Meimeiquest Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 Today I attended a lecture for CEUs by Michael Lara, a psychiatrist in the Bay Area, entitled Food for Thought: How Nutrients Affect Mental Health and the Brain. While we would have all found issues with it, I found it very interesting, and as I have time I will try to post some things here. For tonight, in 20 seconds I had with him, I asked him "What would be your one sentence advice to someone tapering off multiple psychotropics?" After the usual I-don't-want-to-touch-this-with-a-ten-foot-pole look, he said, "Monitor your inflammatory markers (like CPK). If you're doing things that are good for you, they should be going down." 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbarannamated Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 "After the usual I-don't-want-to-touch-this-with-a-ten-foot-pole look.." LOL!! Thanks. I needed that! Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 24, 2013 Administrator Share Posted October 24, 2013 Geez. his reviews on Yelp are not good. He claims an integrative approach but calls himself a psychopharmacologist http://www.drmikelara.com/ Seems to be very interested in bodybuilding. Sent him a message to see if he knows how to taper. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 24, 2013 Administrator Share Posted October 24, 2013 His free guide about sleep http://www.drmikelara.com/store/sleepguide This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meimeiquest Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 He would definitely not be a total match with this site, but I think he had some worthwhile things to say. He definitely and unapologetically uses drugs, but he tries to use natural treatments first. He is into the inflammation theory of depression, which I suspect is where natural treatment is headed. Dr. Mercola is also into that. But, heavy sigh, he said he is now using antidepressants for their anti-inflammatory effect. Told a heartbreaking story about a man with morbid obesity due to Zyprexa, and nothing about getting him off the Zyprexa. Not a word about emotions and mental health, but again that was not the topic. And he is really into fitness. He swam once from CA shoreline to Alcatraz, mimicking Jack LaLanne (sp?). Definitely has the build of a swimmer, is maybe 45 to 50. Also into Hot Yoga. Most interesting, though, was how he helped his wife lose weight and his ideas about generally maintaining mental health through physical health. I will write more sometime when I have time. 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compsports Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Hmm, let me see if I understand this inflamatory theory of depression. If I get extremely depressed because I am feel bad about never having had a decent career and am dealing with overwhelming medical issues, I will develop inflammation which will miraculously respond to an antidepressant? Yeah, that makes alot of sense. I am begging to hate all the medical professionals, both mainstream and alternative. I think most of them just want to make as much money as possible and don't give a damm about practicing good medicine. Sorry, I know I am using strong language but I really feel that way. CS Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010 Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006 Finished taper on June 10, 2010 Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016 Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meimeiquest Posted October 27, 2013 Author Share Posted October 27, 2013 Well, I am not buying in to that theory necessarily but how do you think.the issues of the soul are transcribed into the body? Something happens in our biology somehow. And people seem to have varying levels of resilience. 1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms. Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12 Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13 Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15 11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble) 9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol 7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol 56 years old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 27, 2013 Administrator Share Posted October 27, 2013 Inflammation and depression are both vaguely defined. I'm sure they co-exist quite often. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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