Posted by Rick on August 17, 2001, at 19:11:35
In reply to Re: More:Provigil poop out;klono counteracts provigil?, posted by rick_number1001@yahoo.com on August 17, 2001, at 1:43:07
> Interesting posts!
>
> I am on a combo of 60 Nardil, 2.5 - 2.75 Klonopin
> and 75-100 Provigil. Works very well.
>
> I recently put up the start of a website at the
> encouragment and help of a friend.
>
> Please check it out and offer any input if you
> want. It is at www.socialfear.com
>
> Thanks for the posts.
>
> BTW, I agree with a lot of the stuff I saw,
> including Serzone reducing serotonin related
> sexual side effects, I found it reduced Nardil
> and Zoloft sexual side effects at certain doses.
>
> I believe Serzone is primarily an antagonist
> of serotonin and norepinephrine.
>
> Anyway, signing out for now.rick_number1001 -
Thanks for posting!
Finally, I find someone who has seen the anti-anxiety potential of the gentle stimulant Provigil! Getting pdocs (let alone GP's) to prescribe it is really tough, because they're unfamiliar with it and convinced it must *cause* anxiety. (I know that some Psycho-Babblers have ordered the related adrafinil from overseas for use in Social Phobia.)
I am always interested in hearing how Provigil works in tandem with various AD's, and was especially interested in hearing about a Nardil/Provigil combo. Apparently, it's effective!
BTW, I'm now at 1 mg Klonopin (occasionally 1.25 - 1.5); 300 mg Serzone (down again after having been up to 450 for quite awhile), and 100 mg Provigil (with an occasional "rejuvenating" spike to 200 for a day or two). Despite the lower Klonopin dosage, it's still the med I would stick with if I could only choose one. I believe drug interactions make my Klonopin blood levels more comparable to a somewhat higher dose. I've always insisted on branded Klonopin, but due to a recent mixup I ended up getting generic clonazepam a month ago (mf'd by Tiva -- their top-selling med), and it seems equivalent thus far. I don't like the fact that I'm usually left with some Klono-Dust when I split a generic pill, but that doesn't seem to have any theraputic significance.
Congratulations on putting together a GREAT website that succinctly but thoroughly -- and without the typical biases -- covers the keypoints of SP and its treatment. Some may quibble with some of the individual treatment recommendations, but there's lots there to help social phobics begin reclaiming their lives. I can really relate to your observations about how it's easier to remedy the "fear of people" than it is to reverse the simple inertia of ingrained, avoidance-generated social habits.
The only thing I might personally take issue with is the recommendation of considering caffeine when trying to treat an anxiety disorder. I had always found it hard to believe that caffeine could cause noticeably increased susceptibility to anxiety, but then discovered that it truly can have that effect, at least for me. I'm not saying caffeine reverses the medication benefit, but it does diminish it a bit, so I try to avoid it (or at least moderate my intake) on weekdays. Of course, some social phobic or otherwise anxious inividuals might be immune to caffeine-induced nervousness.
BTW, Nardil was the first psychotropic I was ever prescribed, and I quit it because the side effects were intolerable. Back then I had newly-identified high blood pressure (has since gone away, largely due to weight and anxiety reduction), but Nardil took it so far in the other direction that I was spontaneously falling down from dizziness -- in public areas, no less -- and ended up hitting my head more than once. I now realize that I upped my Nardil dosage too quickly despite my pdoc's cautions, and also realize that most of the side effects might have abated with time as you describe (maybe not the sexual dysfunction, though). While I know that the food restrictions are overstated (which is NOT to say "unimportant"!!), and I didn't find them terribly burdensome, the food-fanatic within is glad he doesn't have to adhere to any restrictions at all.
Speaking of Nardil and food, despite that med's reputation for causing big weight gain, I actually made my first successful (VERY successful, and sustained) attempt at weight loss while taking the MAOI. Again, YMMV.
BTW, I'm glad you wrote this before the "my-deja" e-mail service (and thus the address I had been listing here) is shut-down in a few months. Otherwise, I wouldn't have received Psycho-Babble's automatic e-mail alert about your update to this thread. (I only check back here occasionally, and don't look at the archives.)
Rick
poster:Rick
thread:36517
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010814/msgs/75433.html