Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 837461

Shown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Parnate for Depression?

Posted by john51 on July 1, 2008, at 7:59:30

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge regarding the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of Parnate as an AD and also what about side effects?

Thanks!

 

Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51

Posted by Phillipa on July 1, 2008, at 10:44:39

In reply to Parnate for Depression?, posted by john51 on July 1, 2008, at 7:59:30

There was a huge thread on it. Justherself is on it. Is her babblemail on? Trying to help Phillipa

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by Justherself54 on July 1, 2008, at 13:17:09

In reply to Parnate for Depression?, posted by john51 on July 1, 2008, at 7:59:30

I'm on Parnate at 30 mg..I've been on it before and it is a very effective AD but it doesn't make you as "social" as Nardil, however, there was one side effect of Nardil that caused me to go off it. The only side effect I've experienced with Parnate is hypotension and loss of appetite (although that hasn't happened this time, dang it). If you have any questions, feel free to ask or babblemail me..

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by Merge on July 4, 2008, at 14:26:02

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by Justherself54 on July 1, 2008, at 13:17:09

I took Parnate for depression after Nardil pooped out on me. The Parnate pooped out on me too, after about a year and a half (this is pretty typical for me).

I lost a lot of weight on Parnate - it's hard to say if it was the Parnate itself that helped me lost weight, or if it was just being off Nardil (which caused me to gain weight). I think my anxiety on Parnate was a little bit worse than when I was on Nardil - but, when I switched to Parnate, I was finishing law school and planning for 2 surgeries at the time so it's hard to say where exactly the anxiety originated.

Parnate was a good med for me at the time and if it hadn't pooped out, I would probably still be taking it.

 

Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51

Posted by Zeba on July 4, 2008, at 15:48:40

In reply to Parnate for Depression?, posted by john51 on July 1, 2008, at 7:59:30

I took Parnate in the mid 80's and into the 90's and it was the only thing that worked for me. I had more energy and lost weight and felt like a new person. I was even able to go off of meds for over 10 years. Some other stuff came up, and now I am finally back on Parnate, and though I am not losing weight this time either, it is working for me. I now take 20mg. twice per day for a total of 40 mg. I would likely have hypotension like JustforMe, but I have hypertension, and so it has actually helped to keep my bp down. Sometimes it gets too low, but I just sit down and I am okay. It is the only antidepressant that has worked for me. I was in a vegetative state in a hospital in the 80's when I first started taking it, and for a time they also added Lithium as when I started to come out of the profound depression I got really emotional, like on an emotional roller coaster. I am not bipolar, but it helped for a time. Now the only thing I am on is Parnate.

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by elanor roosevelt on July 5, 2008, at 12:57:42

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51, posted by Zeba on July 4, 2008, at 15:48:40

on Parnate i lost almost 20 pounds after years stuck at my peak AD SE weight

I had no joint pain

my cuticles and nails were perfect

unfortunately it did not help with the depression

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by john51 on July 6, 2008, at 11:08:31

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by elanor roosevelt on July 5, 2008, at 12:57:42

> on Parnate i lost almost 20 pounds after years stuck at my peak AD SE weight
>
> I had no joint pain
>
> my cuticles and nails were perfect
>
> unfortunately it did not help with the depression
>
>

Hi, and thanks for responding to my inquiry re: Parnate. I was just wondering....wha0 is "AD SE weight" and why the reference to cuticles and nails??? Just curious because I never heard anything about Parnate effecting those things and I am not sure what AD SE weight means.

Thanks,

john51

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by elanor roosevelt on July 10, 2008, at 23:29:15

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by john51 on July 6, 2008, at 11:08:31

AD SE weight would be the 50 pounds of weight i gained as a side effect on meds
(from 120 to 170)
took me 3 years to exercise down to 150 and then my weight didn't budge for over a year

parnate--lost 20 pounds

many meds get me fidgeting with and biting my cuticles and nails
when i was on lexapro i actually wore gloves to bed so i could concentrate on reading

i wish i understood this
on parnate that behavior stopped completely

you tell me
i haven't had this explained yet

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by john51 on July 11, 2008, at 10:30:27

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by elanor roosevelt on July 10, 2008, at 23:29:15

Hi, I started this thread a while ago and I thank you all for your replies.

