I took my son's medication today.

[zeegler]

After my experience yesterday, I simply don't believe that these drugs are the best solution. Honestly, it was almost like dropping acid, and I weigh 3 times what Ethan does. It's silly to believe that because he has a chemical imbalance in his brain, that this makes him feel normal. I talked to him about it last night, and he says it makes him feel depressed, dizzy, and spaced out for the first hour after he takes it in the morning. He says when he doesn't take it, he feels normal.

I'm going to do some more research into alternate therapy.

[zeegler]

Oh..I'll see your +100000

..and raise you +100000 xannax!!!

Unfortunately I have 100000 hair triggers..and people love to pull 'em.

Funny you should mention the OCD Bill. My Dad is pretty bad, and I have a few little quirks myself. I'm not nearly as bad as he is, but I'm concerned that I'll get worse as I get older. I don't have any repetitive rituals, but I wash my hands frequently, and I'm a total neat freak.

[hippietim]

He says when he doesn't take it, he feels normal.

Zeegs - keep in mind that he has a different notion of how normal feels.

I'm not going to share my insight into this but between some family members and family friends I've seen the struggles all around.

You are right to challenge the doctors and ask a gazillion questions.

While I applaud your willingness to take the drug, it's effects on you are not germane to the discussion when it comes to your son's condition.

I'm going to do some more research into alternate therapy.

Right on - never stop doing that.

[vertigo08]

After my experience yesterday, I simply don't believe that these drugs are the best solution. Honestly, it was almost like dropping acid, and I weigh 3 times what Ethan does. It's silly to believe that because he has a chemical imbalance in his brain, that this makes him feel normal. I talked to him about it last night, and he says it makes him feel depressed, dizzy, and spaced out for the first hour after he takes it in the morning. He says when he doesn't take it, he feels normal.

I'm going to do some more research into alternate therapy.

Your experience is irrelevant, because everyone's brain chemistry is different, but by his testimony it sounds like hes getting some bad side effects. Researching as much as you can and checking out online forums is so important when dealing with medications.

Call me crazy but I beleive depression should be treated short term when in 100% of cases it is treated long term and takes months for the SSRIs to work then you cant just stop taking the meds it takes just as long to proparly reduce your dosage. It is very dangerous just to stop.

Call me an outside the box thinker but if I were to treat depression it would be on a case by case basis. I would mostly treat short term with...

a mild opiate and possibly a benzo for no longer than a week then a patient would have to come in for a revaluation as long term treatment with benzo's or opiates can cause dependence. I would also recommend a change of diet and life style.

I was put on Effexor for depression/anxiety for a while, maxed out the dosage and decided to call it quits one day as it did absolutely nothing for me except kill sexual function, sleep and energy. I tapered down and ended up with SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome, the worst of which were the electric shocks splitting through my brain every few minutes for months. My doctor didnt believe me, so I stopped seeing him for a while. Amazingly I snapped at everything that was going on and somehow trained myself how to pick myself up again from the depths of depression (I believe you can completely delude yourself into thinking however you want) Therefore I no longer experienced the psychosomatic symptoms and complete sadness anymore, but was still left with anxiety.

When I went back to my doctor I explained this and he simply didn't believe me again saying you cant just have anxiety and no depression in your case. I suggested benzos for the short term to get back into working quickly, but because I was 18 he said absolutely not, you will get addicted. Anyway, after a while I went and saw a psychiatrist and lucked out I guess - I got a few scripts for xanax and valium. The only problem was at the doses I needed to calm me down they made me feel very lethargic which didnt suit me for work.

There's no way in hell a doctor is going to prescribe an opiate for depression/anxiety. The strongest opiate you will get prescribed for pain here is codeine, which is considerably weak even in big doses compared to something like oxycodone.

[AK47]

In responce to Veritgo08 so I dont have to quote:

Regarding using opiates for short term depression treatment. I would do it but I think if any doctor wrote a narcotic for treatment of depression they would lose their liscence. Just what I would do if I ran things. Short term Only. Narcotic dependency is a really fucked up thing.

