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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by uncouth on May 17, 2009, at 15:06:16
Hi,
I'm down to once a week on my course of ECT, and after 22 shocks, I can't say it's been effective. I'm have pretty significant memory loss, and last week, seemingly overnight, I felt like a switch was flipped in my brain, as I got hit with an extreme fatigue which hasn't let up since thursday. Not so much sleepiness, but a complete slowdown of mental and physical activity, and I'm wondering what it could be.
I'm also in the process of tapering up my dose on a TCA, clomipramine. I didn't have this fatigue side effect on nortriptyline, but i'm wondering if anyone has any experience with clomipramine or if it's known to cause extreme fatigue, and if it will let up.
It's been resistant to adderall, and caffeine. If anyone has any constructive thoughts who has experinece with TCAs, i'd appreciate it.
Posted by sowhysosad on May 17, 2009, at 17:47:44
In reply to Severe fatigue on TCA + ECT, posted by uncouth on May 17, 2009, at 15:06:16
I had pretty bad fatigue on imipramine, which is a pretty similar med.
Posted by Meltingpot on May 21, 2009, at 10:54:04
In reply to Severe fatigue on TCA + ECT, posted by uncouth on May 17, 2009, at 15:06:16
Hi,
Yes me, I've been taking Clomipramine for about 3 months now. When I got up to 150mg I experienced really bad fatigue, I've lowered it to 100mg but the physical fatigue is very bad. If I try and physically exert myself (like digging in the garden) I have to keep stopping and resting. I feel like an old woman :-)
I have to say when I took 10mg of Zyprexa with the Clomipramine, just now and again, I'm not so physically tired, have quite a lot of energy but Zyprexa always seems to give me energy for some reason which I'm extremely grateful for.
If you haven't tried Zyprexa you should try it, even if it is just one big dose now and again.
I'm really sorry to hear that ECT has not done anything for you, I was hoping that it would. What type of ECT did you have? How big a dose of ECT did they give you each time, do you know?
Denise
Posted by sowhysosad on May 22, 2009, at 6:27:50
In reply to Re: Severe fatigue on TCA + ECT, posted by Meltingpot on May 21, 2009, at 10:54:04
Apologies for hijacking the thread, but was it a pdoc who prescribed you Zyprexa in the UK Denise? I understand not many docs will give you atypical AP's here.
Or perhaps you have BP disorder?
> If you haven't tried Zyprexa you should try it, even if it is just one big dose now and again.
>
> I'm really sorry to hear that ECT has not done anything for you, I was hoping that it would. What type of ECT did you have? How big a dose of ECT did they give you each time, do you know?
>
>
> Denise
Posted by Meltingpot on May 22, 2009, at 13:18:53
In reply to Re: Severe fatigue on TCA + ECT » Meltingpot, posted by sowhysosad on May 22, 2009, at 6:27:50
Hi,
That's ok, yes it was a UK psychiatrist who prescribed the Zyprexa for me. This was a private psychiatrist though (one of the best I've ever seen as far as having passion and giving me encouragement goes). This was back in 2001 when I had a good job and private health insurance so didn't have to rely on NHS psychiatrists (not that they are all bad).
He prescribed the 10mg Zyprexa for when things got really bad and it always helped (thank God).
Denise
Posted by sowhysosad on May 23, 2009, at 8:24:20
In reply to Re: Severe fatigue on TCA + ECT, posted by Meltingpot on May 22, 2009, at 13:18:53
Cool. Do you have any experience of NHS psychiatrists?
My (junior) pdoc is a weird one. He often seems very inexperienced and lacking in knowledge about the brain, but at least he's compassionate and dedicated I suppose.
But the thing that really surprised me is that the junior and the supervising psychiatrist seem very med-adverse. Initially they wouldn't switch my meds despite increasing depression and now, as I mentioned elsewhere, they declined to start me on a new med after quitting the previous one.
What a huge contrast with the US, where some pdocs have people on 4-5 meds for depressive disorders.
Perhaps a prudent approach in some ways, especially since my brain's a bit fried after many months on a series of failed meds. It appears they acknowledge that switching meds frequently or starting a new one can often make anxiety and depression worse.
I'm also glad they don't just shove me onto the latest trendy med after the drug company rep bought them a nice dinner, which seems to be the case abroad and even with some UK GP's.
> Hi,
>
> That's ok, yes it was a UK psychiatrist who prescribed the Zyprexa for me. This was a private psychiatrist though (one of the best I've ever seen as far as having passion and giving me encouragement goes). This was back in 2001 when I had a good job and private health insurance so didn't have to rely on NHS psychiatrists (not that they are all bad).
>
> He prescribed the 10mg Zyprexa for when things got really bad and it always helped (thank God).
>
> Denise
Posted by Meltingpot on May 31, 2009, at 14:09:52
In reply to Re: Severe fatigue on TCA + ECT » Meltingpot, posted by sowhysosad on May 23, 2009, at 8:24:20
Hi,
Yes I'm having the very same problem with the NHS psychiatrists. My current NHS psychiatrist would not prescribe a new med after I told him that my depression was getting worst after being on lexapro for over two years. He told me that I should try therapy or "mindfulness" instead!
Then when he found out that I had already had a lot of therapy and had tried mindfulness he sent me for a second opionin with another psychiatrist who is also a therapist. The second opinion one, whilst seeming very nice and caring, steered the conversation towards "acceptance" and then started to tell me how I would be better off just accepting the way things were instead of searching for a new med/treatment to help me. I've put in a complaint about this because this "Mindfullness" seems to be a buz word right now with the NHS psychiatrists and therapists.
Denise
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