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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Mirabella on July 3, 2008, at 19:04:50
I'm curious to hear of others' experiences on Emsam (MAOI patch). I've been on the 6mg Emsam patch for 9 weeks and have been having ups and downs in mood as well as fairly consistent difficulty sleeping. Wondering what others have found with the drug. Thanks in advance.
Posted by dbc on July 4, 2008, at 11:32:41
In reply to Emsam -- Experiences?, posted by Mirabella on July 3, 2008, at 19:04:50
Do a search of the site, it was very very popular a year or two back.
Posted by BrightEyed+Blueberry on July 4, 2008, at 12:34:53
In reply to Emsam -- Experiences?, posted by Mirabella on July 3, 2008, at 19:04:50
First 6 weeks were good, then I hit a wall - main issue was difficulty sleeping. And also , like I was "doing" non-depressed behavior, and feeling pretty normal , not euphoric, not sad, maybe impatient but not even as irritable as Wellbutrin could make me....I had a normal libido after 8 years of SSRIs. I forgot what normal meant. IT means I don't want to give it up! ....But my doctor wants me to go up onto 9mg-I'm worried with sleep issues but ALSO about the increased Serotonin effects (leading to decreased libido/sexual desire/anhedonia --basically if it'll do what SSRIS did, totally lessen the whole sexual experience) with upping my dose....I am going to post a question about that....
See my posts back in....April/May 2008 under BrightEyed+Blueberry ...."Success Story" I think I called my first post after my initial 6 weeks....
-Bright
1. EMSAM 6mg since end of MArch 2008
2. Neurontin - PRN for sleep* and/or
3. Xanax - PRN for sleep* ad/or
4. Benadryl - just tried last night after 1.5 xanax didn't kick in - slept til 730am no grogginess. Wonder if I Can take Vistaril I have some leftover but it seems not....*--Pretty much means I need something to sleep most nights, unless I'm in an oversleeping phase - that was a new one that kicked in. Also that kicks in after a few bad nights of insomnia, of course....
5. Purchase of excellent eye mask, finally - Found at Rite Aid store. A comfy, soft, thick eye patch that (no sweaty nylon/plastic) with a velcro and a "pocked" for ear plugs too!
> I'm curious to hear of others' experiences on Emsam (MAOI patch). I've been on the 6mg Emsam patch for 9 weeks and have been having ups and downs in mood as well as fairly consistent difficulty sleeping. Wondering what others have found with the drug. Thanks in advance.
Posted by Mirabella on July 4, 2008, at 13:17:54
In reply to Re: Emsam -- Experiences? » Mirabella, posted by BrightEyed+Blueberry on July 4, 2008, at 12:34:53
> First 6 weeks were good, then I hit a wall - main issue was difficulty sleeping. And also , like I was "doing" non-depressed behavior, and feeling pretty normal , not euphoric, not sad, maybe impatient but not even as irritable as Wellbutrin could make me....I had a normal libido after 8 years of SSRIs. I forgot what normal meant. IT means I don't want to give it up! ....But my doctor wants me to go up onto 9mg-I'm worried with sleep issues but ALSO about the increased Serotonin effects (leading to decreased libido/sexual desire/anhedonia --basically if it'll do what SSRIS did, totally lessen the whole sexual experience) with upping my dose....I am going to post a question about that....
>
> See my posts back in....April/May 2008 under BrightEyed+Blueberry ...."Success Story" I think I called my first post after my initial 6 weeks....
>
> -Bright
> 1. EMSAM 6mg since end of MArch 2008
> 2. Neurontin - PRN for sleep* and/or
> 3. Xanax - PRN for sleep* ad/or
> 4. Benadryl - just tried last night after 1.5 xanax didn't kick in - slept til 730am no grogginess. Wonder if I Can take Vistaril I have some leftover but it seems not....
>
> *--Pretty much means I need something to sleep most nights, unless I'm in an oversleeping phase - that was a new one that kicked in. Also that kicks in after a few bad nights of insomnia, of course....
>
> 5. Purchase of excellent eye mask, finally - Found at Rite Aid store. A comfy, soft, thick eye patch that (no sweaty nylon/plastic) with a velcro and a "pocked" for ear plugs too!
>
>
> > I'm curious to hear of others' experiences on Emsam (MAOI patch). I've been on the 6mg Emsam patch for 9 weeks and have been having ups and downs in mood as well as fairly consistent difficulty sleeping. Wondering what others have found with the drug. Thanks in advance.
