Question:

What are your thoughts on very dry skin, crack on fingers and heels, very dry scalp. Bruising easily.  ON Flovent 110, Atrovent, Serevent and Proventil as needed. Also Claritan D.  Am feeling much better and will soon decrease to eventual ceasing of Atrovent.   Thank you for your help. jane

Response:

What are your thoughts on very dry skin, crack on fingers and heels, very dry scalp. Bruising easily.  ON Flovent 110, Atrovent, Serevent and Proventil as needed. Also Claritan D…..

my skin still seems okay but my finger nails are very dry and brittle. I don’t think it is the meds. The decongestant in claritin may be dehydrating you a bit though – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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If you are able to use the MDI with spacer well then the neb machines are just a hassle, expense, and source of infection.

Source of infection…???  Please elaborate.

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If they are not well maintained some can harbor molds. If you are allergic to them it can be a problem. It was probably a little inaccurate of me to imply that you will get an actual lung infection as I don’t think this is common. Forgive me it was late. — Good Luck, CBI, M.D. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – If you are able to use the MDI with spacer well then the neb machines are just a hassle, expense, and source of infection. Source of infection…???  Please elaborate.

Response:

If I read your post right I think you are asking what a nebulizer is and if you may benefit from it. If not …. Sorry. A nebulizer is a machine that takes the medicine and makes a mist out of it. It takes about 10 minutes to take a single treatment. The "nebs" do deliver more drug to the lower respiratory tree (lungs). The question is; does this make a difference, or ; do you need the extra amount of drug. The answer is probably not. Studies that looked at relative dose have found that 2.5 mg of albuterol nebulized is about equal to ten puffs of the MDI with spacer. Studies looking at effect and outcome find three or four puffs with spacer to be equally effective as nebs. I put this apparent discrepancy together by theorizing that the extra drug above four puffs doesn’t add much. If you are able to use the MDI with spacer well then the neb machines are just a hassle, expense, and source of infection. People in extreme distress cannot use the MDI well and need a neb. — Good Luck, CBI, M.D.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I take Flovent 110, two puffs twice a day.  That usually controls my symptons. I also take allergy shots.  When my asathma  acts up, I also take an inhaled albuterol.  In the past the doctor has prescribed a couple of prednisone bursts when that did not work, and that brought everything under control.  Not real frequent — my last burst was 14 months ago.  Should I be using a nebulizer when the inhaled meds don’t seem to knock it out?  What exactly is a nebulizer and what are the pros and cons.  In the past my asthma seems to have been triggered by cold or flu viruses or cold temperatures, but I think this spring I am getting my first allergy one — everything is blooming here in Iowa, the spring flowers are glorious,  the flowering trees are glorious and the air is full of pollen.  Any thoughts or comments?  I will see my allergist shortly — he left town for two weeks. Kathy from Iowa

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To my doctor the cons of having an at home nebulizer outway the pros.  Using a nebulizer gives you the same medication as an inhaled albuterol inhaler.  This is the same medicne that they usually give me when I need to visit the ER.  The thing about using albuterol in high doses is that it really speeds up your heart rate, something that you might want monitered by the ER staff.  Seccondly at the ER they add extra oxygen to their nebulizers.  This may not help your astma symptoms much, but it is really nice to get some oxygen after having an 80% blood oxygen level when you come in the door.  The third advantage of going to the ER instead of having an at home nebulizer is that in the ER they can give you intravenus steroids.  Although I hate to get them because of the side effects, this works a lot faster than calling your doctor and having him prescribe you a prednisone burst. To me going to the ER at 3:00 in the morning is a real pain.  I live 11 miles from the hospital, which is about a 25 minute drive.  Once you get there they treat you like an idoit, make you put on a gown, start drawing blood, and then after they hook you up to a blood oxygen monitor finaly realize that you are having a severe astma attack start giving you nebulizer treatments.   All of this is annoying, but  when my breathing is so bad that my albuterol inhaler isn’t working I am glad to have the doctors close at hand.

Response:

I take Flovent 110, two puffs twice a day.  That usually controls my symptons. I also take allergy shots.  When my asathma  acts up, I also take an inhaled albuterol.  In the past the doctor has prescribed a couple of prednisone bursts when that did not work, and that brought everything under control.  Not real frequent — my last burst was 14 months ago.  Should I be using a nebulizer when the inhaled meds don’t seem to knock it out?  What exactly is a nebulizer and what are the pros and cons.  In the past my asthma seems to have been triggered by cold or flu viruses or cold temperatures, but I think this spring I am getting my first allergy one — everything is blooming here in Iowa, the spring flowers are glorious,  the flowering trees are glorious and the air is full of pollen.  Any thoughts or comments?  I will see my allergist shortly — he left town for two weeks. Kathy from Iowa

Response:

I take Flovent 110, two puffs twice a day.  That usually controls my symptons. I also take allergy shots.  When my asathma  acts up, I also take an inhaled albuterol.  In the past the doctor has prescribed a couple of prednisone bursts when that did not work, and that brought everything under control.  Not real frequent — my last burst was 14 months ago.  Should I be using a nebulizer when the inhaled meds don’t seem to knock it out?  What exactly is a nebulizer and what are the pros and cons.  In the past my asthma seems to have been triggered by cold or flu viruses or cold temperatures, but I think this spring I am getting my first allergy one — everything is blooming here in Iowa, the spring flowers are glorious,  the flowering trees are glorious and the air is full of pollen.  Any thoughts or comments?  I will see my allergist shortly — he left town for two weeks.

What you and your doctor need to do is sit down and work out a detailed treatment plan on when and how to use your rescue medications, when to call the ER, etc.  This is often tied to a PFM, with certain actions being taken when your flows drop below certain levels. Chris Owens

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I take Flovent 110, two puffs twice a day.  That usually controls my symptons. I also take allergy shots.  When my asathma  acts up, I also take an inhaled albuterol.  In the past the doctor has prescribed a couple of prednisone bursts when that did not work, and that brought everything under control.  Not real frequent — my last burst was 14 months ago.  Should I be using a nebulizer when the inhaled meds don’t seem to knock it out?  What exactly is a nebulizer and what are the pros and cons.  In the past my asthma seems to have been triggered by cold or flu viruses or cold temperatures, but I think this spring I am getting my first allergy one — everything is blooming here in Iowa, the spring flowers are glorious,  the flowering trees are glorious and the air is full of pollen.  Any thoughts or comments?  I will see my allergist shortly — he left town for two weeks. Kathy from Iowa

Hi Kathy, My family , all of us have asthma. My husband has had it all his life, but when he was younger they called it everything but asthma. My son has had asthma since he was 2. I was diagnosed last fall with asthma. We have a nebulizer and all of us have benefitted from it too. We also have a portable nebulizer that runs off a battery. We tend to use the nebulizer when we don’t seem to be getting much relief from the regular inhaler. If you use the nebulizer it delivers the medication to your lungs alot better than an inhaler will. Also we double the flovent and that sometimes helps. There are times when prednisone is also to be used. I would not be with out a nebulizer at all. My son does complain that it takes longer, but the benefits are worth it. Good luck. Susanne Loud

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Question:

napi said: "The reason I wrote was for any other ways of getting his motivation up so when he gets his grades back and gets back to gymnastics, he will still have the motivation to continue to do his work." I would urge you, as strongly as I can, to NOT look at this as a motivation issue.

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I would urge you, as strongly as I can, to NOT look at this as a motivation issue. Napi is asking:

What kind of issue is it?  I am pulling at strings here.  I am wondering, why it wouldn’t be a motivational problem when he can discuss things and do reports that are interesting to him? I don’t know what you mean.

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"What kind of issue is it?  I am pulling at strings here.  I am wondering, why it wouldn’t be a motivational problem when he can discuss things and do reports that are interesting to him? I don’t know what you mean." Because this "interest" thing is a "red herring" when it comes to ADHD. We don’t choose what we’re interested in. The topic or activity chooses us. By that I mean –we have a narrower path we can walk on these things. The topic has to go to strong interests of ours, feed into a talent or ability of ours — some special quality has to be there. We can’t get interested in the causes of WWII just because the history teacher assigned it. It’s very hard to explain if you don’t have ADHD, but it isn’t motivation, and it isn’t "choice."

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Hi.  I am new here.  can you help me with the hundreds of questions I have about diagnosing ADD?  My son is 8 and we have started testing him. After filling out surveys, meeting with teachers,  and going to the doctor,I am still very unsure about the whole thing. ( so is the doc.) The school seems convinced he has ADD but I’m not.  I want to do everything I possibly can for my son. But how do you really know its ADD? I hear other parents know without a doubt and are thankful for meds.  any advice or opinions would be priceless.  Sorry this note is going to be so long but I wanted to comment on the sports thing.  Both my kids have been in tae kwon do for about a month.  I think it is an excellent program that ADDers can benifit from.  They have a unique way of motivating a kid(or adult) if you go to the right school. I wont ramble on with all the details but its worth checking into.

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He knows about his condition.  There is a wonderful site called brain wiring on the web.  We looked at it and there was an interesting article about how ADDers are more like the hunters of old,  focus had to shift easily and lots of other cool things that made hime feel better.  We took him out temporarily from sports.  When he brings his classwork to present and for 2 weeks of getting all work done, he can go back to his sport.  It is not a team like sport so the gym knows what is going on and has a place still for him.  He has a plan on the fridge door and knows his chores.  He does them.  The only problem we are having is school work.  It isn’t wierd, I know, but it makes him feel different.  Knowing that he has no ambition for this school thing.  He wants to be a scientist when he grows up and we keep informing him that he needs school to get where he wants to be.  He understands, just doesn’t want to go through the steps to get there.

Just a comment here…. I did original scientific research even tho it wasn’t the field in which I obtained a degree.  With luck and brains (and more LUCK!) he/she may get to do what he wants. I did a tremendous amount of reading in the field I found most interesting, on my own time, but it paid off.

