![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 36. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
I saw a new Pdoc today who prescribed Lamictal. However, I do not think I am the least bit bipolar. I feel he prescribed me that med based largely on the fact that I have a sibling who is bipolar, and a close relative with schitzophrenia. I reviewed hundreds of comments from people who have taken Lamictal, and reports of hair falling out, severe acne, weight gain and extreme memory loss were common.
I have anxiety and lack of motivation. Had PTSD and severe depression about 6 years ago; Effexor and Wellbutrin worked great. Been off/on SSRIs and WEllbutrin ever since--mostly for anxiety. They are not working at all, as far as motivation-I know I should be better than this. The Wellbutrin is generic; I think that has something to do with it..still, I don't think I even have depression.
I swear I have ADD-but I don't want to bring this up to a PDOc, because I will then be accused of drug seeking and will not even be able to try it.
My son was diagnosed with ADD years ago, but he doesn't want to take meds because he doesn't want to eat at all when on them, and he thinks he will wither away to nothing. He has a high metabolism. I should have tried one of his pills when he had a script, but I didn't even think of it at the time.
I am so disgusted. This was my first visit with new doc, and he didn'tseem to ask or learn very much about me. I asked the PDoc about the side effects of Lamictal, and he said just to call him if I get a rash. So I go home and do my online research and it appears the drug's side effects are worse than the problem it is prescribed for. You would think he would have at least discussed this with me. He was very evasive of the questions I asked about drugs.
I can't take things that will give me memory loss while in graduate school; I also am very leery of medications that ruin your memory. To me it seems they are causing brain damage if they do that. I could care less if there is no scientific 'proof' that psychiatric drugs cause permanent damage-I don't believe it.
Anyway, I have had one bad experience after another with psychiatrists. What to do?
Sorry about the rambling and bad writing. I am just a little upset now.
Posted by Phillipa on January 8, 2009, at 0:11:26
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
I understand have had good and bad pdocs. So far nothing works now for my anxiety as benzo tolerant. I did take lamictal for a shorttime . My only side effect was excess salivation had to constantly spit in a cup. So at 50mg had to go off it. Was being tried to augment an SSRI. I didn't have any memory problems but was only on it two weeks. Did the doc give you a starter pack? First dose for a week should be 25mg then 50mg for two weeks then l00mg to avoid change of rash. Some start at 12.5mg for two weeks. Did your doc say what dose he wanted you up to and what was the starting dose? Love Phillipa
Posted by Sissy35 on January 8, 2009, at 0:48:08
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by Phillipa on January 8, 2009, at 0:11:26
Hello Guys,
Have either of you tried HYDROXYZINE for anxiety? I was precribed this for something different, but it really does work for tension and anxiety. This is the main purpose of the med. Also it is not a benzo or addicting.
I have taken it on and off for three yrs and never had one withdrawl symtom.take care
Sissy35
Posted by desolationrower on January 8, 2009, at 22:30:08
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - Garnet71 + » Phillipa, posted by Sissy35 on January 8, 2009, at 0:48:08
Sorry about your doc.
Every med has a whole host of side effects for some person, somewhere. But people get wierd issues even without taking meds. Lamotrigine has one of the most benign profiles of any psychiatric medicine.
-d/r
Posted by Jeroen on January 9, 2009, at 17:21:23
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
ruined my life be very carefull thanks
Posted by JadeKelly on January 9, 2009, at 20:11:11
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
Hi Garnet,
I can see that you're upset, its frustrating when Docs don't take enough time to answer what seems like crucial questions to us. So were left to research on our own. The problem with that is sometimes we manage to come across fairly rare side effects and we're left to decide on bad information.
I have a prescription for Lamictal that I'm going to start soon. I'm not bi-polar, Docs commonly prescribe Lamictal as an augment to an A/D. That's what I'm using it for. I'm also getting ready to switch PDocs. I think its important to work with someone you're comfortable with. Especially if you're not comfortable with your diagnosis. If you think you're ADD, you have nothing to hide! Get that checked. Why waste time on A/D's if it turns out you are ADD.
Good Luck!
~Jade
Posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 11:02:14
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
Thanks for all your input. I've decided to go to a neurologist and an endochronologist before I take any potentially brain damaging medication that would cause loss of memory and drooling. If I could not function from day to day, then yes, I would try it. I 'get by' in life. Not feeling good; not at my potential, but I COULD be worse off after taking this drug. It's a chance I choose not to take.
