Posted by porkpiehat on July 8, 2018, at 12:35:44
In reply to Re: solutions for MAOI withdrawl? Marplan on backorder » porkpiehat, posted by Tfeld on July 8, 2018, at 8:36:49
> Hey porkpiehat,
>
> I too am a recovering Marplan user (lol) since the shortage and am on week 1 of 30mg Nardil. I posted a longer message under PeterMartin's thread if you'd like to check out my progress.
>
> Did you wind up trying the naltrexone? I did a short (~3-day) trial of 25-50mgs back a few months ago as an attempt to attenuate meth cravings, but unfortunately I found it bored the sh*t out of me and numbed me out even further, attenuating incentive salience for all activities across the board and helping little with the meth issue. I should mention I am one of those stubbornly unstoppable compulsives when I use and not much can stop me, although I have finally achieved abstinence (16 days today) and am getting more involved than ever in my support network with my recent response to the low-dosage 30mg Nardil.
>
> I cycle rapidly and can't remember the ins and outs since nearly most of the past year was an addictive blur, but while the meth seemed to even me out there was definitely signifiant hypomania in the mix. The naltrexone seemed not to even out the hypomania but simply crush me into flatness and depression, although I wasn't on it very long.
>
> My pdoc has had some success with naltrexone for multiple substances including my DOC (meth), but my experience may vary considerably from your situation with alcohol, for which there is much more empirical evidence...so YMMV.
>
> Would love to hear an update and how Nardil's going for you. I hope things are improving for you and NEVER give up!!I think using meth on an MOAI is a recipe for disaster! I had a problem with it years ago and only when I was taking SSRIs...My drinking and drug use increased due to compulsivity and probably the "addiction" to feeling something again and having a sex drive. That said the urge for stimulants would completely disappear when I stopped taking the SSRIs....Not sure if it was hypomania or PTSD stuff.
That said the smallest amount of stimulants will make me out of control and has even made me black out before. Are you saying you are bipolar? Have you tried all the various mood stabilizers etc? They kill the hypomanic symptoms in me but the side effects are worse than the disease. Is the stimulant use worse while taking serotonergic AD's?
I never started the Naltrexone. I have been looking into Low Dose Naltrexone as a dual solution for compulsiveness, anxiety, PTSD etc. It's a way lower dose than the dose the doctor probably gave you. I'm also considering it as a replacement for the MAOIs.
The tiredness and demotivation I've had since moving up to 45mgs Nardil has all but removed drinking and compulsiveness. I've stayed at home/in bed binging on the Sopranos. Having half a cocktail seems to kill the lethargy oddly.The one thing that's been consistent with me across the 16 mos I've been taking MAOIs is hyperfocus/compulsiveness; and extreme detachment from my friends and family. It's like I don't love them anymore, and humanity as a whole seems hopeless and stupid. I've lost interest in doing healthy things like eating right, exercising, and excelling in my career/wanting to go back to school; being involved politically; dating.
However it works fairly well for the atypical symptoms of my depression, such as feelings of persecution, hysterical tendencies, sensitivity to abandonment, constant suicidal ruminations, plus the crippling social anxiety. The biggie is the ability to concentrate and ADD/distraction type symptoms. I'm very project-oriented now. Work was torture for me before with a racing, distracted brain.
My parents are getting old and ill, and I've killed off most of my social networks. I see myself dying alone and drunk on a fishing boat...full of guilt that I wasn't emotionally present for my parents in their final years. It's a hard decision to weigh as I currently feel OK being able to function cognitively, work, etc. I don't feel the hysterical despair over my situation like before.
Anyway back to Nardil. If you are like me the jump to 45mgs might flatten you out just long enough to get some space from the meth. Soon you'll be at a high enough dose where doing meth will surely kill you, and that should be some kind of deterrent.
I'm hoping the flatness/lethargy ends and there is that emotional openness awaiting me that I started taking these drugs for. If not, I'm done!
Also of note, I can sleep way easier on Nardil than I could on parnate or marplan, at least for now.
Best of luck. hit me up anytime I've been through a lot of what you're going through. I don't know how to babblemail or I would suggest it.
poster:porkpiehat
thread:1098825
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20180521/msgs/1099485.html