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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ideopath on September 18, 2015, at 9:34:06
As I mentioned on the medication board, I am posting my meds on the alternative board since they include supplements.
I have had horrific anxiety and depression my whole life. Truly unbearable. I am 60 years old. I started with SSRIs maybe 20 years ago which made things definitely better, but not great.
I am still on an SSRI but with other meds. I have been on the same cocktail now for a number of years with no change in meds or dosage and am doing really good. I can safely say that I could not enjoy life before this time period, but have done so since.
Of course what works for me might not work for others. But here they are:
Lexapro (escitalopram): 20 mg 1x per day
Xanax (alprazolam): 0.5 mg 5x per day (every 3 hours) immediate release
Buspar (buspirone): 30 mg 2x per day (I actually take 2 15 mg pills at a time, twice a day instead of a 30 mg pill due to a pricing glitch)
Remeron (mirtazapine): 30 mg 1x before bed
Provigil (modafinil): 200 mg 2x (morning and at 3 pm)
Geodon (ziprasadone): 40 mg 1x before bed
That's it for Rx drugs. Here are the supplements:
Gotu Kola: Nature's Way 475 mg. I take 2 pills at a time, 3x per day- 9am, 3pm, 9pm
Aloe Vera: Solaray Super Aloe Vera- 2 pills at a time 4x per day- 9am, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm
Acetyl L-Carnatine: Doctor's Best 500 mg- I take 2 pills at a time 3x per day at 9am, 12pm, 3pm
Free and Easy Wanderer Plus- Plum Flower brand- 10 pills at a time 3x per day at 9am, 3pm, 9pm
In terms of brands, I have found differences in efficacy except for Gotu Kola. I have not tried other brands of that.
For acetyl l-carnatine I would recommend either Doctor's Best or Jarrows. They are the only 2 brands that I am aware of that have Biostint sigma tau carnatine. That is the one used in a clinical trial.
For Free and Easy Wanderer Plus by Plum Flower- make sure it has the word "Plus". There is another version without the "plus". The "plus" adds 1 or 2 additional herbs. The "plus" version is the one that worked in a clinical trial to augment Zoloft.
For Aloe Vera, I tried a few brands. I felt that Solaray seemed to work the best. I was surprised to read the Amazon ratings to see that very few people use Aloe Vera for mental health. IT is used for other purposes. But I read about it for mental health and it definitely helps me.
All of the above really help. I don't feel that I am taking any Rx drugs or supplements that I don't need. I get all supplements from Amazon.
In terms of side effects, I get sexual side effects which I am sure are mainly from Lexapro. So I have tried to stay off of SSRIs but was not successful in that attempt. Wellbutrin did not help me enough. I have not tried Remeron by itself, but my guess is that it would not help without an SSRI along with it. And Effexor also caused sexual side effects.
Also, I mentioned that I have been on the same drugs for a number of years. But 2 years ago I briefly tried a newer SSRI that was not supposed to cause sexual side effects. It did just as bad as Lexapro. So after a few months I went back to Lexapro.
I tried daily Cialis and Viagra but neither one worked to alleviate the side effects. So I tried a vacuum erection pump and that works very well.
So now that I found drugs that work and a solution to the one side effect I had, I have been very happy. If anyone has any questions or comments I would be happy to discuss stuff.
Also, my doc wanted to know if I wanted to take Xanax extended release so I would not need to take 0.5 mg 5 times per day. But I tried ER in the past and it didn't work as well. So it is mildly inconvenient to take it 5 x per day, but very well worth it since it works so well.
Thanks.
Posted by Tomatheus on September 18, 2015, at 19:13:53
In reply to Finally meds that work, posted by Ideopath on September 18, 2015, at 9:34:06
Ideopath,
Thank you for your detailed descriptions of the regimen of medications and supplements that you take for your anxiety and depression. It's always good to hear from others who can say that they've arrived at a treatment regimen that serves them well. What's especially encouraging about your regimen of medications and supplements is that the benefits that you're noticing don't seem to be short lived -- as you said, you've been following the same treatment plan for a number of years. I hope that the medications and supplements that you're taking will continue to serve you well, and I wish you the best all around.
Tomatheus
Posted by linkadge on September 19, 2015, at 10:31:55
In reply to Finally meds that work, posted by Ideopath on September 18, 2015, at 9:34:06
Yes to Gotu Kola. This is an amazing herb that is vastly under appreciated for mental disorders.
Posted by Ideopath on September 19, 2015, at 17:03:32
In reply to Re: Finally meds that work, posted by linkadge on September 19, 2015, at 10:31:55
Tomatheus and linkadge- Thanks for you support. I agree that it is very significant that the meds have worked for a number of years with no change in dosage. For this and other reasons I have a strong suspicion that each med and supplement helps and that there is a good chance that none simply have a placebo effect on me.
Posted by LaoTzu on October 16, 2015, at 13:25:23
In reply to Finally meds that work, posted by Ideopath on September 18, 2015, at 9:34:06
Congratulations on finding the right meds and supplements to help you!! I loved Provigil. I don't take it now, but when I did, it even helped my depression through giving me more energy during the day. However, by the end of the day I was back to my lethargic self. Still, a good med. I liked Buspar too when I took it years ago. However, it did nothing for my social anxiety, so I stopped taking it. I do better with Zoloft and Risperdal, and if I really need it, Ativan for difficult situations. Usually, I can go without Ativan. Anyway, I hope you have continued success with your meds.
Lao Tzu
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