Anyone have any experience with stimulants or depressants?

[zheshi14]

Before treating your B12 deficiency, did anyone try stimulants/depressants?

For example Adderall, Modafinil, SSRIs, CBD, etc. What did you notice with it? Experience? Better? Worse? Nothing?

[SunnyWorld]

I was given anti depressants on a few different occasions before I was diagnosed b12 deficient, they would change them as I kept saying I felt no benefit. None of them worked I wasn't depressed just b12 deficient!

[fbirder in reply to SunnyWorld]

Of course, depression is a common symptom of B12 deficiency.

[zheshi14 in reply to SunnyWorld]

Did you notice any difference at all, positive or negative? Any side affects?

[SunnyWorld in reply to zheshi14]

I think it made me more depressed if I remember correctly. It was 20 yrs ago but that's maybe incorrect as my memory is terrible

[fbirder]

I've tried CBD. It does nothing at all.

[zheshi14 in reply to fbirder]

Same. Have you tried any amphetamines or wakefulness agents like Modafinil?

What did alcohol or caffeine do to you?

[TACCT]

I was given SSRI and amitriptyline. SSRIs made my symptoms worst. amitriptyline did help but caused tremors.

[zheshi14 in reply to TACCT]

What side effects did they give you?

[TACCT in reply to zheshi14]

At the time when I was given SSRI I was having severe balance problems. After taking SSRIs I noticed that they increased internal vibration which would make it more difficult for me to have proper balance. I also got nausea.

Amitriptyline did help in elevating mood and also increased my appetite but I felt my hands would have this tremor. I don't know whether it was because of tablet or I was too low on b12.

[zheshi14 in reply to TACCT]

Ah gotcha, yeah. I am currently on week 4 of Prozac and feel a bit tireder and weaker. Probably not the answer....

[zheshi14]

In my experience, I’ve tried many different types of stimulants/depressants and virtually none of them do anything beneficial, which I find very bizarre.

Even strong stuff like Adderall, Modafinil, kratom, caffeine, alcohol, or 4 different antidepressants make virtually NO difference in me, no matter the dosage. It sometimes makes me feel a little anxious/on edge or even a little worse, but that's about it. Everything feels like it's suppressed by this fog that has gradually gotten worse and worse over time. I can sort of *feel* all these things for the most part, but it feels hidden and very pushed down from this utter exhaustion. It’s like nothing can surpass the fatigue and fog

[deniseinmilden in reply to zheshi14]

One thing can...

Lots of B12 and supporting supplements.

[zheshi14 in reply to deniseinmilden]

I agree, although I tried lots of high quality methyl B12 tablets for a long time and it did not help at all

[deniseinmilden in reply to zheshi14]

Sorry, I should have been clearer: unless you are vegan, you usually on get B12 deficiency if you aren't absorbing it and then it needs to be injected B12, ideally hydroxocobalamin.

It is not surprising that nothing else works - the symptoms are caused by a specific problem: a lack of B12 in your system and the only solution is to correct the deficiency by adding more B12 to your blood stream.

If you need it you need it!

If anything the other drugs are sort of toxins (like alcohol - that's how they have an effect) so you will be using up B12 to get them out of your system and therefore they will be making the problem worse, not better.

I hope you can get the injections and supporting supplements you need ASAP to feel better soon.

[BirdlessBox]

Nothing really enhanced me. Two things that disagreed were amitriptyline which made me anxious and to have repeated "falling" sensations when I was trying to go to sleep, and norflex which I tried to see if it eased the pain but I found it made me weak and after having trouble standing and walking to go to the loo during the night I stopped that.

[Ritchie1268]

My Dr tried me on 3 different types of antidepressants & in the end I stopped taking them as none helped at all.

It's only after being diagnosed with PA last year & regular B12 injections that's helped.

[zheshi14 in reply to Ritchie1268]

Same. I have B12 testing this week but am currently on Prozac for past 4 weeks. All I feel is more tired, that's it.

What were your side effects from the drugs?

[Ritchie1268 in reply to zheshi14]

I don't think I had any side effects from the antidepressants

[Ryaan]

If it’s due to B12 deficiency (which can cause depression) then treat the deficiency.

Anti depressants are only used when there’s no cause found or you can’t do anything about the cause.

They generally cause more fatigue/laziness and tiredness and are not good long term so only use if you have to.

Stimulants will also give you a boost when taken (like having a coffee or Red Bull) and then back to how you normally feel if not worse if not taken because they don’t cure anything.

So best to treat your B12 deficiency which is not hard to do even if you can’t absorb it and have to inject, you’ll get a hang of when you need your next injection or get advice from this site.

[zheshi14 in reply to Ryaan]

Hello, yes. I have testing this week for malabsorption issues.

Currently, I am taking Prozac which I think has made me a bit more tired.

Did you ever try them? And what side effects did you get?

[Ryaan]

Never been on Prozac but have been on anti depressants for long time.. Anti depressants do generally slow you down and if they’re for sleep or drowsy ones they make you feel tired during the day.

Read the leaflet in your tablets for side effects as they’re all different.

When I started B12 injections due to it being very low it has since made a lot of difference to my depression. I think low B12 can cause depression and if you already have depression then being low in B12 can make it worse.

Folic Acid affects fatigue and so does Iron if they’re low.

Vitamin D also helps with depression, I take 2000iu daily as tablet form.

I assume you must have had checks for Thyroid and Diabetes.

Are you in UK ?

[zheshi14 in reply to Ryaan]

When you initially had your B12 serum levels checked, do you remember where in the range they fell? High? Low?

[Ryaan in reply to zheshi14]

Low......1 hundred and something.

132 I think.