107 replies to this topic

[Tubemode]

And yes, if you have to ask, I was on Deprenyl in the past. I really liked it.

Stopped it because of the blood pressure issues however, in addition, I didn't like being constrained to caffeine.

[Templanoid]

The clubs I go to are genre related ones and I go because I really love the music and love dancing to it (industrial, electro, darkwave - gothy stuff, yes, goth==depressed yadayada), but at these places there are a lot of regular people (and yes, many attractive women), so you inevitably see the same people all the time and try to socialize and talk with them.

Regarding women (inevtiable topic huh? heh). I don't approach people much, men or women. OF course I'm more concerned about approaching women, but regardless of my intentions, like I said earlier, most of the people I try to talk to, men or women, end up being no more than acquaintances and it's a very neutral, dry form of interaction as much as I want to develop a deeper relationship. Not many women at my work, my closest colleague is a lesbian, and there is just 1 more woman there who, so far, I've only had an emotionless, neutral interactions with. Ever since I got to the US (been 2.5 years now), it's been harder with people in general, because everyone's here so quick witted and fast to response - I'm often left in the dust when trying to talk to and get to know people. My anxiety does not help I guess. And no, I wasn't free of this issue before I moved here, I've always had this problem since home (Thailand), and my older posts on the Imminst were from when I was still living there, thats also where I tried Piracetam for the first time. I don't want you to get the impression that this has started after I moved here.. though, yes, it has accentuated.

So Deprenyl sounds really restrictive. Potential of death when Ritalin is taken with it? Jesus. How about contraindications with alcohol?

Edited by Templanoid, 02 November 2012 - 11:59 AM.

[Tubemode]

No issue with alcohol at dosages below 10 mg per day. This is because it loses it's selectivity for MAO-B at dosages between 10 to 15 mg.

Regardless, avoid red wine and aged cheese - anything high in tyramine to be exact.

I would also stick to 5 mg a day. This is a high enough dosage. Avoid exceeding this. Apart from that, it should be safe.

And yes, you can't take any potent stimulants or the foods mentioned above as long as you are on the drug. If you decide to stop, you have to wait for two weeks.

I'd quit drinking though. Seriously. If you do have depression it'll only make things worse.

[RYAN474]

Templanoid,
I started to write a reply to answer your question about what anti-anxiety/depressant meds & supplements were best for me-- and then realized most of what i was writing was in my earlier post. (below). I would encourage you to read that and see if you can dig into any of those topics to find the value for yourself. Happy to elaborate on any of the points if they are not clear.
In addition to this original post, I have added/emphasize a few things below it:

Without time to post all of the things that are critical to my successful reduction in 'brain fog' and dullness.. i'll provide a few links and a few ideas to start with here..

Whats your sleep schedule like? What time range do you go to bed and wake?
What do you feel like after a night of full or partial sleep deprivation? Here is one of my threads on Wake therapy + Light Therapy, which is one of the most powerful means i've ever come across for relief of my dullness, fatigue, dysthymia: http://www.addforums...ad.php?t=117934
Like any remedy/drug/supplement you might try, not everyone is a "responder" to it. For those who are responders, it still may require some tweaking as to how to make it work for them.

From a broad perspective, much of my relief has come from exploring and trying things related to the following. I would encourage you to do the same.
- CFS/CFIDS
- Including thyroid and testosterone issues, not originally detected by blood tests. Huge factor in brain slowness.
- ADHD (inattentive type) . AKA "slow cognitive tempo" or SCT.. see the adhd forums
- Depression & Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Gluten Intolerance and many other food allergies & sensitivities/intolerance. And importantly, restricting fats and carbs, even "healthy ones".

