Posted by cubbybear on December 6, 2002, at 11:59:09
In reply to Re: Cubbybear » cubbybear, posted by bluedog on December 6, 2002, at 2:28:42
Hi bluedog,
It's always great to talk to another person who's had good things to say about Aurorix, since I'm just starting out with it. In this note, I'll tell you a bit about myself and try to answer your questions.
As for social anxiety--no, I never had that problem at all. In a nutshell, I am quite prone to relapses of depression that are accompanied by anxiety. I had great results for about 18 yrs. with MAOI Parnate but when I moved to Thailand in '97, things got to be a real problem since Parnate is not available here. I used to go back to the U.S. to get a year's supply of it once a year while visiting my family.
Then this past spring, I decided to be brave and try one of the "new generation" ADs, Remeron, which totally pooped out on me; then while in the worst depression ever, I was switched to Zoloft. (All or nearly all of the SSRIs are available in Thailand.) Anyway, my overall opinions of Zoloft are mixed, but it surely was nowhere as good as the Parnate for me. After doing loads of research on the Net and this message board, I found out all about Aurorix and figured that this could very well be the closest I could get to Parnate in Thailand since it's an MAO-type AD.
In your note, you said your were fascinated that I was switched to Aurorix. Well, not quite. It was *I* myself, who prevailed upon my (excellent) psychiatrist here to let me try it. He regularly prescribes the SSRIs but is open-minded and respectful of my own wishes as well. He knows that I had a very strong bias towards MAOIs, and that I really wanted to try Aurorix.
So, what actually happened over the past couple of months, is that the Zoloft somehow got me stabilized as I was phasing it out (?!?), I then waited the mandatory 2 week waiting period, then started the Aurorix while still feeling pretty good. We increased the dose to 300 mg. tonight, which will remain my maintenance dose. At the 150 mg. startup dose this past week, I had no side effects at all. I consider this trial to be also a form of "insurance" vs. any future possible depression. I'd rather have this drug--an MAO-- in my body than any of the SSRIs, so long as I'm living here. I completely agree with what you said about sexual side effects from the SSRIs and the need for normal sexual functioning.
Sorry I couldn't be more helpful regarding the social anxiety problem, but we should keep up the correspondence anyway. (By the way, I'm quite curious to know where you live. . .is it in Europe?)
My best to you,
Cubbybear
poster:cubbybear
thread:130712
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021203/msgs/130769.html