Atomoxetine (Strattera) - Enhanced neurotransmission, ultimately producing a stimulant effect. Used as ADHD medication and antidepressant.
Armodafinil (Nuvigil) - Approved by the FDA for the treatment of narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder, and as an adjunctive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
Rolipram - New, anti-inflammatory drug, alternative to current antidepressants, antipsychotic effects. Improved long term memory, Increased wakefulness, Increased neuroprotection.
Guanfacine (Tenex, Intuniv) - used in conjunction with stimulants to reduce rebound, as well as to induce sleep. PTSD, Opioid withdrawal, reduces hypertension.
Piracetam - Useful for a wide range of cognitive disorders, reverses the effects of aging.
My mother was on Namenda. It doesn't often show great results. usually it is used to help stabelize the patient at the level they are at. There is never a going back for the AZ. patient. But it you can keep them at a level for a a while longer that is always a help. This drug is used for the later stages, not the earlier levels, but don't hold your breath.
Thats a pretty diverse group of drugs iso - what ebd are you trying to achive - some sort of general tonic effect, that will make you feel "better than well", or somthing more specific?
I would avoid phenergan, it is an old antihistamine with sedative and antinauseant effects, it is perhaps the most potent antihistamine of all, so can be usefull in severe allergies, but for anxiety there are many better drugs out there
I think for you, most of these drugs would be expensive placebos, and given your anxiety, the stimulants would be positively contra-indicated.
Buy some multivitamins and ginseng.
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The desire to take medicines is what seperates man from the lower animals - William Ostler
Yes, (*Laugh*) it is a grab bag of potions. That's what happens when you follow the links on Wikipedia from one thing to another......
True, I'm not pleased with my state of being, and a mystical tonic is probably being stirred by some reclusive tincture maker somewhere and not in the labs of big Pharma....
Last edited by Isotope; 02-19-2011 at 01:34 PM.
The following user gives a hug of support to Isotope: mgm55 (02-26-2011)
I have an appointment on Monday. I will be asking about Buspar, and Lyrica, and the Cymbalta dose.
I think the Cymbalta is better than the Prozac for sure, and maybe even better than any of the SSRI's that I've tried in the past. The only characteristic that I can think of to describe it is 'Clear-Headed'. That's a very good thing for me right now, especially in light of all of the various meds that I'm consuming these days.
I think that Cymbalta has also taken the edge off of the anxiety somewhat, as has the Hydroxyzine, thankfully. But I still have an underlying issue.
My issue seems to be a deeper sort of trauma, like PTSD, that manifests as a daily fear, social phobias, and no self esteem, no confidence, and a morose dysphoria that makes me feel and act like an inert bag of rocks. I'm sort of dead inside, no pleasure anymore, no excitement about the future, no spark anymore, I just exist.
So, how do I get back my lost mojo? Stimulants? Mushrooms? A kick in the head?
There is a good deal of evidence that buspar can boost the effectiveness of SSRI's, so imagine it would also boost the effectiveness if an SNRI like Cymbalta.
If Buspar doesnt cut it, you might consider trying a small dose of one of the atypical antipsychotics - when I was at rock bottom, 1mg of risperidone at bedtime helped me greatly, the only side effect was sore nipples.
A milder benzo like Tranxene, taken in a sibgle dose at bedtime (say 15mg) helps some people, though of course there is the dependence issue.
Definatly push the dose of Cymbalta - the higher doses have more effect of noradrenalin than lower ones, so they give your confidence and motivation more of a kick
I'd ask to go to 50mg, and also ask if you can try Buspar 15mg twice a day for 6 weeks, and reasess at the end of that time
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The desire to take medicines is what seperates man from the lower animals - William Ostler
I know you don't like me, and I said I wouldn't talk to you, but....I do have BiPolar Disorder w/severe suic. depression and anxiety disorders and have had for 22 years...I've been through just about every SSRI and SSNRI, Anxiety Med, and Anti-psychotic that are out there, and stay pretty stable with the right combo.....if I can offer any advice, information or help I'd be glad to do so, just let me know.
I truly hope that you find some relief soon....I know feeling like you do can be crippling in it's own right.
Well, lyrica is an anticinvulsant, though it has shown some benifit in GAD, but to my way of thinking, it would make more sense to use a specific anti anxiety med in the first instance, but thats just be. Lyrica is also extremely expensive.
I'd try Buspar and a higher dose of Cymbalta first, and then discuss options with your psych if you find that doesnt offer the releif you need.
Another antidepressant option would be an SSR (eg Zoloft 100mg/day) plus Welbutrin (300mg/day), plus your buspar or some other antianxiety med
Also, set realistic goals - antidepressants treat clinical depression, they dont make sad people happy, they dont stop you having relationship issues, money worries or hating your job and coworkers - they arnt happiness in a bottle
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The desire to take medicines is what seperates man from the lower animals - William Ostler
You're fine, no worries.
Tell me about your Bi-Polar.
I was just in the bookstore about to pick up Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison's book 'An Unquiet Mind' which is all about her adventures with mental illness. My brother is Bi-Polar and it seems everyone is afflicted in some way or another.
