Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 66056

Shown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by sl on June 10, 2001, at 17:54:48

I'm having some problems and I'm not sure if it's the low dose of nortriptyline this week or if I'm still on Effexor withdrawals...
(I went off Effexor 2 wks ago now, last sunday I started Nort. at 25mg, to be increased by 25mg every wk)

I'm SO scattered and forgetful it's like a joke. On the good side, I completely identify with my 80yearold grandmother, but on the bad side I'm 27 and I shouldn't have to walk into the same room 4 times before I remember what I came in there for!! I can't remember words for normal things, I can't remember things that've happened in the fairly recent past...

I'm also very jumpy and nervous. I remember being liek that when I was on a 400mg/day dose of Wellbutrin (immediate-release) but not normally!

Does anyone have ideas as to what might be happening here??? I go up to 50mg of Nortriptyline tonight and I'm hoping this isn't going to get worse. :/

sl

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by ChrisK on June 10, 2001, at 18:49:38

In reply to Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by sl on June 10, 2001, at 17:54:48

Sometimes low doses of a med will do things differently than standard doses. I take 100 mg/day of Nortriptyline and do have memory problems from time to time. It seems that I can't remember what I ate for dinner last night but I can remember all of the words to a song from 1962. It's frustrating some times but it's better than being extremely depressed.

Give it a couple of weeks at higher doses before you throw in the towel. It has been very good for me and I failed on almost all of the SSRI's.

Good Luck,
Chris

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d? » sl

Posted by SalArmy4me on June 10, 2001, at 18:54:21

In reply to Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by sl on June 10, 2001, at 17:54:48

I can't imagine why you have to be on such an old drug. Its well documented that there is cognitive slowing from some of the tricyclics. Ask your doctor to switch you to some drug with a similar chemical action.

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by sl on June 10, 2001, at 21:35:18

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d? » sl, posted by SalArmy4me on June 10, 2001, at 18:54:21

Cuz. Effexor had too many side effects. Wellbutrin pooped out. My problem doesn't seemed to be seratonin-related since nothing involving seratonin worked well (effexor worked a LITTLE, Prozac didn't help, Serzone didn't help, etc).

So I'm limited. Since my memory is lousy, I can't remember who it was specifically, but someone here suggested either Nortriptyline or Desipramine. Next on my list if this is a dud is to find myself a real psychiatrist instead of my hard-working internist, and try something like Zyprexa or the other one on my list BEFORE that which right now the name eludes me.

You'd never in a million years guess I'm very intelligent from that paragraph (above), would you? This is why it makes me nervous. For YEARS I've relied on my nearly-picture-perfect audio memory to get me through, and now it's ...well, erratic. :/

But the other person was right...I should give it a chance before I write it off. If I hadn't written Effexor off at 150mg/day, I might be better right now. :(


Thanks though...anymore input is welcome! :)

sl


> I can't imagine why you have to be on such an old drug. Its well documented that there is cognitive slowing from some of the tricyclics. Ask your doctor to switch you to some drug with a similar chemical action.

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by dnuk on June 11, 2001, at 23:26:55

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by sl on June 10, 2001, at 21:35:18

SL,

I was just put back on Pamelor today...literally...(nortrip) after about 7 years off it (see above if it helps). Am to get up to 50 mgs in a week. I stopped then, 1994 or so, b/c I thought I was "ok" and didn't want to take medications anymore.

This I'll say about it. I spent about 4 yrs on it, albeit w/ xanax at the same time. I recall being "foggy", although not excessively. I was in college at the time and still made excellent grades and had a social life (I have a graduate/professional degree and an great job, so you're not doomed to a life you don't want to live on this stuff; if you're very intelligent as you say (and, I don't doubt it), you've got a little talent/abilty to trade in while battling your demons if necessary). Unlike the Paxil I've been taking for 2 yrs (until today), I never gained weight or had any noticable sexual side effects. Pamelor never gave me the constipation some talk about, only some dry mouth (drink water/gatorade/decaff tea all day & no sweat) & occasional fogginess. I don't recall it making me nervous at all (and things like prozac (fairly recently), zoloft & BuSpar (back in the day) made me want to pull my hair out)!

Give the medicine half a chance. Evaluate your condition (what is it if you don't mind sharing?) & the price you're willing to pay (even fogginess) to allieviate it.

Good luck! I'll say a rosary for you...and me, and God bless you!

d

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by sl on June 12, 2001, at 10:39:56

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by dnuk on June 11, 2001, at 23:26:55

> SL,
> This I'll say about it. I spent about 4 yrs on it, albeit w/ xanax at the same time. I recall

So it didn't help your anxiety enuf to skip the Xanax or did you have Panic Attacks...? Cuz if it doesn't help anxiety much, I'm going to need to add something to it....

>being "foggy", although not excessively. I was in college at the time and still made excellent grades and had a social life (I have a graduate/professional degree and an great job, so

THAT's the biggest thing I worry about. I'm going back to college in August and I don't want to be like this when I get there! Good to know it didn't impair you. It still might impair ME, but that's obviously not a universal side-effect.

