Posted by Honore on June 23, 2007, at 13:20:22
In reply to Re: Emsam » Honore, posted by Seeking Peace on June 23, 2007, at 8:45:24
Seeking Peace, you really don't have to worry about the food restrictions on Emsam. That's official for 6 mg, and pretty well demonstrated for the higher doses. If you want to be conservative, especially until after you get more used to Emsam, that's understandable-- but you don't have to worry. There really is no danger from cheese or soy, esp. on the low doses you're taking.
As I say, the company has demonstrated that even 9 mg and 12 mg seem to be safe from food/tyramine problems that other, oral MAOIs have. However, the FDA wants to be super-careful- so they've put that on hold.
That, at least, you really really don't need to be at all concerned about-- it's totally safe.
The travelling does sound like a hassle until you've gotten much more acclimated to Emsam. If I forget to put a patch on, I usually put it on as soon as I remember-- I do that, occasionally. The only reason I wouldn't put it on is that I use 12 mg and don't like to put that much on right before bed. So if I remember in the evening that I forgot to change the patch, I put on a smaller dose (half a patch) for the night, and then change to 12 mg in the morning-- or add the other 1/2. The patches probably have somewhat more than a 24 hour dose (that's not entirely clear, but is likely), so you may not have been entirely without it during the period when you forget to apply the new patch.
I wouldn't worry about discontinuation syndromes at 6 mg, especially when you haven't used it for a long time. If you'd been using it for years, I'm not sure what the implications would be-- but I've gone off 12 mg and 6 mg pretty much overnight, without any effects. This was after four months, and again after another three or four-- so I don't think in early stages of use, there's any withdrawal.
I do think Abilify is a good drug with Emsam, if you should ever consider APs again. I haven't noticed any emotional blunting with it.
Honore
poster:Honore
thread:764919
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070622/msgs/765212.html