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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emme on September 19, 2004, at 10:43:02
Hi Scott,
What's your status and current opinion about memantine wrt to fatigue, *motivation*, concentration, mood? All those important things. :)
After singing some praises of Mirapex a day or so ago, I've been thinking. I'm starting to think I may ditch it. The mood control I have now isn't bad. But the exhaustion/weakenss is getting intolerable. I still have inner tension that I'd like to control, but anything calming just worsens the fatigue. In short, I'm getting nothing done, which is a creating a serious situation and worsening anxiety.
Part of this fatigue might be related to mega-stress. But I have a feeling that something's not right.
Okay, enough moaning. I'm thinking it might be time to suggest a trial of memantine where I actually pay attention to what I'm doing. Either that or my pdoc will talk me into trying Strattera first. I know a Strattera trial would take several weeks. I don't know how long it might take memantine to kick in.
BTW, I'm happy to hear that duloxetine seems to be helping you.
Emme
Posted by SLS on September 19, 2004, at 14:41:28
In reply to SLS - memantine, posted by Emme on September 19, 2004, at 10:43:02
> Hi Scott,
>
> What's your status and current opinion about memantine wrt to fatigue, *motivation*, concentration, mood? All those important things. :)I am currently taking:
Cymbalta 60mg
Lamictal 150mg
memantine 20mg
Abilify 10mgI experienced an antidepressant response to memantine during my second week of treatment. It lasted for a few days and then faded. The response was pretty comprehensive in scope, although limited in magnitude. Energy, motivation, concentration, and mood were all improved. None of that improvement remains, however, I continue taking it in the hopes that it might act as an augmentor to Cymbalta by modulating neuroplasticity.
I'm sorry your treatment with Mirapex didn't provide you with the results you were looking for. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen a single person continue with it beyond a few months.
Perhaps you could keep a mood chart. I have one on my website you can use. Let's see if this URL works:
http://sl.schofield3.home.att.net/medicine/mood_chart_beam.pdf
Let me know if there are any other questions I can answer for you. I think memantine is worth a try. That I responded to it at all is amazing.
- Scott
Posted by Emme on September 19, 2004, at 15:33:24
In reply to Re: SLS - memantine, posted by SLS on September 19, 2004, at 14:41:28
Hi Scott,
> I am currently taking:
>
> Cymbalta 60mg
> Lamictal 150mg
> memantine 20mg
> Abilify 10mgInteresting combo. I found abilify faded on me and the restlessness and sleep interruption got annoying. Sometimes I think about restarting it for a while to see if I can get back some of the initial great effects.
> I experienced an antidepressant response to memantine during my second week of treatment. It lasted for a few days and then faded. The response was pretty comprehensive in scope, although limited in magnitude. Energy, motivation, concentration, and mood were all improved. None of that improvement remains, however, I continue taking it in the hopes that it might act as an augmentor to Cymbalta by modulating neuroplasticity.That is too bad that it never produced a more robust and sustained response.
> I'm sorry your treatment with Mirapex didn't provide you with the results you were looking for. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen a single person continue with it beyond a few months.
Yeah, the mood improvement was a plus, but I need to not feel like a zombie or my mood will plummet just from getting nothing done. I'm not feeling optimistic about this drug anymore. But it occurred to me that maybe I actually need to increase the dose. The 0.062 mg I'm taking isn't a lot. Maybe a few days at a higher dose would settle the question one way or the other.
> Perhaps you could keep a mood chart. I have one on my website you can use. Let's see if this URL works:
It looks like a good mood chart. For the past few years I've kept calendars - the kind with white squares to write things in. Maybe I'll try yours too.
> Let me know if there are any other questions I can answer for you. I think memantine is worth a try. That I responded to it at all is amazing.
Thanks. I'm going to keep memantine on the list of things to try and mention it to my pdoc this week. Have you noticed much in the way of side effects from it?
Emme
Posted by Emme on September 19, 2004, at 15:42:19
In reply to Re: SLS - memantine, posted by SLS on September 19, 2004, at 14:41:28
BTW, have you noticed that abilify or mirapex made you cold? Apparently one of the dopamine receptors must affect thermoregulation. I saw an abstract where agonism of one of the dopamine receptors induced hypothermia in rats. As far as I know, I'm not a rat. But I seemed cold on abilify. I imagine memantine would be less likely to do that because it has a different mechanism. (Celexa made me freeze, but I haven't bothered to look up why.)
Posted by SLS on September 19, 2004, at 16:14:08
In reply to Re: SLS - memantine » SLS, posted by Emme on September 19, 2004, at 15:33:24
Hi.
> Thanks. I'm going to keep memantine on the list of things to try and mention it to my pdoc this week. Have you noticed much in the way of side effects from it?
For me, memantine has no side effects. However, when I pushed the dosage to 40mg, I felt like I was intoxicated.
- Scott
Posted by SLS on September 19, 2004, at 17:02:59
In reply to P.S. feeling cold, posted by Emme on September 19, 2004, at 15:42:19
It is probably the Mirapex. Hypothermia is seen with several dopamine agonists. I think this is something more likely to occur at low dosages when there is preferential presynaptic autoreceptor activation.
- Scott
Posted by SLS on September 20, 2004, at 5:33:11
In reply to P.S. feeling cold, posted by Emme on September 19, 2004, at 15:42:19
> Apparently one of the dopamine receptors must affect thermoregulation.
Did your feeling cold coincide with the appearance of fatigue and sedation?
- Scott
Posted by Emme on September 20, 2004, at 8:12:33
In reply to Re: P.S. feeling cold » Emme, posted by SLS on September 20, 2004, at 5:33:11
> > Apparently one of the dopamine receptors must affect thermoregulation.
>
> Did your feeling cold coincide with the appearance of fatigue and sedation?Tough to say. The weather started getting cooler too. Abilify didn't cause fatigue, but I felt chilly.
Emme
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