Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2001, at 10:41:21
In reply to Re: RE: lab rat, posted by loosmrbls on May 17, 2001, at 10:15:59
Yes, I can relate to "diagnostic blurring" as well. Of your post below you did mention *some* response to Depakote. ...Maybe you ought to try another anti-convulsant. If you get severe depressions-perhaps Lamictal would be a good shot.
Hope this helps,
Mitch> Your history sounds very complicated, and (like myself) your symptoms sound like they blur into many different diagnoses.
>
> My depressive states are severe and of the DSM-IV "atypical" type. And when not severely depressed, I seem dysthymic except with irritibility. YET, several antidepressants including SSRI's, Wellbutrin, Effexor, "atypical" ones like Serzone -- have all not been effective.
>
> So what do you do when what seems like chronic depression does not respond to multiple drug therapies? Well, I did have a few hypomanic episodes while on some AD's, so they said "bipolar II!!" Let's try lithium -- another failure. OK, let's try Depakote -- some response, but still LOTS of room for improvement. Let's try lithium and depakote together!!! Bad choice, I destabilize again -- so here lithium, a MOOD STABILIZER, seems to do the same as SSRI's with me -- make me worse.
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> You get my drift? I've had three different labels and tried on drugs from multiple classes with (at best) partial responses.
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> I also get a lot of hostile, violent thinking and daydreaming (but no impulse to act on them) sometimes when I get very irritible -- so what is that? hypomania? severe depression? atypical psychosis??
>
> Get my drift here? In a way, we are lab rats because there is no real diagnosis, and most "common" treatments have failed, so the docs have to back up, re-do the diagnosis, and try some new combo of pills. But we have no choice but to be patient, keep trying, and hope for the best. There really is no other valid option.
poster:Mitch
thread:63331
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010515/msgs/63608.html