>you're not doomed to a life you don't want to live on this stuff; if you're very intelligent as you say (and, I don't doubt it), you've got a little talent/abilty to trade in while battling your demons if necessary). Unlike the Paxil I've been taking for 2 yrs (until today), I never gained weight or had any noticable sexual side effects. Pamelor never gave me the constipation some talk about, only some dry mouth (drink

Again, good to know. So far it's just a little dry mouth, but I'm supposed to go up to twice this dosage before I give up. :/

> Give the medicine half a chance. Evaluate your condition (what is it if you don't mind sharing?) & the price you're willing to pay (even fogginess) to allieviate it.

I'm diagnosed with major depression. Along with that, I have some anxiety and nasty thought-patterns (ruminations, if you will) that are not things I've mentioned to the Dr.
The price... I'm willing to be foggy and sleepy, but not stupid, and not if my symptoms are still THERE. Effexor made my symptoms still there underneath but I didnt' have the energy to even think about them. :/

> Good luck! I'll say a rosary for you...and me, and God bless you!

Thanks! I appreciate the thought. :)

sl

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by sl on June 12, 2001, at 21:27:18

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by sl on June 12, 2001, at 10:39:56

And this seems to be getting worse.
I couldn't even be in chat-rooms today (I'm off work) cuz I couldn't seem to pick out information aimed at ME (vs info aimed at others) the way I normally could. I kept getting confused as to who was talking to me. :(

How long do I give it again?
And from WHEN? Do I give it a few weeks from when I start 100mg, or do I give it a few weeks from when I first started at 25mg....?

I'm so confused. :(


sl


> > SL,
> > This I'll say about it. I spent about 4 yrs on it, albeit w/ xanax at the same time. I recall
>
> So it didn't help your anxiety enuf to skip the Xanax or did you have Panic Attacks...? Cuz if it doesn't help anxiety much, I'm going to need to add something to it....
>
> >being "foggy", although not excessively. I was in college at the time and still made excellent grades and had a social life (I have a graduate/professional degree and an great job, so
>
> THAT's the biggest thing I worry about. I'm going back to college in August and I don't want to be like this when I get there! Good to know it didn't impair you. It still might impair ME, but that's obviously not a universal side-effect.
>
> >you're not doomed to a life you don't want to live on this stuff; if you're very intelligent as you say (and, I don't doubt it), you've got a little talent/abilty to trade in while battling your demons if necessary). Unlike the Paxil I've been taking for 2 yrs (until today), I never gained weight or had any noticable sexual side effects. Pamelor never gave me the constipation some talk about, only some dry mouth (drink
>
> Again, good to know. So far it's just a little dry mouth, but I'm supposed to go up to twice this dosage before I give up. :/
>
> > Give the medicine half a chance. Evaluate your condition (what is it if you don't mind sharing?) & the price you're willing to pay (even fogginess) to allieviate it.
>
> I'm diagnosed with major depression. Along with that, I have some anxiety and nasty thought-patterns (ruminations, if you will) that are not things I've mentioned to the Dr.
> The price... I'm willing to be foggy and sleepy, but not stupid, and not if my symptoms are still THERE. Effexor made my symptoms still there underneath but I didnt' have the energy to even think about them. :/
>
> > Good luck! I'll say a rosary for you...and me, and God bless you!
>
> Thanks! I appreciate the thought. :)
>
> sl

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by dnuk on June 12, 2001, at 22:14:55

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by sl on June 12, 2001, at 10:39:56

>
> So it didn't help your anxiety enuf to skip the Xanax or did you have Panic Attacks...? Cuz if it doesn't help anxiety much, I'm going to need to add something to it....

Tough to say b/c of how things worked out. I was put on xanax only for a while. Helped for a couple months, then started having break-through attacks. That's when the Pamelor was added, and I didn't have any problems after that. So, I can't say the Pamelor did the trick by itself. It may have, and it may have only worked with the xanax. All I can say as that it did have at least some ability to reduce anxiety.
>
> >being "foggy", although not excessively. I was in college at the time and still made excellent grades and had a social life (I have a graduate/professional degree and an great job, so
>

> Again, good to know. So far it's just a little dry mouth, but I'm supposed to go up to twice this dosage before I give up. :/
>
Hmm. I wish I remember how much I was taking back then, but I suspect it was only 50mgs.

>
> I'm diagnosed with major depression. Along with that, I have some anxiety and nasty thought-patterns (ruminations, if you will) that are not things I've mentioned to the Dr.
> The price... I'm willing to be foggy and sleepy, but not stupid, and not if my symptoms are still THERE. Effexor made my symptoms still there underneath but I didnt' have the energy to even think about them. :/

Tell the doc about the obsessive thoughts. Don't hold stuff back. You're the only one with all to gain/lose. And, as far as depression goes, it should work for that, but we're all a little different chemically. Nevertheless, hopefully you'll have nothing but success on it.

