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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jaby on July 12, 2002, at 20:34:21
I'm almost to the end of the medication gammut and am wonderinging if anyone has had luck in such a situation.
Posted by cybercafe on July 12, 2002, at 23:51:44
In reply to Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?, posted by jaby on July 12, 2002, at 20:34:21
> I'm almost to the end of the medication gammut and am wonderinging if anyone has had luck in such a situation.
actually yes :) ...
... but i do take gabapentin from time to time just to make sure i don't feel too good .. and for anxiety....
Posted by jaby on July 13, 2002, at 0:04:52
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?, posted by cybercafe on July 12, 2002, at 23:51:44
Which MAOI have/do you use? What profound effects did you derive from its use?
Posted by cybercafe on July 13, 2002, at 0:22:12
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?cybercafe, posted by jaby on July 13, 2002, at 0:04:52
> Which MAOI have/do you use? What profound effects did you derive from its use?
i'm taking Parnate... it has decent anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects...
.. i just started taking it (4 weeks?) so i'm looking forward to even more benefits in the future
Posted by Vanessa on July 13, 2002, at 20:54:33
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?cybercafe, posted by cybercafe on July 13, 2002, at 0:22:12
> > Which MAOI have/do you use? What profound effects did you derive from its use?
>
> i'm taking Parnate... it has decent anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects...
>
> .. i just started taking it (4 weeks?) so i'm looking forward to even more benefits in the future
I have taken MAOIs (Marplan and Nardil) for 18 years. At that time my diagnosis was just depression. The MAOIs worked very well for several years. I was more energetic, positive, and just felt good most of the time. It really turned my life around. I had no side effects. Unfortunately, over time their effectiveness lessened. I was diagnosed BPII 6 years ago. I am still on Nardil, although I thought it had pooped out. But when I try to get off of it, I do feel more depressed. But it is not nearly enough by itself, as it used to be. I now take 5 meds for BPII, and have yet to find a med (or combination of meds) that get rid of the depression as well as the MAOIs used to
Posted by cybercafe on July 15, 2002, at 0:58:48
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?cybercafe, posted by Vanessa on July 13, 2002, at 20:54:33
>out. But when I try to get off of it, I do feel more depressed. But it is not nearly enough by itself, as it used to be. I now take 5 meds for BPII, and have yet to find a med (or combination of meds) that get rid of the depression as well as the MAOIs used to
.... wow which meds do you take now? ... i think four is my record ... though it turned out i didn't need 3 of them... :)
Posted by Chocoholic on July 17, 2002, at 1:39:23
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?cybercafe, posted by Vanessa on July 13, 2002, at 20:54:33
> > > Which MAOI have/do you use? What profound effects did you derive from its use?
> >
> > i'm taking Parnate... it has decent anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects...
> >
> > .. i just started taking it (4 weeks?) so i'm looking forward to even more benefits in the future
>
>
> I have taken MAOIs (Marplan and Nardil) for 18 years. At that time my diagnosis was just depression. The MAOIs worked very well for several years. I was more energetic, positive, and just felt good most of the time. It really turned my life around. I had no side effects. Unfortunately, over time their effectiveness lessened. I was diagnosed BPII 6 years ago. I am still on Nardil, although I thought it had pooped out. But when I try to get off of it, I do feel more depressed. But it is not nearly enough by itself, as it used to be. I now take 5 meds for BPII, and have yet to find a med (or combination of meds) that get rid of the depression as well as the MAOIs used toVanessa-
I went to a consult at Stanford with Terence Ketter and Marplan was one of his major recommendations for me. But my psychiatrist is afraid to prescribe it having had no experience with it. What are the side effects? Does it cause weight gain?
Chocoholic
Posted by cybercafe on July 18, 2002, at 13:29:21
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?cybercafe, posted by Chocoholic on July 17, 2002, at 1:39:23
> I went to a consult at Stanford with Terence Ketter and Marplan was one of his major recommendations for me. But my psychiatrist is afraid to prescribe it having had no experience with it. What are the side effects? Does it cause weight gain?
wow if your doc is willing to admitt that he doesn't know everything .. and he is willing to work with another consultant... that's really quite a good thing :)... i wonder if there is not an official source and guidelines for treatment put out by the local psychiatric college?? ..... docs have to look somewhere, no? ...
Posted by BK on July 19, 2002, at 7:42:47
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?cybercafe, posted by Vanessa on July 13, 2002, at 20:54:33
Hi Vanessa,
Your experience with Nardil sounds very similar to mine with the exception that it poop-out after only 4 months (My Pdoc was mystified at the time, but clearly I'm not the only one that had that problem.) Prior to that time it was the most amazing drug I had ever taken and the greatest experience of my life! It literally turned my life around both socially and cognitively. That was some 15 years ago and I've been searching ever since for a suitable replacememnt. I tried Nardil about five after my inital experience with it and it had little or no impact on me. If you find a augmentation that works, please share it with the board and I will do likewise. Best of luck to you.