>
>BrightEyed+Blueberry, thanks for sharing your experiences. I've been on the 6mg patch for 9 weeks and, after the first few weeks on it, was feeling very good. Then the sleep problems kicked in, but more than that, the good feeling went away and I'm now feeling worse than I did when I was on Wellbutrin or, before that, Wellbutrin + Effexor. I'm not sure why that is. The only continuing benefit from the drug that I'm experiencing is decreased appetite/increased metabolism, which is helping me to shed some of the pounds I gained while on Effexor. But I haven't felt this depressed in years.
Posted by BrightEyed+Blueberry on July 5, 2008, at 1:56:18
In reply to Re: Emsam -- Experiences? » BrightEyed+Blueberry, posted by Mirabella on July 4, 2008, at 13:17:54
I also came from the Effexor/Wellbutrin combo...I think I was on 300 Wellbutrin XL and...gettin up there with Effexor - maybe 225mg? and wavered up to 300, then after realizing I don't know almost 9 months of basically not "feeling" anything - I "got angry" about my feeling so apathetic - that I insisted for a change. Weird to get angry when you have no feelings and don't care that you're not caring....but it slowly hit me that I didn't want to have no feelings, to be a numb --new *though not young! --mom. Anyway, I lobbied two separate occasions and finally got my pdoc to start my on EMSAM....I tapered off Effexor carefully but didn't have any problems tapering off it like others seems to experience. I held onto Wellbutrin for dear life, until my 1 week washout Pre-Emsam. Wellbutrin alone was never great for me, i realize now it gave me energy when working properly, especially to wake up in the morning. Also might have made me a little more irritable. But, I was so scared of slipping back into depression - we forget what that feels like and I'd as soon not remember that now.
So, Emsam. I wonder and am "sleeping" (harhar) on it - about starting the 9MG dosage. Will I be even more insomniac? Will I be completely non-sexual/disinterested. IS that what MAOI inhibitors do when they inhibit MAOI-A? I should ask/post that....perahps its obvious, but i wonder if the way it ULTIMATELY effects serotonin is roughly the same as the effects SSRIs haveon serotonin....and hence, the sexual side effects.
You know, for me, Selegiline/Emsam might as well have been the first Viagra for women, as far as I am/was concerned! Though it also may have been a combo occuring at the same time my body weaned off 8 years of Serotonin Reuptake Inhibition. (yeah wellbutrin was supposed to augmentin SSRI sexual side effects, but I'd say I was at 40% with that, and now, EMSAM only (and without having had say a xanax or neurontin-0which I'm also prescribed, mainly use to help sleep now), I'm 99% a sexual being again. I'm not sex-crazed or anything. basically, i'm orgasmic whenever I want to be-makes sex oh slightly more interesting than its been for a long time!
If you dn't mind my asking, do you have sexual sid e effects from EMSAM? or benefits?
You say you feel the most depressed than you have in years - since before being on wellbutrin and/or Effexor. So, like the depression you had when you were not being treated is how you feel now? And may I ask, what kind of a depression did you have?
Atypical: indifference to things you used to enjoy? Ate a lot/Slept a lot? (that was all me)
OR were you more....sad=depressed, couldn't eat/couldn't sleep, crying a lot?
Did you have no energy (me), did you isolate yourself (me)...were you suicidal (not me), did you self-medicate with drugs /(me)
and BTW, in my current "stalled" Emsam period, I'm crazy hungry for cookies and brownies and sweets like never before - and a glutton for milk that goes with it. Like never before have I indulged like this! Maybe its me "augmenting" my EMSAM--self-medicating with good-mood foods (serotonin in carbs? milk for sleep? definitely a comfort food combo)
Are you thinking of going up to 9mg, or what does your doctor say, to wait the 12 weeks first? I'd say I don't feel worse than before EMSAM , and I will never do Effexor again....but ...I'm just not as good as the initial month--"Stalled out" I guess, is where I'm at. A bummer! I'm thinking of going in for CBT as well.Toight I see if benadryl works again!
Anyway, since we started almost the same time, it'll be interesting to see how our experiences change/are similar/differ and what our docs say!
Here's to hoping you (and I)feel better!
*Bright
> > First 6 weeks were good, then I hit a wall - main issue was difficulty sleeping. And also , like I was "doing" non-depressed behavior, and feeling pretty normal , not euphoric, not sad, maybe impatient but not even as irritable as Wellbutrin could make me....I had a normal libido after 8 years of SSRIs. I forgot what normal meant. IT means I don't want to give it up! ....But my doctor wants me to go up onto 9mg-I'm worried with sleep issues but ALSO about the increased Serotonin effects (leading to decreased libido/sexual desire/anhedonia --basically if it'll do what SSRIS did, totally lessen the whole sexual experience) with upping my dose....I am going to post a question about that....
