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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jeff81 on March 27, 2007, at 21:06:39
Hi,
I am on 6 mg for a little over two weeks. I thought it was working for 2 days last week but then I got all messed up again bc of lack of sleep. I have had no negative side effects. I have sleep problems (nothing new) that screw me up big time. I am thinking about moving up to 9mg. Do you think I should wait longer before moving up? Anyone not have any success at 6mg but have success at 9mg? From what I read it works better a 9mg. How bad id the diet restrictions?This part is a little bit of a rant. I do not like wearing a patch. It is annoying, and falls off sometimes, I rather take a pill. I also bug out that I am not putting it on right. I wish I could shower more then once a day. Can you go swimming with this on? I called the drug company and they were vague. They didn't want to to give me definite answers. Does anyone have suggestions with the patch itself? Thanks for you help.
God Bless,
Jeff
Posted by Honore on March 27, 2007, at 21:17:35
In reply to Emsam Questions-Dosage + Patch, posted by jeff81 on March 27, 2007, at 21:06:39
No reason not to shower as much as you like, or to swim. I wouldn't hang out too long in a sauna or steam room-- or the bathtub-- just to be on the safe side.
There's lots of question about whether you need to follow the dietary restrictions on 9 mg. I guess you have to do what seems best, but I haven't, and haven't had any problems.
What are you doing to get to sleep? are you taking anything? that can definitely be a bit of a problem-- but one that you can probably deal with, and that also becomes much less severe over time.
Honore
Posted by jeff81 on March 27, 2007, at 21:30:52
In reply to Re: Emsam Questions-Dosage + Patch, posted by Honore on March 27, 2007, at 21:17:35
Thanks Honore. How long did it take Emsam to kick in for you? I am paranoid about showering with the patch on. I went to the beach today and was just laying out. By the time I got home a quarter of the patch was hanging off so I put a new one on (which is a waste of a patch).
As for my sleep, I use a CPAP for my sleep apnea, I also have insomnia (I wake up frequently throughout the night and then over eat to pass out). My doctor put me on ambien cr when I started Emsam. It worked good at first but now I am still waking up throughout the night. It is better then not taking it. I am really tired during the day bc my doctor took me off provigil when I started Emsam so I am dragging everyday. I think my lamictal makes me tired too. Days after a bad night sleep I get ragefull (internally) and bug out.
Posted by Honore on March 28, 2007, at 3:34:58
In reply to Re: Emsam Questions-Dosage + Patch, posted by jeff81 on March 27, 2007, at 21:30:52
Maybe your pdoc could put you back on provigil. I've never had any problem with provigil and an maoi (I also used it with parnate).
I'm surprised the patch is falling off-- sometimes mine don't lie flat, but they haven't come off. Maybe you could try a different area. I tend to put it on my upper back (around my shoulder) and on the front of my chest, near my shoulder. It sticks pretty well in both places.
You might sleep better if you took the patch off for a few hours at night. I've done that, and noticed that it helped with the continual waking up-- I try to put it on after about five or six hours, which is a bit of a trial-- but I often wake up at some point.
You might want increase the dose that you use when you have it on, if you do that. I've also heard that the sleep problem decreases over time.
My reaction was pretty quick-- probably a five or ten days. I can't quite remember-- but it was quite rapid, although it also continued to get better over a period of months. I did notice a difference pretty soon. Not everyone does, though.
Honore
Posted by jeff81 on March 28, 2007, at 17:57:20
In reply to Re: Emsam Questions-Dosage + Patch, posted by Honore on March 28, 2007, at 3:34:58
I am getting a little obsessed (I have OCD) about putting the Emsam patch on correctly. When I put it on I get ridges in the patch that sticks to my skin so I think it's ok. Sometimes a little bit of the corner is not sticking to me. Do you think that is bad? Any advice on how to put the patch on would be appreciated. Thanks.....Jeff
Posted by Honore on March 28, 2007, at 21:32:48
In reply to Re: Emsam-advice for putting on the patch, posted by jeff81 on March 28, 2007, at 17:57:20
It's pretty tough to do a great job every time.
My method is to take one of the two parts off the adhesive backing. Sometimes the larger and sometimes the smaller; I can't decide which works better. Maybe it's different with different packages.
Then I put the sticky side onto my shoulder (for example), so that the other side is still covered by the adhesive backing, while the first is already on.
Then I reach underneath and try to pull a little of the backing off, while simultaneously letting whatever is opened up stick to my skin, so that I'm using the tension of pullling it off to make it stick very flat to my skin.
It's kind of like the way you pull a bandaid on, except that the adhesive is much more sticky, so you have to pull harder and more carefully, so that the right amount of tension and separation of the patch from the backing, and its adhering to one's skin are happening at the same time.
Dont' know if this is at all clear. It's the only way I've been able to get them to really stick.
Honore
This is the end of the thread.
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