I just visited my pdoc yesterday, hoping to convince him to start me on Parnate (because I have had success in the past on MAOI Nardil) and, because I just could not go for ECT treatments as they had been trying to get me to do.

Well, I was VERY DISAPPOINTED when my pdoc told me yesterday that he would have to "think about it" and told me to come back in a MONTH!!! What am I supposed to do for another MONTH with NO MEDS and my depression driving me crazy......

We don't need to continue this thred any further unless someone has a thought or suggestion that they would like to share....

john51

 

Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51

Posted by Justherself54 on July 11, 2008, at 10:45:41

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by john51 on July 11, 2008, at 10:30:27

Can you get a referral to another pdoc? Leaving you in a depressive state for a month while he thinks about it! Sometimes as hard as it is when we are depressed, we have to get assertive. I would make an appointment with my GP and tell him what's going on and get a referral to another pdoc who doesn't take a month to decide how to treat your depression.

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by john51 on July 11, 2008, at 11:15:33

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51, posted by Justherself54 on July 11, 2008, at 10:45:41

Hi, thanks, Justherself, thank you for your support. I understand what you mean about needing to get assertive....unfortunately, that is one of my biggest obstacles. For some reason, when I find myself sitting in the doctor's office, I not only "present" as "doing better" than I truly am but also I become very submissive and feel like I can't say this or that or "come off" as being demanding or argumentative. As far as talking to my primary doc about this problem I don't know how much good this will do, as he was VERY SUPPORTIVE of the ECT idea as well.

My pdoc, said he was hesitant to prescribe Parnate for me because of all the special dietary restrictions and side effects and things that can go wrong with MAOIs. I tried to tell him that I have been on MAOIs in the past and that I am very knowledgable about all of those things and that I never had any problem taking them before.

I am not sure what is really behind his wanting to "think about it for a month". I REALLY don't think that he is actually going to think about it....I really don't think that my name or my treatment is going to even enter his mind in this "month". I don't know what else to do. I live in an area where pdocs are not very plentiful and the ones that are around are mostly overbooked and I am not even sure that going to a different pdoc would accomplish anything at this point as they would probably want to start out by trying something I have already tried and not had any success with. ALSO...I have found that most of the pdocs that I have encountered are NOT even willing to consider MAOIs.......

Feeling abandoned and very hopeless at this point...

John51

 

Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51

Posted by Justherself54 on July 11, 2008, at 22:25:23

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by john51 on July 11, 2008, at 11:15:33

A month is too long. Can you make another appointment...insist that you be able to try a MAOI again and that you aren't prepared to do ECT at this point. If he won't, ask him to refer you to someone who will. Regardless of whether your GP is onboard with ECT, you should be afforded the chance to try meds...I hope he's not letting you crash and burn to the point where you'll accept ECT without having the option of meds...good luck and keep us posted

 

Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51

Posted by Zeba on July 12, 2008, at 11:45:09

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by john51 on July 11, 2008, at 10:30:27

This is similar to what my old Pdoc did. He decided nothing really worked and would only try various med's for around two weeks. He wanted me to do ECT all along, and so in the end things got so bad that this is exactly what I did, ECT. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I have cognitive problems now, and my new pdoc has worked with me with meds. I am now on40 mg. Parnate and doing well.

Zeba

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by john51 on July 12, 2008, at 11:57:36

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51, posted by Zeba on July 12, 2008, at 11:45:09

Yeah, this is pretty much what I am afraid that my pdoc is doing. Just stalling me thinking that ECT is the "only way to go"......

All I know is, he can't even begin to understand what it actually is like to be depressed and do what he is (isn't) doing.....

