any one is discontinued.
- Scott>
> Seems like you have a nice balance of meds on board right now.
>
>
>
>
Posted by floatingbridge on August 25, 2011, at 9:38:42
In reply to Re: 40% » floatingbridge, posted by SLS on August 25, 2011, at 7:32:44
> > Scott,
> >
> > Do you think the lamictal has helped, and how long have you been with it?
>
> I have been on Lamictal for almost ten years. It is the addition of Nardil a year ago that provided a trajectory towards remission. However, each drug contributes. I experimented with all of them, and I relapse when any one is discontinued.
>
>
> - Scott
>
>Sorry for that, Scott. It is probably because lamictal has
finally landed on my radar. My apologies. I am thinking back
to you treatment variations since I've been here (3.5years). Were you on Nardil and withdraw during this window? I mainly remember the varying doses of lithium and abilify.I have read intermittently, though I'm not sure it's been studied enough in recent years, that phenelzine does serve a neurogenic purpose. There was one link in particular that was posted here. Which I can google. In addition, was there recent mention of trying to isolate the therapeutic effect of
phenelzine so they could be applied w/o the entire moai effect?Patience is a big part of the recovery process. So is the ability to observe and deciher changes and variations, something for which I give you enormous credit.
fb
>
>
>
> >
> > Seems like you have a nice balance of meds on board right now.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
Posted by Phillipa on August 25, 2011, at 19:39:44
In reply to Re: 40%, posted by SLS on August 25, 2011, at 7:29:47
Scott I wonder why so many have the high anxiety early in illness? And for you this dissipated? Melancholy. Must google exact description of. Thanks Phillipa
Posted by SLS on August 26, 2011, at 5:17:29
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by Phillipa on August 25, 2011, at 19:39:44
> Scott I wonder why so many have the high anxiety early in illness? And for you this dissipated? Melancholy. Must google exact description of. Thanks Phillipa
It may be that the melancholy was a result of the stress of being BD depressed and not a component of the psychobiology of BD.
Adolescents for whom depression occurs early present less depressed and more anxious and agitated than those of adults.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on August 26, 2011, at 19:28:26
In reply to Re: 40% » Phillipa, posted by SLS on August 26, 2011, at 5:17:29
Scott thanks had no idea. I wonder if presentation in younger children as have read first presents as ADD or ADHD? Phillipa
Posted by zonked on August 26, 2011, at 21:11:25
In reply to 40%, posted by SLS on August 23, 2011, at 6:42:25
> Hi All.
>
> Patience.
>
> Apparently, my brain has taken another major step in its process of recovery and healing. I am perhaps 40% improved. It has been a year since I began taking Nardil. I was afraid that I might be "stuck" at 35%.You've no idea how pleased I am to hear this. Your patience with Nardil in part has made me stick with it through the initial blip. If I hadn't found someone else whose advice and wisdom I trust going through the same thing, I may have thrown them in the trash and demanded buprenorphine or something else rather drastic.
>
So, what explains this protracted process? I haven't encountered anyone else who has had to wait so long to recover from MDD or BD depression. My doctor feels that this is the product of severity and the length of time spent in the depressive state.
>
> Patience.I think your doctor may be right, and it *may* also be true with me (just a hunch, my MD did not say so) but of course, the length of time you've been dealing with this greatly exceeds my own.
Scott, have you had your testosterone checked? I am assuming you have. You've seen my recent threads, I'm sure - but this does not feel like placebo effect. I have had more energy, drive, appreciating the weather, actually logged into Facebook, etc. - than I have in a long time.
As if I could know what placebo effect "felt" like. :-)
But it appears subclinical low testosterone ("normal" enough for two previous psychiatrists to not prescribe me it) may play a role in my recovery as I have felt better the last two days than the last 60. I don't recall the exact number, but my testosterone was in the low 400s a year ago; I forgot to ask the recent result but it was also "low normal". I am 29.
-z
Posted by SLS on August 27, 2011, at 5:06:58
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by zonked on August 26, 2011, at 21:11:25
Hey Zonked!
I am TOTALLY excited that you are improving.
People who experience the placebo effect usually relapse within a month of reporting an improvement. I am 90%-100% sure that what you are experiencing is NOT a placebo effect. You would not see changes in your vegetative symptoms were your response be attributable to the placebo effect.
What does the placebo effect feel like?
I'm not sure because I have never been apt to experience this. None of the blinded clinical trials that I participated in resulted in a placebo response.
Your initial "blip" improvement was also psychobiological and not placebo, in my opinion.
You know for yourself the truth. I know there is no reason for me to convince you. Perhaps others will profit from the information you can provide. It's great that you are reporting so regularly.
I have had some vitamins and supplements make me feel worse. I am no longer interested in this alternative strategy. I am adamant that I not "rock the boat" and subject my brain to a series of unnecessary insults.
