![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by MARTY on March 27, 2006, at 20:58:45
In the late 90's Naltrexone was often discuss on this board by professionals as a way to augment antidepressants and to try to resolve antidepressants poop out.Is it utilized in 2006 ? since it's hard to find anything post-1999 related to Naltrexone as an augmentation strategy, my guess is that it wasn't very effective.
Good or bad ? Dead or Alive ?
Do you know any research paper regarding Naltrexone as a antidepressant strategy ?
I would be more than interested in hearing the opinion of Dr.Bob regarding this ...
Marty
Posted by JahL on March 27, 2006, at 22:09:53
In reply to Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive?, posted by MARTY on March 27, 2006, at 20:58:45
>
> In the late 90's Naltrexone was often discuss on this board by professionals as a way to augment antidepressants and to try to resolve antidepressants poop out.
Hi.I arrived here round about then. There was a lot of excitement surrounding it because: a pdoc called Lee Dante (I think) posted 'amazing' results with SSRI+Naltrexone online somewhere, and a poster here (WayneR, I think) posted numerous times on his reported success with this combination. I think he was the only one though.
Upon my request, my pdoc wrote to the manufacturers for their advice. Perhaps not surprisingly they expressly advised against its usage in this context. They were actually not aware of this combination and the only reports they could provide were from - wait for it - Dr Dante and WayneR.
FWIW, I imported it myself and tried it in combination with Seroxat. It didn't help, but then not much does. FWIW.
I've read nothing about it since mention of it disappeared from this board.
J.
> Good or bad ? Dead or Alive ?
>
> Do you know any research paper regarding Naltrexone as a antidepressant strategy ?
>
> I would be more than interested in hearing the opinion of Dr.Bob regarding this ...
>
> Marty
>
Posted by MARTY on March 27, 2006, at 22:21:04
In reply to Re: Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive? » MARTY, posted by JahL on March 27, 2006, at 22:09:53
Hi Jahl --You've confirmed me exactly what I though; that it was a very local (this forum) 'phenomenon'.
Can I ask what was your objectives in trying Naltrexone ? stop food craving ? antidepressant poop out ? ...
BTW, I've found this recent (2005) clinical trial ..
"Efficacy of Naltrexone Treatment as Augmentation to SSRI in OCD Patients"
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/gui/show/NCT00234689;jsessionid=C5F6D7A33C1A2A972A89C2FC29A79846?order=21Marty
Posted by jerrympls on March 27, 2006, at 22:50:32
In reply to Re: Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive? » MARTY, posted by JahL on March 27, 2006, at 22:09:53
> >
> > In the late 90's Naltrexone was often discuss on this board by professionals as a way to augment antidepressants and to try to resolve antidepressants poop out.
>
>
> Hi.
>
> I arrived here round about then. There was a lot of excitement surrounding it because: a pdoc called Lee Dante (I think) posted 'amazing' results with SSRI+Naltrexone online somewhere, and a poster here (WayneR, I think) posted numerous times on his reported success with this combination. I think he was the only one though.
>
> Upon my request, my pdoc wrote to the manufacturers for their advice. Perhaps not surprisingly they expressly advised against its usage in this context. They were actually not aware of this combination and the only reports they could provide were from - wait for it - Dr Dante and WayneR.
>
> FWIW, I imported it myself and tried it in combination with Seroxat. It didn't help, but then not much does. FWIW.
>
> I've read nothing about it since mention of it disappeared from this board.
>
> J.
>
> > Good or bad ? Dead or Alive ?
> >
> > Do you know any research paper regarding Naltrexone as a antidepressant strategy ?
> >
> > I would be more than interested in hearing the opinion of Dr.Bob regarding this ...
> >
> > Marty
> >
>
>Dr. Lee Dante and I exchanged many emails regarding naltrexone + SSRI - his info got my doc to prescribe it for me - but it didn't work.
