Posted by JadeKelly on December 29, 2008, at 21:03:18
In reply to Parnate/40mg experience JadeKelly/Scoot..., posted by Vincent_QC on December 29, 2008, at 10:28:25
> JadeKelly, you were so right about the fact that I have to take my time and do at least 2 weeks at the same dose, I should listen to you better!
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> What I big mistake I do yesterday. I was thinking that I was ready to go for a next step and add 10mg on my 30mg of Parnate, since I was feeling good OMG what a mistake I do!!!
Hi Vincent,Some questions for you: how long this time on 30mg? Did you switch directly from Nardil? How long in between Nardil & Parnate?
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> Yesterday, at my usual 10mg dose at 5PM, I decided to add another 10mg for a total of 40mg Parnate for the day.
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> I had a supper at the restaurant with one of my friend and it was planning from a long time. I had to take my shower before, stop at the drug store to get my pills refill and I had to get ready fast because I was too lazy to do this during the day...
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> After the shower I begin to feel really stimulated, maybe 30 minutes after the 20mg I take at 5PM. Over stimulated to the point that I begin to be feel a headache but just on the left side of my head that radiate frontally, palpitations, I was unable to take a decision, which clothes I put and things like that. I begin to paranoid on my heart beat, it was really slow and I begin to feel a warm wave on my two ears, cold arms and I had to go to the bathroom several times to pee (Sorry for the word).Did you ever have headache (during this episode) that was almost unbearable, mainly in back of neck?
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> A bell ring in my head (expression here), it was telling me that I had hypertension again, so I climb the stairs to go to the kitchen at a speed I never do before, wait 5 minutes sit on the chair to not false my blood pressure result test and I take my blood pressure with my digital blood pressure monitor.
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> What a surprise, I was already at 180/85 I said to myself, wait a little bit, dont take your Nifedipine already (drug to treat the hypertensive crisis), maybe it will not stay high for a long time.
Maybe, maybe not. When I had my hypertensive problem, it happenend fast. There is a point where its safer not to take the nifedipine, but I think thats for really high, you were getting there. Shoulda gone to emergency, Vincent!!!
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> I finally succeed to get dress, lock the door of the house, start the car and go to the drug store, but I was really in a panic mood, it was dangerous to drive my car like this.
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> I ask to talk with the gentle pharmacist there. She takes me in her office, I sit and I explain the situation. She take my blood pressure and it was now at 195/95 She said, you will not die, its high but normally at the hospital they do nothing before the blood pressure is up to 205/90I said okI was not in panic anymore but I was able to see my heart racing under my shirt and see my skin move where my heart is, She said to wait that I reach that magic number of 205 before I take my pill (Nifedipine).I don't think she's qulified Vincent to make that decision! 205 is dangerously high!!
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> So, I go to the restaurant, I felt very bad all night long, my blood pressure never get down, my heart was doing a race inside me, I feel it beating so hard, it was really disturbing me. At 11PM, I decide that it was time to take my blood pressure again (yeah, at the restaurant!!! lol). I was at 210/100 I pop up a Nifedipine pill, take a bite in it, since its a gel cap with liquid inside and I didnt want to take the full 10mg, I swallow half of its content and I drink a full glass of water with it and I continue my supper with my friendWe leave the restaurant at 12AM, my blood pressure was still high, I drive him home, and return to my house, take my blood pressure again and it was now at 150/85, I said its perfect, my blood pressure return to the normal state, I can go sleep and forget all about this atrocious night.
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> I wake up at 2:30, after only 2 hours of sleep. I get on my feet to go to the bathroom and I open the light!!!! Photophobia, photophobia, photophobia, the pain I had for a couple of days behind my eyes I think it was photophobia.anyway I has to close the light, I was unable to keep open my eyes. It was crazy as hell. Lights was so hard on my eyes, I was not able to see anything... My head begin to spin, so I sit on my bed, take the blood pressure machine and make another blood pressure testI was now at 60/45with a pulse of 120
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> I succeed to reach the salt shakers in the kitchen but I had to climb the stairsI do it step by step, it took maybe 20 minutes before I reach the salt shaker I had to keep my eyes close because all sources of light was hard on my eyes (even looking at the hour on the microwave) and my head was spinning too much. I take 2 big tablespoons of salt with a full glass of water, try to go outside take fresh air, I light up a cigarette, my god, the flame of my lighters almost make me crazy, finally I was not able to smoke at all, it was worst...So I return in my bed room, downstairs, wait in the dark for 10 minutes, take another blood test and it was now at 65/60I lie down again on my bed, and I fall asleep fast.I never had that light sensitivity people talk about.