Thanks all for your continued support and ideas.

john51

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by jaclinhyde on July 20, 2008, at 22:47:55

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression? » john51, posted by Zeba on July 12, 2008, at 11:45:09

Parnate like the rest of the MAOI's can be sheer heaven if you are careful. If you abuse it like I did (one of its metabolites is a very close match to amphetamine) you may end up having a psychotic episode. One night I went to bed and the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital a week later. I actually walked to someone elses house and rang the doorbell thinking it was my house. Long story short I was whisked away by helicopter to a hospital where I couldn't even feed myself for a week and was talking to invisible people! My husband said that I said some horrible things to my then 15 year old son which I will never forgive myself for even though my son realizes that it 'wasn't me.'

What I am trying to say is you just have to be very diligent with Parnate. I was the one that created my own trouble by taking too much of it (welcome to mania city!); I really can't blame the drug itself. It DOES work. Just remember there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Peace

 

Re: Parnate for Depression? » jaclinhyde

Posted by john51 on July 21, 2008, at 0:48:50

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by jaclinhyde on July 20, 2008, at 22:47:55

> Parnate like the rest of the MAOI's can be sheer heaven if you are careful. If you abuse it like I did (one of its metabolites is a very close match to amphetamine) you may end up having a psychotic episode. One night I went to bed and the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital a week later. I actually walked to someone elses house and rang the doorbell thinking it was my house. Long story short I was whisked away by helicopter to a hospital where I couldn't even feed myself for a week and was talking to invisible people! My husband said that I said some horrible things to my then 15 year old son which I will never forgive myself for even though my son realizes that it 'wasn't me.'
>
> What I am trying to say is you just have to be very diligent with Parnate. I was the one that created my own trouble by taking too much of it (welcome to mania city!); I really can't blame the drug itself. It DOES work. Just remember there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
>
> Peace

I DEFINITELY HEAR WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!!!! When I was on Nardil in the 90s I had similar situation....I realize there is a difference between Nadil and Parnate, of course, but nevertheless.....

I was on Nardil for many months....I didn't even start to feel better until I got to 60 or 75 mgs...and then I did start to feel better but not quite "good enough"......so I went up to 90....after being on 90 for a couple of more months I definitely started having manic episodes..everyone could see it but me...of course feeling manic is SO MUCH better than feeling depressed so I didn't want to "hear it"...eventually the mania got worse to the point where I started doing things that I would normally NOT DO....harmful things...harmful to myself and others...I never became psychotic but I think I came pretty close...

So, yes I know that these are VERY POWERFUL DRUGS and that they MUST BE RESPECTED and taken very cautiously. Also, if you are taking them, you need a REALLY GOOD pdoc to monitor you VERY CLOSELY!!

I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND....AND AGREE WITH YOU!! I also know that this is the ONLY type of AD that has EVER done ANYTHING to help my depression and that I need to get back on them again...the only problem is that MY pdoc is hesitant and wanted to "THINK ABOUT IT" for a MONTH...I am waiting, but I am also trying to get in to see other pdocs if I can.

Thank you for sharing your experience!!!!

john51

 

Re: Parnate for Depression?

Posted by Crotale on July 27, 2008, at 8:02:08

In reply to Re: Parnate for Depression?, posted by jaclinhyde on July 20, 2008, at 22:47:55

> (one of its metabolites is a very close match to amphetamine)

I was not aware that much, if anything, is known about Parnate's metabolites, at all. (Selegeiline is the one that actually has amphetamine metabolites. However, being L-amphetamine metabolites, they're strikingly useless.)

Parnate itself bears a striking resemblance to ammphetamine:


TCP:

/ \-CH-CH-NH2
|0| \ /
\ / CH2

AmPh:
/ \-CH2-CH-NH2
|0| |
\ / CH3

Note: can somebody figure out a way to do a semi-decent ascii-art benzene??? I know mine suck.

-Crotale


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