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I would like to thank you all for all of your input.  The discontinuing sports is only going to be temporary.  Maybe 3 weeks.  He is in gymnastics. His place in class is being held.  I do realize that sports are very important to him and to me.  I love to see him excel in something he loves. Not many ADDer children get a chance to smile at school because they have been "pegged" as a bad kid or for not listening.  It is wonderful to see him go wild and have fun and not get in trouble for being active.  And that it should not be taken away.  So we told him that the sport is on hold for his classwork.  He knows and understands what his fast little brain is going through.  He is smart enough and has been taught cause and effect.  He understands that the act of not getting his work done will effect his ability to go and do something he loves.  As it stands right now, he was taken out on Jan 12th.  His back class work is almost current and he is doing his best in class to get things turned in on time.  Sports was used as a last resort.  We tried to give him as much possibilities for bringing up his classwork.  Since he has been out of sports, that is the only thing that did motivate him to buckle down, and get it done. The reason I wrote was for any other ways of getting his motivation up so when he gets his grades back and gets back to gymnastics, he will still have the motivation to continue to do his work. I do again thank you  and if anyone has any suggestions still, I would love to hear them.

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I have read that as a general rule, rewards and punishments do not work well for ADD children. They sure didn’t for us. ADDers sometimes simply *can’t* do the work–motivated or not.

I think this is a very valid statement:  At least in my own ADD experience, I have found that all too often, the very academic subject areas in which I am MOST interested and/or initially excited about turn out to be the areas in which I have the most trouble staying focused, completing the work, keeping up.  I don’t know why this is; it certainly doesn’t make sense.  Actually, I do in fact have a theory or two as to why I do this, but it’s kind of hard to explain… Furthermore, I wanted to comment on the following: "Not to be flip, but I do not have ADD, and when I’m not interested in something, I don’t have much motivation either. So, to me, this actually sounds normal." I think you’re very right in pointing this out, Nancy.  In the past, you have stated yourself that often, ADDers posting in here can get a bit carried away in their analysis of personality types, behaviors, ways of thinking, etc…. And as a result, there seems to be a tendency to over-classify such traits as being completely ADD-related, when in fact they aren’t uncommon traits among the general population.   I’m not trying to criticize or anything – I know that I personally tend to observe a quirk of mine, and then assume that it is a part of my ADD, even though it may not be… and then sometimes, it’s just really hard to tell… So anyway, Nancy, I just wanted to let you know, that I really appriciate having the non-ADDer point of view on certain topics — It helps keep things in perspective megan

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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Have you tried discussing with him what his condition is? Also, if he is shown how learning can help him in the future, with an example of how he would benefit it might get him to see the big picture. Additionally, helping you son to schedule his days can help to keep him on a path of remembering, and prioritizing certain daily activites that need to be accomplished.  Placing the schedule in a place that is plain view (i.e. the frig, or on his door) will also help with accountability.  However, taking him out of sports may have an affect on his motivation.  If he has no serious physical outlet where he can see some form of progress, or strive towards a goal that he can reach physically, then he will have no motivation for those things that are more cerebral than physical, thusly he will not completely grasp complex concepts, unless he has a desire to do so. Just some thoughts from an old ADD’er He knows about his condition.  There is a wonderful site called brain

wiring on the web.  We looked at it and there was an interesting article about how ADDers are more like the hunters of old,  focus had to shift easily and lots of other cool things that made hime feel better.  We took him out temporarily from sports.  When he brings his classwork to present and for 2 weeks of getting all work done, he can go back to his sport.  It is not a team like sport so the gym knows what is going on and has a place still for him.  He has a plan on the fridge door and knows his chores.  He does them.  The only problem we are having is school work.  It isn’t wierd, I know, but it makes him feel different.  Knowing that he has no ambition for this school thing.  He wants to be a scientist when he grows up and we keep informing him that he needs school to get where he wants to be.  He understands, just doesn’t want to go through the steps to get there.

Response:

Hi!! I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.

Not to be flip, but I do not have ADD, and when I’m not interested in something, I don’t have much motivation either. So, to me, this actually sounds normal.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.

My 16 yo ADD son has always been active in sports (since he was a preschooler.) When I have talked to different school counselors and to doctors over the years about the wisdom of taking him out of sports (hoping that would either: 1. motivate him to work harder in school, or 2. spend more time on his school work), *every* advisor said, "Don’t do it. He needs sports." Yes, school should come first, but school isn’t everything. Physical activities, like sports, aren’t *rewards.* They should be part of every child’s life. All kids should have a physical outlet. Kids like my son especially need the physical outlet. Sports provide that AND structure, and supervision. Sports taught him lessons in cooperation and teamwork, good sportsmanship, responsibility, grace under pressure, working hard for a goal. Sports gave my son a chance to be successful. A boost to his self-esteem and self-confidence. Something he needs after the mental and psychological exhaustion of trying to deal with academics. Also, at least in our case, taking away something he liked to motivate him to do something he didn’t, never worked. We did take away some other things he liked, like TV. But, eventually, we had taken away just about everything that gave him some joy, and all he had, except for sports, was a life of dreary (to him) school work and chores. No wonder he felt so bad. Sports just got my son his first two jobs. He referees youth soccer games and he has just been hired as a soccer instructor. He loves both jobs! It’s wonderful to see him so enthusiastic about working.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.

I have read that as a general rule, rewards and punishments do not work well for ADD children. They sure didn’t for us. ADDers sometimes simply *can’t* do the work–motivated or not. They also have difficulty linking actions to consequences.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

I wish I could offer you a solution. So many of us have struggled with academic issues. Maybe it’s time for you and the school to revisit his IEP if he has one, or his 504 plan. Sounds like he may need more classroom support and accommodations. Nancy Unique, like everyone else

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napi said: "This is me again.  Nothing out of the ordinary is going on at home.  He does his chores.  He loves animals.  He plays when his homework is done.  He is a normal 10 year old boy.  We thought he was depressed.  So we took him to psychiatrists.  They said he is not.  Which is good.  We do not want him on more medication than absolutely necessary.  We thought putting him in a sport he was interested in would help.  It didn’t work, now he is not in sports because of his grades." Please — this is a DEVASTATINGLY bad outcome. I urge you to rethink the notion that you "don’t want him on more medication than absolutely necessary." If meds will help here — they really sound ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to me… this is a terrible experience for your son he’s going through.

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The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation. A common feature of ADD is that ADDers very nearly *can’t* pay attention when they aren’t interested.  Providing rewards won’t change it, because it isn’t about not caring or not wanting to do well.

       Nod, but meds do help this with me, at least.   At that point, I *CAN*, even if I don’t really want to.  It can be hard to tell the "damn, but I really don’t want to do this" from the "damn, I’m trying to do this and can’t".

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi!! I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thank you This is me again.  Nothing out of the ordinary is going on at home.  He does his chores.  He loves animals.  He plays when his homework is done.  He is a normal 10 year old boy.  We thought he was depressed.  So we took him to psychiatrists.  They said he is not.  Which is good.  We do not want him on more medication than absolutely necessary.  We thought putting him in a sport he was interested in would help.  It didn’t work, now he is not in sports because of his grades. He does get punished when he does wrong.  But he doesn’t get spankings. Only for the fact that he is getting older and talking about what needs to be done for punishment seems to make him think more about what he has done. As I have said before, he gets his medication [Dexedrine 10mg bid] and he seems to be ok for quieting down.  He just doesn’t have any motivation when not interested.  Behavior modifications include leneancy regarding writing [print not cursive], doing less written work more verbal, frequent "rest periods" at home from work.  Don’t get me wrong, we don’t baby him, we just know that simple modifications help focus.  But not lately.  It is like he has grown out of modifications.  Do you get what I mean?

Have you tried discussing with him what his condition is? Also, if he is shown how learning can help him in the future, with an example of how he would benefit it might get him to see the big picture. Additionally, helping you son to schedule his days can help to keep him on a path of remembering, and prioritizing certain daily activites that need to be accomplished.  Placing the schedule in a place that is plain view (i.e. the frig, or on his door) will also help with accountability.  However, taking him out of sports may have an affect on his motivation.  If he has no serious physical outlet where he can see some form of progress, or strive towards a goal that he can reach physically, then he will have no motivation for those things that are more cerebral than physical, thusly he will not completely grasp complex concepts, unless he has a desire to do so. Just some thoughts from an old ADD’er

Response:

" A common feature of ADD is that ADDers very nearly *can’t* pay attention when they aren’t interested.  Providing rewards won’t change it, because it isn’t about not caring or not wanting to do well.        Nod, but meds do help this with me, at least.   At that point, I *CAN*, even if I don’t really want to.  It can be hard to tell the "damn, but I really don’t want to do this" from the "damn, I’m trying to do this and can’t".

And also, one shades into the other.  There’s the area where "I could do this if I threw every ounce of effort at it, but it isn’t important enough for that."" I find this a very interesting conversation because I have students on my caseload with ADHD and have observed this in a couple of them. Instead of calling them lazy (I am pretty sure that wouldn’t improve things — smile) I have told them — "Look, you have ADHD, and this is one of the things ADHD can do to you — it can keep you from getting interested in an assignment you have to do." This is particularly a problem in longer assignments, and my students will read and write about one topic for weeks at a time… So we are actively working together to find personal devices they can use to increase their interest in a necessary but uninteresting task.

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I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.

I just wanted to say this may not be the best idea.   Physical activity is very important for ADDers.  It helps them focus and burn off the stress of life.

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I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.

