Posted by ace on July 10, 2003, at 23:37:46
In reply to ACE: Derealization and Nardil..., posted by jaby on July 10, 2003, at 15:26:20
> Ace,
> In the past, what kind of medications improved your derealization (DR) and which ones made it worse? I have taken over 25 meds with limited success. I'm likely BP II, but the DR is a real problem. I had a few weeks of total clarity on Lamictal only to have it disappear.
>
> Also, what percentage of your DR do you think has been wiped out by Nardil? Is there any specific mechanism that you view as providing this relief?
>
> Many Thanks!Thankyou for the great qstn Jaby!,
OK, My derealization has a HUGE counterpart- phobic anxiety- ie. feeling scared/phobic of the derealization aura. This derealization aura is worse at sunset, in unfamiliar places, when I'm trapped in a vehicle etc. But remember there is the derealization and the fright (phobic anxiety) that accompanies it.
Not only has Nardil killed the phobic anxiety by 85-95% but has killed the phobic anxiety by the same amount. An example- pre-Nardil it took me probably 25mins to walk a 5 minute walk to uni. Everytime I felt the derealization I would stop and sit down and wait. Then I'd walk another 20 metres then stop again. The further from home the more I'd stop. This was almost a daily occurence. NOW, this hardly EVER happens. I'm not scared and there is hardly ANY derealization. Going out at night to the city- which I could NEVER had done without much pain and endurance, is mostly a peace of cake now.
Medications which made it worse...
1. Mellaril (thioridazine- an old antipsychotic)
2. Periactin- (an serotonin antagonist anihistamine)
3. Lithium (serotonin bossting)Made it better...
1. All benzos help greatly with the phobic anxiety, maybe with derealization too.Zoloft did nothing for derealization.
Tried heaps more but only for short times
Now the mechanism. I am in the process of working out this now. I am going to thoroughly study the drugs I've taken. It seems to me GABA and serotonin are big determinants. My 5-ht levels if too high trigger, if too low trigger it.
Anafranil made it worse (5HT).
Remind about yourself, cause I will have a solid theory in a few weeks, so please keep in touch.
Good luck to you, you are a strong person going on in spite of so many failures and I DO RECCOMMEND u trying Nardil,
Take Care, fellow sufferer,
Ace.
poster:ace
thread:240634
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030708/msgs/240787.html