After a prerequisite of a good quality multivitamin, some of the more powerful among cognitive enhancing nootropics, drugs, etc for me (and many others) have been:
- High dose b12 -methylcobalimin (sublingual or injectable). Sublingual is a good starting point. B12 is perhaps one of the few things that is nearly universally well tolerated that can be started right away with nearly zero risk and a very good upside potential with the symptoms you describe. A previous poster said to take folic acid, which I agree with - but for me there is a thresshold where taking more than 50% to 100% of the daily value ends up making me too spacy and does not allow my brain to engage. Any form of folate and many of the methyl donors in general require a tricky balance for me. There is literature on some dysfunction with MTHFR or methyltransferase or something, esp in autism & related disorders.
- ALC in micro-doses
- Ribose
- Omega 3
Here is some more from an older post of mine but still relevant: http://www.addforums...05&postcount=60

DRUGS:
- Deprenyl
- Adderall & Ritalin
- Diflucan & Nystatin (antifungal- which produce initial 'die off' type reaction and then huge improvement in clarity for me)

You also mentioned anxiety, for which there are probably hundreds of viable options. The most profound in my case has been integrating the ideas from Eckhart Tolle's Books "The Power of Now", and "A New Earth". That, plus a lot of different supplements and some meds.

Additional Notes:

• Deprenyl is probably a good starting point and although it is potentially risky, so are most effective remedies. You will be fine if you just start with micro dosing (with food), and be well informed , take blood pressure regularly, etc.
• For anxiety and mild depressive Sx, the best I've come across among hundreds tried are:
  
  • B-complex vitamin, plus high dose sublingual b12 (methylcobalimin)
  • Eckhart Tolle's books- living 'in the now' eliminates 90% of anxiety, increases my clarity dramatically, etc etc.
  • Theanine,
  • Omega-3's
  • Meditation
  • Massage
  • Exercise (cardio)
  • I might try oxytocin sometime soon to see if it reduces anxiety indirectly by means of reduced cortisol and better sense of social connection (but I'm reluctant, not much data on safety/efficacy afaik).
  • Also, reducing anything that may be worsening it. (caffeine, stimulant meds,etc).
  • Inappropriate diet like too high of protein and not enough carbs that can cause overfocus tendencies and exacerbate anxiety (Daniel Amen addresses this in his book Healing ADD)
• You may be able to learn from looking into some forums/ writings on autism- spectrum disorders. That’s where I learned about b12, folate & other methyl donors. Our symptoms have a significant crossover into the autistic spectrum-- albeit on the very mild side of it.
• Sleep timing, light therapy, (& perhaps wake therapy) to relieve hazy brain function. I wouldn't dismiss this point. ..
  
  • It is actually MORE powerful than any drug for a lot of people; its like 5 drugs combined for me. More accurately, if I do not regulate my sleep and circadian rythyms, No drug, No supplement, No remedy, and no combination of dozens of each of them-- really NOTHING has more than 10 or 20% of its potential positive effects.
  • The shocking part is that all of a sudden, after a couple weeks of regulating my sleep schedule and using light therapy (or 1 night of wake therapy), trying any or all of the same drugs and supplements reveals a COMPLETELY changed effect. It actually does what its meant to do and I can feel the enormous difference. Its not just more effective, going from 10% of its positive effect to 100%. Its much more than that.
  • In a recent post I believe you said you woke up in the afternoon after some halloween festivities. I do that now and then, but it makes the next day more difficult for me to wake up early. So then I sleep in until 8:00 am and boom, the slow mental state is stuck there. I need to wake up at 6-7:00am and get light therapy right away, every day (or at least 6 days/wk). Otherwise, the foggy/slow state kicks in again. When it does, I do a full night of wake therapy followed by sleep phase advance, and boom- my brain is ready to go. Then, the normal drug and supplement regimen does its job, to get my brain working at top notch. From zero to hero, its phenomenal.
  • I wasted thousands of dollars on supplements and drugs that "weren't working" because I was taking them when I was already in this "slow" state with completely unregulated and undisciplined sleep-wake rythyms. They suddenly started working when I fixed that. Same is true for 1 day of unregulated sleep. I sleep-in, my adderall helps minimally- the underyling shitty brain function is there, it only gives me some artificial energy but does not improve my anxiety etc.
  • Check out what other posters said about this here, many of them have symptoms that relate to yours and mine, and experienced the same relief using sleep regulation, wake therapy etc:http://www.addforums...ad.php?t=117934
  • http://content.karge...roduktNr=244116
    
  • Foreword: Sun worship has existed since the beginning of human lifeon earth. Light is our source of energy, of warmth, of spiritual and emotional sustenance. Light is the major synchroniser of the biological clock. It is no surprise to see light enter psychiatry as a practical treatment. Sleep deprivation has been investigated for three decades: the instantan eous, overnight remission of severe depression remains one of the most striking phenomena in psychiatry. Sleep deprivation did not enter the therapeutic armamentarium because patients usually relapse after recovery sleep, or even a nap. Now we have learned how to sustain the effect with morning light therapy, sleep phase advances and a variety of medications. Practical experie nce shows that major depression can indeed rem it quickly and remain remitted even in otherw ise refractory cases.

