Mental illness is dumber

[TheBlackSheep]

Thanks for the feedback, Emiliana. That's exactly what I'm hoping for. I've decided I'm going to will it to happen because hey, I could use all the help I can get, so bring it, placebo effect!

I've tried just about every single SSRI on the market for at least a little while. While they did a good job of scraping the edge off, most of the time, I need better. Here's to new things. Thanks again, Emiliana.

[TheBlackSheep]

Oh, and! I can ask you this! (I asked my doctor already, obviously, but, you know.) Do you drink at all while you're on the Cymbalta? I understand that SNRIs/atypicals can increase one's risk of seizure, especially with alcohol. Do you worry about that? My doctor basically said don't binge drink all the time and I'll be fine, which, you know, I don't drink too much anyway. If this is too personal a question, I have no problem taking a flying leap.

[Emiliana]

Oh, and! I can ask you this! (I asked my doctor already, obviously, but, you know.) Do you drink at all while you're on the Cymbalta? I understand that SNRIs/atypicals can increase one's risk of seizure, especially with alcohol. Do you worry about that? My doctor basically said don't binge drink all the time and I'll be fine, which, you know, I don't drink too much anyway. If this is too personal a question, I have no problem taking a flying leap.

Huh....I don't think I realized there was any more risk with SNRIs and alcohol than SSRIs and alcohol. I'm not a heavy drinker, though. In a typical month I might have one margarita and half a bottle of wine. Maybe once a year I'll go to a party where I end up moderately drunk.

Drugs.com has an awesome : http://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=1034-14582,949-2273 that says the biggest risk is liver damage.

The most important thing I've learned is that lots of cough and cold medicines can cause serotonin sickness. Sudafed, Benadryl, guaffinessen, and herbal remedies (hot tea, honey) are safe, most others aren't.

[Emiliana]

so bring it, placebo effect!

I think I'm extra-susceptible to the placebo effect...Which I kind of love about myself.

[TheBlackSheep]

I did so much stuff today. ALL the stuff. I don't care if this is the "agitation" side effect I was warned about, placebo, or just an early awesome effect of the drug. If this is how psychologically typical people feel all the time... holy cannoli.

Also, someone finally tested my vitamin D levels (along with my thyroid and other depression-typical tests I've had before). Everything was normal, except the vitamin D, which barely registered. No conclusive proof that the two are related, but I found that interesting, and I now have prescription dose vitamin D supplements.

[Portia]

Took an online screening and it put me at the moderate depression category (with the side note that it could be bipolar depression*! I think this is close but not quite there). Probably going to bring it up at my physical which is the first time I have interacted with the healthcare system, really, in eight years, besides teeth cleaning.

*or whatever that is known as now I don't even know

[TheBlackSheep]

I don't know when this "bipolar depression" thing started. It just means the depression part of bipolar disorder.

[Portia]

I don't know when this "bipolar depression" thing started. It just means the depression part of bipolar disorder.

I'm guessing there could be false positives with similar but non identical disorders, eh?

[TheBlackSheep]

Oh yes. Mental illnesses can be easily mistaken for each other in many cases. There is no more bipolar I and bipolar II anymore, but when there was bipolar II was frequently misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder. A lot of mental illnesses look very similar to many other mental illnesses.

[Portia]

Oh yes. Mental illnesses can be easily mistaken for each other in many cases. There is no more bipolar I and bipolar II anymore, but when there was bipolar II was frequently misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder. A lot of mental illnesses look very similar to many other mental illnesses.

Learned something new today. I have a follow-up (the appointment actually went really well: all my vitals are where they should be, for which I am grateful), so it will be interesting to see what course of action he recommends on the anxiety/depression front.

[TheBlackSheep]

I'm l-o-v-i-n-g my new meds. There's hope!

[bobtheenchantedone]

There is no more bipolar I and bipolar II anymore

What replaced it? I was diagnosed as bipolar II and haven't discussed diagnosis with a therapist since.

[TheBlackSheep]

bob, I apologize. I checked my DSM and bipolar disorder is still divided into bipolar I, bipolar II, and cyclothymia. The change I was thinking of was that they were moved from the mood disorder chapter (where they used to be grouped with depression) to their own chapter.

[bobtheenchantedone]

Oh okay cool. Guess I don't need to ask my therapist about it then. : )

[Emiliana]

This weekend I traveled with 18 teenagers and 5 other teachers to a town about 5 hours away. And I left my medicine at home. I survived with caffeine during the day and benadryl at night. But my fuse was about a third of its normal length and chaperoning a road trip is already stressful and I am so, so, so glad to be home with my husband and my dogs and my friggin CYMBALTA.

[TheBlackSheep]

Emiliana, I salute you. And A+ on the coping skills.

I'm still loving the bupropion, but this week I have been on one ton of steroids for the tonsils that never shrunk back after mono this past October. I mean they are better than the other option (tonsillectomy) but oh man am I looking forward to Tuesday when I can be off of them. I was warned about the possible emotional side effects and of course they happened, and on the mornings this week when the depression-like feeling was making me want to live in a blanket fort I wondered how any of us live that way.

[Portia]

Booze (moderate but frequent) and beauty sleep seem to work wonders. This message brought to you by the mid-1960s.

I see no moral difference between benzos and alcohol, SSRIs and marijuana, frankly. And I've put a lot of thought into this question.

[Emiliana]

Booze (moderate but frequent) and beauty sleep seem to work wonders. This message brought to you by the mid-1960s.

I see no moral difference between benzos and alcohol, SSRIs and marijuana, frankly. And I've put a lot of thought into this question.

I mostly agree with you, except that benzos and alcohol are both pretty addictive...

[the anglophile]

Relapsing into depression and my Celexa isn't helping. But social anxiety is keeping me from going back to my doctor to up the dosage or get a different prescription. Love it. Not the way I want to start college. Just waiting until I get out to BYU this summer to start therapy. Hopefully that works but I've also heard therapy sucks.

[Marduk]

Booze (moderate but frequent) and beauty sleep seem to work wonders. This message brought to you by the mid-1960s.

I see no moral difference between benzos and alcohol, SSRIs and marijuana, frankly. And I've put a lot of thought into this question.

The main difference I see is that two of these are (usually, ostensibly) under the care of a competent physician, and the other two are not. Deciding the "dose" of your medication can be a dangerous thing (well, more dangerous than the alternative, anyways.)