Posted by SLS on June 9, 2015, at 10:48:53
In reply to CBT vs Seroquel or Abilify or Latuda, posted by legm82 on June 8, 2015, at 16:09:48
> Hello,
>
> I have bipolar depression and insomnia, I've tried almost all the AAPs except Saphris and Latuda, they don't sell them in my country, so If I would like to try them I would have to buy them overseas.
>
> I have tried the mood stabilizers Trileptal and Tegretol and had asthma problems, also tried Lamictal gives me pruritus and worsen the insomnia, also Valproate that makes me feel more depressed.
>
> Not tried Lithium, my pdoc consider it to be too toxic.
>
> My question is this:
>
> My pdoc says that in the pharmacology area, we are run out of options, so he is telling me to consider intensive CBT to combat my depression.
>
> Would you say that it is worth to make an effort economically and also commiting myself to the therapy, to get some results that might be very poor ?
>
> Do you think that CBT could be worth the effort ?
>
> Thanks in advance for your responses.I like the idea of using psychotherapy, especially when used as an adjunct to medication. I have a hard time believing that you have run out of pharmacological alternatives. Of course, I don't know everything that you have tried so far.
How have you reacted to the following drugs AND at what dosages?
1. bupropion (Wellbutrin)
2. venlafaxine (Effexor)
3. nortriptyline (Pamelor)
4. mirtazapine (Remeron)
5. paroxetine (Paxil)
6. topiramate (Topamax)
7. amphetamine
8. methylphenidateSeroquel is a better choice than Abilify for insomnia. I'm sorry lamotrigine (Lamictal) produced intolerable pruritis. I wonder if the antihistaminic properties of Seroquel would resolve that. I really don't know. Psychiatric researchers swear that Seroquel has antidepressant properties when treating bipolar depression. I'm not so sure. I have read that combining Lamictal and Abilify has a robust antidepressant effect in bipolar disorder.
I find lithium at the low dosage of 300 mg/day helps me in the treatment of chronic bipolar depression. Lithium toxicity is dosage-dependent. Such a low dosage is rarely toxic.
Is rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) available in your country? I am thinking of doing that myself. My medication with and without psychotherapy only helps me partially. You can stay on your medication during rTMS. Someone here on Psycho-Babble received more benefit from right side stimulation at 1Hz than the more common left side stimulation at 10 Hz.
- ScottSome see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1079546
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20150520/msgs/1079578.html