If a family member suffers from "Depression" which is quite common, they will have additional emotional problems if the electricity goes off and they are in darkness. Their medications may

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be difficult to obtain and the room appears dark even when it is well lit. They are more confortable with lights on including outdoor lights. You can help them greatly by assuring a source of lighting if power goes off. Marine or golf cart batteries, a charger and an inverter can help maintain lighting. If power is intermitent, batteries can be charged without the aggravation of a generator. Think about ways to help them so the depression does not get worse and result in a suicide attempt. This is a chemical imbalance in their brain and is beyond their control. My daughter has been battling this for 12 years, induced by the death of her mother. The medication controls it for a while then must be adjusted again and the insurance coverage is lousy.

-- Tom (Tom@notstupid.gom), September 21, 1999

Answers

...and how many DGIs will go bonkers when the s-it hits the fan, its not going to be a pretty sight. The mental health aspect of this situation could be frightening.

-- robbi moose (hybrmoose@ctel.net), September 22, 1999.

Dear Tom, My heart goes out to you. If necessary, feign depression yourself, get the Rx and save the next few months. I know you can get them over the counter in Mexico also. Try to obtain extra anti-depressant Rx for her now, but at the very least, stockpile some St. John's Wort. (Make sure it is a high quality brand.)

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 22, 1999.

Mumsie,

Despite your good intention, there are potential medical dangers in your recommendations.

Antidepressant medications in current use are in multiple chemical families, which are _NOT_ interchangeable or compatible with each other. Switching between, or combining, drugs from different chemical families without proper precautions can result in serious side effects such as, but not limited to, seizures.

No one should start, change, or stop any antidepression medication without a psychiatrist's direction and approval.

In some cases, introduction of a second antidepressant while traces of a first antidepressant linger in the body may trigger those serious side effects. But cessation of that first antidepressant may trigger serious depressive effects, so that there is no safe way to make the switch without careful monitoring and testing over many weeks or months of a psychiatrist's supervision of gradual change.

>stockpile some St. John's Wort

The active ingredient in St. John's Wort is in one of the chemical families to which I referred above. It is _NOT_ compatible with, or safely substitutible for, antidepressants in some other chemical families. Use of St. John's Wort without a psychiatrist's approval, monitoring, and testing could result in serious side effects.

>feign depression yourself, get the Rx

Aside from the unlikelihood that one could successfully feign clinical depression long enough to fool a competent psychiatrist, there remains the risk that your bodily chemistry may differ from that of the clinically depressed patient, so that the proper prescription for you-feigning-clinical-depression may not be either the same or even safe for someone else. And it's going to seem mighty suspicious if you-feigning-clinical-depression try to persuade a psychiatrist to prescribe a particular antidepressant when a different one is recommended.

- - -

I suppose that here I should make a disclaimer about my not dispensing medical advice. OK -- I am not a doctor, and have no formal medical training. Note that my advice is to (1) consult a psychiatrist, and (2) DO _NOT_ DO WHAT MUMSIE SUGGESTS.

Sorry, Mumsie, but what you suggest could be seriously dangerous, potentially life-threateningly so, to folks. Please do not ever advise anyone to do those things again.

-- No Spam Please (nos_pam_please@hotmail.com), September 22, 1999.


No Spam, your points are well taken, but I think Mumsie was suggesting he obtain the SAME Rx so he'd have a greater quantity on hand - a reasonable precaution for anyone whose goal is to continue to stabilize a person with a history of chronic depression. These medications are typically dispensed in no more than a 30-day supply, if that. Of course, this is all in the context of extreme circumstances - inability to fill a prescription due to Y2K problems...lack of electricity....stress...isolation...Rx runs out. If things were this dire, initiating the St. John's Wort if no other medication is at hand could be better than nothing. No such luxuries as stepping down doses or doctor's supervision in THAT world.

Tom, I realize you weren't asking what to do about the meds, but thought I'd put in my 2 cents. Your suggestions about lighting are well-made and something I for one hadn't considered. Adequate lighting definitely can be more critical to some than others...especially if it's wintertime and one is prone to seasonal affective disorder or depression such as you describe.

It's threads like these that make me wonder what else I've overlooked...unfortunately, it'll probably come to me around the 3rd of January.

-- Jill D. (jdance@mindspring.com), September 22, 1999.


If anyone is considering anit-depressant herbs/food supplements, you may wish to explore SAMe. Faster acting and better effectiveness than St. John's Wart.

Re lighting: Excellent point! ccrane.com has wind-up, heavy duty BayGen radios (incl. shortwave band) that come with a light. One crank produces 1/2 hr light, I think. Same company has long-lasting LED flashlights. Economical source of dependable light.

