![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 50. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
Is this as good as it gets?
I don't think so. I won't settle for being barely employable and doomed to live an empty life. I want more. Parnate is not making it happen for me. It was nice in the beginning. However, even with the lithium added, I'm stuck. I believe that a greater improvement in the quality of my life is there for me to be had. I am not looking for perfection. Complete remission may not be in my future. However, I do expect to feel greater than a 50% improvement. I am stuck at 35%. That sucks. However, if that indeed is as good as it gets, at least I will have tried to move forward.
Five or six years ago, I had been taking a combination of Effexor 300mg and nortriptyline 75mg. It helped, but was inadequate. The doctor should have tested my blood level of nortriptyline. He did not. In retrospect, we now know that I was significantly underdosed with nortriptyline. I predict that I will do better with the 150mg that I am currently taking when we combine it with the Effexor.
I know that I can always go back to an MAOI if my planned treatment changes do not produce adequate results. Although making these changes is a gamble of sorts, I think it is a good investment of time to look for a better quality of life.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on December 8, 2009, at 10:34:28
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
Scott does that mean a two week wash out? On a positive note you will be able to eat what you like. I'm sorry it didn't work out. Love Phillipa
Posted by RocketMan on December 8, 2009, at 11:22:34
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
Hi Scott,
I have often wondered why you have stuck it out so long with parnate. I don't mean to question your judgement, and I admire your determination, but I think a change may be the best move at this point.
Of all the combinations I have tried for my treatment resistant depression, Effexor has proven to lift me out of the hole. It has allowed me to maintain an acceptable, and sometimes, quite productive lifestyle. I have been on zoloft for the past 2 years, my next p/doc appointment is in 2 weeks and I will be returning to Effexor xr 150mg.
I should add that I must take the Effexor along with Remeron 30mg in order to achieve a robust effect.
I know many people complain about Remeron weight gain, but, I have been able to maintain a healthy weight with proper diet and exersice. I am also much more inclined to achieve this, as the med combo allows for a willingness, and obtainable goal. I have noticed that no matter how hard I attempt to maintain my weight with zyprexa/zoloft I end up disappointed. I suppose this is due to the effects atypicals have on metabolism.
I would be very interested in following your progress if you decide to make the switch and I wish you all the best, you deserve it! Also, I will expect a 4-6 week lag before a noticeable improvement may be recognized. On a side note, I find Remeron reduces response time considerably. I sometimes begin to improve within 7 days.All the best,
Rick
Posted by manic666 on December 8, 2009, at 13:01:59
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » SLS, posted by RocketMan on December 8, 2009, at 11:22:34
scott, that %35 is a bummer i feel for you.
Posted by manic666 on December 8, 2009, at 13:02:16
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » SLS, posted by RocketMan on December 8, 2009, at 11:22:34
scott, that %35 is a bummer i feel for you.
Posted by tensor on December 8, 2009, at 13:18:54
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
> Is this as good as it gets?
>
> I don't think so. I won't settle for being barely employable and doomed to live an empty life. I want more. Parnate is not making it happen for me. It was nice in the beginning. However, even with the lithium added, I'm stuck. I believe that a greater improvement in the quality of my life is there for me to be had. I am not looking for perfection. Complete remission may not be in my future. However, I do expect to feel greater than a 50% improvement. I am stuck at 35%. That sucks. However, if that indeed is as good as it gets, at least I will have tried to move forward.
>
> Five or six years ago, I had been taking a combination of Effexor 300mg and nortriptyline 75mg. It helped, but was inadequate. The doctor should have tested my blood level of nortriptyline. He did not. In retrospect, we now know that I was significantly underdosed with nortriptyline. I predict that I will do better with the 150mg that I am currently taking when we combine it with the Effexor.
>
> I know that I can always go back to an MAOI if my planned treatment changes do not produce adequate results. Although making these changes is a gamble of sorts, I think it is a good investment of time to look for a better quality of life.
>
>
> - ScottEffexor + nortriptyline sounds like a potentially powerful combination, and yes, 75mg is probably a little low. When I took nortrip we took serum concentrations two times, at 75mg it was in the lower end, I can't remember the dosage for the second blood draw but it was a lot higher than 100mg(175mg?). The serum concentration was at that time slightly above the therapeutic window.