[Templanoid]

Tubemode,
I've been thinking more about it, and somehow instinctively, I still strongly feel depression is not the central of my problems... and somehow, lets say I go through the big hoops of being able to get a prescription for it, then going through diet restrictions that come as part of being habilitated under it (which already sounds extremely tough and tiring.. I'm just too lethargic to even imagine going into such a regiment), I still feel like I would come back to square one because I'm not able to talk/think/articulate things well. Earlier you said that I might be hanging out with the "wrong sort of people".. but that would pretty much include everyone I hang out with (which includes all sorts of people, from home, to work, to nightlife). This is a real problem that I just can't ignore.. increasing my mood and sense of well being won't fix the other problems I have.

Also, I think the other major portion of my problems in life in lethargy. I've always been very low-energy and lazy to do anything.. I just don't feel like I have the physical energy or will power - and this does not stem from depression, IMO. While depression feeds it, it's an underlying problem that is ever present - ever since I was in my early teens. My doctor (a general internist family doctor) simply keeps telling me to "stop worrying about it, people are different". But I just can't - this is the central problem to everything else - because I'm not energetic/willed enough to want to solve my problems? (Took me 2 days to "feel like" replying to you guys, perfect example of this right here.. extend this lethargy to the rest of my life and you see what it looks like). More and more, I feel like this is a dog eat dog world, and I will lose out if I can't figure out how to fix this. :/

Also, alcohol is the only thing that really gets me socially fluid, I really can not imagine giving it up completely when I go out. I never drink at home - it's only when I go out clubbing. Yes, many times it makes me drunk and say totally retarded things, and I barely ever get stupid drunk, but at the "right" balance - sometimes when I mix it with caffeine (or redbull), I feel like a social superstar - I feel like I have the energy and can come up with things that I would normally not come up with - because I'm less tired (as a result of caffeine?) and I'm mentally less inhibited to be creative (alcohol?)). I know it's ironic - but sometimes I feel more analytical (and accurately so) when I'm on a *slight* alcohol buzz than I ever am without it. Also, while I do get depressed after a night out drinking alcohol, this is really because of the social problems I've been talking about, not the alcohol itself (though, yes, alcohol does probably exacerbate it). The rare times my night somehow some way goes well, I am not depressed afterwards, at all.

At this point, I feel like anti-anxiety is something I should especially explore into - maybe by reducing my anxiety - I may feel less inhibited to be flexible+creative. Maybe some L-Theanine - I remember having Lipton tea that said on the label that it contained 10mg of Theanine, and feeling extremely relaxed after it.. Might also try Alpha-GPC, which people have said to have calming+positive mood effects on its own?

ryan474,
Man, that is something I am not sure I will ever be able to do. I'm just too lethargic, tired and energy-less to ever even see myself doing all the things you mentioned. :( (As I mentioned to Tubemode, above). Especially things like the Wake+Sleep+Light therapy, Gluten-free diet, etc are things that I feel I will never have the energy to put an effort into. I know all of this is a lot of work and I need to go through it, and I've heard this a lot - but this lethargy problem has been an ongoing one for me ever since early teens and I don't know how to get over it.

I have read The Power of Now already before (it's 1 out of about 5 books I've read from start to finish in my entire life). I had a lot of stress at one point and my doctor recommended reading it. While it did have anxiolytic effects, it didn't help me much because it did nothing for me in terms of improving my cognitive performance+analytical thinking so it was a little short lived. There were some quite interesting+profound things said in the book which was quite nice. But apart from that, I just can not read books - too much effort and I just feel tired even thinking about having to complete hundreds of pages. My lethargy is extreme and keeps me from doing a lot of things, let alone fixing any of my issues. :/ People say it's not easy and all that - but I wish I had the drive to even push myself to do it.. i just don't seem to.