Jerry
Posted by Declan on March 27, 2006, at 23:06:37
In reply to Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive?, posted by MARTY on March 27, 2006, at 20:58:45
Was it also used to affect immune function, for example with HIV?
Declan
Posted by blueberry on March 28, 2006, at 5:36:42
In reply to Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive?, posted by MARTY on March 27, 2006, at 20:58:45
A handful of us tried naltrexone augmentation back in WayneR's days when the fad was hot. But none of us got any significant effect from it. For me I got a little bit calmer and a bit more serene, but that's about it.
Posted by MARTY on March 28, 2006, at 7:48:11
In reply to Re: Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive? » MARTY, posted by blueberry on March 28, 2006, at 5:36:42
Seems to me like a 'Dead'.
I wonder what was the logic of WayneR behind promoting Naltrexone as an augmentation for AD.And WHY?! was he continuing promoting it even when seeing that their was no benefits ?
BTW, is their any Docs left on the forum who are giving advices and their 2 cents how what could works and why ?
Marty
Posted by pseudoname on March 28, 2006, at 11:19:49
In reply to Re: Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive?, posted by MARTY on March 28, 2006, at 7:48:11
Hey, Marty. Interesting that Naltrexone interest has popped back up here twice in a week. (http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060315/msgs/622522.html)
> I wonder what was the logic of WayneR behind promoting Naltrexone as an augmentation for AD.
> And WHY?! was he continuing promoting it even when seeing that their was no benefits ?I don't know what you mean about Wayne's "logic". He simply reported his experience with naltrexone, which was favorable, at least for the months he posted here. It is not true that he continued to promote it "even when seeing that there was no benefit." He simply reported the benefit it had for him, no evidence of widespread failure was presented to him at that time, and he did not post here for very long.
Reporting personal success and failure with meds is part of what Babble is for, and I'm still very grateful to Wayne R, wherever he is, for doing so! His reports about naltrexone led me to try it and then buprenorphine, with which it has some properties in common. While naltrexone didn't help, bupe is working where nothing else did.
I would hate to see Wayne's valuable contribution here misunderstood.
> BTW, is their any Docs left on the forum who are giving advices and their 2 cents how what could works and why ?
You mean Bob's "Tips"? Yeah, it would be nice if he could get away from Babble long enough to collect more recent ones. If you mean posting in the forum, Babble has hardly ever had physicians posting, at least not openly. Those who have posted claiming to be doctors (I can, but won't, give specific examples) have sometimes given flatly incorrect information.
> Seems to me like a 'Dead'.I agree, having tried it myself, that naltrexone doesn't look very promising. But anecdotal failures are still anecdotal. As I said in AMD's thread, in my opinion, if you've tried a lot of other stuff that's failed, and you can get it to try as an augment to a weak or pooped-out SSRI or other AD, and you're prepared for the initial dysphoria, naltrexone still may be worth a shot. As the saying goes, “Everything works for somebody...”
Posted by JahL on March 28, 2006, at 12:11:47
In reply to ... Naltrexone; Dead or Alive? ?? Jahl, posted by MARTY on March 27, 2006, at 22:21:04
>
> Hi Jahl --
>
> You've confirmed me exactly what I though; that it was a very local (this forum) 'phenomenon'.
>
> Can I ask what was your objectives in trying Naltrexone ? stop food craving ? antidepressant poop out ? ...Hi Marty.
My aim was quite simple - to kick-start the amazing, but unstable and transient response to SSRIs. I was hoping there would be some kind of synergistic relationship between the two drugs.
J.
Posted by JahL on March 28, 2006, at 12:17:34
In reply to Re: Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive? » JahL, posted by jerrympls on March 27, 2006, at 22:50:32
> Dr. Lee Dante and I exchanged many emails regarding naltrexone + SSRI - his info got my doc to prescribe it for me - but it didn't work.Fairplay to Dr Dante. I've tried to enlist the help of one or two well-known US pdocs (I'm UK) and they were less than obliging.