And there is plenty to augment the combo with:
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/image/image_gallery?img_id=1430541&t=1248725049221/tensor
Posted by RocketMan on December 8, 2009, at 15:05:31
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
Hi Scott, just an add-on from my original reply. You may consider holding off on the switch until after Christmas. If the parnate is doable until then, you may have a more pleasant holiday, rather than suffering through the wash-out period?
Then fire up the Effexor!!!Best,
Rick
Posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 15:25:26
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » SLS, posted by RocketMan on December 8, 2009, at 15:05:31
> Hi Scott, just an add-on from my original reply. You may consider holding off on the switch until after Christmas. If the parnate is doable until then, you may have a more pleasant holiday, rather than suffering through the wash-out period?
> Then fire up the Effexor!!!Hmm. I'll have to think about that one.
Thanks for you help.
- Scott
Posted by bleauberry on December 8, 2009, at 16:57:44
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
I send you my best wishes SLS!
I recall so many stories similar to yours and others. One of many examples. A guy at revolution health had been through the MAOIs. Was now on Cymbalta, not great but fair, added Wellbutrin, still not good, then added Milnacipran to the mix and whammo remission!
Speaking of which, now that it is a USA drug, it could be placed on your backup radar screen.
Effexor and TCA sounds like a promising mix.
I won't go into some of the other oddball things I think you should try (strategies, challenges, off-the-path agents) because I know you are a concrete psych drug kind of guy. But as long as the toolbox is going to be limited to just brain altering psychotropic agents, your chosen combination sounds like one with high odds of winning to me.
Posted by floatingbridge on December 8, 2009, at 22:54:18
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
Scott,
Wow. I don't know what to say--I admire your fortitude, spirit, determination, intelligence--that doesn't quite capture what I'm feeling right now. God bless you (if I may say that) and Godspeed toward your goal.
fb
> Is this as good as it gets?
>
> I don't think so. I won't settle for being barely employable and doomed to live an empty life. I want more. Parnate is not making it happen for me. It was nice in the beginning. However, even with the lithium added, I'm stuck. I believe that a greater improvement in the quality of my life is there for me to be had. I am not looking for perfection. Complete remission may not be in my future. However, I do expect to feel greater than a 50% improvement. I am stuck at 35%. That sucks. However, if that indeed is as good as it gets, at least I will have tried to move forward.
>
> Five or six years ago, I had been taking a combination of Effexor 300mg and nortriptyline 75mg. It helped, but was inadequate. The doctor should have tested my blood level of nortriptyline. He did not. In retrospect, we now know that I was significantly underdosed with nortriptyline. I predict that I will do better with the 150mg that I am currently taking when we combine it with the Effexor.
>
> I know that I can always go back to an MAOI if my planned treatment changes do not produce adequate results. Although making these changes is a gamble of sorts, I think it is a good investment of time to look for a better quality of life.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by uncouth on December 9, 2009, at 2:16:44
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » RocketMan, posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 15:25:26
I can't recommend this, at least based on my experience. I too had responeded albeit in a bp2, somewhat mixed sort of way, to Efx at 300mg for quite some time. But for most of 2008 I was on one MAOI or another. In restrospect, Parnate was doing a good job and I should have added zypeexa then. Instead I had the big idea of changing over from parnate to Effexor + Stimulant. This wAS A DISASTER and precipitated the worst suicidal depressive state I was ever in. I ended up getting ECT and taking 6 months to recover after that, living with my parents, being a sick, sick bum on a log.
What I wish I had done is gone from Parnate to Effexor + high dose of wellbutrin, or better yet, not left parnate at all, and simply increased the dose as high as necessary. I also would have been in better shape had I discovered zyprexa then too.
The author david foster wallace killed himself after (slowly!) weaning himself off nardil, which he was on for 20 years.
I am convinced MAOIs are not meant to be gone off of in a simple fashion. Please bear that in mind. You don't want to end up in ECT zonked land like I was.
I am lucky to have survived.
But you may react differently. Personally I have given up on most SSRIs for BP2 depression. If I were you, I'd aggressively max out parnate, up to 180mg. Then, at the same time or after, try zyprexa.
-uncouth
Posted by SLS on December 9, 2009, at 6:55:16
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » SLS, posted by uncouth on December 9, 2009, at 2:16:44
Hi Uncouth.