> >
> > See my posts back in....April/May 2008 under BrightEyed+Blueberry ...."Success Story" I think I called my first post after my initial 6 weeks....
> >
> > -Bright
> > 1. EMSAM 6mg since end of MArch 2008
> > 2. Neurontin - PRN for sleep* and/or
> > 3. Xanax - PRN for sleep* ad/or
> > 4. Benadryl - just tried last night after 1.5 xanax didn't kick in - slept til 730am no grogginess. Wonder if I Can take Vistaril I have some leftover but it seems not....
> >
> > *--Pretty much means I need something to sleep most nights, unless I'm in an oversleeping phase - that was a new one that kicked in. Also that kicks in after a few bad nights of insomnia, of course....
> >
> > 5. Purchase of excellent eye mask, finally - Found at Rite Aid store. A comfy, soft, thick eye patch that (no sweaty nylon/plastic) with a velcro and a "pocked" for ear plugs too!
> >
> >
> > > I'm curious to hear of others' experiences on Emsam (MAOI patch). I've been on the 6mg Emsam patch for 9 weeks and have been having ups and downs in mood as well as fairly consistent difficulty sleeping. Wondering what others have found with the drug. Thanks in advance.
> >
> >
>
> BrightEyed+Blueberry, thanks for sharing your experiences. I've been on the 6mg patch for 9 weeks and, after the first few weeks on it, was feeling very good. Then the sleep problems kicked in, but more than that, the good feeling went away and I'm now feeling worse than I did when I was on Wellbutrin or, before that, Wellbutrin + Effexor. I'm not sure why that is. The only continuing benefit from the drug that I'm experiencing is decreased appetite/increased metabolism, which is helping me to shed some of the pounds I gained while on Effexor. But I haven't felt this depressed in years.
Posted by Mirabella on July 5, 2008, at 9:36:42
In reply to Re: Emsam -- Experiences? » Mirabella, posted by BrightEyed+Blueberry on July 5, 2008, at 1:56:18
BrightEyed+Bluberry,
In response to your questions, Emsam has not had sexual side effects on me, and in that respect I'm very happy with the Emsam. Or if there are any effects, it is to make me more interested in sex than I would be without it. By contrast, Effexor left me very uninterested in sex.
When I've felt depressed lately while on Emsam I've felt like I did many, many years ago before I went on meds: sad, bleak, crying, suicidal thoughts (though never anywhere close to action). But no drugs or alcohol (that's never been my M.O.). The two differences are that, even when I'm feeling down on the Emsam, I have more energy and eat less than I did pre-meds. I'm happy to say that, even in this "stalled" Emsam phase, Emsam is not causing me to crave sweets or any other foods. When I was really feeling good on Emsam several weeks ago, I had tons of energy, was more social and self-confident and sunnier, but also easily agitated and with difficulty sleeping. So my hope is to just get back to that place, minus the insomnia and agitation.I'm not sure what my Doctor is ultimately going to do. He's currently got me taking 2mg Lunesta for the insomnia caused by Emsam and wants me to take it every night for the time being. I think he's just in a wait and see mode. He hasn't mentioned anything about increasing the dosage to 9mg.
I dont't know whether I would consider going back on Wellbutrin, or Wellbutrin + Effexor. For many years I was on 300 mg Wellbutrin + 75 mg Effexor. I gained a lot of weight (approx. 40 lbs) and found it very difficult to take off. I went off the Effexor Nov. 07 largely to see if it would help me lose weight, and it did. The problem was that on Wellbutrin alone I eventually noticed the absence of the Effexor on my mood and started to feel increasingly down. So my doctor recommended Emsam, which he said he'd had some good experiences with on patients similar to me.
I have been surprised at how little info. there is about Emsam on the Internet. I guess that reflects how few people are on it, but it's very helpful to hear your experiences.
Mirabella
Posted by Phillipa on July 5, 2008, at 11:23:27
In reply to Re: Emsam -- Experiences? » BrightEyed+Blueberry, posted by Mirabella on July 5, 2008, at 9:36:42
I agree with dcb long thread on EMSAM google the Dr. Bob side of google on this site. Good luck. Phillipa
This is the end of the thread.
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