Currently:
Nardil 90mg
nortriptyline 150mg
Lamictal 200mg
Abilify 10mg
lithium 300mg
- Scott
> > Hi All.
> >
> > Patience.
> >
> > Apparently, my brain has taken another major step in its process of recovery and healing. I am perhaps 40% improved. It has been a year since I began taking Nardil. I was afraid that I might be "stuck" at 35%.
>
> You've no idea how pleased I am to hear this. Your patience with Nardil in part has made me stick with it through the initial blip. If I hadn't found someone else whose advice and wisdom I trust going through the same thing, I may have thrown them in the trash and demanded buprenorphine or something else rather drastic.
>
> >
> So, what explains this protracted process? I haven't encountered anyone else who has had to wait so long to recover from MDD or BD depression. My doctor feels that this is the product of severity and the length of time spent in the depressive state.
> >
> > Patience.
>
> I think your doctor may be right, and it *may* also be true with me (just a hunch, my MD did not say so) but of course, the length of time you've been dealing with this greatly exceeds my own.
>
> Scott, have you had your testosterone checked? I am assuming you have. You've seen my recent threads, I'm sure - but this does not feel like placebo effect. I have had more energy, drive, appreciating the weather, actually logged into Facebook, etc. - than I have in a long time.
>
> As if I could know what placebo effect "felt" like. :-)
>
> But it appears subclinical low testosterone ("normal" enough for two previous psychiatrists to not prescribe me it) may play a role in my recovery as I have felt better the last two days than the last 60. I don't recall the exact number, but my testosterone was in the low 400s a year ago; I forgot to ask the recent result but it was also "low normal". I am 29.
>
> -z
Posted by bleauberry on August 27, 2011, at 17:50:52
In reply to 40%, posted by SLS on August 23, 2011, at 6:42:25
Your doctor makes a lot of sense to me. I've experienced the same slow-paced improvement pattern and it is common in many chronic ailments.
Posted by Phillipa on August 27, 2011, at 21:45:08
In reply to Re: 40%, posted by bleauberry on August 27, 2011, at 17:50:52
Testosterone and hormones are not alternative. Your body is hormone regulated starting with pituitary gland, cortisone is a hormone also, thyroid as well the list goes on and on. Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on August 27, 2011, at 21:57:36
In reply to Re: 40%, posted by Phillipa on August 27, 2011, at 21:45:08
Our bodies are a working network of hormones necessary to life itself. Correct balances of all are needed for optimal health. Phillipa
Posted by hyperfocus on August 29, 2011, at 16:35:28
In reply to 40%, posted by SLS on August 23, 2011, at 6:42:25
That's really good to hear Scott, I'm glad for you and I hope it continues. Is it minute improvements every day or did it sort of kick-in unexpectedly?
Posted by SLS on August 31, 2011, at 8:01:48
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by hyperfocus on August 29, 2011, at 16:35:28
Hi Hyperfocus.
> That's really good to hear Scott, I'm glad for you and I hope it continues. Is it minute improvements every day or did it sort of kick-in unexpectedly?
Yes/Yes
During the first three weeks after adding Nardil, I experienced a blip improvement that disappeared quickly. Since I felt that I reached a dead-end, I decided to keep taking my drug treatment regime steadily and settling for a minor improvement. Four months later came a pleasant surprise. I started to improve again. Unfortunately, the improvement did not follow a smooth, accelerating course. At first, I could only discern a positive trend in my condition when I looked at things on a weekly or monthly basis and not on a daily basis. This past week has produced an acceleration in my rate of improvement. However, it has been a year since the addition of Nardil. It is almost unacceptably slow. However, for me, it's the only game in town, and I'm blessed to have it.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2011, at 20:08:09
In reply to Re: 40% » hyperfocus, posted by SLS on August 31, 2011, at 8:01:48
Why do you feel it's so slow seriously? Phillipa
Posted by SLS on September 1, 2011, at 7:31:33
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by Phillipa on August 31, 2011, at 20:08:09
> Why do you feel it's so slow seriously? Phillipa
You don't consider it slow to have to wait over a year to glean a 40% improvement? It is possible that it will take another year to achieve remission. That's two years from start to finish. I would hate to think that this is the rule rather than the exception. My doctor has been less patient than I am. He thought to try other drugs to speed things up. I tried Latuda, but found that it made things worse. Even some common alternative treatments were either ineffective or exacerbating. I believe that my current regimen is sufficient to attain remission. One thing that is interesting is that the better I feel, the more I appreciate the severity of my baseline state. I have had to re-evaluate my relative progress and find that I am not as far along as I thought I was. Still, this is good stuff, and I truly believe that I am heading toward wellness.