> But you may react differently. Personally I have given up on most SSRIs for BP2 depression. If I were you, I'd aggressively max out parnate, up to 180mg. Then, at the same time or after, try zyprexa.
Going up in dosage to over 100mg of Parnate is a logical thing to do and a great recommendation. Unfortunately, I have already tried 150mg and added to that desipramine and amphetamine. I did feel a mild, although still inadequate, improvement at the higher dosage. However, this treatment pretty much stopped working after two months. Even here, though, I was again underdosed on the tricyclic. I was taking 200mg of desipramine when 300mg should have been used. Zyprexa was not available at the time.
I am hoping that there is some inertia to the improvement I currently experience. Maybe I will remain partially improved for a few weeks. I will be curious to see if there is a rebound improvement.
Thanks for using your brain to try to fix mine!
- Scott
Posted by SLS on December 9, 2009, at 7:15:12
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by bleauberry on December 8, 2009, at 16:57:44
Hi Bleauberry
> I send you my best wishes SLS!
Thanks. I appreciate it.
> I recall so many stories similar to yours and others. One of many examples. A guy at revolution health had been through the MAOIs. Was now on Cymbalta, not great but fair, added Wellbutrin, still not good, then added Milnacipran to the mix and whammo remission!
Milnacipran was added to the Cymbalta? Interesting.
> Speaking of which, now that it is a USA drug, it could be placed on your backup radar screen.
I don't like to exclude anything from consideration. So far, there does not seem to be too many success stories with the use of milnacipran as monotherapy. Maybe I'm wrong.
> I won't go into some of the other oddball things I think you should try (strategies, challenges, off-the-path agents) because I know you are a concrete psych drug kind of guy.
I would drink elephant urine if I thought it would help. It would be a natural remedy.
> But as long as the toolbox is going to be limited to just brain altering psychotropic agents, your chosen combination sounds like one with high odds of winning to me.
I hope so. Like I said, I did experience a partial improvement with the Effexor plus nortriptyline combination 5 years ago. It is just that I am a rapid metabolizer of nortriptyline, and the more recent titration demonstrates that I should have been taking twice the amount of this drug in the past.
Regarding Pristiq, I told my doctor that I was receptive to trying it, but I left it up to him to make the decision. I don't think he is very impressed with Pristiq. He says that the best candidates for its use are for people who have already demonstrated partial receptivity to Effexor. Perhaps this is an artifact of his subject selection. I hope Pristiq turns out to be more useful than my doctor indicates. It is still early.
- Scott
Posted by bleauberry on December 9, 2009, at 18:06:27
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » bleauberry, posted by SLS on December 9, 2009, at 7:15:12
> Milnacipran was added to the Cymbalta? Interesting.
Yeah. Well ya know, Cymbalta really isn't much of an SNRI. None of them are. Predominantly serotonin, by a ratio of at least 9:1. And of course we know there is something inherently unique and different about each drug even though we don't know scientifically what it is.
>
> > Speaking of which, now that it is a USA drug, it could be placed on your backup radar screen.
>
> I don't like to exclude anything from consideration. So far, there does not seem to be too many success stories with the use of milnacipran as monotherapy. Maybe I'm wrong.No I don't think you are wrong. I have not seen but maybe one or two success stories as monotherapy, and they weren't at this forum. It does however seem to be a magical add-on to SSRIs, SNRIs, and TCAs. Theory kind of has to be thrown out the window...combine a SSRI and SNRI? Combine a SNRI and a SNRI? Ya know? As I see it, adding Milnacipran to any AD is like adding a norepinephrine/dopamine component to an AD...because all the ADs are almost exclusively serotonin, including the so-called SNRIs. Milnacipran is almost like a TCA without the TCA side effects, and in a vague way a cousin to Ritalin. A rat study validated similarities between Milnacipran and Ritalin.
>
> > I won't go into some of the other oddball things I think you should try (strategies, challenges, off-the-path agents) because I know you are a concrete psych drug kind of guy.
