Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Off Anafranil, On Luvox

I am starting on Luvox. I can't remember if I have taken it in the past 20 years.  This is the result of a conversation I had with someone at work. I was ruminating on the thoughts of the blood coming out of my wrist when I cut it accidentally. Although the cut was accidental in nature, the thought that came into my head was: that this is how a suicide would start. Then my OCD came in and I got stuck on that thought. Scary thoughts. I went in and saw the psychiatrist and she said that the anafranil was not doing the job as well as it should have been doing.
I have all these drugs in the system and the VNS as well. Somehow I don't think that the device in the chest (VNS)  is working for me anymore. However,  I don't want to turn it off and try that way either. 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Pills or Chiropractic Deals

In an effort to help myself in my quest to be free from this depression and anxiety I have studied hypnosis, and meditation and different religions including Buddhism and Wicca.  I have bought supplements of all kinds, in some cases the best that the market has produced at a high price, to boot. I have a VNS implant-which did help at the beginning, and perhaps still does. Diet was improved and I lost a hugh amount of weight, good for my overall health. I have sought alternative medicines and treatments to help. All in an effort to find a way to conquer the anxiety and depression that literally controls my entire life. I am now back on meds after almost two years of being off and I must say that I am doing better now than I was just six months ago. I have yet to tell my chiropractor that I do not want to continue with his adjustments and that I have felt that I have belong to a cult these last two years that I have followed the chiropractic life style.
Yes, much of it is just good, old common sense, and I will keep what makes sense and will not be as heavy as I once was. Although since Jan. I have gained about twenty five pounds. I am dealing with that. Still exercising on a six day schedule-it makes me feel good, so I will do it. But  it must come to a head with the chiropractor, because I feel he brow beats me by telling me that the medication is wrong for me. That I am just killing myself early. Maybe so, but to belittle my decision and do it regularly, I will not have it. I can a least work now and get more accomplished, and be happier as I do it.
I have an employer that knows that I am a depressive and knows that I am trying to live with it to the best of my abilities. I have worked for them almost thirty years now and have had ups and downs with them, but mostly up. And they are concerned with my health as well. So I will stay to the very end ( retirement) if they will have me.
I would like to investigate the treatment of rTMS. Usage of magnetic current through the upper front portion of the brain. It is supposed to help the brain regenerate the dendrites that transmit the neurotransmitters. But I will know more after some reading.
I have just re-read my own blog and found that because I have a VNS device, I can not try rTMS.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

DNA Testing for "Correct" Drug Usage

I had a DNA test done by my psychiatrist and had variations in four genes. Two genes marked me for depression two marked me for other dangerous things. One was vulnerability to euphoric effects of drugs of abuse and the second was the possibility of weight gain with one of my drugs, risperdal.  What the test was for was to find our what medications would best suit me. Fortunately the psychiatrist had already put me on the drugs that the findings of the test suggested. This test was done with saliva and sent to a lab in PA. Web address genomind.com