"I just wanted to say this may not be the best idea.   Physical activity is very important for ADDers.  It helps them focus and burn off the  stress of life." I absolutely agree.  I don’t know how I would have gotten through high school if I hadn’t been involved in sports.  I know that competitive athletics benefited me on several levels:  Besides being an excellent stress outlet and just plain healthy, it provided me with more confidence than anything probably has in my life yet.  Also, it allowed for some great social/friendship delvelopments.   Something else not to overlook is the discipline and the **structure** that comes with athletic training and being on a team.  THAT is definitely something that I lacked (but craved) in the rest of my life, but quickly embraced when it came to sports. megan

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Hi EmmaAnne, My own personal experience would dictate that you keep your child in sports if at all possible. Of course this is only one person’s observation, but clearly my 17 yo son did much better in school while participating in football last fall.  At the conclusion of the season and for 2 full weeks, he didn’t turn in any homework what-so-ever.  Needless to say he dropped from an A-B student to a D-E(F) in a real short order. I always figured that sports were a real great thing for him (social, esteem and fitness), but I never witnessed such a clear direct relationship between sports and grades.  It just caught me off guard when the football season ended and he suddenly didn’t have that to kinda anchor his life. Hopefully you will have a better experience than I.  My general advice to ADD parents is to keep the kids busy!!! FWIW. Regards,

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have taken him out of sports because of his grades. I just wanted to say this may not be the best idea.   Physical activity is very important for ADDers.  It helps them focus and burn off the stress of life.

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation. A common feature of ADD is that ADDers very nearly *can’t* pay attention when they aren’t interested.  Providing rewards won’t change it, because it isn’t about not caring or not wanting to do well.        Nod, but meds do help this with me, at least.   At that point, I *CAN*, even if I don’t really want to.  It can be hard to tell the "damn, but I really don’t want to do this" from the "damn, I’m trying to do this and can’t".

And also, one shades into the other.  There’s the area where "I could do this if I threw every ounce of effort at it, but it isn’t important enough for that."

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decided it would be nice to share this stuff with the rest of us: —-I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his —-teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when —-school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, —-participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he —-is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & —-pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades. I told him —-when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of —-things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out —-with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there. I have —-asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the —-lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he —-likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, —-my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what —-we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a —-day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though. Please if —-anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. —- —-If anyone’s got help for this, I’d like to know, as I’m extremely —-unmotivated as well.  I just can’t be bothered to put much effort int —-things I don’t like.  Threats or incentives are absolutely useless. —-Everything is, it seems.   My parents tried both threats and incentives, the reality is, I’m as stubborn as most Germans can be and the ADD helps me dig in even more This Kid is just being difficult, what else is going on at home? I kinda feel that you are telling me your kid is getting wet, and you forgot to tell me that he is standing in the rain, so I can’t be of much assistance. "Education is the Progressive Discovery of our own Ignorance" -Will Durant "People who read the Tabloids deserve to be lied to" —     Jerry Seinfeld "You don’t Know what you got ’till it’s Gone" —            Joni Mitchell "I’m Just a soul whose intentions are Good … " — Eric Burden

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The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.

A common feature of ADD is that ADDers very nearly *can’t* pay attention when they aren’t interested.  Providing rewards won’t change it, because it isn’t about not caring or not wanting to do well. — "Why do they call you the Warrior Princess?" "Ceasar was already taken" Xena: Warrior Princess

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. If anyone’s got help for this, I’d like to know, as I’m extremely unmotivated as well.  I just can’t be bothered to put much effort int things I don’t like.  Threats or incentives are absolutely useless. Everything is, it seems.

Exactly!!!  My son gets behavior modification (leaway) and still nothing.

Response:

Hi!! I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thank you

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi!! I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thank you

This is me again.  Nothing out of the ordinary is going on at home.  He does his chores.  He loves animals.  He plays when his homework is done.  He is a normal 10 year old boy.  We thought he was depressed.  So we took him to psychiatrists.  They said he is not.  Which is good.  We do not want him on more medication than absolutely necessary.  We thought putting him in a sport he was interested in would help.  It didn’t work, now he is not in sports because of his grades. He does get punished when he does wrong.  But he doesn’t get spankings.

Only for the fact that he is getting older and talking about what needs to be done for punishment seems to make him think more about what he has done. As I have said before, he gets his medication [Dexedrine 10mg bid] and he seems to be ok for quieting down.  He just doesn’t have any motivation when not interested.  Behavior modifications include leneancy regarding writing [print not cursive], doing less written work more verbal, frequent "rest periods" at home from work.  Don’t get me wrong, we don’t baby him, we just know that simple modifications help focus.  But not lately.  It is like he has grown out of modifications.  Do you get what I mean?

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – First question–what treatment is he receiving? — — — John Reply to jclarke at eye bee em dot net Hi!! I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thank you

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it.

If anyone’s got help for this, I’d like to know, as I’m extremely unmotivated as well.  I just can’t be bothered to put much effort int things I don’t like.  Threats or incentives are absolutely useless. Everything is, it seems.  

Response:

First question–what treatment is he receiving? — — — John Reply to jclarke at eye bee em dot net

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi!! I’m new here and have a 10 year old with ADHD.  He is smart a whip, both his teachers and the principal at school say so.  He has interests, and when school is talking about something he is interested in, he listens, participates, and is exteremely vocal is discussion.  The problem is when he is not interested, he has no motivation.  Can someone help with ideas & pointers?  I have taken him out of sports because of his grades.  I told him when he gets his grades up, he can go back.  I have tried a rainbow of things for encouragement, king for a day, movie day, out with mom day, out with dad day, computer time, etc.  The motivation is not there.  I have asked the school to try and tie things in that he is interested in with the lessons.  Its just that not all,or most, kids like the subjects that he likes.  So they really cannot do that.  None of us (school, my son, myself, my husband) would like to see him be retained this year.  But that is what we are looking at if he doesn’t work hard.  I work with him at least 1hr a day with back work and extra credit.  It may not help though.  Please if anyone has any suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thank you

Response:

Gee, for as second I thought I’d written all of this. Randor

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – <<A cheapo kitchen count down timer does wonder for me, 1. The impending doom of not getting my 1 or 2 minute task done before the darn thing starts beeping gives me a sense of immediate stress that I crave 2. The stress causes me to work in hyperactive overdrive, which I love. 3. It’s very useful in keeping me from going into Internet hyperfocus. Set it for 20 minutes and struggle to get your e-mail read.  Set it for 5 minutes and I’m less likely to open up 15 Washington Post or NY Times articles. 4. If I want to get off the computer no later than a certain time at night, I can set it for a longer term ‘fun’ time and still get to bed before dawn. Now where the hell did I last see it? Mujibar –Yep–a kitchen timer is one of the few things that works for me.  Even today when I did have lots of time to do stuff it was tough after about 2 hours to do much–I had finished all the fun stuff… oops! –It’s the working on boring stuff that is tough–the problem is that working on papers actually takes organized thought–and that tends to get strenuous–the researching it and performing the experiments are fun and lots of variety–organizing it into a paper is BORING… –Hmmm–any way that a kitchen timer makes things less boring?! –RV

Response:

<< –Hmmm–any way that a kitchen timer makes things less boring?! –RV

_______ Blog, or dog? Who knows. But if you see my lost pup, please ping me! http://journals.aol.com/virginiaz/DreamingofLeonardo                   \  - –  //

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – << –Hmmm–any way that a kitchen timer makes things less boring?! –RV _______ Blog, or dog? Who knows. But if you see my lost pup, please ping me! http://journals.aol.com/virginiaz/DreamingofLeonardo                   \  - –  //

Depends how you use it I suppose

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : The other is lock yourself in a room with some food and access to a : bathroom and *nothing else to do* and work like a maniac for eight hours : or so.  I have only done this once or twice in my life, for obvious : reasons, but it works amazingly well for true emergencies. : I’m trying to get two years worth of incompleates in philosophy classes done : over this summer so I can graduate.  I leave the house maybe twice a week. : I’ve been putting in 12-14 hours a day.  I have tons of stuff to reread, : and I’ve always been a slow reader.  I’m making headway though.  I try and : keep the modem unplugged or start some huge download so I can’t use the net : while I’m working. To your list of bathroom access and food, I add a tin of : the strongest pipe tobacco I can stand (Dunhill Nightcap works nicely), dr God i miss smoking sometimes. Ever tried Gitanes (from France)? The nicotine rush is enough to blow one’s head off. Three puffs and i’m ready to pass out.

I lived in France for a number of years in the 60s.  I smoked Gauloises, Gitanes and Gitanes Papier Ma

Question:

Hello. I am a Canadian female, mid-40s, married, an at-home mother. I have diabetes type 2 since Dec. 1999, have suffered from depression for perhaps seven years now, and have been tentatively diagnosed with Bipolar 2 this past March by a psychiatrist. The doctor recommended I add Wellbrutin S.R. (150 mg x a day) to the Effexor XR (150 mg x a day) . I didn’t think that either meds were working, until earlier last week when my libido kicked in. (I was ‘neutral’, so to speak, for many months.) It was quite a pleasant experience for my husband and I. But then, within a few days, it’s as if my increased libido "overtook" me and I began to flirt (playfully, I would say, but with sexual overtones) with various men, men I didn’t even know, in a chat group.  Without revealing too many details, one of these flirty episodes turned out badly yesterday evening. I took this *very* badly, and it triggered an episode of self-injury, something I hadn’t done in over twenty years. Along with the seemingly never-ending tears, I began to scratch – using my own fingernails – my upper and lower back, my upper chest, my breasts, my waist and parts of my legs. This crying/scratching last over one hour, until my husband’s 2nd attempt to calm me down worked. I share all of this with you not to be condemned, but to ask if the oral meds I am taking could be responsible for (1) my increased libido (where previously there was almost none), (2) this urge to flirt with strangers, and (3) thoughts and actions of self-injury. Thank you for listening. — Yvonne