As for benzos for treatment you have to find what benzo works best for the patient. Notice the +10000 posts for Xanax also for me I go to like take half a pill or nothing gets done. Rule of thumb on bunzo's is 10 days of continued use and you can experience physical withdrawl symptoms.

You know the funny thing is people call me when their doctor writes them a new script before they take it since I am a walking encyclopedia on this shit. You know how many times I get the phone call "Hey Ak, My doctor wrote me script for Ativan should I take it?" then the "how does it make you feel question" since I guess doctors or pharmacy dont really tell you that.

I also beleive that pretty much how you feel is based on diet and there is alot to natural herbs but there is alot of BS out there too.

Zeeglar check with the doc if its safe to discontinue use of the meds on your son so he does not start having unwanted withdrawl side effects. I really have no experience with these new non stimulant Adhd drugs.

[Spivonious]

You know the funny thing is people call me when their doctor writes them a new script before they take it since I am a walking encyclopedia on this shit. You know how many times I get the phone call "Hey Ak, My doctor wrote me script for Ativan should I take it?" then the "how does it make you feel question" since I guess doctors or pharmacy dont really tell you that.

Assuming they are asking their doctors those questions, those people need to find new doctors. I would never take a pill without knowing why I'm taking it, what it's supposed to do, and any side effects that it might cause. If the doctor wouldn't tell me, I'd switch. There are so many doctors out there that it's silly to waste time with a bad one.

[AK47]

Assuming they are asking their doctors those questions, those people need to find new doctors. I would never take a pill without knowing why I'm taking it, what it's supposed to do, and any side effects that it might cause. If the doctor wouldn't tell me, I'd switch. There are so many doctors out there that it's silly to waste time with a bad one.

O.K.

Let me clarify for example. Doctor wrote a script for Ativan for anxiety and sleep for a friend I know. The doctor cant really honestly tell the patient hey if you take two with a few bears you will black out...so they call me because they know I will be honest with them.

I told my friend not to drive and it and if he does drink he will probably black out on a benzo. I also informed him how much he can take without crashing his car or endangering others. I informed him then benzos can can cause blackouts and to not drive on it till he was comfortable with how it works.

I a doctors appoitment the doctor cant run all this stuff down to you since most doctors dont really know how those meds feel when they write the script. Then the pharmacist may say dont do this or this when they pick up the script. I just tell people how it is and what will happen if they do this or that with the script. You would be suprised at the dumb shit people think they can do with their scripts. If Heath Ledger knew me I bet he would be alive right now or at least have been informed before he pulled the trigger pn himself so to speak. No one around him knew what time it was.

[bibz]

You simply cannot blanket a treatment for depression like that, theres way more into it them just the chemical function. If someone loses a kid/spouse and can't get back to normal, they're now sad and addicted

You prolly didn't mean it like that, but its a wide and varied condition (and sometimes reactionary to other illness) and ssri's def have there place. But they also have their marketing and shit, specially over in the us.

OCD IN THE HOUSE YO!! (repeat 4 times, has to be 4!)

[AK47]

You simply cannot blanket a treatment for depression like that, theres way more into it them just the chemical function. If someone loses a kid/spouse and can't get back to normal, they're now sad and addicted

You prolly didn't mean it like that, but its a wide and varied condition (and sometimes reactionary to other illness) and ssri's def have there place. But they also have their marketing and shit, specially over in the us.

OCD IN THE HOUSE YO!! (repeat 4 times, has to be 4!)

My idea is to treat depression on a short term basis. Someone loses a spose or kid they take zanax and a mild opiate for a week to help them cope and then thats it. They have to make a choice to move on. If you give them a SSRI they get addicted and dont get immediate relief for there symptom till months later.

Depression should be treated not its symptoms. Most depressed people are depressed for a reason which includes life style choices and enviroment. We as a society think that by drugging them it is the answer when the cause and viable lifestyle desicions should be made before drugging someone with SSRIs.

