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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
I can't seem to take any of the SSRIs or SNRIs - drugs that hit serotonin (due to bladder problems).
I am currently taking Seroquel and Klonopin, but need to add something that will help with depression and energy.
I have tried Abilify and Risperdal but they make me retain water and caused my blood pressure to go up (but they did help with my depression).
I think I will have the same problems (teeth and gum problems) with Lamictal that I had before.
So, I am desperate for some help here.
Are there drugs that I can take that hit dopamine that would help me with depression?
Please help me.
Posted by bleauberry on July 22, 2009, at 19:13:04
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
What kind of bladder problems?
Posted by JayBTV2 on July 22, 2009, at 20:12:16
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
I've taken a number of dopamine related medications and honestly the only ones that really worked for me are the ADD stimulant class of meds (Ritalin/Adderall/etc). They're definitely pretty powerful medications though and lots of doctors won't prescribe them since they're controlled and have abuse potential....
Some people have success with Welbutrin. Sadly I experienced really bad akathesia while on Welbutrin....
I believe Emsam (the depression "patch") is also a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. It's technically an MAOI but doesn't have the dietary restrictions and should increase dopamine levels in the brain. So perhaps that's a less common option to explore.....
Good luck!
-Jay
Posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 20:31:15
In reply to Re: Dopamine drugs?, posted by bleauberry on July 22, 2009, at 19:13:04
> What kind of bladder problems?
I have IC (Interstitial Cystits) and my bladder doc told me (not my shrink) that serotonin drugs will bother my bladder, so I am not imagining that.
I also wonder if 10+ years of taking SSRIs caused my bladder problems. Increasingly over the years on prozac, zoloft, etc. my frequency, pain, urgency got worse.
So now I am desperate for something to help with depression that sneaks past the serotonin receptors. I even sometimes have problems with NE receptors. But I seem to do pretty well with dopamine.
Posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 20:33:10
In reply to Re: Dopamine drugs?, posted by JayBTV2 on July 22, 2009, at 20:12:16
> I've taken a number of dopamine related medications and honestly the only ones that really worked for me are the ADD stimulant class of meds (Ritalin/Adderall/etc). They're definitely pretty powerful medications though and lots of doctors won't prescribe them since they're controlled and have abuse potential....
>
> Some people have success with Welbutrin. Sadly I experienced really bad akathesia while on Welbutrin....
>
> I believe Emsam (the depression "patch") is also a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. It's technically an MAOI but doesn't have the dietary restrictions and should increase dopamine levels in the brain. So perhaps that's a less common option to explore.....
>
> Good luck!
>
> -JayYea, Wellbutrin kind of made me rageful. Not so good.
Will Emsam at low doses effect any other drugs? I really don't want to deal with side effects. I thought about taking a small dose of parnate, but I think that has diet/food interactions.
Posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 20:33:55
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
What about a small dose of Geodon? What does Geodon effect?
Posted by shasling on July 22, 2009, at 20:47:02
In reply to Re: Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 20:33:55
> What about a small dose of Geodon? What does Geodon effect?
>
>Geodon is a anti psytoctic which prob would not benifit someone look to increase dopamine for stumulant anti depressant effects.
If you look up "Liquid Deprenyl" its a very small but potent form of emsam,can be taken as low as a mg a day.Used under the tongue and very potent.
Also modfanil is a pretty mild stimulant that has unique affects on dopamine and some claim also has limited mood elevating properties.
Posted by Phillipa on July 22, 2009, at 20:57:31
In reply to Re: Dopamine drugs?, posted by shasling on July 22, 2009, at 20:47:02
I've heard interstitial cystitis can be helped with TCA's Phillipa
Posted by shasling on July 22, 2009, at 21:01:39
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
Heres a snip speaking of the liquid deprenyl not emsam.