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello. I am a Canadian female, mid-40s, married, an at-home mother. I have diabetes type 2 since Dec. 1999, have suffered from depression for perhaps seven years now, and have been tentatively diagnosed with Bipolar 2 this past March by a psychiatrist. The doctor recommended I add Wellbrutin S.R. (150 mg x a day) to the Effexor XR (150 mg x a day) . I didn’t think that either meds were working, until earlier last week when my libido kicked in. (I was ‘neutral’, so to speak, for many months.) It was quite a pleasant experience for my husband and I. But then, within a few days, it’s as if my increased libido "overtook" me and I began to flirt (playfully, I would say, but with sexual overtones) with various men, men I didn’t even know, in a chat group. Without revealing too many details, one of these flirty episodes turned out badly yesterday evening. I took this *very* badly, and it triggered an episode of self-injury, something I hadn’t done in over twenty years. Along with the seemingly never-ending tears, I began to scratch – using my own fingernails – my upper and lower back, my upper chest, my breasts, my waist and parts of my legs. This crying/scratching last over one hour, until my husband’s 2nd attempt to calm me down worked. I share all of this with you not to be condemned, but to ask if the oral meds I am taking could be responsible for (1) my increased libido (where previously there was almost none), (2) this urge to flirt with strangers, and (3) thoughts and actions of self-injury. Thank you for listening. To me, and I am in no way a doctor, it would seem that it is possible that the anti-depressants that you are taking are throwing you into a manic episode (it’s a common occurrence). If your pdoc thinks that you are bipolar then he should add a mood stabilizer into the mix. I suggest that you call him immediately and let him know what’s going on. Good luck Thank you for responding, Hilaire, and for your advice. I hadn’t thought of the possibility of a manic episode. I saw my case-worker today and she said the same thing you did, plus she told me to stop taking the Wellbutrin. She’s also scheduled me for an "emergency" appointment to see the psychiatrist tomorrow (instead of waiting for the one I had for June 4th) to see what type of med would be better suited for my condition. I’m feeling somewhat better this evening, but the need to rock back and forth and to keep my body in some kind of motion is still with me. As well, I am extremely tired as if I haven’t slept in days. But, at least I know it’s only a few more hours before I see the psychiatrist. Again, thank you for replying. No problem It sounds like you’ve got a good case worker. I also thought you should stop taking the Wellbutrin, but would never give out that advice on-line. Let us know how it goes. BTW – Wellbutrin made me wildly manic within a couple of hours of taking it for the first time. Hilaire WOW! For years I thought I was weird, have had many similar circumstances and at that time I was undiagnosed and manic. Whew, it was good to hear another woman stating that the same stuff happened with her. Definitely do something about the meds, you can’t go through life wrapped in gauze and afraid to talk to men for fear of the repercussions. Sounds like you have a very supportive husband girl, it takes a lot for our men to stay through the worst, but the best will come. My best to you and yours, Tanja

when taking wellbutrin,i was irritable(imagine that)so that my case manager thretened to resign.& i was flirtatious(to say how successful might be embarassing).what you’re experiencing might be related to medications,or you could be getting a bit hypo- or manic.I’m bd 1 but the effects are similiar,some enjoyable.Harry("not well")

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello. I am a Canadian female, mid-40s, married, an at-home mother. I have diabetes type 2 since Dec. 1999, have suffered from depression for perhaps seven years now, and have been tentatively diagnosed with Bipolar 2 this past March by a psychiatrist. The doctor recommended I add Wellbrutin S.R. (150 mg x a day) to the Effexor XR (150 mg x a day) . I didn’t think that either meds were working, until earlier last week when my libido kicked in. (I was ‘neutral’, so to speak, for many months.) It was quite a pleasant experience for my husband and I. But then, within a few days, it’s as if my increased libido "overtook" me and I began to flirt (playfully, I would say, but with sexual overtones) with various men, men I didn’t even know, in a chat group. Without revealing too many details, one of these flirty episodes turned out badly yesterday evening. I took this *very* badly, and it triggered an episode of self-injury, something I hadn’t done in over twenty years. Along with the seemingly never-ending tears, I began to scratch – using my own fingernails – my upper and lower back, my upper chest, my breasts, my waist and parts of my legs. This crying/scratching last over one hour, until my husband’s 2nd attempt to calm me down worked. I share all of this with you not to be condemned, but to ask if the oral meds I am taking could be responsible for (1) my increased libido (where previously there was almost none), (2) this urge to flirt with strangers, and (3) thoughts and actions of self-injury. Thank you for listening. To me, and I am in no way a doctor, it would seem that it is possible that the anti-depressants that you are taking are throwing you into a manic episode (it’s a common occurrence). If your pdoc thinks that you are bipolar then he should add a mood stabilizer into the mix. I suggest that you call him immediately and let him know what’s going on. Good luck Thank you for responding, Hilaire, and for your advice. I hadn’t thought of the possibility of a manic episode. I saw my case-worker today and she said the same thing you did, plus she told me to stop taking the Wellbutrin. She’s also scheduled me for an "emergency" appointment to see the psychiatrist tomorrow (instead of waiting for the one I had for June 4th) to see what type of med would be better suited for my condition. I’m feeling somewhat better this evening, but the need to rock back and forth and to keep my body in some kind of motion is still with me. As well, I am extremely tired as if I haven’t slept in days. But, at least I know it’s only a few more hours before I see the psychiatrist. Again, thank you for replying.

No problem It sounds like you’ve got a good case worker. I also thought you should stop taking the Wellbutrin, but would never give out that advice on-line. Let us know how it goes. BTW – Wellbutrin made me wildly manic within a couple of hours of taking it for the first time. Hilaire

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello. I am a Canadian female, mid-40s, married, an at-home mother. I have diabetes type 2 since Dec. 1999, have suffered from depression for perhaps seven years now, and have been tentatively diagnosed with Bipolar 2 this past March by a psychiatrist. The doctor recommended I add Wellbrutin S.R. (150 mg x a day) to the Effexor XR (150 mg x a day) . I didn’t think that either meds were working, until earlier last week when my libido kicked in. (I was ‘neutral’, so to speak, for many months.) It was quite a pleasant experience for my husband and I. But then, within a few days, it’s as if my increased libido "overtook" me and I began to flirt (playfully, I would say, but with sexual overtones) with various men, men I didn’t even know, in a chat group. Without revealing too many details, one of these flirty episodes turned out badly yesterday evening. I took this *very* badly, and it triggered an episode of self-injury, something I hadn’t done in over twenty years. Along with the seemingly never-ending tears, I began to scratch – using my own fingernails – my upper and lower back, my upper chest, my breasts, my waist and parts of my legs. This crying/scratching last over one hour, until my husband’s 2nd attempt to calm me down worked. I share all of this with you not to be condemned, but to ask if the oral meds I am taking could be responsible for (1) my increased libido (where previously there was almost none), (2) this urge to flirt with strangers, and (3) thoughts and actions of self-injury. Thank you for listening. To me, and I am in no way a doctor, it would seem that it is possible that the anti-depressants that you are taking are throwing you into a manic episode (it’s a common occurrence). If your pdoc thinks that you are bipolar then he should add a mood stabilizer into the mix. I suggest that you call him immediately and let him know what’s going on. Good luck Thank you for responding, Hilaire, and for your advice. I hadn’t thought of the possibility of a manic episode. I saw my case-worker today and she said the same thing you did, plus she told me to stop taking the Wellbutrin. She’s also scheduled me for an "emergency" appointment to see the psychiatrist tomorrow (instead of waiting for the one I had for June 4th) to see what type of med would be better suited for my condition. I’m feeling somewhat better this evening, but the need to rock back and forth and to keep my body in some kind of motion is still with me. As well, I am extremely tired as if I haven’t slept in days. But, at least I know it’s only a few more hours before I see the psychiatrist. Again, thank you for replying. No problem It sounds like you’ve got a good case worker. I also thought you should stop taking the Wellbutrin, but would never give out that advice on-line. Let us know how it goes. BTW – Wellbutrin made me wildly manic within a couple of hours of taking it for the first time. Hilaire WOW! For years I thought I was weird, have had many similar circumstances

and at that time I was undiagnosed and manic. Whew, it was good to hear another woman stating that the same stuff happened with her. Definitely do something about the meds, you can’t go through life wrapped in gauze and afraid to talk to men for fear of the repercussions. Sounds like you have a very supportive husband girl, it takes a lot for our men to stay through the worst, but the best will come. My best to you and yours, Tanja

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello. I am a Canadian female, mid-40s, married, an at-home mother. I have diabetes type 2 since Dec. 1999, have suffered from depression for perhaps seven years now, and have been tentatively diagnosed with Bipolar 2 this past March by a psychiatrist. The doctor recommended I add Wellbrutin S.R. (150 mg x a day) to the Effexor XR (150 mg x a day) . I didn’t think that either meds were working, until earlier last week when my libido kicked in. (I was ‘neutral’, so to speak, for many months.) It was quite a pleasant experience for my husband and I. But then, within a few days, it’s as if my increased libido "overtook" me and I began to flirt (playfully, I would say, but with sexual overtones) with various men, men I didn’t even know, in a chat group. Without revealing too many details, one of these flirty episodes turned out badly yesterday evening. I took this *very* badly, and it triggered an episode of self-injury, something I hadn’t done in over twenty years. Along with the seemingly never-ending tears, I began to scratch – using my own fingernails – my upper and lower back, my upper chest, my breasts, my waist and parts of my legs. This crying/scratching last over one hour, until my husband’s 2nd attempt to calm me down worked. I share all of this with you not to be condemned, but to ask if the oral meds I am taking could be responsible for (1) my increased libido (where previously there was almost none), (2) this urge to flirt with strangers, and (3) thoughts and actions of self-injury. Thank you for listening. To me, and I am in no way a doctor, it would seem that it is possible that the anti-depressants that you are taking are throwing you into a manic episode (it’s a common occurrence). If your pdoc thinks that you are bipolar then he should add a mood stabilizer into the mix. I suggest that you call him immediately and let him know what’s going on. Good luck