- Scott
Posted by Dinah on September 1, 2011, at 8:12:45
In reply to Re: 40% » Phillipa, posted by SLS on September 1, 2011, at 7:31:33
I think I've grown to appreciate the incremental approach to wellness. Taking little bites out of a problem from various angles. 40% is something to be pleased with. And it gives you a base from which to try other things that might be helpful that might not have been helpful without that 40%.
Specifically, what would you like to be better? Can you break down which elements have gotten maybe more than 40% better, and which perhaps less?
Posted by SLS on September 1, 2011, at 12:18:26
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by Dinah on September 1, 2011, at 8:12:45
> I think I've grown to appreciate the incremental approach to wellness. Taking little bites out of a problem from various angles. 40% is something to be pleased with.
The degree of relative wellness I have attained is nice to experience. I do not take it for granted. However, it would be nice to have covered a 40% gain in 12 weeks rather than 12 months. I accept it, though, as any stable improvement is in itself a miracle. I simply would rather that my rate of recovery be somewhere other than at the pole of a bell curve.
> And it gives you a base from which to try other things that might be helpful that might not have been helpful without that 40%.
I hadn't thought of it that way.
My doctor tends to think that things should be happening faster, and has thought to continue to try new treatments. I elected to leave well enough alone. It is serendipitous that I should have discovered the length of time necessary for me to respond to treatment. I had resigned myself to taking the same four drugs and settling for a lifetime of severe depression. After four months of an unchanged depression, I suddenly began to improve. This was towards the end of November, 2010. I then added lithium two months later based upon its theoretical mechanisms of action. It almost immediately reduced the oscillations in mood that I was experiencing.
> Specifically, what would you like to be better?Motivation, energy, cognition, and memory.
> Can you break down which elements have gotten maybe more than 40% better, and which perhaps less?Not really. I feel that everything improves at the same time at the same magnitude.
Thanks, Dinah. I appreciate your insightful questions and perspectives.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on September 1, 2011, at 19:55:54
In reply to Re: 40% » Phillipa, posted by SLS on September 1, 2011, at 7:31:33
Sorry Scott poor wording as I consider it very slow. Was more or less asking what you attributed the slowness to other than the length of your illness. If you ever wish to research a med research requip as an old poster here is on low levels of it with a few other low doses of things. He was suicidal at one point got ECT on all the Maois. Today married a child and law practice. We talk daily. I once had to have him committed via long distance telephone to his pdoc as was about to shoot self. True story. But hope this gives you even more hope of a full recovery. Phillipa
Posted by Lamdage on September 5, 2011, at 21:30:50
In reply to Re: 40% » SLS, posted by Phillipa on September 1, 2011, at 19:55:54
Hey Scott, its good to hear you are improving!
May i ask for how much of your lifetime you have been depressed and from what age on?
I find it sad that most people get help so late in their illness.. If there was less stigmatization people wouldn't have to hit the lowest of rock bottom before they get treatment. It seems quite common from what I've seen and i am in the same boat since i have been depressed from VERY early on in childhood.
A question on the Lamictal: Did it affect any of your memory/cognition symptoms negatively?
Thanks
Posted by SLS on September 6, 2011, at 10:23:59
In reply to Re: Scott, posted by Lamdage on September 5, 2011, at 21:30:50
> Hey Scott, its good to hear you are improving!
Thanks. :-)
> May i ask for how much of your lifetime you have been depressed and from what age on?
10 years - mild
15 years - moderate
17 years - severeNow 51 years.
> A question on the Lamictal: Did it affect any of your memory/cognition symptoms negatively?I'm okay at 200mg. Anything above this dosage produces brain-fog and cognitive / memory impairments without any discernible additional improvement.
> ThanksYou're welcome.
- Scott
Posted by Lamdage on September 7, 2011, at 4:51:21
In reply to Re: Scott » Lamdage, posted by SLS on September 6, 2011, at 10:23:59
So i assume you didn't get treatment for way too long.. Its a very interesting topic, how depression and anxiety are so hardwired in the brain and what changes lead to improvement.
New conditioning, chemical changes, maybe even new nerve endings etc? Will definitely do some googling :)
Posted by Lamdage on September 7, 2011, at 5:11:17
In reply to Re: Scott, posted by Lamdage on September 7, 2011, at 4:51:21
And of course sh*tty psychological patterns :/
Posted by SLS on September 7, 2011, at 13:46:01
In reply to Re: Scott » Lamdage, posted by SLS on September 6, 2011, at 10:23:59
40% was nice for a few days. Unfortunately, it didn't last. I remain at a 25% improvement as of two days ago. After being on Nardil for a whole year, this is wholly inadequate. I don't feel very much different than I did a year ago. I made an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow. I would like to discontinue Nardil and replace it with either Pristiq or Effexor.
I would like to thank everyone for their help and support over the years.
I haven't given up.
- Scott
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