Posted by AudreyE on November 14, 2004, at 8:03:38
In reply to Re: Parnate (or other MAOI's) and Sleep Disturbances » AudreyE, posted by King Vultan on November 14, 2004, at 0:51:33
> I never had much luck with melatonin in the past, but I understand this works pretty well for some people. I use diphenhydramine (plain Benadryl) quite often, and it is not great, but it is better than nothing. It is perfectly safe to use with an MAOI, but just be sure you get a version that does not have any decongestants in it. The Simply Sleep product is pure diphenhydramine, and there are also some other products that are equivalent.
>
> Your doctor, however, really should be willing to prescribe some kind of sleep aid, and IMO, it is irresponsible and unconscionable to prescribe a psychiatric med that produces insomnia and then not be willing to prescribe something to help the patient sleep. The most common sleep med to be prescribed is probably Ambien, which is really not strong enough to cope with the insomnia in my particular case, but many doctors will let you use it every night. I use triazolam/Halcion every other night, and this works reasonably well, but it is helped out by the sleep/relaxation CDs that I also use (every night). Trazodone is also commonly used to treat MAOI insomnia, but it keeps me awake, as does hydroxyzine, a prescription antihistamine.
>
> Todd
Thank you, Todd! I was wondering about Benadryl.My doc has a real chip on his shoulder about the Parnate. He didn't want to prescribe it, but I kept bringing in the research about it working for treatment-resistance cases, and he finally gave in. (I'm 28 years old, and I'd gone 15 without any significant remission from depression.) The Parnate works for me, and he's not very happy about it. He's always implying it's either a placebo effect, or my fault for not trying to get over my depression faster myself.
Of course, he's always started every session by saying depression is just "mental," and I would be exercising, avoiding alcohol, and "thinking more positively," etc., if I really wanted to get better. Then, I tell him, for the 1000th time, that I exercise 6 days a week, haven't drank anything in years, and practice cognitive therapy...
This is, btw, one of the most well-respected docs in my state, so you never know...
Audrey
poster:AudreyE
thread:415403
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041113/msgs/415737.html