Thank you for responding, Hilaire, and for your advice. I hadn’t thought of the possibility of a manic episode. I saw my case-worker today and she said the same thing you did, plus she told me to stop taking the Wellbutrin. She’s also scheduled me for an "emergency" appointment to see the psychiatrist tomorrow (instead of waiting for the one I had for June 4th) to see what type of med would be better suited for my condition. I’m feeling somewhat better this evening, but the need to rock back and forth and to keep my body in some kind of motion is still with me. As well, I am extremely tired as if I haven’t slept in days. But, at least I know it’s only a few more hours before I see the psychiatrist. Again, thank you for replying. — Yvonne

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello. I am a Canadian female, mid-40s, married, an at-home mother. I have diabetes type 2 since Dec. 1999, have suffered from depression for perhaps seven years now, and have been tentatively diagnosed with Bipolar 2 this past March by a psychiatrist. The doctor recommended I add Wellbrutin S.R. (150 mg x a day) to the Effexor XR (150 mg x a day) . I didn’t think that either meds were working, until earlier last week when my libido kicked in. (I was ‘neutral’, so to speak, for many months.) It was quite a pleasant experience for my husband and I. But then, within a few days, it’s as if my increased libido "overtook" me and I began to flirt (playfully, I would say, but with sexual overtones) with various men, men I didn’t even know, in a chat group. Without revealing too many details, one of these flirty episodes turned out badly yesterday evening. I took this *very* badly, and it triggered an episode of self-injury, something I hadn’t done in over twenty years. Along with the seemingly never-ending tears, I began to scratch – using my own fingernails – my upper and lower back, my upper chest, my breasts, my waist and parts of my legs. This crying/scratching last over one hour, until my husband’s 2nd attempt to calm me down worked. I share all of this with you not to be condemned, but to ask if the oral meds I am taking could be responsible for (1) my increased libido (where previously there was almost none), (2) this urge to flirt with strangers, and (3) thoughts and actions of self-injury. Thank you for listening.

To me, and I am in no way a doctor, it would seem that it is possible that the anti-depressants that you are taking are throwing you into a manic episode (it’s a common occurrence). If your pdoc thinks that you are bipolar then he should add a mood stabilizer into the mix. I suggest that you call him immediately and let him know what’s going on. Good luck Hilaire

Response:

Question:

Hi, I’ve been a low-fat type person for a long time.  The last six months I’ve been on Paxil and have gained some weight.  The low fat diet isn’t helping me.  Has anyone on antidepressants had a successful diet experience with low-carb?  Thanks! Thought of the day:         Give a man an inch, and he thinks he’s a ruler.

Response:

Hi Dosbabe! I’ve been on Prosac for over a decade, happily, and have had some good results.  I not one of the fastest losers, but I’ve managed to take off about 50 pounds. The only side effect that I seem to have is an increased thirst and difficulty waking up in the mornings.  My sleep has become very, very deep. Good luck! suzi_cream_cheese 262/213/145

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’ve been a low-fat type person for a long time.  The last six months I’ve been on Paxil and have gained some weight.  The low fat diet isn’t helping me.  Has anyone on antidepressants had a successful diet experience with low-carb?  Thanks! Thought of the day: Give a man an inch, and he thinks he’s a ruler.

Response:

Yeah I’m taking zoloft and doing fine. According to Schwarzbein (TheSchwarzbein Principle), A low carb diet will help balance out the chemical soup inside your head. She claims insulin resistance= high carb diet,  is one of the things that unbalance and deplete serotonin in your brain. Which is the same thing that antidepressants try and balance. Give it a try. After talking with your Doc. first.

Response:

Paxil made me gain 50 pounds quick. I switched to Efexxor and feel much better. Lost the weight too. Jeff

Response:

I agree, Effexor is the greatest–you don’t even know you are taking it unless you miss a dose. hinesrance

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Paxil made me gain 50 pounds quick. I switched to Efexxor and feel much better. Lost the weight too. Jeff

Response:

I agree, Effexor is the greatest–you don’t even know you are taking it unless you miss a dose.

Funny you mention that, because I missed my Effexor dose this morning and am curious as to what the results are going to be. Only been on it for about 2 months so may not be too noticeable. I haven’t noticed any side effects as far as appetite goes. Definetly make me sleepy though Jason Atkins since 10/5/00 240/172 http://geocities.com/calabresejason/lowcarb.html

Response:

Is Effexor one of the older type antidepressants or is it related to the same family as Paxil? Thanks I agree, Effexor is the greatest–you don’t even know you are taking it unless you miss a dose.

Thought of the day:         Count Every Thorn a Flower; Every Sharp Rock a Milestone

Response:

Has anyone on antidepressants had a successful diet experience with low-carb?

I was on Prozac when I first started just over 3 years ago.  It didn’t hinder my losing 60 pounds. I tried Imiprimine last month for help with sleep as I have fibromyalgia.  I couldn’t take it as it made me sweat and also caused terrible sweets cravings. I’ve been on Trazodone for 10 days and am not having any problems so far. Good Luck. TamH in VT

Response:

I agree, Effexor is the greatest–you don’t even know you are taking it unless you miss a dose.

A gal came into my gift shop today and we were talking about diet.  She said that she started on Efflexor a few weeks ago and has lost weight because she’s not craving carbs.  She’s not even really dieting. TamH in VT

Response:

Paxil made me gain 50 pounds quick. I switched to Efexxor and feel much better. Lost the weight too. Jeff

My daughter was also on Paxil and gained weight she didn’t need.  She stopped using Paxil and went to Prozac and has had no problems and lost all the weight she gained.  I’ve been on Prozac since 1989 and haven’t had any problems with it either.  I gained a lot of weight when I stopped smoking (50lbs) and  being sick and inactive for so long.  I would suggest you talk to your Dr. about a different antidepressant.  Paxil has a rep for putting on the pounds. — Liz 362/342/200/135 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -^..^<

Response:

I agree, Effexor is the greatest–you don’t even know you are taking it unless you miss a dose.

Well, I took effexor for 3 days and slept like in a coma.  Could not stay awake.  When I did finally manage to awaken, I walked around like a zombie with a spinning head.  Now, my daugher in law takes it and she only has to take naps everyday after work. — Liz 362/342/200/135 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -^..^< hinesrance Paxil made me gain 50 pounds quick. I switched to Efexxor and feel much better. Lost the weight too. Jeff

Response:

I am on Zoloft and am experiencing continued weight loss. You might see if your doctor would switch you. Ginger in OK

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone on antidepressants had a successful diet experience with low-carb? I was on Prozac when I first started just over 3 years ago.  It didn’t hinder my losing 60 pounds. I tried Imiprimine last month for help with sleep as I have fibromyalgia. I couldn’t take it as it made me sweat and also caused terrible sweets cravings. I’ve been on Trazodone for 10 days and am not having any problems so far. Good Luck. TamH in VT

Response:

ginger, menu and exercise? — read and post daily! rosie "If we could share this world below, if we could learn to love… If we could share this world below, we’d need no world above."

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am on Zoloft and am experiencing continued weight loss. You might see if your doctor would switch you. Ginger in OK Has anyone on antidepressants had a successful diet experience with low-carb? I was on Prozac when I first started just over 3 years ago.  It didn’t hinder my losing 60 pounds. I tried Imiprimine last month for help with sleep as I have fibromyalgia. I couldn’t take it as it made me sweat and also caused terrible sweets cravings. I’ve been on Trazodone for 10 days and am not having any problems so far. Good Luck. TamH in VT

Response:

Question:

Hi Wes, by my babysitter as a child. I too have no problem with my sex drive or getting an erection. I just orgasm less than a minute into sex & lose the desire to continue. I want to continue but the drive is no longer

Your sex drive seems OK. Have you tried an anti-depressants like Zoloft (Sertraline)? They can delay the orgasm. — FBI, CIA, KGB, Interpol, MIB, MI6… choke on this pal! Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

The best "lesson" I’ve never read. — Samy (France)

Response:

Everything which you posted was so true, I congratulate you Many years ago in a now outdated book called "Any Man Can" I learned that orgasm and ejaculation are NOT the same thing and that a guy can masturbate having multiple orgasms as long as he does not ejaculate. Just knowing that one can do this was a real shocker. The stop and start technique which you so very well described IS the way to multiple orgasms….and it works. For me it is not possible to do while having intercourse, because I really believe that "Mother Nature" intended us to ejaculate (as soon as possible) and reproduce. That IS what sex is really all about…..continued repopulation. I am interested in the ancient Celtics ad have read that groups of guys( cousins and brothers) stood around waiting their turn to have sex with the women…so any guy taking too long to "get it done" would most likely removed from the female. As an added interest since the "tribes" were brothers and cousins etc, any baby born would obviously look like every one else – fair skinned and lightish hair. This child would then be greatly accepted by the tribe regardless of its father. BOB

Response:

Fabulous answer, Fred . :::::::::standing ovation:::::::::::

