Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 367985

Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc?

Posted by ravenstorm on July 19, 2004, at 21:02:27

I'm just curious, as I sit here totally f'd up from trying to start wellbutrin!

And while I'm on the subject, what is behind the nardil weight gain? Can someone take parnate if they have anxiety? Oh, I forgot, I react oppositely to everything, so maybe for me Parnate will be sedating! LOL (NOT)

Thanks!

 

Re: Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc?

Posted by SLS on July 19, 2004, at 22:23:16

In reply to Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc?, posted by ravenstorm on July 19, 2004, at 21:02:27

> I'm just curious, as I sit here totally f'd up from trying to start wellbutrin!

What problems are you having with Wellbutrin?

> And while I'm on the subject, what is behind the nardil weight gain?

I'm not sure that is completely understood. I think part of it involves carbohydrate cravings and increased caloric intake. However, there must be something else going on. I think it probably messes with glucose dynamics. Parnate doesn't do these things.

> Can someone take parnate if they have anxiety?

Parnate does have some amphetamine like effects, but doesn't necessarily increase anxiety. It will treat effectively social anxiety in many cases.


- Scott

 

Re: Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc?

Posted by ravenstorm on July 19, 2004, at 22:28:57

In reply to Re: Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc?, posted by SLS on July 19, 2004, at 22:23:16

I'm the freak who gets tired from wellbutrin. Tired as in, I want to go to sleep, I better not drive my car tired. And yet at night, I can't sleep even with the remeron. Pdoc told me to take the WB at night tonight with the remeron. I did. I don't think that was particularly wise. Brain feels quite "zingy" now. (Yes, zingy is a technical term.)

I'm suppossed to be adding it to 15mg of remeron for further AD action and to help with the remeron sedation.

Also, enjoying the ever popular nausea, headaches and general wonky confusion!

Sorry for the sarcasm. Hate feeling ill.

Thanks for the response!

 

Re: Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc? » ravenstorm

Posted by King Vultan on July 20, 2004, at 8:08:01

In reply to Re: Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc?, posted by ravenstorm on July 19, 2004, at 22:28:57

> I'm the freak who gets tired from wellbutrin. Tired as in, I want to go to sleep, I better not drive my car tired. And yet at night, I can't sleep even with the remeron. Pdoc told me to take the WB at night tonight with the remeron. I did. I don't think that was particularly wise. Brain feels quite "zingy" now. (Yes, zingy is a technical term.)
>
> I'm suppossed to be adding it to 15mg of remeron for further AD action and to help with the remeron sedation.
>
> Also, enjoying the ever popular nausea, headaches and general wonky confusion!
>
> Sorry for the sarcasm. Hate feeling ill.
>
> Thanks for the response!


I reacted somewhat atypically to Wellbutrin SR myself, as I always took the 2nd dose right at bedtime and slept better than I have on any other antidepressant. However, the morning dose had no direct effect I could discern. In regard to starting up MAOIs, for me it was somewhat similar in that I did (and continue to) experience insomnia with Nardil, just as I did with Prozac, Zoloft, and Effexor. However, rather than getting blasted with insomnia right away as I did with Zoloft and Effexor, I didn't experience any adverse effects until I got up to 60 mg/day of Nardil. I think other people who experience insomnia often encounter it at lower dosages than this. I've suffered a variety of other side effects also, but more at higher dosages. The drop in blood pressure and heart rate I've experienced is the most serious side effect and is barely tolerable. The stuff is the most effective antidepressant I've tried, though.

Todd

 

Re: interested in START UP s/e's

Posted by ravenstorm on July 20, 2004, at 11:29:55

In reply to Re: Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc? » ravenstorm, posted by King Vultan on July 20, 2004, at 8:08:01

I guess what I am trying to determine is if starting on MAOI's is as harsh a start up as starting on SSRI"s. When I started paxil or zoloft I was sick as a dog (even vomitting) for three weeks at least. Foggy headed, nauseaus, headaches etc etc. I know once you are on a med long enough, the start ups usually fade and you are left with some sort of more benign side effects.

Just wondering if MAOI's are as hard to get on as SSRI's.Most people consider tricyclics easier to start on, if they have severe reactions to starting ssris. Unfortunately, once you are on the TCA, you usually have more over all side effects in the long run. So, are start ups for MAOI's more like TCA's or SSRI's. If you are one of those people who goes on meds with relative ease, it will probably be hard for you to give any information.