I am starting to not believe in psychiatry at all. Why is it that other 'brain' disorders are treated by other specialists? Why is it that those with Parkinsons or Alzheimer's or Epilepsy do NOT go to psychiatrists? Think about that one!
It's sickens me that so many people are prescribed these drugs without any tests at all to find the actual cause to their disorder. I've developed autonomous nervous system problems, mainly central sleep apnea (not the obstructive kind from snoring), from taking, I believe, SSRIs. Central sleep apnea, it's reported, is aalmost always caused by heart problems. There's loads of info. out there from others experiencing the same effects. Other autonomous problems would be permanent sexual disfunction (ED and anorgasmia) after taking SSRIs, etc.
There is a lot of information out there about the relation of the HPA axis and depression/mood/anxiety. I believe our endo. system and brain and hormones are all connected. Doctors have no clue what the problems are, but just prescribe these meds--and many of which no one even knows how these meds work--to alleviate symptoms. In doing so, many suffer worse symptoms than the disorder it was prescribed for.
I think the key is pituitary, adrenaline, ect-and its all connected to neurotransmitters. I think the field of psychiatry should be eliminated and combo neuroscientists and endochronologists should treat patients such as us...
Sorry for the vent. I'll have to start another post about this. Thanks again to all of you :)
Posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 12:30:10
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
I forgot to mention..I DO realize everyone reacts differently to these meds (and that's probably because no one is actually tested for actual neurotransmitter/hormonal/physical deficiencies first). I'm getting my infor. from over 1000 personal reviews of the drug found at: http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20241&name=LAMICTAL.
I trust this more than the drug company funded studies. I also do not trust the doctors. This PDoc, as I mentioned before, did not even tell me about side effects, potential warnings, danger, permanent damage, etc. Nothing. Wouldn't even tell me this was an anti-convulant drug (and I asked twice what class of drug it was). This isn't the first Pdoc either!!
Posted by Jeroen on January 10, 2009, at 12:53:22
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 11:02:14
hi, dont beleive these brain damage mongol producing pills
they destroyed my life after i voluntairy took them in observation
just get drunk a lot, have lot of sex, and say no and f*** y** to meds
Posted by JadeKelly on January 10, 2009, at 14:59:28
In reply to Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 7, 2009, at 23:55:37
Hi Garnet,
Please get back to us and pass your experience on. I'm actually thinking of switching to a Psychopharmocologist-sp?. I believe they know a lot more about the drugs themselves. Ideally they take time to "get to know you" with some lab work, reported symptomolgy, etc. Wouldn't a full comprehensive picture be nice? Lets compare notes at a later date and good luck. Please post any time during your journey, even just to talk about what you are doing.
Good Luck!
~Jade
Posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 18:28:40
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by JadeKelly on January 10, 2009, at 14:59:28
Thanks Jade.
Yes, I am really jaded about psychiatry. But if you think about it, what other field of medicine prescribes meds by 'trial and error'?
Imagine if docs said, uh, she has the symptoms of cancer, let's try radiation therapy and see if it works.
It sounds ridiculous. The brain is just too important of a body part to treat via trial and error....
I'll keep you posted. I just hope insurance pays for this.
Posted by Phillipa on January 10, 2009, at 19:48:54
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » JadeKelly, posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 18:28:40
Garnet good luck glad had the excessive salivation and had to abort trial. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on January 11, 2009, at 4:43:45
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » JadeKelly, posted by Garnet71 on January 10, 2009, at 18:28:40
> Thanks Jade.
>
> Yes, I am really jaded about psychiatry. But if you think about it, what other field of medicine prescribes meds by 'trial and error'?All.
There are no guarantees in life, but it isn't necessarily exactly by "trial and error". Its evidence based.
That is, the evidence that particular substances have been beneficial far more than harmful and have shown proven peer reviewed clinical use are employed.
> Imagine if docs said, uh, she has the symptoms of cancer, let's try radiation therapy and see if it works.
Well, actually cancer agents are considered excellent for some heartbreaking situations if they work 10% of the time. This is why ethically cancer drugs are usually tested against other cancer drugs and not controls. It would be a travesty to receive a sugar pill if your life could be prolonged even by a prior agent.
Cancer is unpredictable. The best detection of certain types of cancer are examinations done in annual physical or gynecological exams.Prostate cancer caught early can be operated on, radiation therapy, and other means. Caught late, well I can't go into it but lost a neighbor to it.