I think sleep is something I should work on more - but it's so hard to get myself to go to bed early.

Also, recently I have noticed that ALCAR and PS somehow being syngeristically helping me being better with my speech - I feel a small tiny bit more confident - though sporadically - might be placebo, might not. I'm not sure at all really..

Edited by Templanoid, 05 November 2012 - 10:38 AM.

[RYAN474]

I understand, as you said, "I am just too lethargic, tired, and energy-less to even see even see myself doing all of the things you mentioned".

So was I. Its OK. But do yourself a favor and try using more productive language. Law of attraction, and the reticular activating system. If you never see yourself getting better, youll never get better.
Take one step at a time and you will get there. Doesnt have to be my steps, but keep moving forward. Your on the right track.

How bad do you want it? Do you really want to get better?

[Reborn]

Templanoid,

In case it helps, I wanted to offer a different perspective. First, here is the background that colors my advice: For my condition, medical community provided many wrong diagnoses over 15 wasted years. Wrong diagnoses included depression, ADD, sleep apnea, and age related fatigue among others. Doctors were very quick to offer medications (some which caused harm) but were completely absent when it came to any research or tracking down a root cause. On the contrary, they would insist that I take the medication before further exploration was warranted. Several prescriptions that were aimed to reduce symptoms (not the cause) where never filled. Also, I was told to sleep more & exercise more. However, I knew to my core that such an approach would not have made the difference.

For the most part, the medical community fought me the whole way and offered zero value. Not once did they take the time to truly investigate the source of my condition even though I tried to articulate why they were on the wrong track. I think this is a systemic problem that plagues most of the community. Interestingly, a couple of the doctors and one PA were my friends and/or professional acquaintances and my medical was mostly free. I should have been in a great position to get adequate help.

You can’t change history. However, had they listened and collaborated with me, then just maybe I could have 15 years of health instead of significant impairment. Ultimately had to conduct my own research, diagnose myself, and fix myself. Frankly, I should have done this sooner. Hopefully, the solution remains effective in the future as it is today.

Ok, here is my advice. Though medical community may help you and forum posters may help you, neither are guarantees. In parallel to these important efforts, my highest recommendation is that you conduct your own thorough research. Investigate objectively and become informed. The medical community will likely not do such research for you. The vast information on the internet is free. You know your symptoms better than anyone else. You are more motivated than anyone else. Be your own investigator. You may just find the root cause or help the medical community to provide an effective solution.

Edited by Reborn, 06 November 2012 - 05:27 AM.

[Templanoid]

Hi again everyone.

So I lapsed back into my lethargic/total lack of energy mode as you can see, because (yet again) did not feel energy+motivation to reply/respond here. I have not necessarily been depressed (some days I'm pretty content), but this behaviour is causing me a lot of harm, personally, producitivity wise and psychologically. I was feel so energy-less + lethargic that I did not even wish my grandfather on his birthday, eventhough I knew it. It sounds bad, it is, and I am still on the journey to find a fix.

Ryan474,
So that's the problem. I know I need it, but I don't "want" it bad enough because I lack the energy or the "drive" to. As I mentioned earlier.. I feel like there is no "fire" in me most of the time. I'm almost constantly "out of fuel".. so how would it be possible for me to get something I "need" without "wanting" it? I need to get better.. but I don't have the drive to.. so I always am in this constant state of limbo where I go on with life at a below average level.

Reborn,
Those are great words of advice. I can definitely see the merit in your message, and I hope PS works for you for a long time.. it looks like it should because it sems like that was what your physiology was lacking as a source of your energy. Hope you're doing ok with it so far.

Anyhow, I have been noticing+doing a couple of things that I thought I'll document here so maybe someone can help me figure it out (I have been planning on doing this for the whole last week, but did not for aforementioned reasons):

1. So I ran out of my Piracetam supply, but I have to say that I almost definitely felt the Piracetam effects - the vision enhancements in colour and clarity, sound/music enhancement and, my most needed+favourite one, enhanced verbal memory. I could (again, almost definitely) notice I got better at "pulling" or recalling appropriate words right on the spot when I was having conversations with people. Generally I don't speak that fast because I can't think of words and I have noticeable pauses in my sentences because I typically find it hard to think of words as I'm speaking with someone, but I could feel I used words that I normally wouldn't have that were descriptive and appropriate - this was truly godo and beneficial for me - as it helps me improve confidence in social situations and it adds to the positive feedback loop of being more confident and being better socially.. I just feel more socially adept when I can speak more sophisticatedly.

