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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 krisanon on September 22, 2004, at 21:06:10
Has anyone ever heard of a connection between headaches and Parnate? My pdoc thinks that I might be having spontaneous high blood pressure incidents that are causing the daily attacks of blinding pain. I hope not--the medicine is working (with a little ways to go still) and I don't want to have to start over yet again. Any feedback would be great.
Posted by gardenergirl on September 22, 2004, at 22:10:18
In reply to Parnate and headache, posted by krisanon on September 22, 2004, at 21:06:10
Parnate can cause changes in BP, and high BP can cause headaches. Do you have a BP cuff at home? It's a good idea for all who are on MAOI's as there is the risk of a hypertensive (high BP) crisis with certain foods. If you develop a headache, you can check your BP right then to see if it is spiking.
Also, are you following the diet faithfully? It may be that you are ingesting enough tyramine in certain foods to elevate your BP.
Sorry you are having such pain.
gg
Posted by King Vultan on September 22, 2004, at 23:10:11
In reply to Parnate and headache, posted by krisanon on September 22, 2004, at 21:06:10
I agree with gg--you need to be checking your BP to see if there is a correlation between that and your headaches. A BP cuff for MAOI patients is a very good idea because you can instantly see what your BP is if there is any question as to what's going on. They are really not very expensive. Also, how much Parnate are you taking, and are you taking it all at once? If you are taking a large amount at once, this can also cause a BP spike due to Parnate's stimulant effect. The Parnate dosage needs to be split into at least two parts as a minimum. I think people typically take it in the morning and afternoon. Some such as myself spread it throughout the day.
Todd
Posted by Dreyfus on September 23, 2004, at 16:34:40
In reply to Parnate and headache, posted by krisanon on September 22, 2004, at 21:06:10
> Has anyone ever heard of a connection between headaches and Parnate? My pdoc thinks that I might be having spontaneous high blood pressure incidents that are causing the daily attacks of blinding pain. I hope not--the medicine is working (with a little ways to go still) and I don't want to have to start over yet again. Any feedback would be great.
For most people, Parnate lowers blood pressure. I agree with the other posters about checking your pressure and watching your diet as well as any other drugs, even some over-the-counter meds. It really sounds like some kind of reaction to me as opposed to the Parnate itself. It's the "blinding pain" description which makes me say that. I've been taking Parnate for 16 years and it has never increased my blood pressure (although I now have other things that do). Try to stay with it, though, it's a very effective antidepressant.
Michael
Posted by bluebird on September 24, 2004, at 10:47:54
In reply to Re: Parnate and headache » krisanon, posted by Dreyfus on September 23, 2004, at 16:34:40
Hi Dreyfus, I have just started taking Parnate. Today is my 3rd day. My ? is dietary. I went to the grocery store and found very little that I can have. One of the things on my no-no list is brewers yeast and yeast extract. Well this eliminates breads, almost all deli meats, soups and many other things. Also, meat tenderizer is on the list which pretty much eliminates any kind of meat when you eat out. Please help. I am finding it difficult to eat out of fear of consuming the wrong thing. Also, wow you have been on Parnate for 16 years? Is that at the same dose? if you don't mind me asking what do you take if for? Myself severe SP & depression along with APD (avoidant personality disorder).
Put it this way I have everything that has to do with social anxiety and panic. Had it all my life. Your info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, bluebird
Posted by Dreyfus on September 24, 2004, at 16:32:48
In reply to Re: Parnate and headache-Attn. Dreyfus, posted by bluebird on September 24, 2004, at 10:47:54
> Hi Dreyfus, I have just started taking Parnate. Today is my 3rd day. My ? is dietary. I went to the grocery store and found very little that I can have. One of the things on my no-no list is brewers yeast and yeast extract. Well this eliminates breads, almost all deli meats, soups and many other things. Also, meat tenderizer is on the list which pretty much eliminates any kind of meat when you eat out. Please help. I am finding it difficult to eat out of fear of consuming the wrong thing. Also, wow you have been on Parnate for 16 years? Is that at the same dose? if you don't mind me asking what do you take if for? Myself severe SP & depression along with APD (avoidant personality disorder).
> Put it this way I have everything that has to do with social anxiety and panic. Had it all my life. Your info would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks, bluebirdHi Bluebird,
I had similar worries when I first started Parnate, especially since I love to eat. However, over the years dietary restrictions were updated, various articles cleared certain foods, and I pushed the envelope at times. Basically, I always followed the restrictions on foods I didn't like and those that I could live without.First of all, you can eat bread, most soups, virtually all fresh meats. I've never had any problems with meat when I eat out, but I confess that I eat mostly fish. You can also eat many deli meats (check the list). I eat out 3-4 times a week so I've eaten many things. I eat Caesar Salad several times a week, aged cheeses (but only in small quantities), an occasional pizza and many other things that I'll tell you about when I think of them. I drink wine every day and have had a bottle of red wine on several occasions, although I usually drink white. I also had large quantities of brandy and other drinks of that nature (but I don't do this any more). Since I don't really care for beer, I usually limit myself to 2.
As everyone says, "your mileage will vary", so move cautiously. There have many threads here over the years on this topic and links to various articles and studies. You might also get your doctor to prescribe Nifedipine, at least early on, in case you do get a hypertensive reaction. For some reason, I've never had one.
On to your other questions, I started at 40 mg of Parnate. Unfortunately, over the years, several times I tried other medicines. It seems that everytime I went back on Parnate, I needed an additional 10 mg. I have increased to 80 mg several weeks ago. Frankly, I haven't been feeling very well of late (probably the drinking). I have been augmenting the Parnate with 15 mg Ritalin for the past several years and recently started Adderal instead. The jury is still out.
My diagosis is chronic depression. The main reason I went on MAOIs is everything else caused extreme anxiety when I got to a therapeutic dose. I also have some shyness and social anxiety, but I've never been specifically treated for that.
I hope this helps some. You'll get a lot of assistance on this board. Many people here have taken MAOIs and there is a wealth of knowledge. Good luck.
Posted by iris2 on September 25, 2004, at 13:38:37
In reply to Parnate and headache, posted by krisanon on September 22, 2004, at 21:06:10
> Has anyone ever heard of a connection between headaches and Parnate? My pdoc thinks that I might be having spontaneous high blood pressure incidents that are causing the daily attacks of blinding pain. I hope not--the medicine is working (with a little ways to go still) and I don't want to have to start over yet again. Any feedback would be great.
Firstly are you watching your diet strictly. The guidelines have been eased a lot over the years but when first taking it you should realy stick to the diet. Later on most of us tend to push it a little and we are usually fine.
If you can definitely rule out diet than it would probalbly be a spontaneous reaction. I was on Parnate for about ten years and had several spontaneous reactions. Make sure you are taking it in divided doses.
To be sure you need to buy an inexpensive BP gage and take your blood pressure. Take it when you are not having a headache to get some type of baseline. If it is significantly different when you ar having a headache than it is a hypertensive crisis. You should either have a prescription for Nifedipine to take when this happens or get yourself to a hospital. This is not something you want to play around with. It can be life threatening. When my BP went up I usually was not able to function enough to drive or sometimes even walk much. I would definitely check what exactly you are eating. It could be something , like some minute ingredient that you happen to be very sensative to.
Hope this helps
irene
Posted by ron1953 on September 26, 2004, at 7:34:32
In reply to Parnate and headache, posted by krisanon on September 22, 2004, at 21:06:10
Kris:
Check out the 'parnate and cheese' thread that started on 9/24. Lots of good, up-to-date-info there.
This is the end of the thread.
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