>
> I would drink elephant urine if I thought it would help. It would be a natural remedy.Well, I was thinking oddball, safe, healthy, and not folklore...stuff that actually has documented potential. Things like...are you ready for this weirdness?...well, not elephant urine...how about Tumeric; Olive Leaf; drops of 10:1 tincture of honey bee venom; and some others...primarily microcirculation enhancers, brain inflammation reducers, blood cleansers, and nerve regeneration enhancers. You mentioned once you did not have a Herx on an antibiotic challenge, so that is very cool. I wish everyone would do that. But how about Wormwood for a parasite/worm challenge? I've even seen documentaries on TV in the last 2 weeks of psychiatrict disorders being linked to that and cured by its treatment. Ya know? Just one thing to not rule out haphazardly, especially when it is completely safe, non-risk, cheap, and easy. You eat yogurt daily I believe, that's a good thing. You are probably one of the few here without a suspected gut link to your symptoms.
>
> > But as long as the toolbox is going to be limited to just brain altering psychotropic agents, your chosen combination sounds like one with high odds of winning to me.
>
> I hope so. Like I said, I did experience a partial improvement with the Effexor plus nortriptyline combination 5 years ago. It is just that I am a rapid metabolizer of nortriptyline, and the more recent titration demonstrates that I should have been taking twice the amount of this drug in the past.
>
> Regarding Pristiq, I told my doctor that I was receptive to trying it, but I left it up to him to make the decision. I don't think he is very impressed with Pristiq. He says that the best candidates for its use are for people who have already demonstrated partial receptivity to Effexor. Perhaps this is an artifact of his subject selection. I hope Pristiq turns out to be more useful than my doctor indicates. It is still early.
>
>
> - ScottI like the whole plan. Except for the weaning process. That will be a heavy challenge that few "normal" people could even imagine. When you die, you won't need to go to hell, because you can say you've already been there. I think there are a few of us here that can deeply profoundly feel the undescribable torment associated with coming off meds for a complete overhaul.
And if you ever get to the point of wanting to experiment with some of the oddball stuff, I would be happy to share what they are, what the reasoning is, what the proof is, and that they all have similarities...safe, nontoxic, super low risk, healthy in multiple ways, cheap, easy. Even in failure to provide benefit situations, there is nothing lost and no pain.
Posted by bulldog2 on December 9, 2009, at 18:54:05
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
> Is this as good as it gets?
>
> I don't think so. I won't settle for being barely employable and doomed to live an empty life. I want more. Parnate is not making it happen for me. It was nice in the beginning. However, even with the lithium added, I'm stuck. I believe that a greater improvement in the quality of my life is there for me to be had. I am not looking for perfection. Complete remission may not be in my future. However, I do expect to feel greater than a 50% improvement. I am stuck at 35%. That sucks. However, if that indeed is as good as it gets, at least I will have tried to move forward.
>
> Five or six years ago, I had been taking a combination of Effexor 300mg and nortriptyline 75mg. It helped, but was inadequate. The doctor should have tested my blood level of nortriptyline. He did not. In retrospect, we now know that I was significantly underdosed with nortriptyline. I predict that I will do better with the 150mg that I am currently taking when we combine it with the Effexor.
>
> I know that I can always go back to an MAOI if my planned treatment changes do not produce adequate results. Although making these changes is a gamble of sorts, I think it is a good investment of time to look for a better quality of life.
>
>
> - ScottJust some suggestions
Effexor + Remeron + Nortriptyline
Have you tried clomipramine?
Use amitriptyline with parnate - Use is safe in some links I have read and one doc liked it better than nortriptyline with parnate
Posted by Meltingpot on December 10, 2009, at 15:12:18
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
Scott,
I really admire the way you rationalise things and it is hard to believe that you are barely employable when you are quite obviously so brainy.
When you say that you are only about 35% improved, in what way? What are you able to do and feel at 35% that you can't and don't at 0%? What would a 75% improvement be?
I hope this switch you are planning works out for you but you always do improve initially don't you whenever you start a new drug that's effective for you so there is a chance that just the starting of the Effexor will improve your mood.
Just out of interest, why do you think Effexor will be an improvement on Parnate? How did your experience of Effexor differ to your experience of Parnate?
Denise
Posted by linkadge on December 10, 2009, at 17:02:51
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by Meltingpot on December 10, 2009, at 15:12:18
Effexor might be worth a shot.
Have you ever tried doxapin? It is similar to amitriptyline but I personally found it a bit more hedonically activating.
Nortriptline was definalely cleaner than the other TCA's I have tried, but there was just something missing with it.