Wes, First off, stop beating yourself up.  EVERY man, expecially young ones masturbate.  If someone tells you he doesn’t masturbate you can rest assured he’s lying (yes, even married men and old codgers like most of us on this newsgroup). From about 14, or whenever you reach puberty, through into the twenties, many masturbate daily or even several times a day. ALL MEN either fantasize about sexual situations or look at porno while they masturbate.   IT DOES NO HARM!  If you jack off too much, your body will make you slow down automatically because you’ll either get a sore dick or you just can’t get it up any more on that particular day.   What CAN happen is you can train yourself to come as quickly as possible while masturbating, either because you’re afraid of being caught doing it, you’re doing it when you don’t have much time, or you feel guilty about it.  When you start to have sex with a partner that quick-cum training can carry over and cause you to cum too quickly. As to not being able to get an erection again after you cum, that’s perfectly normal.  It’s called a "refactory period", and the amount of time before you can get an erection again varies greatly between individuals.  The older you get, the longer it takes before you can get another erection.  It’s very rare to find a man who can get an erection again right away after cumming, or avoid losing it at all. Supposedly some young teens can, but I believe that ability fades quickly. There are some things you can do to avoid this Premature Ejaculation (that’s the proper name for it). One is to masturbate before you expect to have sex (far enough ahead of time to get through the refactory period). You should be able to last longer on the second go-around after masturbating earlier.  Some recommend pulling out when you feel it coming, but before you reach the point of no return and having your _partner_ (not yourself) squeeze hard on the head of your penis.  Some recommend trying to think of something else during sex; preferably something you don’t particularly like, to take your mind off it (although this seems to me like it’d take a lot of the pleasure out of sex).  You can also be sure to wear a heavy duty condom and maybe get and use some desensitizing cream, (Prolong is one trade name)  You can get it at a pharmacy or a sex shop.  Be sure to put the cream on and then use a condom on top of it or you’ll desensitize your partner as well. The long term solution is to retrain yourself to lay back and enjoy sex for the great feelings of the slow buildup leading eventually to orgasm, without any sense of urgency.  You can do this with SLOW masturbation to EVENTUAL orgasm, which will have the added bonus of relieving some of the sexul tension and horniness which contribute to your cumming too quickly.   Extended mutual foreplay with your girlfriend, having her stop stimulation when you feel you’re near the edge, can also help. Concentrate on her feelings rather than your own, and try to get her to orgasm either orally, manually or both as many times as you can before you enter. A woman’s centers of sexual pleasure include the vagina only incidentally and she can get as much or more pleasure from stimulation of her clitoris, breasts and nipples, inner thighs, ears, neck, anus (stroke it lightly with a moistened finger or use your tongue), lips, buttocks, feet,  and any other areas she points out (Ask her.  Do the things she says she likes and avoid those she doesn’t.).  Don’t overlook the value of holding, hugging, kissing and just general caressing. To me, at least, there’s nothing that’s as much of a turnon as  giving my wife a series of screaming, out of control orgasms. There’s also a masturbation technique you could try to train yourself not to cum so quickly: First, you need to masturbate when you can take your time and really enjoy the sensations without the possibility of being disturbed.   Lay back on the bed, use some good lube like KY jelly or Astroglide and handle your penis very lightly all over with the fingertips of both hands just enough to maintain your erection. Keep a cup of warm water handy to remoisten the lube from time to time. If you feel yourself getting too close, stop for awhile until the sensation slacks off, then begin again. The idea is to make the good sensations last as long as possible without ejaculating.  Don’t use your fist, just the tips of your fingers lightly stroking the underside of the shaft, your balls, and  your inner thighs. Run a finger lightly from your anus up over your balls to the tip of your penis several times.  Relax and concentrate on the sensations and nothing else. You should be able to go on as long as you like this way, without ejaculating.  When you decide it’s time to cum, increase the tempo and pressure just enough to bring yourself slowly to orgasm. Don’t beat it frantically.. remember there’s no urgency. In the future, try to avoid masturbating when you’re hurried for any reason, or there’s a possiblilty you might be disturbed by someone intruding on your solitude. Use this technique as often as the opportunity presents itself, and you should find that you’ll learn a lot more self control, as well as enjoying sex more.  Using the extended foreplay techniques on your partner will make your sex last longer and give you both more satisfaction, even if you’re never able to lengthen the duration of actual intercourse. Good Luck!

Response:

I waz wondering if Yu had any progress with any of the suggestions in curing yur problem? & if so, what did Yu use to cure it? My name is Wes & I am only 19 years old. I too am experiencing some dysfunction of my erection. But I think I brought it on myself. I have had a difficult past where I constantly masturbated & was obsessed with poronography. I masturbated consistently for atleast more than 5 years average. I was molested, not sexually abused, but touched by my babysitter as a child. I too have no problem with my sex drive or getting an erection. I just orgasm less than a minute into sex & lose the desire to continue. I want to continue but the drive is no longer there. My X-girlfriend wants to help me by practicing with me & I tied but it just doesn’t work. I sometimes/most of the time, find myself getting aroused or having sexual thoughts the moment I get close to, hugging, or even sitting next to my girlfriend. I feel like my mind is perverted & my life is over. I try to exercise, I’ve thought about viagra but I didn’t think I could get a hold of it b/c of my young age. I figured it was for people up in age. I’ve thought about getting some type of surgery in the future when I came across enough money but I heard of certain cancers that can be acquired or side affects. There are so many different inventions that say they’re the best. I haven’t tried anything yet or seen a Therapist/Urologist/Whatever. I’m just investigating my options. I’ve now heard of: cock rings, penile injections, caverjet/ject, Paroxetine, Tri-mix, Stud 100, Sildenafil Citrate Loxanges, Yohimbine, & Herbal Viagra. I’m sorry to have written so much but Yu understand the seriousness of this subject. I’m in need of Help. juslt like Yu, I’m very interested in a sex life. I’m only 19. If Yuhave any ideas or opinions please respond. Thank Yu so much for Yur time, & I hope anyone with the same problem overcomes their discomfort. — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything ™.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I waz wondering if Yu had any progress with any of the suggestions in curing yur problem? & if so, what did Yu use to cure it? My name is Wes & I am only 19 years old. I too am experiencing some dysfunction of my erection. But I think I brought it on myself. I have had a difficult past where I constantly masturbated & was obsessed with poronography. I masturbated consistently for atleast more than 5 years average. I was molested, not sexually abused, but touched by my babysitter as a child. I too have no problem with my sex drive or getting an erection. I just orgasm less than a minute into sex & lose the desire to continue. I want to continue but the drive is no longer there. My X-girlfriend wants to help me by practicing with me & I tied but it just doesn’t work. I sometimes/most of the time, find myself getting aroused or having sexual thoughts the moment I get close to, hugging, or even sitting next to my girlfriend. I feel like my mind is perverted & my life is over. I try to exercise, I’ve thought about viagra but I didn’t think I could get a hold of it b/c of my young age. I figured it was for people up in age. I’ve thought about getting some type of surgery in the future when I came across enough money but I heard of certain cancers that can be acquired or side affects. There are so many different inventions that say they’re the best. I haven’t tried anything yet or seen a Therapist/Urologist/Whatever. I’m just investigating my options. I’ve now heard of: cock rings, penile injections, caverjet/ject, Paroxetine, Tri-mix, Stud 100, Sildenafil Citrate Loxanges, Yohimbine, & Herbal Viagra. I’m sorry to have written so much but Yu understand the seriousness of this subject. I’m in need of Help. juslt like Yu, I’m very interested in a sex life. I’m only 19. If Yuhave any ideas or opinions please respond. Thank Yu so much for Yur time, & I hope anyone with the same problem overcomes their discomfort.

Wes, First off, stop beating yourself up.  EVERY man, expecially young ones masturbate.  If someone tells you he doesn’t masturbate you can rest assured he’s lying (yes, even married men and old codgers like most of us on this newsgroup). From about 14, or whenever you reach puberty, through into the twenties, many masturbate daily or even several times a day. ALL MEN either fantasize about sexual situations or look at porno while they masturbate.   IT DOES NO HARM!  If you jack off too much, your body will make you slow down automatically because you’ll either get a sore dick or you just can’t get it up any more on that particular day.   What CAN happen is you can train yourself to come as quickly as possible while masturbating, either because you’re afraid of being caught doing it, you’re doing it when you don’t have much time, or you feel guilty about it.  When you start to have sex with a partner that quick-cum training can carry over and cause you to cum too quickly. As to not being able to get an erection again after you cum, that’s perfectly normal.  It’s called a "refactory period", and the amount of time before you can get an erection again varies greatly between individuals.  The older you get, the longer it takes before you can get another erection.  It’s very rare to find a man who can get an erection again right away after cumming, or avoid losing it at all. Supposedly some young teens can, but I believe that ability fades quickly. There are some things you can do to avoid this Premature Ejaculation (that’s the proper name for it). One is to masturbate before you expect to have sex (far enough ahead of time to get through the refactory period). You should be able to last longer on the second go-around after masturbating earlier.  Some recommend pulling out when you feel it coming, but before you reach the point of no return and having your _partner_ (not yourself) squeeze hard on the head of your penis.  Some recommend trying to think of something else during sex; preferably something you don’t particularly like, to take your mind off it (although this seems to me like it’d take a lot of the pleasure out of sex).  You can also be sure to wear a heavy duty condom and maybe get and use some desensitizing cream, (Prolong is one trade name)  You can get it at a pharmacy or a sex shop.  Be sure to put the cream on and then use a condom on top of it or you’ll desensitize your partner as well. The long term solution is to retrain yourself to lay back and enjoy sex for the great feelings of the slow buildup leading eventually to orgasm, without any sense of urgency.  You can do this with SLOW masturbation to EVENTUAL orgasm, which will have the added bonus of relieving some of the sexul tension and horniness which contribute to your cumming too quickly.   Extended mutual foreplay with your girlfriend, having her stop stimulation when you feel you’re near the edge, can also help. Concentrate on her feelings rather than your own, and try to get her to orgasm either orally, manually or both as many times as you can before you enter. A woman’s centers of sexual pleasure include the vagina only incidentally and she can get as much or more pleasure from stimulation of her clitoris, breasts and nipples, inner thighs, ears, neck, anus (stroke it lightly with a moistened finger or use your tongue), lips, buttocks, feet,  and any other areas she points out (Ask her.  Do the things she says she likes and avoid those she doesn’t.).  Don’t overlook the value of holding, hugging, kissing and just general caressing. To me, at least, there’s nothing that’s as much of a turnon as  giving my wife a series of screaming, out of control orgasms. There’s also a masturbation technique you could try to train yourself not to cum so quickly: First, you need to masturbate when you can take your time and really enjoy the sensations without the possibility of being disturbed.   Lay back on the bed, use some good lube like KY jelly or Astroglide and handle your penis very lightly all over with the fingertips of both hands just enough to maintain your erection. Keep a cup of warm water handy to remoisten the lube from time to time. If you feel yourself getting too close, stop for awhile until the sensation slacks off, then begin again. The idea is to make the good sensations last as long as possible without ejaculating.  Don’t use your fist, just the tips of your fingers lightly stroking the underside of the shaft, your balls, and  your inner thighs. Run a finger lightly from your anus up over your balls to the tip of your penis several times.  Relax and concentrate on the sensations and nothing else. You should be able to go on as long as you like this way, without ejaculating.  When you decide it’s time to cum, increase the tempo and pressure just enough to bring yourself slowly to orgasm. Don’t beat it frantically.. remember there’s no urgency. In the future, try to avoid masturbating when you’re hurried for any reason, or there’s a possiblilty you might be disturbed by someone intruding on your solitude. Use this technique as often as the opportunity presents itself, and you should find that you’ll learn a lot more self control, as well as enjoying sex more.  Using the extended foreplay techniques on your partner will make your sex last longer and give you both more satisfaction, even if you’re never able to lengthen the duration of actual intercourse. Good Luck! -Fred- Visit Fred’s Page of Impotence Information and ASI FAQ’s at: http://www.chesco.com/~fps/index.html

Response:

You have no problems, young man!  You are just confused and you someone, perhaps a psychologist-sex-therapist to straighten you out.

