Posted by fachad on March 18, 2002, at 8:25:26
In reply to FACHAD: Doses and What is being treated » fachad, posted by Janelle on March 17, 2002, at 22:40:45
Short Answer:
It's probably some of both, but it's mostly the meds.
Practical Suggestion:
Could you take more Klonapin and eliminate Zyprexa or vice versa? The fewer meds in the mix, the less likely there will be problems both short and long term.
Long Answer:
I am not an expert - and even the experts don't really KNOW for sure, but I think it's probably mostly the meds.
I get the same thing - like driving away from the house and forgetting if I put the garage door down because I have *no memory* whatsoever of reaching for the control or pushing the button.
I think psych meds cause these types of problems in several ways. First, they somehow subtly interfere with short-term memory and recall.
They also cause apathy and a real tendency to "let things slide" (SSRIs are especially bad here).
They also reduce or quench the natural internal "alarms" of anxiety or depression that a non-medicated person would feel when they are letting things slide (anxiety) and when things have gone south (depression).
Those feelings that the drugs are reducing (anxiety, panic, depression) are all signals from our nervous systems that something in our life is wrong. We are taking meds because these signals are "too loud" and are causing problems in and of themselves. But it's very easy to overshoot and totally quench the signals.
So lets see, reduced memory, apathy, natural alarms disabled...at that point, you are operating at reduced functionality. A hazy, detached, fog is how you described it.
At some point, and it's different for everyone, the cure becomes worse than the disease it was meant to treat. The decison you have to make is whether or not it's worth it.
That's not a dilemma that has an easy solution, but it's the conclusion I've come to from being on various meds for about a decade. The way I've dealt with it is to try to find meds that casue as few problems as possible, and try for as few meds as possible at the lowest possible doses.
And I always try to weigh the cost vs. the benefit of being on any particular med.
> I take:
>
> EffexorXR 150 mg/day for depression
>
> Lamictal - just started so I'm titrating low and slow (due to the rash problem when you start at too high a dose) and this is for Cycling/BiPolar2
>
> Zyprexa - either 2.5mg or 5 mg/night for anxiety, racing thoughts, obsessiveness
>
> Klonopin - 1 mg/day for anxiety
>
> Now that I've answered your questions, what are your comments regarding my thread here. Thanks!
poster:fachad
thread:98460
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020318/msgs/98572.html