Posted by dove on April 29, 2002, at 13:02:12
In reply to Stupid from drugs or from depression?, posted by Ponder on April 26, 2002, at 11:43:53
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> Does anyone else wonder about drug side-effects vs. depression as the cause of cognitive difficulties? I mean, not just during the depression, but a kind of ongoing alteration in brain function from the illness?
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>YES!!! I wonder about the med's cognitive effects all the time. I used to write in great quantity, though the quality would suffer due to what qualities of depression and aggravation I was having at the time. The quantity has definitely suffered, as has the everyday quota of time spent writing.
When I first started on meds, each one seemed to have its very own unique temperament, which played out in many comedic and not-so-comedic ways. Initially, Amitriptyline rendered me apathetic and dulled to the blinds. Verapamil (Calcium Channel Blocker) gave me energy, determination, and wonderful clarity of mind (as well as the most significant upward change in my depression thus far). I was able to resume many activities I loved including writing, playing piano, exercising, and extensive research in various areas of interest. Verapamil did not like my heart all that well, and I was eventually taken off and Amitriptyline was substituted.
Prozac enabled me to do many things such as housework, dishes, laundry, but absolutely nothing creative; I was completely muted and so very apathetic towards everything and anything I normally found enjoyable. Adderall enhanced concentration, I could actually finish something I started, which had never happened before, but it also deadened my creative energies and my ability to find inspiration and 'joie de vivre'.
Neurontin initially gave me some mood stability w/o the utterly dulling effects of other mood-stabilizers such as Tegretol, I was able to function and be somewhat imaginative while remaining less volatile and suicidal.
WB caused me great agitation, frustration, anger, complete lack of creativity; however, I was only on Wellbutrin for a couple of months. I found its effects quite unpleasant and detrimental to my health, increasing my depression and my hopelessness in a very aggressive and angry manner.
Klonopin, dulls but stabilizes (I think?), haven't found it to cause a deepening of my depression, and it has given me the ability to leave the house and ride in cars (when I'm not the driver) with crazy insane drivers and *not* throw myself out the door.
Serzone is still a complete unknown for me. It does sedate--which helps with my sleeping difficulties, it does create a certain amount of complacency and a feeling of contentment in the smaller things of life. However, because I've never taken this med alone, I only know (sort of know) what it feels like in combination with five (5) other psychoactive meds.
Current combo: Amitriptyline (Elavil), Adderall, fluoxetine (Prozac), Nefazodone (Serzone), clonazepam (Klonopin), and gabapentin (Neurontin).
This combo is definitely cognitively dulling! I can and do cut my Ami to receive significant cognitive improvements, will do the same with Serzone by cutting 100MGs in my 400MGS daily regiment. Klonopin can be cut down to 0.5MG with some temporary improvements, otherwise, anxiety creeps up along with mood lability. Neurontin has been my main med that I play with, given permission by my p-doc even. I have experimented with daily amounts ranging from 2,400MGS to 900MGS, trying to find a happy median. So far, still working on it.
I am also very interested in whether or not many of these loss-of-short-term memory, word-finding difficulties, and other negative cognitive side-effects can be countered and/or whether they are temporary or permanent. As the answers would severely affect my entire med approach and are quite critical in the long run!
Hope others have some thoughts to add!
dove
poster:dove
thread:13717
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104414.html