50% of men are likely to have some form of prostate problems when they reach a senior age. Most are BPH, or benign prostate hypertrophy. Colonoscopies are a valuable but imperfect tool in determining benignity.
Childhood leukemia of certain forms are fairly treatable today, although also there is no certainty.
> It sounds ridiculous. The brain is just too important of a body part to treat via trial and error....
We live in the middle ages in psychiatry. This is just a matter of fact, of what we have in 2009. Stem cell and other genetic research will allow us to probe further into many disorders into this century if we allow research. Sometimes, even if you fail to respond to new agents, time tested old agents may be of better use.
We do not live in the 1940s, before chlorpromazine (Thorazine), which though an ancient drug today and one not to be taken lightly, helped the lives of many seriously ill patients who were subjected to insulin shots, drills, lobotomies, and other things that would be inhumane today.
It is all better living through chemistry, in a sense, to use a very dated phrase.
You either choose to live with what you have, or take into account that there will be side effects of agents that may well benefit your functionality. Sometimes living with what ails you may be better than high risks that won't allow you to benefit as much as you can from life and your friends and family. This is one of the choices of patients facing cancer.
> I'll keep you posted. I just hope insurance pays for this.
Lamictal is now generic, lamotrogine.
But the same very slow titration is still the same, to protect you and your safety not from the small rash, but the rare BIG one (SJS). Hopefully your doctor is following the standard protocol, which takes several months to get to a typical dose of like 200mg.
You do have a right to know the benefits and risks of a voluntarily taken agent. If your doctor is not providing this, it is hasty or a disservice to you.At the same time, reading the entire PDR or PI of a medication would probably well put off people from any medication.
And two of the most useful and mass produced agents out there would probably not be allowed today -- aspirin, and especially acetaminophen (paracetamol). I won't go into LD50 issues but they are severe. Yet, they can stop some pretty nasty fevers cold.
Yes, there are some pretty serious agents out there like drugs used for heart patients, amiodarone which has a plasma life of like a year, and heparin. But they are also life savers too, potentially.Don't take this as any criticism of your skepticism. It is always good to have a healthy balance of skepticism when entering anything.
-- best wishesJay
Posted by Garnet71 on January 11, 2009, at 9:47:31
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by yxibow on January 11, 2009, at 4:43:45
Thanks Jay. BUT-your missing the whole point. In treating a cancer patient-there is evidence of cancer to treat.
In treating 'our' disorders-they do not collect evidence. AND-the mechanisms of how some of the drugs work are a mystery according to the researchers and drug companies themselves.
I think part of the reason there are few tests designed and/or used for us (such as brain scans, neurotransmitter tests) is that people like 'us' are still devalued by society.
Also-why are alzheimer's, parkinson's, epileptics etc., NOT treated by psychiatrists, but people like 'us' are resorted to the trial and error medicine?
I think its archaic, medically unprofessional, irresponsible, and unethical to prescribe so many people SSRIs w/o conducting any tests. I seriously think they cause permanent damage or dependence. So many people are given these drugs with no investigation.
I realize these drugs really help a lot of people, but my main concern is with SSRIs and their widespread use and lack of testing for the disorders they are prescribed for.
By the way, I also do not take over the counter medicines--ever-for coughs, colds, or flu. Only aspirin or advil for headaches if absolutely necessary.
Posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 19:26:36
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - Garnet71 + » Phillipa, posted by Sissy35 on January 8, 2009, at 0:48:08
Sissy isn't that vistaril? Added lots of times to demerol? For pain relief. Before and after surgery. So you do find it sedating? Love Phillipa
Posted by Sissy35 on January 11, 2009, at 20:47:50
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - Garnet71 + » Sissy35, posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 19:26:36
I was given it because I had hives for almost 2yrs. No one knows why. But it wasn't good for hives so I used it sometimes as a sleep aid and sometimes for anxiety. I still do.
Sissy35
Posted by Phillipa on January 11, 2009, at 20:58:10
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - Garnet71 + » Phillipa, posted by Sissy35 on January 11, 2009, at 20:47:50
Sissy great info you have a lot to offer the site. Please check a thread on health when you have time . Thanks. love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 1:46:03
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 11, 2009, at 9:47:31
> Thanks Jay. BUT-your missing the whole point. In treating a cancer patient-there is evidence of cancer to treat.
