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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Mr. Scott on April 19, 2001, at 20:13:54
I am in the depths of despair, consumed by my own hell. I took a Beck Depression Inventory today that indicated I am Severely depressed. I scored a 31 out of 40 and was answering fairly conservative.
I don't know what to do at this point and my doctor is the kind of bastard who would only be irritated if I paged him.
I respond enough to ssri's so that I don't want to kill myself. The response is far from perfect but enough to keep me wanting to live. The problem is that over the years of taking Zoloft I have developed what my doctor thinks and I agree are Extrpyramidal Symptoms or symptoms of Parkinson's. My muscles are so tight that they are in constsnt pain and always flexed. This is caused by the Zoloft because as i reduce the dosage I feel less pain and tensing of the muscles. Essentially, the problem would likely go away once I stopped the drug. But switch to what?? The doc comes up with these outside of the box schemes like Surmontil or Trileptal or Dilantin?!?!? All I want to do is try another SSRI and then if I still have the muscle pain, switch to Remeron or Serzone. I used Prozac for a while years ago and although it eventually pooped out like they all do, I don't remember any muscle problems. I did however develop a serious drug addiction during this time, but can Prozac be to blame for that? The doc hates Prozac and says it causes too many neuroligal side effects but that is my complaint about Zoloft!!
To make a disjointed rambling bunch of nonsense short, I dropped the dose of Zoloft because my muscles are killing me.. I have since become Terribly Depressed. I am afraid to call my ass of a doctor who will angrily recommend something complex and theoretical at best, rather than a simple move. And he would never consider making a call to the pharmacy, so I have to wait for his 'skilled hand to craft a magical script' and shell out another $170 bucks. Which I do several times a month anyways!!
Sorry for being a whiner.. Your inputs are greatly appreciated.
Posted by Lorraine on April 19, 2001, at 21:28:25
In reply to HELP!!, posted by Mr. Scott on April 19, 2001, at 20:13:54
Scott: Please get another doctor. You do not deseerve this one. Most pdoc will do a 15 min phone consult for a reduced rate. I was on Zoloft--same muscle problem. I called it dystonia. Anyway, some meds cause it some don't. Zoloft did; Prozac didn't; Wellbutrin didn't; Serzone didn't. You should just switch meds--I am real aware of this side effect, but most meds don't cause it. Good luck.
Posted by JohnL on April 20, 2001, at 4:53:38
In reply to HELP!!, posted by Mr. Scott on April 19, 2001, at 20:13:54
In your shoes I would go back to Prozac and ditch the Zoloft. That would be part one of a two part process. The second part would be to add either Zyprexa, Risperal, or Amisulpride to it. The combination can work much better than either alone for a robust full response. Mileage varies of course, but anecdotal evidence and clinical evidence is encouraging. Especially with Prozac+Zyprexa. There is something special and unique about the synergy of these two meds. Considering how bad you feel right now, I would start both meds at the same time. In clinical trials when these meds were started at the same time there were a good deal of positive responses in as little time as one week. You need fast relief.
You might consider finding, or having someone else help you find, a better doctor and lower fees. I know how bad you feel right now, so it might work better if someone else--friend, family, etc--can make some phone calls, letters, and such to find you a doctor who is a better match for your needs.
International mailorder pharmacies are always an option. That would save you a ton of money and allow you to be in control of drug choices. This kind of self medication is ok if you've done your homework on the drugs you want to try, but it is not appropriate for everyone.
John
Posted by Mr.Scott on April 20, 2001, at 9:22:40
In reply to HELP!!, posted by Mr. Scott on April 19, 2001, at 20:13:54
Lorraine & JohnL
Thanks for confirming what I thought might be the case, that not all SSRI's are equally tolerated by everyone. My Doc is obviously not as sophisticated as he would have be believe.. Saying that "anything I experienced on Zoloft would be worse on Prozac." I thought maybe I had developed brain damage or something from the Zoloft and had no way out of this hell. I need a new doc and yes preferably one who doesn't charge so much and refuse to work with insurance companies.. he says "they rape him." Part of his job should include some compassion..as it's already a pretty lucrative job. Not to mention we spend most of this costly time talking about his theories and Political views.
JohnL,
The first priority of mine will be to find a doc who will be open minded and try your recommended combo.. Prozac Worked pretty good in the past and if the Zyprexa will help it last longer or be more robust then I gotta try it my current doc.L&J
I can't tell you how hopeful I felt when I read your responses this morning. Only a fellow sufferer can truly understand, that when in such despair that hopeless feeling erases any ideas of getting better.How would you recommend finding another doctor? Yellow pages? Universities? Word of Mouth?
Thankfully,
mr.scott
Posted by Lorraine on April 20, 2001, at 16:02:53
In reply to Thanks Lorraine JohnL, posted by Mr.Scott on April 20, 2001, at 9:22:40
University is not a bad start. I think you find the more sophisticated doctors there. I personally like word of mouth the best, thouugh. But it takes longer. Why not post your city and ask on this board if anyone knows a good pdoc in your area?
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