Posted by c ubbybear on February 18, 2004, at 1:40:32
In reply to Re: Nardil (Phenelzine) vs Parnate (Tranylcypromine) » Mr. Scott » cubbybear, posted by Mr. Scott on February 17, 2004, at 10:43:11
> Thanks CubbyBear I have a couple questions! (You aren't by chance from Chicago are you?)
No--originally from the East Coast then transplanted to Southern California in '88, have been living in Thailand since '97.
> What side effects have you attributed to Parnate?For the first few weeks only: a) increased craving for sweets and carbohydrates, b) weight gain to compensate for weight loss during depression (this is unusual, since most people who take Parnate experience weight loss), c) big dips and spikes on blood pressure, with low daily blood pressure of about 57/80 then later to normal 120/80, d) reduced need for sleep, can get by with as little as 5 hrs. per night and this side effect does not fade with time.
Does it work well for anxiety or have you not had a primary issue with anxiety?Bad anxiety has always been a symptom of my depression and Parnate has always knocked it out as well as all the other symptoms. I restarted Parnate in March 2003. Just this week, I had a major crisis at work and very disappointing development regarding my upcoming trip to the U.S. I was feeling very irate over the job problems and upset over the vacation, which would ordinarily have thrown the entire anxiety/depression machine into gear, but none of this happened and I've been able to make rational decisions and stay calm in the face of all this stressful crap.
Tell me about the dietary and other restrictions you've had to live with, how has that been?
I never had a hypertensive crisis since I was conditioned by my dr.back in '84 to stick with the rules. So it's been hard for me to accept the new findings that some cheeses are safe. I think that I'm going to be brave and try a small plain pizza during my trip. What's postively weird is that I never knew soy sauce was forbidden and I can't imagine having gone for so many years without ingesting soy sauce; I've had Chinese food in restaurants many times. So go figure it out. I believe that anyone who goes on an MAOI has a responsibility to him/herself to play by the rules, but you can definitely fudge it, if you discover after a little trial and error that it's OK for you. At the very least, have your BP tested regularly or buy one of those BP testers you can use at home.
As for cough and cold remedies, I don't screw around at all. Just let nature take its course. And I never forget to tell the dentist "No epinephrine!" when I need a pain injection. I've found that the safe analgesics are nowhere as good as those with epinephrine, but I'd rather have some dental pain for a few minutes than one day of depression.
I also like the fact that my pdoc has encouraged me to salt my food more heavily than normal. I've always had a salt craving, my BP has always been normal (I'm 55), I live in a hot climate where increased salt intake is a good idea. Not everyone should feel compelled to jump on the low-salt bandwagon.
>
I'm glad to be of help. Good luck!
poster:c ubbybear
thread:314394
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040215/msgs/314991.html