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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by maxime on March 18, 2005, at 20:14:06
If I am not an AD and I am so low, then why bother with the Trileptal? Why bother with anything? I will stay on the clonazapam. And yes, I will tell my doctor that I am doing this.
I have ingested too many chemicals in the last 10 years. Enough is enough. I say I don't want ECT but are these meds any better?
I am thinking of giving up on psychiatry altogether. I think it's killing me.
Maxime
Posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2005, at 20:20:35
In reply to I'm tossing the trileptal, posted by maxime on March 18, 2005, at 20:14:06
I know that when I lived in Connecticut, that they had outpt ECT. This was l7yrs ago. People went in had a tx and went about their daily lives. Down here, in NC, I don't know if they do it unless you're inpt. The northeast is so advanced. It's funny you say that about meds Maxime, as I am giving up the remeron and hope to only take the total of l5mg of valium sometime in the future. This comes about partly just from reading this Board. It seems that the meds cause more problems than they cure. Don't you think? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by maxime on March 18, 2005, at 22:20:16
In reply to Re: I'm tossing the trileptal » maxime, posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2005, at 20:20:35
They do outpatient ECT here in Montreal. I wouldn't be able to do it because I have no one to care for me. But it's a moot point since I will not have it.
I think I have just started to realise that the chemicals I am putting inside my body are just as bad as ECT. They do things to the brain and we don't even know what!!!
If the meds helped me then I might feel differently, but they don't so why do I keep popping pills?
I don't know what the answer is. In fact, I only have more questions.
Maxime
> I know that when I lived in Connecticut, that they had outpt ECT. This was l7yrs ago. People went in had a tx and went about their daily lives. Down here, in NC, I don't know if they do it unless you're inpt. The northeast is so advanced. It's funny you say that about meds Maxime, as I am giving up the remeron and hope to only take the total of l5mg of valium sometime in the future. This comes about partly just from reading this Board. It seems that the meds cause more problems than they cure. Don't you think? Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2005, at 22:34:50
In reply to Re: I'm tossing the trileptal, posted by maxime on March 18, 2005, at 22:20:16
This prompted me to post a Thread below. This addresses the med issue. It seems like the "in" thing is to take meds. Or am I just fed-up! Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Sarah T. on March 19, 2005, at 4:05:03
In reply to I'm tossing the trileptal, posted by maxime on March 18, 2005, at 20:14:06
Maxime, I'm sorry that you're going through such a rough time now. I am in full agreement with you that these meds cause more problems than they're worth. I really do believe that, for many of us, the drugs make us worse than we were at baseline. I really wish I'd never taken anything. That doesn't mean I don't need an antidepressant, and it doesn't mean that the right medicine won't be available some day. It just means that the currently available meds are not right for me, and they're not right for many of us. If you do decide to get off of the meds you're on, please do it S-L-O-W-L-Y!!! If you get off the meds too quickly, you're likely to go into a rebound depression. Slow and steady is the way to go.
Posted by SLS on March 19, 2005, at 8:23:01
In reply to I'm tossing the trileptal, posted by maxime on March 18, 2005, at 20:14:06
> If I am not an AD and I am so low, then why bother with the Trileptal? Why bother with anything? I will stay on the clonazapam. And yes, I will tell my doctor that I am doing this.
Did you fill the prescription?
- Scott
Posted by Maxime on March 19, 2005, at 12:20:44
In reply to Re: I'm tossing the trileptal, posted by SLS on March 19, 2005, at 8:23:01
> > If I am not an AD and I am so low, then why bother with the Trileptal? Why bother with anything? I will stay on the clonazapam. And yes, I will tell my doctor that I am doing this.
>
>
> Did you fill the prescription?
>
>
> - Scott
Well, I am halfway through a month's supply so I don't need to refill it. I just have it. I am on a very low dose so it won't take me long to taper off. I only tahe 450 mg and most people take 3 times that as a mood stabiliser.Why do you ask?
Maxime
Posted by Maxime on March 19, 2005, at 12:26:32
In reply to Re: I'm tossing the trileptal » maxime, posted by Sarah T. on March 19, 2005, at 4:05:03
Thanks Sarah. After going on and coming off of over 40 meds I am a whiz at tapering. I knew which meds I can come off slowly and which meds I can stop cold turkey.
I wish I had never started taking meds. I have been depressed since my teens and I am not 36. I started taking meds when I was 25 or so.
I have an eating disorder which I should have been paying more attention to. If I had used all the money I have spent in the last 10 years or so on treatment then I would be better off.
I know I will not be alive in 2006. I will eventually succeed in taking my own life. It won't happen for many months but it will be before next year. This much I know is true. Then FINALLY I can be at peace.
