Advice for Anhedonia,Depersonalization, and Cognitive Impairment?

I thought about that in that way too. It's really weird thing. 

personally the MRI made me feel weird and not better at all...

i also had high prolactine and they tought it was a prolactinoma.

it wasnt... it is known that there is a proportional relation between testosterone and depression, which in turn affects prolactine aswell.

what is unknown is what is first, the egg or the chicken, in our case the low testosterone or depression? (or anhedonia, name it as you will, after a while one realizes the two are interchangeable)

i tried 4months or so of testosterone replacement therapy and it didnt help the depression even tho i felt more phisical, active and energic.

i have also grown fond of the image of myself as having sort of a disturb of awareness. 

the problem might be in the "being away from the here and now". my mind is always somewhere else thinking of nebulous events over which i have no real control, its borders blurry and undefined. It is not a train of tought, i cant define it or control it.

this is what keeps my awareness away from the present and perpetrates the anhedonia and depression, i believe.

I sometime wonder if this is just the start of a disorder in the spectrum of schizophrenia

Afaik, tesotsterone is a downstream target of prolactine (via gondatrophin ?) and Dopamine decreases prolactin production, whereas Serotonine increases it via afaik 5-ht2a.

Forgott the areal where this happens.

Good Day Everyone,

Just a quick update. 

I felt positive effects from the Moclobemide after only a few hours upon taking the first pill.   I took it for a week but I had to stop due to INSOMNIA...ugh!  Even taking the minimum dose as early in the morning after waking, I still had an awful time getting any sleep at night.  I was hoping this side effect would dissipate the longer I used it, but I couldnt take anymore missed sleep!  I am still considering trying it again, but perhaps at a smaller dose, and possibly augmented with something to help me sleep.  Even after an exhausting day of work/exercise, I still couldnt sleep, as much as I wanted to!  I really do not want to use Sleeping pills or anything of the like, Benzos almost ruined my brain, and I have tried Melatonin, Glycine, and natural supplements.  

I HATE to say this next part... but, I was a smoker for many years, then I quit about 2 years ago now, but due to some intense stress in my life(Grandmothers Heart Attack), I have broken down a few times and had some cigarettes... and they almost made me feel normal for a while.  SO, I ditched the cigarettes and picked up some free Nicotine patches and Gum, which I have been using every other day or so.  I know its not the best solution, but it is a great temporary solution for me - I feel a bit more aware and cognitively in charge!  Its no miracle or anything, but it does help out day to day. 

I have a follow up appointment with my Psychiatrist on Wednesday, so If I cannot resolve the insomnia from the Moclobemide, I will be looking into some other medication to try.  I do like my Doctor, he is open to new ideas and going against the grain.

I will leave this update with a thumbs up for the Moclobemide, while it wasnt anything amazing, it really did make me feel better and I even noticed my reading ability/working memory was improved.  I was not using Nicotine while on the Moclobemide. 

I hope my updates find you all in good spirits and I will be in touch!  Enjoy your weekend!

What dose Moclobemide?

I had the insomnia too, but only if i redosed at mid day. The morning dose would allow me to sleep at night.

I'd suggest something to assist with sleep like trazodone or melatonin.

What dose Moclobemide?

I had the insomnia too, but only if i redosed at mid day. The morning dose would allow me to sleep at night.

I'd suggest something to assist with sleep like trazodone or melatonin.

150mg. But I am suppose to up the dose soon to 300mg. Then up from there.  I think my sleep is a bit better now, I got a new job and it is extremely exhausting, which is good, but I am still not getting the best sleep.  I came across a study that seems interesting, involving lithium and Trazodone alongside the Moclobemide, tolerated for 2 years in the study.

Tolerability and efficacy of high-dose moclobemide alone and in com... - PubMed - NCBI
 

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/10831036

"We report on the efficacy and apparent tolerability of moclobemide at doses of up to 1,650 mg/day in 13 patients (4 men, 9 women) with major depressive disorder who had been resistant to at least two prior conventional antidepressant treatment trials at standard or higher doses and/or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). A majority of patients were resistant to a minimum of four trials of antidepressant treatment and/or ECT. Four patients had been unable to tolerate antidepressant therapies at adequate doses and durations. Treatment was initiated at the usual doses of moclobemide, ranging from 300 to 450 mg daily, and progress was monitored. If there was no improvement in mood, doses of moclobemide were progressively increased in 150-mg increments every 2 to 3 weeks, as tolerated, up to a maximum dose of 1,650 mg during a period of 3 to 12 months. It was decided to gradually increase the moclobemide dose with the goal of achieving improvement; the treatment would be discontinued if there were significant adverse events. Lithium augmentation (600-900 mg/ day) was used in some cases to enhance the response at higher doses of moclobemide. Trazodone was administered at a subtherapeutic dose of 25 to 150 mg/day when insomnia was reported...The Clinical Global Impression Scale-Improvement subscale (CGI-I)11 from the initiation of moclobemide treatment to the highest tolerated dose of moclobemide, as well as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D, 17-item)12 in some cases, were used to assess mood over a period of 3 to 12 months, depending on each patient's course of therapy. According to scores on the CGI-I, it was found that 7 (54%) of 13 patients were "very much" improved or "much" improved while receiving high-dose moclobemide therapy in combination with trazodone and/or lithium augmentation in some cases. This improvement was maintained for periods of up to 2 years."

--Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, June 2000. "Tolerability and Efficacy of High-Dose Moclobemide Alone and in Combination With Lithium and Trazodone"

Could be something for me to look into...

Good Day,

I decided not to continue the trial of Moclobemide at this time.  I was feeling some positive effects from it, but my sleep was badly effected and it also gave me a sort of inner tension/keyed up/anxiety feeling that lasted throughout the day.  I may try it again in the future, possibly at a lower dose or augmented with something to address the anxiety.

Other than that, I may try out SAM-e alongside the various supplements and herbs I already use.  I knew about SAM-e previously, but my Psychiatrist gave me a print out on it and suggested I try it. 

Thanks for letting me give a small update, Hopefully I find some relief some day soon through my exploits.  Best of luck to you all and I will be in touch!

Cheers!

******EDIT******

I forgot to mention, In the last few weeks, I had a CT scan for a seemingly unrelated issue.  Turns out, I most likely have Crohn's Disease.  And my Doctor said the strange part of this is that it looks like it is a chronic case, meaning I have had it for quite some time, but I do not have many symptoms at all, other than fatigue.  I am starting to believe that Inflammation may play a huge part in my Cognitive and Depressive issues, stemming from this Crohns Disease.  I still have to learn more about Crohns since I hadnt heard much about it before now.  It has something to do with inflammation and immune function.

Thanks!

Edited by Michael Rian, 16 March 2015 - 11:28 PM.

 

SSRI won't help apathy, but can help with stimulant side effects and dominance, luvox, is by far the strongest in causing apathy which stimulants at first didn't even counteract, even no matter what dose of them I'd sleep all day, it kicked my as bus after 2 weeks it's all good, luvox, is very good if you relate to shizoprenia in one way or another.

 

Generally if you want a SSRI start with Lexa pro but only if you can also hopefully get dexamphetamine, fake adhd symptoms if you don't have it to easily get it, as depending on the doctor the most likely won't give it first line for anhedonia, and try to get memantine for tolerance, print the depression ocd study of it out and ask it for that.

 

Good luck

Hi I noticed this in passing.   Do you mean luvox is strongest in COMBATTING apathy or that it causes apathy?   I agree that stimulants do NOT combat apathy and I think they can increase it,  but are you suggesting luvox is helpful in fighting apathy?  Not sure but if so I am interested.   And yes many doctors don't have the wherewithall  (mental or the fortitude)_  to go big or go home,  so they stupidly offer a simple SSRI when the best doctors out there (few and far between where I live)  have said that you NEED to look at combos like low dosage dexamph.  plus the SSRI or something similar.   Lamictal is another thing often added to SSRIs.   It's so frustrating that they are so wimpy,   I despise people who blindly follow rules (which can be changed on a moment's notice anyhow)   to a Tee.

 

What are alternatives or meds similar to Lamictal that may work for depression/ apathy/ anhedonia?   I noticed significant mood benefit years ago from Lamictal. But I felt incredibly stupid along with some other side effects I don't recall. Lamictal is notorious for it's dumbening effects.

I want something I can add to NSI, which is similar suppossedly to Vortioxetine. So if it can mix with Vort then it should be fine. 

Does anyone know precisely why Lamictal works well for anhedonia and lifting mood? 

I have complete anhedonia, don't feel depressed, my memory is weirdly shit: no sense of time and all memories seem like they have never happened. I feel like I'm never living in the present even if I try. I can relate so much to the first post of this topic. I am thankful because I thought my shitty sense of time would lead to dementia (source: https://en.wikipedia...schronometria).But at the same time... I feel more hopeless now that I read this. one year of anhedonia was already bad enough, I want it fucking gone and don't plan on keeping this shit for years. I haven't even been taking drugs...barely even smoked weed, and only took an SSRI for one week before discontinuing it. Although I have been drinking energy drinks for a year before this set in...Or maybe it was chronic stress I don't know. Should I try stimulants like adderal? Will it make me worse long term? Is it effective? Right now I'm a week in into my first MAOI (Nardil) and I hope it does something but how does everyone here keep taking SSRIs besides its reputation for making people more numb..?

I will post my SPECT scan results on tuesday.

I took two 2gr doses of D-ribosine today, for the first time. 
Great, after the first dose; and "Anhedonia", after the second...(!), especially while trying to work (practice music). Many hours later, the brain still feels heavy, with no focus.
Fingers feel good (muscle, joints); but hands´skin feels different to the touch, and finger´s are slower, as if 'they' had lost memory.

Is there a difference if taking less?
 