Nortriptyline plus dark cholocate was good. Mmm dark chocolate.....caffiene, thebromine, phenylethyamine, MAOi's, SSRIs, anandamine reuptake inhibitors..yes..dark chocolate
Linkadge
Posted by SLS on December 10, 2009, at 17:04:51
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by Meltingpot on December 10, 2009, at 15:12:18
Hi Denise.
> I really admire the way you rationalise things
I only wish that I admired myself half as much as you do. I don't feel very admirable this week. I look at my lack academic and career accomplishments, and what little self-esteem I have left evaporates.
> When you say that you are only about 35% improved, in what way?
Mental and physical energy, thought speed, memory, flat affect, and anhedonia are the major areas that are most affected.
> What are you able to do and feel at 35% that you can't and don't at 0%?
I acquire some mental energy to interact with my environment and think more clearly. I begin to feel less negative about things. My affect brightens, my memory improves, and I can read a paragraph or so at a time instead of the two sentences I was capable of.
> What would a 75% improvement be?
Orgasmic, but short of nirvana. I am sure that I could go to school and hold a job. It would be great if I could operate at my tested I.Q. I would become very gregarious and self-confident. I would seek out new people and relationships. I think I would become involved in various hobbies. Perhaps music and photography.
> I hope this switch you are planning works out for you
Thanks. I am not expecting nirvana, though.
> but you always do improve initially don't you
That has been my response pattern, yes.
> whenever you start a new drug that's effective for you so there is a chance that just the starting of the Effexor will improve your mood.
> Just out of interest, why do you think Effexor will be an improvement on Parnate?
I recall having passing moments of feeling better on the combination of Effexor and nortriptyline that occurred long after my startup improvement. I was happy with the scope of the improvement, but not the magnitude and consistency. I believe things will be better now that I am taking twice the dosage of nortriptyline as I did then.
> How did your experience of Effexor differ to your experience of Parnate?
For me, Parnate helps more with anergia than it does with anhedonia. It doesn't brighten my mood as much as does Nardil. It really is hard to compare drugs when the effects they have change as do dosages and adjunct drugs. Effexor gave me more of a sense of enjoyment of things and a brighter affect than did Parnate. The last time I read a book cover-to-cover was when I was taking Effexor. Things just seemed to decay over time or I would have continued with it.
We'll see.
I am beginning to feel less well. Things are bound to get worse, but I can't predict just how much worse.
- Scott
Posted by SLS on December 10, 2009, at 17:07:49
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by linkadge on December 10, 2009, at 17:02:51
> Effexor might be worth a shot.
>
> Have you ever tried doxapin?That is about the only TCA that I haven't tried. I'll file that option away somewhere. Thanks.
> It is similar to amitriptyline but I personally found it a bit more hedonically activating.
Hedonism. Mmm.
- Scott
Posted by linkadge on December 10, 2009, at 17:08:32
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by linkadge on December 10, 2009, at 17:02:51
What about a med washout / detox.
I know I know, I'm not trying to get all naturalistic on you, but coming off meds has sometimes helped me reconsider which directions to take.
Linkadge
Posted by SLS on December 10, 2009, at 18:41:44
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by linkadge on December 10, 2009, at 17:08:32
> What about a med washout / detox.
>
> I know I know, I'm not trying to get all naturalistic on you, but coming off meds has sometimes helped me reconsider which directions to take.Well, I have discontinued lithium and am reducing my dosage of Lamictal to get a better idea of where I'm at. I know that the nortriptyline and Lamictal will keep me out of the deepest abyss, so I am reluctant to give them up right now. I have a love-hate relationship with lithium. It does flatten my affect and personality. It makes me passive and reduces motivation and drive. Yet, it can have antidepressant effects. I would like to have remained on it, but I really do think I am better off without it in the short-term. If it turns out that it works wonders when combined with Effexor, then I will need to make compromises.
What do you think of coenzyme Q10? I was looking at adding that along with NAC at some point.
- Scott
Posted by linkadge on December 10, 2009, at 20:03:43
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » linkadge, posted by SLS on December 10, 2009, at 18:41:44
I feel the same way about lithium. It produces an almost immediate AD effect for me, but after about 2 or 3 days I start to feel more depressed.
I think q10 is a good supplement. It actually helps me sleep and seems to have a positive effect on my short term memory.