GBU

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by dnuk on June 12, 2001, at 22:20:27

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by sl on June 12, 2001, at 21:27:18

> And this seems to be getting worse.
> I couldn't even be in chat-rooms today (I'm off work) cuz I couldn't seem to pick out information aimed at ME (vs info aimed at others) the way I normally could. I kept getting confused as to who was talking to me. :(
>
> How long do I give it again?
> And from WHEN? Do I give it a few weeks from when I start 100mg, or do I give it a few weeks from when I first started at 25mg....?
>
> I'm so confused. :(
>
If you're already miserable, tell your doc & see what he/she says. For me personally, anxiety is a much worse experience then fogginess, so to me, it's an easy call. The fogginess may dissipate as your body gets used to it (it may not). I'd just call the doc & ask, and compare what some others say.


>
>

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by sl on June 13, 2001, at 19:14:16

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by dnuk on June 12, 2001, at 22:20:27

I'm calling in the morning.
They won't know much, tho, cuz she usually is just an internist, she won't have many other people in her care taking psychiatric meds.

I'm...well, I'm PMS-sy. It's hard to tell if I'd be miserable if I wasn't PMS-sy, too.
Do you think meds should keep PMS from getting out of hand? I thought so, but it's not working like that...

sl

> If you're already miserable, tell your doc & see what he/she says. For me personally, anxiety is a much worse experience then fogginess, so to me, it's an easy call. The fogginess may dissipate as your body gets used to it (it may not). I'd just call the doc & ask, and compare what some others say.
>
>
> >
> >

 

Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?

Posted by dnuk on June 13, 2001, at 22:36:28

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by sl on June 13, 2001, at 19:14:16

> I'm calling in the morning.
> They won't know much, tho, cuz she usually is just an internist, she won't have many other people in her care taking psychiatric meds.
>
> I'm...well, I'm PMS-sy. It's hard to tell if I'd be miserable if I wasn't PMS-sy, too.
> Do you think meds should keep PMS from getting out of hand? I thought so, but it's not working like that...
>
> sl
>
Hmmm. Clearly, this is a question better addressed by a woman, so I must admit I haven't got a clue. Still, you did right by going ahead and calling the doc. Stay on them until she tells you otherwise though. Especially if you're school/foginess concerns won't arise until the fall semester. If you're taking summer classes or have a need to be crystal clear right now, and the doc doesn't think the side effects will go away, perhaps another medication is in order.

 

Re: Nortriptyline question for a woman?

Posted by sl on June 14, 2001, at 11:09:06

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline or still Effexor w/d?, posted by dnuk on June 13, 2001, at 22:36:28

> > I'm calling in the morning.

(I decided to try splitting my dose to the am and the pm instead of all at pm before I called)

How 'bout it, does anyone think ADs should NOT alleviate PMS?

sl


> > They won't know much, tho, cuz she usually is just an internist, she won't have many other people in her care taking psychiatric meds.
> >
> > I'm...well, I'm PMS-sy. It's hard to tell if I'd be miserable if I wasn't PMS-sy, too.
> > Do you think meds should keep PMS from getting out of hand? I thought so, but it's not working like that...
> >
> > sl
> >
> Hmmm. Clearly, this is a question better addressed by a woman, so I must admit I haven't got a clue. Still, you did right by going ahead and calling the doc. Stay on them until she tells you otherwise though. Especially if you're school/foginess concerns won't arise until the fall semester. If you're taking summer classes or have a need to be crystal clear right now, and the doc doesn't think the side effects will go away, perhaps another medication is in order.

 

Re: Nortriptyline question for a woman? » sl

Posted by Cam W. on June 14, 2001, at 20:56:14

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline question for a woman?, posted by sl on June 14, 2001, at 11:09:06

sl - I was talking to a psychiatrist about SSRIs and PMS. He felt that the serotonergic antidepressants really don't do much for PMS. I have heard some women on this board say that they have helped decrease the intensity of their PMS symptoms and have read some studies saying that Prozac, starting 5 days premenstrually did decrease symptoms. So, in essence, what I am trying to say is, I don't know.

Nortripyline is a tricyclic antidepressant with some serotonergic activity, but I haven't heard of it being used for PMS.

- Cam

 

Re: Nortriptyline question for a woman?

Posted by sl on June 15, 2001, at 10:10:35

In reply to Re: Nortriptyline question for a woman? » sl, posted by Cam W. on June 14, 2001, at 20:56:14

>trying to say is, I don't know.
>
> Nortripyline is a tricyclic antidepressant with some serotonergic activity, but I haven't heard of it being used for PMS.
>
> - Cam

Wow, if you don't know, it might be nobody does! ;)

Maybe some time in the next month I'll ask my Dr for a trial of Prozac for that period. I'm pretty sure it's safe to combine with Nort. and my PMS is ...bad. Not quite bad enuf to keep me home in bed crying, but close.

Thanks for your input!

sl


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