I can sense the anger and frustration, I'm not missing the point.
> In treating 'our' disorders-they do not collect evidence. AND-the mechanisms of how some of the drugs work are a mystery according to the researchers and drug companies themselves.
".... drug X does not affect transmitter Y, the mechanism is not exactly known...." yes, I know about the phraseology, but the same can and is said about medications for other disorders, pain medication for example.
And I do believe that if you can't treat anything else in a condition, while at the same time attempting to do no harm, treating pain is important.
> I think part of the reason there are few tests designed and/or used for us (such as brain scans, neurotransmitter tests) is that people like 'us' are still devalued by society.Well that's one way of looking at it, there is and has always been a stigma about mental illness not being on par as it should be recognized as a biological disorder.
But also, even the best MRI or even a SPECT will not tell you how to treat a complex psychiatric disorder. We don't have transmitter level scanning, and I don't think that will really trump things more than genetic testing, stem cell research, genomic tests for P450 metabolism in this century. It just isn't possible.
About the only thing a MRI can possibly show is the tissue damage caused by some severe forms of schizophrenia and related disorders, at this point.
> Also-why are alzheimer's, parkinson's, epileptics etc., NOT treated by psychiatrists, but people like 'us' are resorted to the trial and error medicine?
Well if you put it as an US thing, it doesn't really serve well -- there is just the facts of how psychiatry has evolved. I still say we have come a long way from the sanitoriums of yesteryear but we do have a long way to go. Only research and time will tell.
Alzheimer's is also a trial and error condition at the moment, you realize -- the few medications out there prolong wellbeing and memory functionality in those who respond to them, but it is ultimately a fatal condition, just as life is itself. But that doesn't mean that one shouldn't have a purpose and be happy, I'm not trying to be dour.
Parkinson's is also a potentially fatal and debilitating condition, especially early onset, as in Michael J Fox, but there are time tested medications that can prolong functionality and give people a better grasp on life. Some of those, anticholinergics, by the way, are used in psychiatry to counteract side effects.Parkinson's and epilepsy are neurological conditions. Neurology is also a young frontier. Only this past year was tetrabenazine approved as an orphan drug for Huntington's Chorea -- off label it is a trial treatment that has shown some use in other dyskinesias, including TD, in psychiatry.
I have been unfortunately affected by certain psychiatric medications, in a condition really never seen by science exactly, I am probably the only one in North America on the combination of medications and the condition I have. And I have been to a neurologist about the non-tardive orobuccal tic I have.
I can tell you that neurology is a heartbreaking field, a frontier. There are some relations between some psychiatric disorders and neurological conditions, but often and it has been sad for me, that diagnoses are often just that, a diagnosis.
Medications, yes, there are some available for the tic and the probable dystonic (multiple) iatrogenic disorders, but the benefits are not always better than the risks.If someone has a really bad tic disorder, botox can be used, with the caveat that sunken jaws and drooling can occur.
But contrasting that with psychiatry for example, it is known that those who suffer from Tourette's and other tic conditions can be worsened by the use of amphetamine and stimulant substances. By the same nature, reducing dopamine levels at particular transmitters has been successful in some types of tourette's (such as Orap [pimozide]). I don't know that Orap would be used now because of risks, probably atypical neuroleptics would be employed.
> I think its archaic, medically unprofessional, irresponsible, and unethical to prescribe so many people SSRIs w/o conducting any tests. I seriously think they cause permanent damage or dependence. So many people are given these drugs with no investigation.
Let us just say I had the opportunity to work for a leading scientist at the time when SSRIs were just coming to this country -- Luvox came out first in Europe (after a previous disastrous drug) but Prozac came out first here after it had already been in use in Europe.
There radioactive dyed PET scans clearly showed that both the use of SSRIs in OCD and/or behaviour therapy were both effective. It was groundbreaking work. So yes, investigation has been done.
And still continues to be done for other disorders. But these are research tools -- it is not yet the time when PET/SPECT can be an individual thing, both for its cost and because it will not diagnose something beyond evidence based trials involving multiple controls and those who are afflicted by a particular disorder.
> I realize these drugs really help a lot of people, but my main concern is with SSRIs and their widespread use and lack of testing for the disorders they are prescribed for.
Sometimes SSRIs are overprescribed, but there is a chicken and egg question about the lurid publications of suicides in teenagers.
