Posted by LostBoyinNC1 on July 29, 2002, at 0:40:26
In reply to Re: MAOI Wowie!, posted by cybercafe on July 29, 2002, at 0:04:29
> I was really afraid of taking an MAOI
So was I. I wanted to take one, but honestly was terrified of the idea of a hypertensive crisis and a possible stroke. Ive wanted to take one for years, but my fears prevented me. Finally my psychiatrist basically just ordered me to go on Parnate back in late May. Well, he didnt really order me to go on it, but strongly suggested it to me and he told me he thought it was my best chance. I agreed and just got him to write me a script for klonopin along with the parnate. Basically I just stayed nice and sedated on klonopin for the two week Zoloft washout and the klonopin, kept me nice and relaxed during the washout, kept my worrying about MAOIs down. I continued taking klonopin the first couple days on the MAOI, but soon found out I no longer needed the klonopin, that the MAOI had a fine anti-anxiety effect as well as an anti-depressant effect.
I suggest anyone who wants to try an MAOI but is fearful of it (hey, that fear is well founded BTW) to just get a script of klonopin to take during those initial weeks of the MAOI. Take a benzo and stay nice and loose and relaxed until you get on the MAOI. Then its like riding a bicycle. Thats what worked for me.
I was actually more afraid of the idea of taking an MAOI than I was of getting ECT. I wasnt afraid at all of ECT and still am not. In fact I KNOW if I was to get ECT, Id sleep fine the night before. I consider ECT safer than MAOIs actually. But MAOIs are safe as long as you go by the rules.
poster:LostBoyinNC1
thread:114046
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020725/msgs/114105.html