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I wake up only at 8AM, strange cause my mom had to get up early this morning and she usually do a lot of noise, but this time I heard nothing. I get up on my feet to go to the bathroom and I forget that I had high and low blood pressure the night before. I was not able to stay on my feet, so I lie down again on my bed until my blood pressure return to normal. I stay like this 20 minutes, shout to my mom to bring the salt shakers in my room, I take another 2 tablespoons of salt, wait 10 minutes and take my blood pressure, it was only at 75/55...after another 10 minutes I was able to get up, photophobia was less hard on my eyes, but I was not able to stay under a big source of light or look outside (snow everywherewith bright sunthats hard for the eyes), my head continue to spin a little bit and I had the usual tinnitus symptom...but it was less pronounced than last night. It take maybe 30 minutes before I was feeling ok...and by ok I mean just ok...able to stay on my feets and eat something, go to the bathroom, things like that. My eyes burns a lot also, photophobia probably...
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> Finally, the salt make is effect and my blood pressure return to a 90/60but when I go outside to smoke a cigarette, I cant keep my eyes open because of the photophobia. Thats too hardI'm curious, does nicotine raise, lower or is it neutral in relation to your blood pressure? Might want to find that out. If any benefit, you could carry the gum with you.
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> I take my usual 10mg dose of Parnate this morning, but NOW I KNOW that I have to STAY at 30mg for two weeks, maybe more.
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> I found it strange that I do at the high blood pressure when I up my dosage, and after low blood pressure like I do.
Thats not strange to me! My blood pressure was all over the place for a while! Its learning to control it as best you can until it calms down. I have low blood sugar, and while I was typing this felt very weak (no, hadn't eaten) took BP, it was 84/54. I think low blood sugar may contribute to low blood BP in some way. I just took two salt tablets and ate and feel much better. This RARELY happens to me now tho. Especially the high BP, almost never.>
> The Nifedipine dose I take last night was small, I take only half of the pill (5 mg), and normally it dont low the blood pressure like this. A 20mg pill of Nifedipine is more likely to cause a severe drop of blood pressure like I had not 5mg. The Nifedipine instant release doesnt stay in the blood for a long time and have a half-life of 2 hours in the blood. I still wonder why it low my blood pressure so much, at a very low dose like the one I take?That dose was the worst for me! At 30mg, I had hypertensive problem and had to go to hospital. I woke up and for no reason I could find, my BP was 90(sys) and rising fast. I had a headache that I can only describe as a 10 on a 1-10 scale. My nephew called the ER and they said it was an emergency they were on their way. I asked if they would have antidote, "yes they will". No antidote so I had to go to Hosp. Its not good to self-treat when heading towards 200 or over. You can cause a heart attack etc if BP not lowered correctly. Please go next time?! Anyway, for me this was the worst time, 30mg. So expect it and be ready!
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> Now, I wonder if one of these day, I will be able to up my dosage to more than 30mg of Parnate, or it will be the maximum I cant reach?
Yes! you will be able to increase! I stayed at 30mg for 6 weeks(the worst for side effects!), then aprox 1 1/2 weeks to 40mg, 1 1/2 weeks to 50m, 1 1/2 weeks to 60mg. Approx 10 days into 60mg. I was in remission. 100%. No euphoria, just myself.>
> I can do another conclusion, Parnate seem to be 3 times stronger than Nardil, it increase the general anxiety but at the same time is very good for social phobia and anxiety, since I start it, I can do a lot more of things alone, i'm able to go to the drug store alone and speak with the pharmacist, in fact I speak a lot more to people I don't know and i'm less shy... The 3 times stronger conclusion I do is base in the fact that on Nardil, I never expected hypertension... but I had several hypotension problems at a dose of 90mg only so 30mg Parnate = 90mg Nardilfor me...maybe not for everyone...