Thank you, Tom, for starting this thread. I work in an outpatient mental clinic and have been considering the ramifications of Y2K for our patients for quite some time. I'm sorry to say it's one of those aspects of this travesty that most angers me. So much misery could have been avoided . . . But talking about the plight of the mentally ill is a help; look how this thread has already produced such valuable information. Again, thanks.

-- Faith Weaver (suzsolutions@yahoo.com), September 22, 1999.



Response to If a family member suffers from "Depression" which is quite common, they will have additional emotional problems if the electricity goes off and they are in darkness. Their medications may

Ah, who the heck nows? Maybe a lot of 'depressed' people will come to life when this industrial craphole of a world gets wiped away.

-- Spidey (in@jam.couch), September 22, 1999.

Faith, what's SAMe?

Haven't heard of that. What about kava kava?

My doc says not to switch from the prescription drug to an herbal. 'Course, he says Y2K GIs are delusional. It's not something we can talk about...

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), September 22, 1999.


Another way to go is to visit prescribing physician and tell him/her that you are going out of the country for 6 months, and need scrip for that amount of the meds required. It is absolutely incredible to me, the strangle hold that the FDA has on adults, many of whom know what meds they need to live. For anyone living close to US/Mexico border, know that you can buy most meds without scrip in pharmacies there, and can carry reasonable amounts back over the border. My partner and I have for years made bi-yearly trips to Tijuana, refusing to knuckle under to the FDA/pharmaceutical co. (and now HMO) kickback scams...ALSO, you can buy meds online from European suppliers if you have the electronic money to do so.

Refuse to be infantilized. Take charge of your well-being. Find a physician who has not been cowed by government thugs. There are several good reference books, (NOT the PDR, Physicians' Desk Reference, which is a big advertisement for pharmaceutical companies); do a web search on pharmacy reference books. Go talk to a pharmacist. My sister is one, and can tell some interesting stories about the acrimony between the pharmacists and the FDA.

I have recurrent clinical depression. After several years of help with meds, a loss of insurance benefits combined with prohibitive medication costs, I've had to get creative and take charge of my own well-being. The medical/pharmaceutical powers that be are able to continue their lousy worst in part because people throw up their hands impotently, and go along. When more people find other ways those same powers that be will have to start paying attention and change how they treat people.

A long two cents worth...wow,...stop her before she rants again! :=)

Be well.

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), September 22, 1999.


There are quite a few overseas sources which ship prescription drugs by mail order. They do not require an official prescription.

Many of them have web sites. I can't recommend any particular one at the present time, sine I haven't ordered anything for two or three years.

-- Dave (dannco@hotmail.com), September 22, 1999.


Yes! Wet noodle applied! Jill was correct, I did mean try to get the same Rx, and yes, I was not thinking of other people than you when I replied. dumb dumb Sorry! I do understand your well explained warnings, and should have also explained that I have four relatives (both sides) that have been or are on anti-depressants. I should also have explained that St. John's wort is used as a drug in Europe, and should never be taken in conjunction with other anti- depressants. I should also have made it clear that I was talking last resort efforts, the better than nothing kind. Will your daughter be staying with you? A gently coerced walk in the sunshine on nice days may be the best medicine of all. My sister-in-law moved from Minnesota to California after her doctor recommended her need for more light.

Best wishes Tom!

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 22, 1999.



"compatible with", "safely substitutible for"

Interactions of St Johns Wort with other drugs have not been reported.

The only apparent risk is that SJW increases light sensitivity, and can be a problem in individuals with pre-existing hypersensitivity to light.

"Use of St. John's Wort without a psychiatrist's approval, monitoring, and testing could result in serious side effects."

Rubbish.

Of course, psychiatrists routinely use drugs that are much more dangerous than SJW. The statement could be amended: "Use of a psychiatrist's approval, monitoring, and testing could result in serious side effects."

-- alan (foo@bar.com), September 22, 1999.


alan (foo@bar.com),

>Interactions of St Johns Wort with other drugs have not been reported.

Oh, really? Care to provide us references to back up that claim?

>The only apparent risk is that SJW increases light sensitivity, and can be a problem in individuals with pre-existing hypersensitivity to light.

The "only" apparent risk? Again, care to provide us a reference for that?

And -- just what is your medical experience, that you feel qualified to assure people that the warnings I posted are not to be heeded?

Readers: you don't have to take my word on those warnings. The information is in those medical drug reference books.

>Of course, psychiatrists routinely use drugs that are much more dangerous than SJW.

Readers, notice that that statement does not contradict anything I wrote.

But Alan would apparently have you believe it means that there is no danger in using St. John's Wort.

>"Use of a psychiatrist's approval, monitoring, and testing could result in serious side effects."

Do you have something against psychiatrists, Alan?

-- No Spam Please (nos_pam_please@hotmail.com), September 23, 1999.


I'll add another warning, don't take St. John's wort if you are pregnant.

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 23, 1999.

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