Maxime
> Maxime, I'm sorry that you're going through such a rough time now. I am in full agreement with you that these meds cause more problems than they're worth. I really do believe that, for many of us, the drugs make us worse than we were at baseline. I really wish I'd never taken anything. That doesn't mean I don't need an antidepressant, and it doesn't mean that the right medicine won't be available some day. It just means that the currently available meds are not right for me, and they're not right for many of us. If you do decide to get off of the meds you're on, please do it S-L-O-W-L-Y!!! If you get off the meds too quickly, you're likely to go into a rebound depression. Slow and steady is the way to go.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on March 19, 2005, at 14:54:41
In reply to Re: I'm tossing the trileptal » SLS, posted by Maxime on March 19, 2005, at 12:20:44
> Well, I am halfway through a month's supply so I don't need to refill it. I just have it. I am on a very low dose so it won't take me long to taper off. I only tahe 450 mg and most people take 3 times that as a mood stabiliser.
Maxime, I really feel for you. Hang in there. There's an answer for you somewhere and I know from experience how hard it is to be patient while you search. As for Trileptal, I only take 150mg as a mood stabilizer. The highest dose I ever took (about 3-4 years ago) was 450mg. In both cases, I split the dose for morning and evening. I found that even when I'm not on an antidepressant, the mood stabilizer keeps me from feeling suicidal. (Trileptal doesn't help much to alleviate depression completely, but for me it does at least that much -- keep me from seriously considering suicide. Depakote worked well for a couple years, but made me gain weight. Lamictal -- which was giving me some AD effect -- gave me a rash. Have you tried it? Some find it a brighter mood stabilzer. A few even use it as monotherapy.)
As for ECT, I responded to one of your earlier posts. Here's a link.
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050317/msgs/472856.html
Posted by Minnie-Haha on March 21, 2005, at 17:20:20
In reply to Re: I'm tossing the trileptal, posted by Minnie-Haha on March 19, 2005, at 14:54:41
> As for Trileptal, I only take 150mg as a mood stabilizer. The highest dose I ever took (about 3-4 years ago) was 450mg. In both cases, I split the dose for morning and evening. I found that even when I'm not on an antidepressant, the mood stabilizer keeps me from feeling suicidal. (Trileptal doesn't help much to alleviate depression completely, but for me it does at least that much -- keep me from seriously considering suicide...)
>
> ...Ooops. I take 300mg/day now. 150mg am and 150mg pm. Sorry for the mistake.
Posted by cache-monkey on March 22, 2005, at 3:18:55
In reply to Re: I'm tossing the trileptal » Sarah T., posted by Maxime on March 19, 2005, at 12:26:32
Dear Maxime,
It seems that you're convinced that psych meds do not hold any more promise for you. (Although Scott's amphetamine challenge might be an interesting thing to check out.)
You mention here your eating disorder. I've read in other threads that you're not getting over 500 calories/day. I've been through an eating disorder phase in my past. Much, _much_ more benign than what it seems that you and others suffer through. But there have been a few periods in which I was severely limiting my food intake. At those times, I noticed a definite effect on my mood. I became more depressed/anxious, and consequently started eating less. Kind of a viscious cycle.
For me it managed, very fortuitously, to resolve endogenously. I know others aren't so lucky. In any case, I wonder if it really might be worthwhile for you to try to aggressively deal with your eating disorder for the remainder of the year.
I'd imagine that this will be hard, and I'm not even sure how you would begin. But, we're all here to support you. And starting down the path toward healing might end up resolving some of your mental anquish.
Just something to consider.
Best,
cache-monkey> Thanks Sarah. After going on and coming off of over 40 meds I am a whiz at tapering. I knew which meds I can come off slowly and which meds I can stop cold turkey.
>
> I wish I had never started taking meds. I have been depressed since my teens and I am not 36. I started taking meds when I was 25 or so.
>
> I have an eating disorder which I should have been paying more attention to. If I had used all the money I have spent in the last 10 years or so on treatment then I would be better off.
>
> I know I will not be alive in 2006. I will eventually succeed in taking my own life. It won't happen for many months but it will be before next year. This much I know is true. Then FINALLY I can be at peace.
>
> Maxime
>
>
> > Maxime, I'm sorry that you're going through such a rough time now. I am in full agreement with you that these meds cause more problems than they're worth. I really do believe that, for many of us, the drugs make us worse than we were at baseline. I really wish I'd never taken anything. That doesn't mean I don't need an antidepressant, and it doesn't mean that the right medicine won't be available some day. It just means that the currently available meds are not right for me, and they're not right for many of us. If you do decide to get off of the meds you're on, please do it S-L-O-W-L-Y!!! If you get off the meds too quickly, you're likely to go into a rebound depression. Slow and steady is the way to go.
>
>
This is the end of the thread.
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