Posted by JD on May 26, 1999, at 6:39:11
In reply to Parnate. I've heard it's great and a nightmare? , posted by John on May 25, 1999, at 21:35:59
One reason I think Parnate works so well in some people is that, besides being a powerful MAO inhibitor, it also has some amphetamine-like properties which can be profoundly energizing. (The flip side is that this can easily lead to insomnia, etc.) As for other side effects, yes it's a "dirty drug" when compared to newer drugs like SSRIs (the tricyclics are also commonly called "dirty drugs" too), but I think this reputation is compounded by all the scares about MAOI food restrictions and hypertensive reactions. You're right that for many people, Parnate or another MAOI seems to be the only drug that works; what's more, I've noticed anecdotally that many people (though not all) claim that the side-effects and precautions are not as bad as they're made out to be. Interested what any actual users would have to say on this too!
--JD> I've been astonished to find so often, in reading other depressed people's accounts of medication trials how many times refractory patients find that Parnate is the first and only thing to actually work. But my psychiatrist says it's "dirty", - lots of side effects, extreme ones, such as - severe hair loss, involuntary ejaculation, etc. I'd very much like to hear anyone else's experiences with Parnate. Does it always cause such severe side effects? Thanks.
poster:JD
thread:6524
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990601/msgs/6609.html