Usually (when I can sleep) I take a benzo plus q10 and a bit of creatine. The combination seems to have a synergistic effect on sleep and I seem to have less cognative dysfunction the next day.
Both creatine and q10 are potent antioxidants and have synergistic effects in animal models of neurodegernation.
I don't like NAC as much as it seems to make me more obsessive / agressive feeling. I also havn't been liking alpha-lipoic acid as it seems to make me a little unstable although sometimes it seems to be very useful.
I have been having good effects with theanine lately. I started to have a bad bout of insomnia last week but theanine + melatonin got me back on track fast.
In terms of my depression, somtimes the stimulating AD's make me better but sometimes I need the sedating ones. Sometimes AD stop working and some sort of gabaergic med (epival, benzo, theanine) makes me less depressed.
Have you ever tried gabapentin? Tegretol + TCA combinations have also been good for some.
I think for mood disorders its just balancing the inhibitory and excitory. Too much of either can produce depresison. Having a stimulating med and a more sedating one to play around with can help.
For instance, I did well with effexor plus zyprexa. I could often reduce relapses by altering the dose of one or the other.
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on December 10, 2009, at 20:05:06
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » linkadge, posted by SLS on December 10, 2009, at 18:41:44
Reduce the parnate and add trazone + gabapentin plus amphetamine as needed.
Liinkadge
Posted by Bob on December 11, 2009, at 23:17:34
In reply to Swapping Parnate for Effexor., posted by SLS on December 8, 2009, at 10:29:39
> Is this as good as it gets?
>
> I don't think so. I won't settle for being barely employable and doomed to live an empty life. I want more. Parnate is not making it happen for me. It was nice in the beginning. However, even with the lithium added, I'm stuck. I believe that a greater improvement in the quality of my life is there for me to be had. I am not looking for perfection. Complete remission may not be in my future. However, I do expect to feel greater than a 50% improvement. I am stuck at 35%. That sucks. However, if that indeed is as good as it gets, at least I will have tried to move forward.
>
> Five or six years ago, I had been taking a combination of Effexor 300mg and nortriptyline 75mg. It helped, but was inadequate. The doctor should have tested my blood level of nortriptyline. He did not. In retrospect, we now know that I was significantly underdosed with nortriptyline. I predict that I will do better with the 150mg that I am currently taking when we combine it with the Effexor.
>
> I know that I can always go back to an MAOI if my planned treatment changes do not produce adequate results. Although making these changes is a gamble of sorts, I think it is a good investment of time to look for a better quality of life.
>
>
> - ScottI had good luck with Effexor about 15 years ago for maybe two months. I got up to maybe 225mg, and then it degenerated into hypersomnolence during the day followed by insomnia at night. I had nasty bruxism, even when awake and completely numb genitals. Then the anger set it and I decided it was time to get off. At the time it was by FAR the worst withdrawl I ever had, and possibly still is to this day. I have had some other bad withdrawls though. I promised myself I would never go there again because I'm not sure I'd survive it this time. I wonder if I'll be able to keep that promise?
Posted by SLS on December 12, 2009, at 5:37:07
In reply to Re: Swapping Parnate for Effexor. » SLS, posted by Bob on December 11, 2009, at 23:17:34
> I had good luck with Effexor about 15 years ago for maybe two months. I got up to maybe 225mg, and then it degenerated into hypersomnolence during the day followed by insomnia at night. I had nasty bruxism, even when awake and completely numb genitals. Then the anger set it and I decided it was time to get off. At the time it was by FAR the worst withdrawl I ever had, and possibly still is to this day. I have had some other bad withdrawls though. I promised myself I would never go there again because I'm not sure I'd survive it this time. I wonder if I'll be able to keep that promise?
I understand your predicament. At some point, you will do anything to escape the crushing suffocation that is depression, even if it means returning to a drug that you were sure was counterproductive at the time you were taking it. You ask yourself, "will it work better this time?" What makes things particularly problematic in making a decision is that it is difficult to remember exactly how it felt to be taking the drug in comparison to the way you feel now. If you could flick a switch between the two states, it would be easier to compare them. As it is, choosing to return to a failed drug is an act of desparation, especially when one is willing to neglect the difficulty in discontinuing that drug should it fail again.
So far, life sucks.
- Scott
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