I remembering devouring 'Listening to Prozac' by Peter Kramer, way back in the dawn of SSRI's. It seems that after all of these years it still comes down to a choice between numbness and pain. Ahhh....bring back those fearless, exciting tingles of youth!
The Buspar would probably be a good next try, I've had good response from it in the past. If you haven't tried it, it would definitely be worth it. I am currently taking Lexapro and it works great too. I use it in combination with Seroquel XR, Klonopin, Vistaril and Clonodine...you definitely don't need all those.
I'm sure Jonnstar means well, but when you're dealing with these types of meds, anti-anxiety or anti-depressants...it's really better to try them 1 at a time as opposed to stacking multiple one together....it's much easier to tell what's working this way. If you get good results out of the first med you try but feel that it needs tweaked a bit, then dosages can be adjusted or other meds can be added to increase effects. This isn't a quick fix scenario....these meds take a bit to kick in and then you need to level out and see how it's going, so you have to be patient, which is hard I know.
Hope some or any of this helps. Please let us know what you and your doc decide on.
Kat, when an antidepressant has given some releif, but not total releif, it is common practive to stack another med on it, in the hope of boosting the releif, hence my suggestion to keep taking the Cymbalta, and add Buspar to it. One drug targets mainly depression, the other tagrets mainly anxiety, though there is some cross over. As Iso is a chronic patient who has tried many drugs individualy over the years, without total releif, it seems that the time might have come to try some pollypharmacy. An antidepressant plas an antianxiety med (Tranxene, Buspar, Risperidone) is a very common prescription, and most docs would be comfortable using it.
At the end of the day, the decision is the doctors, not isos. I think sometimes we spend too much time trying to work out our own treatment plans, and not rely enough on our doctors many years of experience in treating hundereds of patients just like us.
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The desire to take medicines is what seperates man from the lower animals - William Ostler
Multiple anecdotes do not equal evidence - Me
The Following User Says Thank You to jonnstar For This Useful Post: mgm55 (02-26-2011)
I hear you on that one....the more we know, etc. And I do totally understand what you are saying...I have been a pain patient since I was 17, a BiPolar and anxiety patient since i was 22....I'm now 42. I've had many runs and trials with all of these meds. My point was just that when your trying to figure out what works as your base, it's sometimes more prudent to take it one med at a time.....less guessing that way. )
He's a Psychiatrist ..... He's a bit flat, like talking to an ATM, very methodical and uninspiring.
I also had a talk therapist who was great for venting but she closed her practice after 30 years of listening to people whine and complain (surprised she lasted so long).
Can you explain to me how you feel? I think I understand but I'm getting mixed messages - and I can understand how that feels too, when you just don't feel right.
Have you tried propanalol? It's being used by psychiatrists to treat PTSD and any sort of major social anxieties in conjunction with exposure therapy. I suffered PTSD for about 2 years, and still do in some ways. I found propanalol very helpful for when my anxiety stopped me from doing things - I'd find that PTSD hamstrung me and the propanalol helped me face things I was avoiding, and gradually made it easier. I also took Zyprexa when I went through a particularly hard wind up state. Xanax was a bit of a crutch for a while and I'm glad that they stopped rxing it with opioids here because I realised that it was propanalol that was doing all the work.
Cymbalta was great and before that I found lexapro good too. Now that I can't take any of them I'm finding it hard without the 'boost' but there are natural things that are worth pursuing too. I take 6 + fish oils a day (they say 9 is best) and have found that a good mood booster, if you haven't tried it before. Jon mentioned ginseng and that's a good one, although I'd say go siberian ginseng (which is actually not a ginseng but named as one) and perhaps rhidolia or withania because they are balancing but stimulating. That said, you do have to be careful with the meds you're on but they should be ok with Cymbalta.
I had my crazy list with me (Buspar, Lyrica, Wellbutrin, Nucynta, Gabatril etc...), that should have tipped him off to the fact that I'm nuts...... Instead he (psychiatrist) just thinks I'm a real 'thinker', very articulate, and 'a creative type'. So I tell him, "this is all an act, when I come here to you I'm putting on my best show, and I can't help it, it's a mask of normalcy" Which is true. Even at the shrink I'm worried about approval and don't want to appear too whacked out to him. But, he should be sharper than that and should be able to call me on it, right?
Before my talk therapist shut her doors I did tend to let it all go with her. And, she was sharp enough to see a snow job. I ranted and raved and let her see the real dysfunction...... Since she wasn't a prescriber she tried to off me on a colleague..... I sort of freaked her out a bit, and we actually talked about that and that's when she told me she was closing her practice because she couldn't handle dealing with her patients anymore.
When I read descriptions of 'social phobia' or 'social anxiety' it fits me perfectly. I also feel like I'm in a state of PTSD because I try to avoid any situation that could be anxiety producing or threatening.
Years ago I had very productive phases where I was moving a mile a minute, probably Hypomania, and I liked that feeling of invincibility and endless creativity. I seldom feel that anymore, now the anxiety is the dominant feature.
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Last edited by Isotope; 02-22-2011 at 04:49 PM.
Reason: typo
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