Posted by cmorhoun on February 2, 2009, at 12:30:20
In reply to Suicidal, please help!!, posted by G-man885858 on January 31, 2009, at 0:22:56
G - I feel your pain and can relate. I am incredibly sensitive to meds myself. Most meds Ive taken have made things severely worse. A few suggestions:
Klonipon over time can add to depression. Try another benzo or try Neurontin (affects GABA also) or Lithium.
I wonder why you quit Lexapro in 2005, it seems like things have gotten worse since you did?
It sounds like youve been on the same meds for quite a while? If you feel this horrible on what youre taking, its obviously time to try something else and theres much more to try.
Stimulants like Adderall, Concerta, Vyvanse. I wouldn't be alive without them. I think they are pretty hard on the body over time and certainly hard on the adrenals but they are powerful and fast acting and may at least help until you find the right cocktail. They've kept me functional and alive for 3 years. There are many many people who have tried every other drug/class there is and finally found relief with stimulants. Youll hear about addiction, poop-out, tolerance which are all possibilities but only for some. Youll find many doctors are leery of them and rightly so.find someone else. Ive taken the same low dose for the entire time Ive been on them. Fake ADD problems if you need to. They give this crap to kids like its candy yet theyre cautious about someone whos life could be saved because they dont fit the proper profileamazing.
Amino Acid supplements. I cant stress these enough. They have been sort of my rock through years of searching for the right cocktail. They can be very activating and energizing. They can potentiate the effects of drugs and could certainly help with adrenal exhaustion or allergies. I think they are the reason that Ive done OK with a low and consistent dose of stimulants for so long. Hardly a cure for depression but can significantly lighten the load, especially for someone in a cloudy, dark and foggy depression.
Licorice A standard for the theoretical adrenal exhaustion. Do some research though, potentially potent stuff and should be taken with care.
St. John's Wort - Can also be very activating. Again, hardly a cure but may help lighten the load or potentiate the drugs you're on. I recommend finding a liquid form...more pure in my opinion. Must be careful of dose if taking with other drugs.
L-tryptophan converts to serotonin during the day and melatonin at night. One of the best sleep aides there is and completely natural. Can be very helpful for anxiety too. Some will even say it helps with depression over time. You must be careful taking with any drug that effects serotonin.
Diet can help immensely too. Raw green organic veggies can do wonders for someone with allergies or sensitivities. Basic protein, no sugarscommon sense stuff can be easily forgotten when feeling so horrible.
Have you considered ECT? Youll probably hear mostly horror stories from people here but for some, it's the magic bullet or for many or it can offer temporary relief while you try other meds. Do some research. Unilateral vs bilateral, etc.
T3 supplementation regardless of thyroid levels. Use caution but again, often the magic bullet for someone who wouldnt even fit the profile for thyroid issues.
Just hang in there. I know how hard it is to even imagine something can help when you don't even know how you'll make it through the day but as mentioned already, there are so many other meds/combos to try. A doc once told me that prescribing meds is as much an art as it is a science. Everyone is different and we ultimately dont know why these drugs work the way they do. Diagnosis and classification of drugs ultimately means very little. You ultimately just have to find what fits your body chemistry.
Regarding adrenal tests and such. I spent lots of time and money on all sorts of tests relating to allergies, cortisal, adrenalson and on and on and ultimately, they generally tell you very little even if they seem to indicate something specific. Much of the stuff is theoretical in the first place. Occasionally youll find something clear cut like low thyroid but generally its a lot of theory that all basically means the same thing in the end..eat healthy and exercise. I did all this stuff when I was at my worst and it was something to hope for and to keep me going but in retrospect, for me, it was a lot of wasted hope and money. Im not saying you shouldnt do it, Im just saying, try to keep perspective as you do. You may spend a lot of time and money to get answers that are theoretical at best and that all have the same solution..eat healthy and exercise.
Research research research.Crazymeds, Revolution Health, PubMed, The alternative board, other forums. Im very fortunate in that I have a fantastic psych who respects that I am very educated on meds. I think the more intelligent you sound to any doc, the more they will respect your input. Its very easy to get bitter at docs but if we dont have anything intelligent to offer regarding an approach, what should we expect from someone who is ultimately clueless unless theyve been through this themselves.
poster:cmorhoun
thread:877295
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/877644.html