Posted by Vanessa on July 20, 2002, at 17:31:49
In reply to Re: Anyone BPII and use an MAOI?cybercafe, posted by Chocoholic on July 17, 2002, at 1:39:23
> > > > Which MAOI have/do you use? What profound effects did you derive from its use?
> > >
> > > i'm taking Parnate... it has decent anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects...
> > >
> > > .. i just started taking it (4 weeks?) so i'm looking forward to even more benefits in the future
> >
> >
> > I have taken MAOIs (Marplan and Nardil) for 18 years. At that time my diagnosis was just depression. The MAOIs worked very well for several years. I was more energetic, positive, and just felt good most of the time. It really turned my life around. I had no side effects. Unfortunately, over time their effectiveness lessened. I was diagnosed BPII 6 years ago. I am still on Nardil, although I thought it had pooped out. But when I try to get off of it, I do feel more depressed. But it is not nearly enough by itself, as it used to be. I now take 5 meds for BPII, and have yet to find a med (or combination of meds) that get rid of the depression as well as the MAOIs used to
>
> Vanessa-
>
> I went to a consult at Stanford with Terence Ketter and Marplan was one of his major recommendations for me. But my psychiatrist is afraid to prescribe it having had no experience with it. What are the side effects? Does it cause weight gain?
>
> ChocoholicIn answer to your questions: I now take Nardil,
Wellbutrin, Vivactil, Dexedrine, Zyprexa (very lose dose for sleep) and Yohimbe (otc).I wish I could give you a glowing report on how well they work. They all worked better when I first got on them. But that phase passed, and for the four years I've been on them, they work "kinda." I am never depression-free, and cycle between depression of varying levels and hypomania. Right now, I'm in the 7th day of a bad depression, longer than usual for me. It scares me -- I fear the dreaded "poop out." I have tried many meds, including mood stabilizers which didn't help me at all -- in fact, I got more depressed taking them. .. Re. your question about side effects of MAOIS: no I did not gain weight on MAOIs (but I was on a low dose). I had some insomnia, mainly at the beginning. I really didn't have any other side effects. The MAOIs have had the least side effects of any med I have been on (and there are many).
Posted by missliz on July 21, 2002, at 0:10:34
In reply to Cybercafe chocoholic: re. MAOIs, posted by Vanessa on July 20, 2002, at 17:31:49
MAOIs are great, at least for me. I'm BP II and like an anti depressant and a mood stabilizer; Nardil was a wonderful thing for me. It's amazing to wake up one day and realize that this is what life is like for the normal people...
Most anti depressants have an insulating rubber bumper effect- MAOIs do not. You will have to deal with lifes rough edges without that detachment and not everyone is up to it. I prefer it, as I also get the full effect of all the wonderful things too. I didn't gain weight on Nardil because I got over my social phobia and spent all my free time in the gym or on the road with my cycling club.( Or going dancing!) It does make you want your desert though.
It kicked back on me, and I tried Parnate. It was fantastic, once I got past the first few rough weeks. MAOIs want to rewire your brain into their own matrix and they can be a rough adjustment for some of us although totlly worth it. I had to quit the Parnate because of cardiac arrythmias- this isn't a listed side effect, but everbody's different. It metabolises into amphetamine and methamphetamine, I lost 30 pounds but got the scare of my life. (I'm fine since I stopped the stuff)I'm titrating up on selegiline now, and it's going well so far.
MAOIS are not "dangerous drugs" as some textbooks say. You do have to be concious of your diet and any drugs you take for interactions, but this is not as rough as the diabetic lifestyle. No shots. You'll be going out for chinese instead of pizza, and I promise pizza is a small sacrifice for feeling better.
Your pdoc can find a ton of info on MAOIs, as they're used plenty. Theres a lot of myth about the diet still- it was re researched and cleared up. Look at J Clin Psychiatry 1996;57:99-104. There are also drugs you shouldn't take. If your pdoc can't get a patient info packet for you call the consult guy, he should set you up. It's a lifestyle, and you give things to get things with these drugs. You won't miss any of them.Bonne chance
Miss Liz
By the way, there are new novel antidepressents set to come out over the next year. If Marplan doesn't work for you, there will be something else to try down the road. Don't feel boxed. I'm out of mood stabilizers that don't give me serious physical side effects so I'm eating disgusting fish oil pills until we think of something.
This is the end of the thread.
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