This is just not happening. I said it once and I say it again people that have physical brain injuries and are prone to violence are a case for certain psyche meds like Depacote for example.

I have mild depression sometimes and mild OCD but you know what?

I know why I get depressed and it usually is a choice to get myself out of it. It is never easy but it is a choice.

I like my other quirks like mild OCD and my arrogance/narcissism as they keep me on my toes and I embrace them as they make me feel alive and secure. If I did not have them I dont think I would be the unique person I am today. Once I was aware of them it was no longer an issue for me as long as they were not hurting others except for feelings I dont care about others feelings LOL(cant find smilies)

If my parents or I had gotten myself on SSRI's I truely beleive I would be an empty shell of a person going through the motions of life to get by and not really living up to my true potential both bad and good.

[bibz]

I somewhat agree to that, and in many cases, its the best treatment, but in extreme cases, and alot that go through are, it's just not enough. I've talked at length about this with my psych, and some of the stuff out there reall is extraordinary.

I got through anxiety through making up cognitive behavioural strategies myself, but were I not able to I'd've been screwed!

In the end, it's not a case of take drugs and not be yourself, or not take drugs and suffer, theres harmony in everything, I'm as me as ever, but I've also helped compress the extremes when things get bad. Theres simply not enough energy to combat the excessive compulsive arousal in my head without them. The intrusive thoughts can manifest and exert themselves in many, many ways (depression/anxiety/etc.). The key is the right chemistry, that is the right drug at the right dosage. They shouldn't be personality destroyers, thats a sad myth by people without the right help.

[Brooke]

In case you don't know, my son has Asperger's Syndrome, and ADHD. He's super smart, but also super hyper (we're talking crazy babbling running around type hyper), and has a real hard time concentrating without his meds. He takes a drug called Stratera, which has really done wonders for him.

When he started taking the Stratera, I told my wife that I intended to take one of his pills, because I was always skeptical of giving kids mind altering drugs for things like this, and I wanted to see for myself what the effects were. Well, I did it, and to be honest, I don't know if I'm really happy about it. The effects are dramatic. I feel unsettled. Not exactly paranoid, but certainly not relaxed. I feel wound up. I also feel focused, yet also totally spaced out. It's not completely unlike doing acid. Would you be comfortable giving your 8 year old son acid?

I think I should have done this little experiment a long time ago, when he started taking this medication. I believe at this point, I'm going to look into finding alternate treatments.

And please don't lecture me on the right and wrong. I did this purely out of concern for my son's well being.

This may be a stupid question.

Does he eat allot of processed white sugar? Kill his sugar intake. Some people are hyper sensitive to cane sugar. Doctors will never tell you this,,,I don't know why.

I haven't eaten sugar in 2 years. It's poison.

- B

[AK47]

This may be a stupid question.

Does he eat allot of processed white sugar? Kill his sugar intake. Some people are hyper sensitive to cane sugar. Doctors will never tell you this,,,I don't know why.

I haven't eaten sugar in 2 years. It's poison.

- B

+1

Diet has alot to do with how someone feels. Did you know eliminating dairy from an autistic child's diet can and has improved their condition. In certain cases the child was able to show no signs of autism after maintaning the dairy free diet.

[CharvelRocker]

This may be a stupid question.

Does he eat allot of processed white sugar? Kill his sugar intake. Some people are hyper sensitive to cane sugar. Doctors will never tell you this,,,I don't know why.

I haven't eaten sugar in 2 years. It's poison.

- B

Because they don't get the kick backs from prescribing certain meds... an honest doctor will, but there aren't many of those left.

[horns666]

Hey Zeegs, guys..I was fuggin' around on youtube and came across this dude. Watch and listen to what he says..interesting...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUsQU...eature=related

[zeegler]

Hey Zeegs, guys..I was fuggin' around on youtube and came across this dude. Watch and listen to what he says..interesting...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUsQU...eature=related

Thx Bill. Very interesting stuff.