Response:

You might take comfort in that fact that you’re not much different than thousand of others. I’m not sure what operation you were talking about. Circumcision? I’ve heard it said that the uncircumcised are very sensitive. There’s a lot of discussion going on about circumcision. Whether is mutilation or not. I would suggest you try some of those desensitizing chemicals. And yes, see a urologist. There’s no age limit to ED or PE. Jerry of ASI I waz wondering if Yu had any progress with any of the suggestions in curing yur problem? & if so, what did Yu use to cure it? My name is Wes & I am only 19 years old. I too am experiencing some dysfunction of my erection. But I think I brought it on myself. I have had a difficult past where I constantly masturbated & was obsessed with poronography. I masturbated consistently for atleast more than 5 years average. I was molested, not sexually abused, but touched by my babysitter as a child. I too have no problem with my sex drive or getting an erection. I just orgasm less than a minute into sex & lose the desire to continue. I want to continue but the drive is no longer there. My X-girlfriend wants to help me by practicing with me & I tied but it just doesn’t work. I sometimes/most of the time, find myself getting aroused or having sexual thoughts the moment I get close to, hugging, or even sitting next to my girlfriend. I feel like my mind is perverted & my life is over. I try to exercise, I’ve thought about viagra but I didn’t think I could get a hold of it b/c of my young age. I figured it was for people up in age. I’ve thought about getting some type of surgery in the future when I came across enough money but I heard of certain cancers that can be acquired or side affects. There are so many different inventions that say they’re the best. I haven’t tried anything yet or seen a Therapist/Urologist/Whatever. I’m just investigating my options. I’ve now heard of: cock rings, penile injections, caverjet/ject, Paroxetine, Tri-mix, Stud 100, Sildenafil Citrate Loxanges, Yohimbine, & Herbal Viagra. I’m sorry to have written so much but Yu understand the seriousness of this subject. I’m in need of Help. juslt like Yu, I’m very interested in a sex life. I’m only 19. If Yuhave any ideas or opinions please respond. Thank Yu so much for Yur time, & I hope anyone with the same problem overcomes their discomfort. — Posted via Talkway – http://www.talkway.com Exchange ideas on practically anything ™.

Response:

Question:

Does anyone know the efficacy of effexor for the new DMS category: Bipolar 2. Also, I see a lot of posts here about effexor withdrawal. If effexor is such a great drug, why are so many people coming off it all the time–are they going drug-free or are they looking for something better? Michael

I came off it because, for me, it didn’t work.  It had bad side effects for me, insomnia, strange dreams, elevated blood pressure.  I was fortunate that I had no trouble getting off it.  Others have had success with it, and also problems stopping. Charles

Response:

Does anyone know the efficacy of effexor for the new DMS category: Bipolar 2. Also, I see a lot of posts here about effexor withdrawal. If effexor is such a great drug, why are so many people coming off it all the time–are they going drug-free or are they looking for something better? Michael

Response:

Question:

In _The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs_, Jack Gorman says that it has been reported that Klonopin causes depression.  Anyone have any experience with this side effect?

This all gets so confusing to me as I once was on K alone but can’t say that that caused my depression.  I read alot about this side effect and guess I never paid attention for direct cause and effect. What about those taking it with an SSRI, for depression (the thought being that the SSRI might "insulate" against this potential side effect)?

I take a low dose of PAxil and now Xanax as well and things don’t really feel that much different to me.  I have my good and bad days.  I have never heard of taking an SRI to counteract a benzo – have heard the reverse tho. I certainly wouldn’t take an SRI for that – as there are many other benzos to choose from without this noted side effect. Gwen

Response:

In _The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs_, Jack Gorman says that it has been reported that Klonopin causes depression.  Anyone have any experience with this side effect?  What about those taking it with an SSRI, for depression (the thought being that the SSRI might "insulate" against this potential side effect)? Thanks for your help. Matt

I have heard that Klonopin can aggravate depression in a "small" percentage of people.  People have also reported depression, as a side effect to placebo.  Sometimes as much as 3%.  So without knowing the percentages of reported depression with Klonopin vs. placebo, it is almost the same as having no information at all. I was on an SSRI, before ever taking Klonopin.  I noted less depression after taking it, as my depression was situational.  I was depressed because I was having 3-4 full blown panic attacks per day.  When the PA’s stopped, from taking the Klonopin, my mood improved dramatically. — Kiesha Van Dyke To e-mail, remove ** from address.

Response:

I was on an SSRI, before ever taking Klonopin.  I noted less depression after taking it, as my depression was situational.  I was depressed because I was having 3-4 full blown panic attacks per day.  When the PA’s stopped, from taking the Klonopin, my mood improved dramatically. —

I have to agree with you here, Kiesha.  I didn’t go the SSRI first route – but being out of control on the panic was certainly depressing as hell and I truly believe if the docs had increased the benzos as first choice – I wouldn’t be saddled with Paxil now.  I know from my experience that being free of panic makes me jubillant beyond beleif.  I wish more docs tried THAT route first before jumping on the SSRI bandwagon. Gwen

Response:

In _The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs_, Jack Gorman says that it has been reported that Klonopin causes depression.  Anyone have any experience with this side effect?  What about those taking it with an SSRI, for depression (the thought being that the SSRI might "insulate" against this potential side effect)? Thanks for your help. Matt

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Hi Matt – Well – I think Gorman may be right.  My experience has been that adding an SSRI *has* eliminated the depression I felt when taking Klonopin (4-4.5mg/day) alone. (Added Zoloft).  This is for primary social phobia, secondary mild depression.  I think the Klonopin *may* aggrevate my mild depression some. Zoloft 50mg + K worked well except side effects – VERY tired and sex side effects from Zoloft. Nardil 45mg + K worked well too – less side effects, except add in food restrictions. Luvox + K felt awful. JR

Response:

In _The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs_, Jack Gorman says that it has been reported that Klonopin causes depression.  Anyone have any experience with this side effect?  What about those taking it with an SSRI, for depression (the thought being that the SSRI might "insulate" against this potential side effect)? Thanks for your help. Matt

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Hi Matt – Well – I think Gorman may be right.  My experience has been that adding an SSRI *has* eliminated the depression I felt when taking Klonopin (4-4.5mg/day) alone. (Added Zoloft).  This is for primary social phobia, secondary mild depression.  I think the Klonopin *may* aggrevate my mild depression some. Zoloft 50mg + K worked well except side effects – VERY tired and sex side effects from Zoloft. Nardil 45mg + K worked well too – less side effects, except add in food restrictions. Luvox + K felt awful. JR   JR

Response:

In _The Essential Guide to Psychiatric Drugs_, Jack Gorman says that it has been reported that Klonopin causes depression.  Anyone have any experience with this side effect?  What about those taking it with an SSRI, for depression (the thought being that the SSRI might "insulate" against this potential side effect)? Thanks for your help. Matt

Response:

Question:

 Been on prozac for a month, I’ve found a personal peace I’ve never known before. Prior to that, I was on serzone. It wired me. Kept me awake at night and made me more depressed……Good Luck The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young.                        -Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray,1891

   Amen    (If you get the chance, see the 1945 movie with Hurd Hatfield Donna Reed and Angela Lansbury).

Response:

 Been on prozac for a month, I’ve found a personal peace I’ve never known before. Prior to that, I was on serzone. It wired me. Kept me awake at night and made me more depressed……Good Luck

The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young.                         -Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray,1891

Response:

 Been on prozac for a month, I’ve found a personal peace I’ve never known before. Prior to that, I was on serzone. It wired me. Kept me awake at night and made me more depressed……Good Luck

Response:

Works for me but I need 40 mg per day. Effexor was great at 300+ mg/day but I  had to take it every 4 hours. SJW was enough in the summer but I went back to  Prozac this fall – badddd crashing! Somedays you’re the pigeon, somedays you’re the statue. Lynn from North Dakota

Response:

[posted and emailed] Could I get a show of ppl. who have been rescued from depression successfully because of Prozac? Also I’d like to know how one decides if one can stop taking it? Many thanks.

i’m a partial success story.  i started paxil (AD in prozac class) when i was REALLY suicidal, and it saved my life many times. unfortunately, i was later diagnosed as bipolar type II (rapid cycling and/or hypomanic), and paxil makes me TOO manic occasionally.  so i have to change from paxil to another AD. but again, my life was saved several times with paxil. "Dark Prism" – My personality refracts darkly through the serotonigenic spectrum. Thomas A. Ott — ottthoma (at) pipeline.com – [3 t's in ottthoma!!!] http://www.geocities.com/~ottthoma — main site http://www.geocities.com/~ottthoma/depression/index.html—– depression site http://www.geocities.com/~ottthoma/depression/sjw.html —— st. john’s wort stuff FCC Regulations provide up to 500 dollars in damages PER INCIDENT for Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail.  Go ahead.  Make my day.