Thanks!

 

Re: King Vultan, how long did it take to kick in?

Posted by ravenstorm on July 22, 2004, at 9:15:06

In reply to Re: Do MAOI's have bad start up s/e's like SSRIs etc? » ravenstorm, posted by King Vultan on July 20, 2004, at 8:08:01

Todd

So how long did it take for the MAOI to kick in? Also, what made you finally decide to go the MAOI route?

Very cool that its working for you.

 

Re: interested in START UP s/e's » ravenstorm

Posted by gardenergirl on July 22, 2004, at 11:16:34

In reply to Re: interested in START UP s/e's, posted by ravenstorm on July 20, 2004, at 11:29:55

Hi ravenstorm,
I hesitated to post earlier, because I haven't really had bad reactions starting meds, either SSRI's or Nardil. I did have a bit of jitteriness when going up in dosage of an SSRI...Sarafem, I think. But I also had a great deal of caffeine at the same time. I can't recall any other SE's of SSRI's, but they were never effective for me, either.

Nardil was an easy start, too. The only initial (in the first week) SE's I encountered were myoclonic jerks, hyperreflexia, the Nardil shuffle which is just a bit of staggering like you are drunk...I think this is it. Over the course of taking it, I have also experienced urinary retention which is dose dependent, weight gain due to increased sugar cravings, insomnia, constipation, and anorgasmia. Pretty much all of my SE's have gone away except for the hyperreflexia and weight gain, but that has stabilized with closer attention to my caloric intake.

Nardil is the only AD that has helped my atypical depression. The diet is manageable for me.

I hope you have good luck with it if you decide to start an MAOI.

Take care,
gg

 

Re: King Vultan, how long did it take to kick in? » ravenstorm

Posted by King Vultan on July 22, 2004, at 12:48:22

In reply to Re: King Vultan, how long did it take to kick in?, posted by ravenstorm on July 22, 2004, at 9:15:06

> Todd
>
> So how long did it take for the MAOI to kick in? Also, what made you finally decide to go the MAOI route?
>
> Very cool that its working for you.


I didn't experience any effects until I got to 60 mg/day, when I started getting bad insomnia. Therapeutic effects began about four or five days after reaching 75 mg/day. I decided to go with an MAOI because I had already tried about 10 drugs from various classes, and there wasn't really much else left to try.

I think the Nardil is a good drug, especially for people with anxiety disorders, and it doesn't leave me emotionally flat like the SSRIs and Effexor did, but it is not solving my fundamental problem of anhedonia. I've been on the Nardil almost five months and have slowly progressed up to 105 mg/day, so one would think I've had an adequate trial. With all the reading I've done, and taking into account the effects of all these different drugs I've tried, I've come to the conclusion that my problem is fundamentally one of a malfunctioning dopamine system. Since Parnate has stimulant properities and is much more dopaminergic than Nardil, I've made an appointment with my pdoc for Tuesday to discuss switching to Parnate.

Todd

 

Re: Thanks for MAOI info!

Posted by ravenstorm on July 22, 2004, at 18:39:19

In reply to Re: King Vultan, how long did it take to kick in? » ravenstorm, posted by King Vultan on July 22, 2004, at 12:48:22

Thanks GG and Todd.

If this Wellbutrin trial fails (or if I just stay so damned tired on it) I think I'm going to skip the TCA's and go straight to MAOIs. (Only made it four days on Nortriptyline). Anxiety or not, however, I think I'd start with parnate instead of nardil. I guess there is Marplan(?) too.

Well, maybe the WB will work. Or maybe if it doesn't the MAOI patch will be available.

 

Re: Thanks for MAOI info! » ravenstorm

Posted by gardenergirl on July 23, 2004, at 9:21:25

In reply to Re: Thanks for MAOI info!, posted by ravenstorm on July 22, 2004, at 18:39:19

You know I skipped tricyclics and went straight to an MAOI after many SSRI's and SSRI plus Wellbutrin. Since it has been documented as effective in atypical depression, and that definitely is what I have, it made sense.

Good luck and keep us posted.

gg


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