It was very helpfull, otherwise.

Body felt good for exercising, desiring to exercise, desiring to act, do things very much overdo, and doing them.
 

In the last two days I also started Glycine and Inositol with great results.
Looking for a normal circadian rhythm, and feel refreshed in the morning. Acting when it is time to act, is a great side-effect.

I also take Niacin and NAC.

Just discovered that glucuronolactone (a natural ingredient in some energy drinks) noticeably improves my anhedonia. See this thread.

1. It just sounds like chronic boredom to me. I experience Ahedonia on an almost regular basis because of ADD-PI.

1. It just sounds like chronic boredom to me. I experience Ahedonia on an almost regular basis because of ADD-PI.

Boredom can occur when you are in a situation when there's nothing much around you that stimulates. But if you change the environment, then you can often find things to do which are pleasurable and rewarding. 

Anhedonia is a brain condition where no matter what environment your are in, or what activity you do, there is absolutely no sense of pleasure or reward generated in your brain, because your brain's reward circuits are dead.

You could win millions on the lottery, and be able to buy anything you wanted — cars, holidays, a beautiful house, nights on the town — but nothing will give you pleasure if you have anhedonia. Life becomes a vacuum, because your mind does not respond to enjoyable activities.

Even simple pleasures, like drinking a cold beer on a hot sunny day, or going for a relaxing walk in the park, which are pleasures most healthy people take for granted, suddenly become unpleasurable and thus meaningless when you have severe anhedonia. This is why those with severe anhedonia are often suicidal. In fact suicidal ideation and anhedonia tend go hand in hand. Once all pleasure is removed from life, there really seems nothing worth living for. 

What makes anhedonia worse is that it often comes along with blunted or flat affect, which is were you do have reduced levels of emotions or do not experience emotions at all. This combination of anhedonia plus blunted or flat emotions makes the mind even more dead.

I understand that anhedonia can be a part of ADD/ADHD, but I wonder if it is as severe as the anhedonia you get in depression or schizophrenia.

Boredom can occur when you are in a situation when there's nothing much around you that stimulates. But if you change the environment, then you can often find things to do which are pleasurable and rewarding. 

 

Anhedonia is a brain condition where no matter what environment your are in, or what activity you do, there is absolutely no sense of pleasure or reward generated in your brain, because your brain's reward circuits are dead.

 

You could win millions on the lottery, and be able to buy anything you wanted — cars, holidays, a beautiful house, nights on the town — but nothing will give you pleasure if you have anhedonia. Life becomes a vacuum, because your mind does not respond to enjoyable activities.

 

Even simple pleasures, like drinking a cold beer on a hot sunny day, or going for a relaxing walk in the park, which are pleasures most healthy people take for granted, suddenly become unpleasurable and thus meaningless when you have severe anhedonia. This is why those with severe anhedonia are often suicidal. In fact suicidal ideation and anhedonia tend go hand in hand. Once all pleasure is removed from life, there really seems nothing worth living for. 

 

What makes anhedonia worse is that it often comes along with blunted or flat affect, which is were you do have reduced levels of emotions or do not experience emotions at all. This combination of anhedonia plus blunted or flat emotions makes the mind even more dead.

 

 

 

I understand that anhedonia can be a part of ADD/ADHD, but I wonder if it is as severe as the anhedonia you get in depression or schizophrenia.

1.  Whoever this individual was probably had a form of ADD, I've had everything you've described across the cosmic line. You must have Anhedonia to even have true ADD-PI.  ADD by definition makes everything you do and everything you like to do boring.  All of those basic descriptions of enjoyment would bore me, Severe anhedonia is basically severe underarousal of your central nervious system which means it's hard to engage in any constructive activity. It's basically the same thing. I've had tons of susicidal thoughts as well, I've had it all. Had thought of hanging myself last week, despite appearing "outwardly healthy". You can change the environment but the environment will not change the nature of a disordered and broken brain. Ever see a scan of ADD brain Vs  A neurotypical brain? One is lights up like crazy, while the ADD brain has low blood flow in many cortical areas of the brain.  Even right now, I'm chronically bored, so bored in fact, that I do not know what I want to do. So bored that it feels like pain..Now let this happen every single day and nothing you do changes it.   I suspect, that his Cognitive deficits became apparent the moment he stopped self-medicating, what he didn't realize, was he was self-medicating for a imbalance.  I've drank alchohol and it's fairly good for suppressing thoughts but could kill you if your an alchoholic. The moment, I stopped all my addictions my memory became worse, just yesterday I lost my paper 5 times and didn't know?  ADD people must always self-medicate until we die.  In fact people with ADD-PI have a 4 times higher likely-hood for DEPRESSION and it's a high co-morbidity. Schizophrenia, not sure my friend has it actually. Maybe, that's why we get along? Ironic, I replied because your post is stimulating me because I'm under-aroused. Thanks for the dopamine.

Edited by MichaelFocus22, 10 October 2019 - 11:01 PM.