So I think the vision and sound enhancement have been gone.. the verbaql enhancement is still "somewhat" there.. but It is fading away.. I might have to re-supply Piracetam.. (but I also just got my sample shipments of Noopept and Aniracetam that I have yet to try)..

2. Modafinil: So I have been taking Modafinil on occasions.. and I have to say.. I feel Modafinil sometimes does not have any effect on me. I take Modalert (the generic from India that others have reported good experiences with), but the last time i took it.. I did not feel the "wakefullness" effect at all. I took one 200mg pill when I woke up.. but I was yawning throughout the day. I was feeling rather tired and lack of energy.. which is compeltely opposite of what Modafinil is supposed to do, no? Is there anything that might be wrong with how I am taking, or maybe with my physiology that makes me react that way to Modafinil?

3. Breakfast: This is something I always felt since a young age, but I always shovedit aside: I seem to feel better and more alert when I do not eat anything for my breakfast. I feel overall much better: I seem to have energy, good mood, etc., when I do not eat, as opposed to eating something in the morning. This probaly sounds strange, but I feel this is true. And it's not like I only have carbs for breakfast.. sometimes I have high protein diets or even just a couple of eggs. Anyhow, I have to admit that this experience is quite anecdotal, but I thought it was an interesting observation.

4. Sleepwise, I have installed sleep wake alarm clock on my phone that measures how long I sleep, and on average, it seems like I sleep about 6.5 to 7 hours per night, which is not as bas as I imagined, granted I might need more, but that won't be a possibility for the while.

Based on above info, perhaps some of you knowledgeable people have insight as to what I might be missing? Again, I'm open and willing to try different things. I really need a solution.. This "lack of fire" is what causes me to get back into bothersome depressive and non-productive episodes.. I need to get a job, but at the moemnt I have no energy to hunt at all.. I often just want to sleep or sit back and do nothing.

I also have a sample amount of Noopept and Aniracetam that I will try when I have a proper measuring scale to measure them (since they are in powder form).

As always, sorry if this sounds incoherent or unclear.. I know it's not too bad, but I might have been unclear or vague at some points.

Edit: I should mention, my current stack that I am taking is as follows:

Lecithin - 1200mg in the morning
Bacopa - 250mg in the morning and 250 mg at ngiht
Melatonin - 3mg at night
Vitamin B
L-Lysine - 1000mg
Vitamin D - 1000iu

Not an aggressive stack, but its what I take at the moment in efforts to maintain continuity (though I miss some doses or some days).

Edited by Templanoid, 22 November 2012 - 01:36 AM.

[Templanoid]

Also, I found one of my most recent blood test reports.. this is a very general one.. I have one more that had other results, but I can't seem to find it. Sorry for the Thai lettering, this was done when I went back home for holiday this past summer.

Attached Files

•  bt.jpg   178.06KB   31 downloads

[Reborn]

Has a physician tested you for low testosterone or do you have similar symptoms? Though not widely listed as symptoms, low testosterone can often cause brain fog, low energy, insomnia, and depression. It has even been shown to impair confidence. Ryan474 has also mentioned this as a possible cause.

Though I am not advocating to take the medication listed in the link below, it provides feedback from patients regarding the benefits when their low testosterone was boosted (can result in increased energy, mood, & concentration in some cases).

http://www.askapatie...5&name=ANDROGEL

I have no idea whether low testosterone is the cause of your symptoms; however, it may be worth taking a closer look. Also, low T could possibly be a contributing factor to your symptoms and yet not be the primary cause.

Good luck.

Edited by Reborn, 22 November 2012 - 05:08 AM.