"Whatever the full explanation, deprenyl-driven MAOI-users, unlike cigarette smokers, are likely to be around to enjoy its distinctive benefits for a long time to come, possibly longer than their drug-naïve contemporaries. For in low doses, deprenyl enhances life-expectancy, of rats at least, by 20% and more. It enhances drive, libido and motivation; sharpens cognitive performance both subjectively and on a range of objective tests; serves as a useful adjunct in the palliative treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease; and makes you feel good too. It is used successfully to treat canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) in dogs. At dosages of around 10 mg or below daily, deprenyl retains its selectivity for the type-B MAO iso-enzyme. At MAO-B-selective dosages, deprenyl doesn't provoke the "cheese-effect"; tyramine is also broken down by MAO type-A. Deprenyl isn't addictive, which probably reflects its different delivery-mechanism and delayed reward compared to inhaled tobacco smoke. In November 2004, Yale University researchers launched a study of deprenyl for smokers who want to quit tobacco. Whether the Government would welcome the billions of pounds of lost revenue and a swollen population of energetic non-taxpayers that a switch in people's MAOI habits might entail is unclear. "
Posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 21:03:15
In reply to Re: Dopamine drugs? » shasling, posted by Phillipa on July 22, 2009, at 20:57:31
> I've heard interstitial cystitis can be helped with TCA's Phillipa
TCA's actually make me retain urine and unable to pee. So TCAs are out.
Posted by floatingbridge on July 22, 2009, at 21:36:00
In reply to Re: Dopamine drugs?, posted by JayBTV2 on July 22, 2009, at 20:12:16
I've thought about, though not tried, something like mirapex...
fb
> I've taken a number of dopamine related medications and honestly the only ones that really worked for me are the ADD stimulant class of meds (Ritalin/Adderall/etc). They're definitely pretty powerful medications though and lots of doctors won't prescribe them since they're controlled and have abuse potential....
>
> Some people have success with Welbutrin. Sadly I experienced really bad akathesia while on Welbutrin....
>
> I believe Emsam (the depression "patch") is also a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. It's technically an MAOI but doesn't have the dietary restrictions and should increase dopamine levels in the brain. So perhaps that's a less common option to explore.....
>
> Good luck!
>
> -Jay
Posted by Zyprexa on July 23, 2009, at 2:41:54
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
I took geodon for 2 years at a very high dose, 60mg x4 a day. It works on dopamine. I found it to be a good antidepressant but nothing for psychosis/schitzo. So maybe it will work for you? Its not sedating, stimulating or weight gaining. It did give me diabetes, which went away when I stoped it, it also gave me blurry vision on high doses. You can get at the smallest dose 20mg pill, you can split them, its powder inside. It has a low half life, 6 hours. Thats why I took it 4 times a day.
Posted by bleauberry on July 23, 2009, at 5:11:49
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
Bladder frequency, pain, urgency, depression, energy.
The bladder part...low dose Nortriptyline. 5mg (1/2 capsule) to 20mg. It has alleviated depression in a few people even as low as 10mg, though usually dosed around 50mg-100mg. Energy is improved once past the initial antihistamine side effects and after waking up.
I too wonder if bladder problems are caused by longterm SSRI use. I've had symptoms like yours for a long time and they are easily aggravated. I was stunned when I tried a low dose of nortrip for other reasons but discovered all my bladder problems completely disappeared within 36 hours. It was quite amazing actually.
It is prescribed for bedwetting problems, so there is obviously some effect on relaxing the bladder, which I experienced in robust fashion right away. At such a low dose, I see no reason to not give it a try. It just happens to be a very good antidepressant too. I do believe its bladder properties are strong enough to over-ride SSRI effects on bladder, so the door is probably open to expand the horizon into Nortrip+Zoloft or other similar combinations.
Dopamine specifically...stimulants obviously, ritalin, adderall. Dopamine agonists and paradoxically dopamine antagonists.
Posted by atypical on July 23, 2009, at 17:31:56
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
Mirapex. I tried it like 8 months ago. Didn't do much for me. But it is a dopamine drug, typically for Parkinson's, sometimes used for treatment-resistant depression.
Posted by Phillipa on July 23, 2009, at 19:20:33
In reply to Dopamine drugs?, posted by SheilaC on July 22, 2009, at 19:07:02
Check this site out. Phillipa
Posted by SheilaC on July 24, 2009, at 7:22:20
In reply to Re: Dopamine drugs? » SheilaC, posted by Phillipa on July 23, 2009, at 19:20:33
> Check this site out. Phillipa
>
>
> http://www.medicinenet.com/interstitial_cystitis/page5.htmThanks Phillipa, but been there, done that. I feel like an expert on IC.
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