Yes, its conceivable that they can accentuate it -- its also much more possible that the patient was already suicidal in the first place.
Luvox was made generic and the company fled most likely because of one incident -- Columbine.
But the perpetrators could have easily been prescribed something else as well, and from multiple examinations may have suffered something much more than depression.
> By the way, I also do not take over the counter medicines--ever-for coughs, colds, or flu. Only aspirin or advil for headaches if absolutely necessary.
Well a lot of OTC medications are a big business, they don't do anything to particularly cure a cold, you can't, but if you really have a nasty flu or cold and you want to address a particular symptom, I'd say generic acetaminophen, guaifenesin, and in sparing doses dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine, and chlorpheniramine maleate have their uses, provided they do not clash with anxiety, depression, or medications you are taking for those conditions.The trouble is the combination medications that you can't adjust your own dose, I don't believe in things like NyQuil and the like which are full of alcohol and other things that are unnecessary
I never took medicine for my OCD when I was hospitalized some years ago. I did take Prozac afterward and it was helpful in continuing my behavior therapy. I never used to take a lot of medications out of fear -- I have never normally taken aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome even though I am well past it.I do take Pepto-Bismol now though, although Imodium is more effective for some things.
But that's just my story. You're still welcome to be skeptical and critical as a number of people are, and I have never said that I am not either at times.
-- tidings-- Jay
Posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 13:02:59
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 1:46:03
Jay,
Some of what you said makes sense. I still stand by that it is unethical and medically unprofessional to widely prescribe SSRIs to such a large population w/o conducting tests (or at least explaining possible biological reasons for symptoms and their associated tests to individuals).
I've found so many articles concerning nutrient deficiencies and depression/anxiety symptoms-and from reputable sources (I know there's a lot of rip off information out there). People with mental illness symptoms are found to be deficient in zinc, vitamin B, magnesium, etc.
Would it not make sense to give a round of simple blood tests to people before prescribing SSRIs?
I also came across a recent article from a researcher who revealed his patients who were so called schitzophrenic--tested positive for Lyme disease. I wonder how many of us have Lyme. I uderstand the tests are not always accurate, but this has never been brought to my attention by any doctor.
i've read countless stories of people who suffered and went undiagnosed for years only to find out they had lead or mercury poison when tested.
Prediabetes and hypoglycemia cause anxiety as well. Glucose tests are not expensive.
Andrenal and pituatary problems--same thing, people going undiagnosed for years before problems are revealed.
This is unacceptable. I disagree with the person who said it is economically impossible to test people with symptoms of depression/anxiety. At the minimum, they should be given, or at least spoken to, about the following:
- Blood test for nutrient/mineral deficiencies
- Blood test for glucose issues
- Screening by neurologist and endochronoligist
- Lyme
- Thyroid
- 24-hr cortisol testI don't understand how the above tests are economically impossible. My insurance company paid $500 a month for SSRIs and psychiatry visits, which would go on indfinitely since these meds only treat symptoms since no one bothers to find the actual cause of the symptoms.
Perhaps the problem is with the medical field itself-treatment revolves around treating symptoms and not curing/finding the actual cause. This is a phenomena I've expeirenced over and over and over as a patient.
Over the past 10 years, I have seen about a dozen or more doctors for depression and anxiety. NOT ONE told me about the above possiblities (excluding thyroid) before reaching for their prescription pads! Several of them did bring up thyroid testing. Before prescribing dangerous medications and some that equate to chemical labotomies, doctors should at least inform the patients about biological conditions and tests available. I feel medically raped.
Now, I ask physicians if they keep up with current research (regarding my condition). I always get the deer-in-the-headlights look.
Oh-about OTCs, remember, some cold medicines (a particular ingredient) were proven to cause stroke. This is not worth the risk, in my opinion, no more than smoking is worth the risks.
The thing about cold/cough medicines, is they supress symptoms which are our bodies natural way of fighting illnesses. Same with some psychiatric care. Masking depression with SSRIs causes emotional numbness in such a way that we never address the psychological issues that may have led to depression. This keeps the problems in our system indefinitely, and can worsen the situation, imo.
Like I said, I feel medically raped, so I am a little biased. However, I don't understand how anyone could disagree with the biological screening I listed above.
