Posted by JonW on August 2, 2002, at 16:30:17
In reply to Re: Nardil and agitation, posted by denise528 on August 1, 2002, at 10:24:20
Denise,
The Nardil did make me agitated but I'm bipolar and sensitive to anti-depressants. Have you been evaluated for bipolar spectrum disorder? Have you ever been on any "mood stabilizers"? You might want to consider Lamictal as it has anti-depressant qualities to it. I believe the latest thinking is that it's not so good for the highs of bipolar disorder but is very effective for bipolar depression. Have you ever been on any atypical anti-psychotics? Something like zyprexa or Geodon that address both agitation and depression might be worth asking your pdoc about.
The truth is that if your illness is intractable it may require more than one med. However, I certainly understand not wanting to take a med just to have to take another med unless it is absolutely necessary. The thing about Nardil is that it sucks if it doesn't work. The side-effects are worse than other drugs (although it's my understanding that things get better with time) and you generally have to wait 2 weeks before starting another anti-depressant. So if it doesn't work, you've put yourself through side-effects and are out 2 weeks with no AD (a stimulant could be prescribed to get you through, though). On the flip side, this drug has performed miracles for many people. If you decide to take it and can tolerate the side-effects don't give up on it too soon. You might want to try Parnate instead. It's my understanding that it is more suited for endogenous depressions and has fewer side-effects. Another option is moclobemide, however, it is one of the least potent ADs. This doesn't mean it wouldn't be effective, but there are no food restrictions, no withdrawal, and no 2 week wait to try the next AD. I've been on this drug and it didn't make me agitated. In fact, I'm probably going to try it again but this time I'm going to give it a full 12 weeks.
One question, are you sure you're with the best pdoc for you? He doesn't sound so great telling you your illness isn't bad enough to try Nardil. I've heard several pdocs say that a failure of 2 ADs justifies a trial of an MAOI. You might want to take a look at this questionare prepared by Ivan Goldberg to see what you think of your pdoc:
http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.expert.html
Anyway, just a thought... good luck with everything!
Jon
poster:JonW
thread:114761
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020731/msgs/114974.html