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> Now its 11:15 AM, I just took my blood pressure again, Im at 107/53 and a pulse of 64 I take my Parnate 3 hours ago, so its supposed to make its effect now
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> I also eliminated all sources of a possibilities of a hypertensive crisis caused by food last night, I eat a salad at the restaurant with fresh chicken inside, no salad dressing or things like that and for my lunch time, I had only fresh steak, buy yesterday morning, with some safe and fresh vegetables. The cause of the hyper crisis is not the food.Mine wasn't either.
Vincent, I was the only one I'd heard of with spontanious hypertension except an old poster, Elizabeth, some, not many, have spontanious HT on Parnate as your body adjusts. I had it for 3 nights in a row. I was so desperate to finish my trial (plus PDoc was about to take me off) that I took Nifedipine for 10 days in a row till I saw him next. It was hell. Pure lethergy, weakness, depression. Boy was I glad to be off that. Some people take more of a beating on this med than others. But in my experience, its in the beginning.
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> I can also conclude that Parnate act as a stimulant in my system by increasing my blood pressure and after his half-life of 4.4 to 8 hours, tend to low my blood pressure by causing sever hypotension. Mean that I will have to take it easy and SLOWno more weekly increase of my dose.
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> In the official PRESCRIBING INFORMATION from Glasko Company, they write that people with hypertension tend to do more orthostatic hypotension or hypotension with the Parnate. Thats really confusing me cause I have a normal blood pressure reading of 110/60-70 (Not high) since a lot of years, sometimes I can reach 120/60-70 or maybe a little bit higher when I do a panic attack but nothing like I experienced since the last week or last night in particularly.
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> Thats strange because each time I take a MAOI, my blood pressure tend to be not stable, and Im not supposed to be a good candidate for blood pressure problems on them since Im ok normally. I suppose that Im sensible with all the drugs who acts on epinephrine or dopamine.Mine was absolutely normal.
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> Well, thats was another part of my story. I learn my lesson now, and its for real30mg maximum for weeks and weeksuntil I have to official OK from my family doctor to increase it again.
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> So for JadeKelly, I Was wondering if you had a lot of hypotension problems on the Parnate at first, and if so, how many times it stay like this when you upped your dosage by 10mg each time???At first, yes. Stayed in bed. Then less and less with each dose incease, no idea why!
You think its normal to have suddenly hypertension after up the dosage by 10 mg, like I do yesterday?
Normal? for most no. For some like you and I? Unfortunately, yes. But it passes quickly, especially the unexplained high BP.>
> Since its Christmas vacation for my 2 doctors, I try to reach someone who can answer to my question but I cantSometimes, just read advice by others people like you can help, just to be reassured.
I don't know if I said this or someone else did: This medication is not for he faint hearted. But its the only one thats ever worked for me. One more thing, I take klonopin (benzo) 3xday, and Parnate for some reason makes me forget to take it alot. Wierd, you to, huh? Wonder what effect that has on our BP?? When we forget? Did you?Keep me posted!
~jade
PS-Get used to getting a lot of rest!!
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> For Scoot, Im wondering if you also had blood pressure problems with the Parnate or you never experienced hypertension or hypotension blood pressure on the Parnate?
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> Well, thanks everyoneJust write all of these help me to cope with the stress and the bad experience I had last night and this morning alsoI will continue to monitor my blood pressure all the day, just in casefor now it's low...I will probably return sleep a little bit this afternoon since when I lying in my bed, I feel less the hypotension effetcs.
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> IF something goes wrong again, I will post a message here! A nice day for everyone!!! ;-)
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> With all that stres and problems, I completly forget to take my valiums pills since yesterday afternoon!!! That surprise me cause normally, when I begin to panic and I feel weird, the first thing I do is to pop up a 5mg of Valium...But wonder why, I don't do it last night and this morning!!! That's maybe another good point there...mean that I will maybe forget the association of the Valium pill to the good feeling I can have...!!! That's a good point...In every bad experience we have, we can find a little positive effect or at least a positive lesson...
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poster:JadeKelly
thread:871276
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081223/msgs/871351.html