[highchief]

Templanoid,

Your symptoms, even life situation, are/were quite similar to mine. Let me try to help.
Dextroamphetamine has already been mentioned but I'll mention it again. It works wonders for me. And I'm not the guy to say that about any other thing I've tried.
Funny thing is, While I discovered Dex more than a month ago, I still keep trying other supps. It's a bit of an OCD habit of mine. I'm doing it mainly because I don't want to rely on Dexedrine too much.
You've mentioned being worried about costs and I understand you. Let me ask you this; as an international student, aren't you required to have health insurance? I know for fact that this is true. Second, somebody else mentioned it already, but instead of spending your money on supps, invest that in a visit to a doc and a pharmacy. I believe you can find a way to get the money together. Do you eat out a lot? Cook your own food instead. Party/drink much? Do half of that for the next month.
Also, look up prescription savings cards/programs. Google lowrxcard. Saved me a bunch of $ with my last prescription.
I believe if you can find a way to save $100 you can get to a doc and have a prescription filled.

[BLimitless]

That was a brilliant post Templanoid, absolutely phenomenal. The effects of a perfectly timed & controlled circadian rhythm including controlling light exposure timing with military precision cannot be understated. Perfect sleep is as NZT as NZT gets.



You mention breakfast. Perhaps people of our type have evolved to be intermittent fasters. I practice IF and that helps massively. I do believe there might be something more to it than that, it points to stomach HCL production perhaps.

Try throwing in Magnesium into your supplement stack.

Edited by BLimitless, 10 January 2013 - 02:17 PM.

[kobokok]

Estimate your vital capacity with a balloon.

If it is not up to par with your weight and height, then get a spirometer and peak flow meter and work your way up.

[Templanoid]

I was on lethargic mode yet again, with my sleep cycle messed up (still is). But anyway, I recently got a job and I will start next month. This should help me more with the finances required for drugs/supps.

Templanoid,

Your symptoms, even life situation, are/were quite similar to mine. Let me try to help.
Dextroamphetamine has already been mentioned but I'll mention it again. It works wonders for me. And I'm not the guy to say that about any other thing I've tried.
Funny thing is, While I discovered Dex more than a month ago, I still keep trying other supps. It's a bit of an OCD habit of mine. I'm doing it mainly because I don't want to rely on Dexedrine too much.
You've mentioned being worried about costs and I understand you. Let me ask you this; as an international student, aren't you required to have health insurance? I know for fact that this is true. Second, somebody else mentioned it already, but instead of spending your money on supps, invest that in a visit to a doc and a pharmacy. I believe you can find a way to get the money together. Do you eat out a lot? Cook your own food instead. Party/drink much? Do half of that for the next month.
Also, look up prescription savings cards/programs. Google lowrxcard. Saved me a bunch of $ with my last prescription.
I believe if you can find a way to save $100 you can get to a doc and have a prescription filled.

l-dee, thanks for your post and the recommendation. Can you tell me a bit more about your condition and how your experience with Dexedrine is? I think, once I start my job, I will look into trying to get a prescription.. but what do I tell the doctor to be able to get one? I'm paranoid that my current symptoms are not enough to convince the doctor to give me a script.

The thing is.. I don't feel like stimulants will help me much.. it might raise my anxiety, dehydration, mind-racy-ness just like Ritalin used to. Also, I don't want to gain tolerance or get addicted to it.. I am not very familiar with the prescription savings/heath care programs in the US yet.. but I will look into lowrxcard, thanks for the suggestion.

That was a brilliant post Templanoid, absolutely phenomenal. The effects of a perfectly timed & controlled circadian rhythm including controlling light exposure timing with military precision cannot be understated. Perfect sleep is as NZT as NZT gets.



You mention breakfast. Perhaps people of our type have evolved to be intermittent fasters. I practice IF and that helps massively. I do believe there might be something more to it than that, it points to stomach HCL production perhaps.

Try throwing in Magnesium into your supplement stack.

BLimitless, I hate to say it, but knowing myself, I think the controlled light exposure and timing will be something I won't be able to do. :( I have very poor discipline (part of my condition) and am very bad at keeping routine.. so I think that might be a bit too far fetched for me to achieve at this point. :(

Regarding Magnesium, the multivitamin supplement I take has 100mg of Magnesium in it.. shouldn't that be ample? Or do I need to get some special form for Magnesium supplement?