Response:

Could I get a show of ppl. who have been rescued from depression successfully because of Prozac? Also I’d like to know how one decides if one can stop taking it? Many thanks. Frank

Prozac helped my depression, but not as well as zoloft, effexor, or serzone did. Patrick

Response:

Question:

John, Not to be too dysphoric but some of us litle ole bipolars are smart enough to know the difference between depression and a CNS depressant. Amazing tho that may seem.

From the evidence of my eyes and memory, a lot of depressed people don’t. The information is probably news to someone reading it, old hat though it was to you. —          The opinions given above may be mine. They might also            just be what I feel like saying right now, okay?

Response:

Can anyone tell me what the dangers are of taking Zoloft and alcohol together?  Is it just that the Zoloft may not be affective, or are there physical dangers? Well, Zoloft is an antidepressant. Alcohol is a CNS depressant. Your call. Danny

It is possible to have seizures and also strokes when combining alcohol and zoloft. TheDelser

Response:

: OUCH! nothing more to say…;) : I’ve taken Zoloft for 3 years and drank for 3+ years.  Zoloft has helped, and has been therapeutic.  I no longer take Zoloft, but I still have my beers. will

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Ahcohol is a depressant, no matter what else you think about how good it  makes you feel. It interferes with you Zoloft. Carma – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Can anyone tell me what the dangers are of taking Zoloft and alcohol together?  Is it just that the Zoloft may not be affective, or are there physical dangers?

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Excellent response. I really wish someone had given me this advice before I got into it. SNIP Many to totally stupid and embarassing  things in public.

That would be me. This may get you taked about but not in a light you would like.

And how. The danger is that you don’t know what will happen.  For damn sure don’t have to plan on driving.  I went into a corn field one night on two Vodka martinis, sound asleep at the wheel.  They check for the level and it was only .15.  But the combination of that and my BP pills knocked my but out.

Okay, are you sure you mean .15? Legally drunk is .10, you know… Just checking. G. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -SNIP

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Can anyone tell me what the dangers are of taking Zoloft and alcohol together?  Is it just that the Zoloft may not be affective, or are there physical dangers?

Zoloft (sertraline) is an antidepressant; alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, so the expectation would likely be that drinking while depressed would not be helpful to recovery. This is not to say that an occasional sip of alcohol would hurt, but it is always wise to speak with your own physician about these drinking while on psychiatric medications. I no longer drink while taking medications. I used to. Didn’t help at all to drink, in fact made it worse, so I quit. -jim

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Can anyone tell me what the dangers are of taking Zoloft and alcohol together?  Is it just that the Zoloft may not be affective, or are there physical dangers?

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: Ahcohol is a depressant, no matter what else you think about how good : it  makes you feel. It interferes with you Zoloft.       The term "depressant", when used in reference to alcohol, means that it slows you down, NOT that it causes the condition known as "depression". Alcohol *CAN* be dangerous with zoloft; it can make you MUCH drowsier/drunker than you expect, and long term alcohol use *CAN* cause depression (not because it’s a "depressant", but because of other changes that heavy use of alcohol causes in your body)      But light drinking is fairly safe.  The reason you’re told to avoid alcohol on zoloft is because you don’t have carte blanche freedom to drink as much as you want.

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Hi all,  I’d like to mention an additional danger besides the one listed. Zoloft (as do ALL antidepressants) tends to lower the seizure threshold (i.e. make it easier to have a seizure) as does alcohol.  For most people this might not be a problem, but if you’re borderline seizure oriented, or especially overtired, be VERY careful of this combination.  I’d remind people as well, that this being cough/cold season, LIQUID nyquil is 50 proof or 25% alcohol.  Email welcome.  John Abeel — John Abeel, R.P.H. http://www.servtech.com/public/rxman " He who hath no scruples isn’t worth a dram " – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : John, : Not to be too dysphoric but some of us litle ole bipolars are smart : enough to know the difference between depression and a CNS depressant. : Amazing tho that may seem.      Why, then, didn’t you use the term "depressant" correctly in the following post that you made? : : Ahcohol is a depressant, no matter what else you think about how good : : it  makes you feel. It interferes with you Zoloft.

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While on ADs, the effects of alcohol on my system are unpredictable. I

The effects of alcohol on bipolar people, on AD or not, is unpredictable. |Home page:http://reality.sgi.com/employees/chokshi_clubfed/ |Silicon Graphics, Inc., voice: (301) 572-1678, fax: (301) 572-8778 |—Mortal, why doth thou live like thou art immortal?

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Can anyone tell me what the dangers are of taking Zoloft and alcohol together?  Is it just that the Zoloft may not be affective, or are there physical dangers?

Well, Zoloft is an antidepressant. Alcohol is a CNS depressant. Your call. Danny

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: It is possible to have seizures and also strokes when combining alcohol : and zoloft.      Strangely, this is NOT mentioned in any of the literature on zoloft. Care to substantiate this claim, oh ignoble bullshitter?

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John, Not to be too dysphoric but some of us litle ole bipolars are smart enough to know the difference between depression and a CNS depressant. Amazing tho that may seem. Carma – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Ahcohol is a depressant, no matter what else you think about how good : it  makes you feel. It interferes with you Zoloft.       The term "depressant", when used in reference to alcohol, means that it slows you down, NOT that it causes the condition known as "depression". Alcohol *CAN* be dangerous with zoloft; it can make you MUCH drowsier/drunker than you expect, and long term alcohol use *CAN* cause depression (not because it’s a "depressant", but because of other changes that heavy use of alcohol causes in your body)      But light drinking is fairly safe.  The reason you’re told to avoid alcohol on zoloft is because you don’t have carte blanche freedom to drink as much as you want.

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Well let’s see perhaps it is just I’ve been studying the wrong books but the last time I checked all forms of ETOH were listed as major central nervous system depressants and the formula 1 CNSD + 1 CNSD still looks like too drugged to cogitate properly let alone breath. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : John, : Not to be too dysphoric but some of us litle ole bipolars are smart : enough to know the difference between depression and a CNS depressant. : Amazing tho that may seem.      Why, then, didn’t you use the term "depressant" correctly in the following post that you made? : : Ahcohol is a depressant, no matter what else you think about how good : : it  makes you feel. It interferes with you Zoloft.

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: John, : Not to be too dysphoric but some of us litle ole bipolars are smart : enough to know the difference between depression and a CNS depressant. : Amazing tho that may seem.      Why, then, didn’t you use the term "depressant" correctly in the following post that you made? : : Ahcohol is a depressant, no matter what else you think about how good : : it  makes you feel. It interferes with you Zoloft.

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OUCH! nothing more to say…;)

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Zoloft affects Serotonin, while alcohol affects GABA transmission and recption.  Unless there’s effects we’re not aware of.

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Can anyone tell me what the dangers are of taking Zoloft and alcohol together?  Is it just that the Zoloft may not be affective, or are there physical dangers?

You may get drunk a LOT faster. Then again, you may not. Charlie’s Sneaker Pages: http://sneakers.pair.com/ Best Value in Airplanes: http://www.boeing.com/

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Question:

Hello All! Dear Participant I am a student at a university in Colorado Springs Colorado.  I am required to complete a research project. This project is close to my heart since I have been divorced twice, both times it was not my choice.  This research involves no-fault divorce and its effect on the family.

Dennis’ survey is available in online/browser format at: http://www.10mb.com/jbarchuk/opinion/ Under the category ‘Family’. Have a day! — jim barchuk http://www.10mb.com/jbarchuk/

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I <<<think this was a typo…. =15. Divorce eliminates dad relationships reducing stress in the parents =allowing them to better their economical status. = =       ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD Or was it? David

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Dear Participant I am a student at a university in Colorado Springs Colorado.  I am required to complete a research project. This project is close to my heart since I have been divorced twice, both times it was not my choice.  This research involves no-fault divorce and its effect on the family. All data for the project is held in strict confidence.  Your name and other identification are not requested.  The results will not be sold, formally published or used for comercial profit.  However the completed project will be bound and placed in the University’s library. By completing the questionnaire youare giving consent for this information to be used in my research. Dennis N. Rosas I am going to post results in this new group, however if you would like one sent to you check here______ and I will e-mail you a copy.   Male_____               Age_____ Female_____             Have you ever been divorced_____ Please answer the following questions by indicating the response that most closely resembles your thought on the statement that is given.  Please return questionnaire by returning them to Dennis N. Rosas.  Thank you for your participation in this project.  I will post result in this new group on or about 19 May 1997. Use the following guide to respond to the statements: SA – Strongly Agree A- Agree U – Uncertain D – Disagree SD – Strongly Disagree 1.  No-fault divorce has increased problems with today’s youths.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 2.  No-fault divorce negatively effects the emotional well being of teenagers.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 3.  Young adults who come from a divorced home have trouble in future relationships.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 4.  Because society accepts divorce and the breakdown in the family, divorce is more acceptable            now.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 5.  No-fault divorce has placed more children at risk of behavioral disorders.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 6.  Societies mores have nothing to do with the divorce rate.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 7.  Adolescents who come from a broken home understand what it takes to have a good        relationship.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 8.  No-fault divorce eliminates bad relationships preventing undue stress on adolescents.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 9.  Breakdown of society has led to increased pressure on the family unit increasing divorce rates.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 10.  No-fault divorce allows bad marriages to end quickly eliminating stress in the family unit that         could cause negative affects.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 11.  The effect of divorce on teenagers causes increases in failed relationships as adults.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 12.  Quick and easy divorces have little effect on future relationships of young adults.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 13.  Divorce causes undue economical stress on all parties involved.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 14.  Societies view on divorce has nothing to do with the divorce rate.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 15. Divorce eliminates dad relationships reducing stress in the parents allowing them to better             their economical status.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD 16.  No-fault divorce has had no effect on raising children.         ___SA      ___A     ___U      ___D      ___SD

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