Posted by desolationrower on January 12, 2009, at 13:58:50
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 13:02:59
Well, they are going to cost hundreds of dollars, and either not show anything (Lyme) or always show the same thing (you're vitamin D and magnesium deficient). ANd doctors will 'reach for their pad' because noone is going to start eating asparagus instead of potato chips no matter how many times they are told its going to kill them. Just because you want their to be an easier, more certain way to decide what to prescribe doesn't mean their is one.
-d/r
Posted by JadeKelly on January 12, 2009, at 14:26:14
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by desolationrower on January 12, 2009, at 13:58:50
> Well, they are going to cost hundreds of dollars, and either not show anything (Lyme) or always show the same thing (you're vitamin D and magnesium deficient). ANd doctors will 'reach for their pad' because noone is going to start eating asparagus instead of potato chips no matter how many times they are told its going to kill them. Just because you want their to be an easier, more certain way to decide what to prescribe doesn't mean their is one.
>
> -d/r
Potato Chips are going to kill me?~Jade
Posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 15:26:30
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please, posted by desolationrower on January 12, 2009, at 13:58:50
It's worth a try. I've been suffering for 10 years, much like any of us.
I started drinking green smoothies/whole foods a couple of weeks ago. Quit smoking cigarettes too.
For example, the smoothie I drank today had raw: 1 beet, 1/2 bag spinach, 2 pears, 1 banana, grapes, berries, frozen mixed papaya/mango/pineapple mix. I've felt better physically, lately but not mentally. Experiencing cognitive decline and I am young.
Just because people don't follow dr.s advice, though, doesn't mean they shouldn't be told about other options. Lucky for those who can afford it, I guess. My insurance should pay for some of it.
As far as eating healthy goes, pureeing all the veggies and fruit is so quick and easy; a great way to get 15 servings a day using only a blender and a knife, maybe a peeler...I wish I had thought of this before :)
Posted by Phillipa on January 12, 2009, at 19:24:40
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » desolationrower, posted by Garnet71 on January 12, 2009, at 15:26:30
Garnet just left my endos after seeing the endo himself yearly is all. But he did test me a while back for Vita D and my D is fine at 42 with low being below twenty so don't have to take the l000mg of D. He stressed taking 2000mg of calcium for bones and magnesium. Since have hasimotos more labs as changed dose he drew a bell curve and wants mine to be between l and l.5 as that is the normal of tested individuals of what normal is. Also have had MRI's brain, spine, Spinal fluid taps and multiple antibiotics for chronic lymes and being on medicare cost isn't that high. So there are some tests you can do. And lots of those conditions cause anxiety/ depression. Great about the healthy foods and no smoking. Love Phillipa
Posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 22:53:10
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Garnet71, posted by Phillipa on January 12, 2009, at 19:24:40
> Garnet just left my endos after seeing the endo himself yearly is all. But he did test me a while back for Vita D and my D is fine at 42 with low being below twenty so don't have to take the l000mg of D. He stressed taking 2000mg of calcium for bones and magnesium.
There's nothing wrong with 2 grams of calcium for older individuals, just as for younger and nursing mothers -- typically its about 1.5 grams but 2 grams probably doesn't make that much of a difference. They should be taken at intervals of 500mg approximately throughout the day for older individuals (well even younger people can get this) because of the slight risk of kidney stones.
Since have hasimotos more labs as changed dose he drew a bell curve and wants mine to be between l and l.5 as that is the normal of tested individuals of what normal is. Also have had MRI's brain, spine, Spinal fluid taps and multiple antibiotics for chronic lymes and being on medicare cost isn't that high.Spinal taps are a very risky thing and can lead to infection and spinal cord dysfunction if not done properly -- for you, it may be necessary but it is a risky procedure in the wrong hands.
So there are some tests you can do. And lots of those conditions cause anxiety/ depression. Great about the healthy foods and no smoking. Love Phillipa
Lots of things can cause it, but there is -- mmm... I won't exxagerate, but yes, some misinformation out there about heavy metals and Lyme disease, both of which are rare occurrences. That doesn't mean they don't happen, but skepticism isn't a bad thing.-- Jay
Posted by desolationrower on January 16, 2009, at 1:52:43
In reply to Re: Scared to try Lamictal - seeking opinions please » Phillipa, posted by yxibow on January 12, 2009, at 22:53:10
most people don'g need 2g of calcium; its just that most people are so deficient in vitamin D, K, magnesium, and some other stuff that they need the extra calcium to avoid major problems.
-d/r
Go forward in thread:
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.