From reading some of your posts, it would seem you have a pretty cool pdoc. Low-dose Methadone has helped me for 6 years, but I still can't get it prescribed (I have to buy it on the black market), much less a full opioid agonist. The frustrating thing is that I *know* something like Vicodin would help.
I'm jealous.
J.
Posted by JahL on March 28, 2006, at 12:30:40
In reply to in defense of Wayne R » MARTY, posted by pseudoname on March 28, 2006, at 11:19:49
> Reporting personal success and failure with meds is part of what Babble is for, and I'm still very grateful to Wayne R, wherever he is, for doing so! His reports about naltrexone led me to try it and then buprenorphine, with which it has some properties in common. While naltrexone didn't help, bupe is working where nothing else did.I'd just like to make it clear that me personally, I'm not trivialising WayneR's postings.
I agree that successes on this board - however infrequent - are a real source of inspiration. A good proportion of people on this board are treatment resistant and so it's heartening to hear, for example, the recent Nardil success stories. No doubt these will inspire others to look at alternative treatment options.
If I thought there was no hope for improvement I would be long gone.
I correspond with a couple of people who take Bupe to quite good effect and I am convinced of its efficacy for some people. Perhaps tellingly, they both came across the idea here. I couldn't tolerate the dysphoria.
> As the saying goes, “Everything works for somebody...”
Indeed. My idiosyncratic responses to various drugs are a constant source of wonder to my pdoc.
Ta,
J.
Posted by tygereyes on March 29, 2006, at 21:56:41
In reply to Re: in defense of Wayne R » pseudoname, posted by JahL on March 28, 2006, at 12:30:40
I was prescribed Naltrexone a few months back, when I was considering using heroin again (I was a drug addict and some issues came up in therapy that prompted me to want to start using again). I felt like I needed that safeguard.
And, when I added it to Desipramine (100 mg), Trileptal (600 mg) and Seroquel (50 mg), it provided an extra "boost" that I had never experienced with tricyclics in the past. At the time, I was baffled, so I looked it up, and sure enough, there had been research on it and my reaction - though maybe rare - made more sense.
Please remember, most people on this board are VERY treatment-resistant. Though some of you might have tried Naltrexone and had no effect, you would all be excluded from ANY psychopharm studies based on the sheer amount of different meds you have tried and failed in the past.
However, until we see more studies on this and elucidate the relationship between Naltrexone and depression, I'm not pushing this as an augmentation strategy just yet.
Unfortunately, I don't know how long my effect would have lasted anyway - I had to stop taking it when it caused nocturnal enuresis and worsened my Interstitial Cystitis.
Posted by jerrympls on March 30, 2006, at 0:23:50
In reply to Naltrexone worked for me, actually, posted by tygereyes on March 29, 2006, at 21:56:41
>
> Please remember, most people on this board are VERY treatment-resistant. Though some of you might have tried Naltrexone and had no effect, you would all be excluded from ANY psychopharm studies based on the sheer amount of different meds you have tried and failed in the past.
Not necessarily true. If the study is to see if naltrexone augmentation would help in those who are treatement-resistant - the more meds they've been on the better.I was in an FDA study for the Vegal Nerve Stimulator and I had been on at least 20 different meds/combos before the study and that put me at the top of the list.
Jerry
Posted by Iansf on March 30, 2006, at 20:42:39
In reply to Re: Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive?, posted by MARTY on March 28, 2006, at 7:48:11
Did the people who tried Naltraxone do the low-dose regimen that seems to have a fair number of advocates (for treating various problems), or were they taking standard doses?
Posted by pseudoname on March 31, 2006, at 7:43:06
In reply to Re: Forum Veterans, DrBob- Naltrexone; Dead or Alive?, posted by Iansf on March 30, 2006, at 20:42:39
Lee Dante prescribed and Wayne R and those who followed him (like me) tried "normal" doses: 25mg or 50mg per day of naltrexone augmentation for depression.
There have also been at least 2 advocates of LDN on the meds board that I know of.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.