Posted by McPac on April 29, 2003, at 18:55:52
In reply to Calling the legend McPAC!!! Serious Qstn..., posted by ace on April 28, 2003, at 3:29:41
McPac my bro,
>>>>I'm here dude!
Thanks for your Anafranil answer. I have one HUGE qstn for you - how long did the wired sleep thing with Anafranil last (the waking at 4am wide-eyed) I asked my doc and he says this should be gone within a week.
>>>>>>>>Here is what I recall (I took Anafranil for about 3 years or so....10+ years ago was when I last took it) So here is what I remember: At first it COMPLETELY knocked me on my butt! But that was FINE because my OCD was BAD and I was glad that it knocked me out while doing its thing! The sedation did ease a lot over time. (Ace, it's always such an individual thing though...for instance, I am a pretty big guy (YET often very med-sensitive; my Aunt, an average-sized woman, was NOT even PHASED by Anafranil (it WORKED but she NEVER even felt the slightest bit tired from it---and she took a HIGHER dose than I did!)....I don't believe I got the "4:00 a.m." wake-ups right at first, because all it did at first was KNOCK ME OUT...it seems that I might have been taking it for awhile before it started giving me sleep awakenings (I vividly remember how I would just suddenly wake up and be wide-eyed all at once...then it was very hard to fall back to sleep for me.....now---here is the GOOD NEWS Ace---I was taking nothing back then for sleep...and I have a terrible insomnia problem....(The Anafranil DID knock me out day AND night, BUT I STILL got that damned "4:00 a.m., wide-eyed wake up crap"...BUT I did NOT have ANYTHING to combat THAT with...I have tried many things for terrible insomnia Ace and NOTHING has worked as well as LOW-DOSE REMERON (7.5 mg...you could use 15 mg, but 7.5 does the job WELL for me and many others)....I really do believe that the Remeron would combat the "4:00 a.m. wake-ups"...."IF" you STILL had ANY problems waking up, get a good form of magnesium (magnesium glycinate) and take about 400-600 mg near bedtime---it doesn't make me/most folks sleep longer, just better ("deeper").....I didn't know as much then as I do now about supplements (I'm still learning too!) and that was before anybody ever heard of Remeron (don't think it was even out back then)....so...just to be clear...I had terrible insomnia, the Anafranil was VERY sedating to me at first, at first I slept a ton on it, then after awhile the Anafranil started causing the 4:00 wake-ups...BUT, I had NOTHING to combat that...some folks may not get those 4:00 wake-ups (my Aunt did NOT)....here's what I'd think about if I were you Ace---get some low-dose Remeron (try 7.5 mg/ at night first, before trying the 15 mg, since you may not need 15mg)...and JUST have it on HAND at first...you may not need to take it...but if you do I will bet that it can counter the "wake-ups" if you start to get them....As for my "wake-ups" Ace, they did NOT last only a week or so....they definitely lasted longer than that...I recall that being a problem for QUITE SOME TIME....but the amazing thing about the Remeron is that, UNLIKE other sleep aids, it has KEPT its effectiveness ever since I've been on it (over a year)...it still works the same (it blocks the 5ht2 receptors, which causes sedation)
I don't like that feeling at all. And by the way, you a right on the mark about the Remeron suggestion. I was thinking either that or Buspirone.
>>>>>>>>>Some people (like my Aunt) get nervous "jitters" and anxiety from Buspar (she said it made her WORSE)...I've heard others have that reaction as well...I never took it...I'd go with the Remeron!
Once again McPac, you are very good to me and I appreciate your kind words to me.
>>>>>No problem at all Ace! Don't feel bad if you don't see responses from me, as I sometimes don't even post here for months at a time....however, I want to keep in touch w/ your progress so I WILL be checking in to see how you're doing.
Take Care OCD brother of the night!!!!!
>>>>>>>>Ace....Take the Anafranil! I REALLY believe that it will kick your ocd's ass! Then, if you get the "wake-ups", take the low-dose Remeron....try that, I think it will serve you very well! Titrate the Anafranil slowly if you need to, paying close attention to how it affects your ocd (but try not to DWELL on it if you can....no need to keep raising the dose once you've found your personal best dose (it varies for different people)...."A very good rule-of-thumb when it comes to OCD meds---"The Dose That Gets You Well, Keeps You Well"....once you find your best dose, I'd stay on it...some folks will try to keep lowering their best dose only to see their symptoms return....once the ocd stops, it's a BEAUTIFUL FEELING! You'll feel great again...laughing, being hilarious, feeling laid-back....you WILL feel very good again Ace...just get the "A-Train" (Anafranil) and let it do it's thing!!!
poster:McPac
thread:222834
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030429/msgs/223234.html