Estimate your vital capacity with a balloon.

If it is not up to par with your weight and height, then get a spirometer and peak flow meter and work your way up.

Hi koboko, thanks, I'll look into that.

Edited by Templanoid, 31 January 2013 - 01:41 PM.

[BLimitless]

100mg of magnesium is nowhere near enough. Especially when it's one of the less bioavailable forms where you're actually getting like 2mg from a whole heap of dust but its advertised as the full RDA.

Try epsom salts, they will definitely work.. I've heard good things about a drink called Natural Calm as well.

[BioFreak]

sorry, I didn't read the whole thread but...

Also, you mention Modafinil is good for pronounced fatigue.. which I seem to have. I am always constantly fatigued and don't look stimulated at all.

Plus depression, plus lack of focus and concentration... You seem to have a general problem with your catecholamines. See, even if ritalin works for you, its just because you'll have more dopamine and noradrenaline ready in your brain, but you'll still, or maybe even more with ritalin, lack adrenaline. And noradrenaline and adrenaline are responsible for giving you energy.

I would strongly suggest to experiment with increasing catecholamines through tryosine and cofactors. Be advised though, that you may have to reduce your ritalin dosage if you are successful.
See an earlier post from me: http://www.longecity...post__p__562885

[highchief]

l-dee, thanks for your post and the recommendation. Can you tell me a bit more about your condition and how your experience with Dexedrine is? I think, once I start my job, I will look into trying to get a prescription.. but what do I tell the doctor to be able to get one? I'm paranoid that my current symptoms are not enough to convince the doctor to give me a script.

The thing is.. I don't feel like stimulants will help me much.. it might raise my anxiety, dehydration, mind-racy-ness just like Ritalin used to. Also, I don't want to gain tolerance or get addicted to it.. I am not very familiar with the prescription savings/heath care programs in the US yet.. but I will look into lowrxcard, thanks for the suggestion.

I feel like a have a spectrum of problems that I'm trying to deal with. I've come to realize that this is how my brainmind works:
I have expectations about how things should go. Not so much about things on the outside environment, more so about how I want my mind to function. As my mind rarely functions the way I want to, I get irritated, which after repeated exposure turns into disappointment, and then anxiety and depression. One of the things that don't go the way I want to is my ability to concentrate.
Then I take Dex, and for one, I'm able to concentrate better, which leads to me being a bit happier with myself. In addition, I'm more ok/less irritated when something doesn't go as planned, and don't get as bothered about it as without Dex. I'm able to enjoy more things as well.

Dexedrine Is the best thing I've taken for my anxiety so far. It mellows me quite nicely. There's some peripheral vasoconstriction but nothing too crazy. Adderall is worse; more peripheral effects, plus it turns me into a robot with no emotions.
Dexedrine allows me to access what I call normal emotions. I can feel joy and sadness, and I'm completely fine with feeling sadness, a lot better than anxiety and depression.

How you'd get a dex prescription from your doc depends. If the doc is the open type who is willing to listen, then you could just go ahead and say that you have trouble concentrating even on things that you think are interesting. My doc listens to me cause he noticed that I'm quite self aware and had done research on my own on different conditions and medications. I basically told him that I have 1.anxiety 2.depression 3.inability to concentrate. And that I don't know which one causes which, so I asked for a stimulant and something for anxiety and depression. He gave me Adderall first but I told him it wasnt that good. Tried Concerta after that, which was terrible, and then asked for Dexedrine, and been on that ever since.

[Templanoid]

Hi all,
Sorry for the lack of response - I recently got a job so I have been all over the place and busy.

So finally I have the option of getting insurance provided by my employer.. but I am very new to all this and I have tried to read a lot of insurance and still I am not sure exactly what kind of plan I should go for. There's the Cigna 90/70 plan, Cigna 80/60 (high savings account) plan, OAP plan and Kaier HMO plan.. what would be the best plan to go for if I wanted a constant prescription of something like Dexedrine? Would someone mind helping me or walking me through these? I would appreciate any help.

ldee: Thanks for your post, very well worded, I will try to pursure dexedrine after I select an insruance plan.

Edited by Templanoid, 21 February 2013 - 08:25 AM.