Posted by Chairman_MAO on October 13, 2004, at 10:48:05
In reply to King Vultanothers/Parnate at 40 how's it working?, posted by bluebird on October 10, 2004, at 18:21:43
Greetings, all! After a several-month hiatus from med-centered consciousness (I'm sure at least some people here know what I mean by that), I simply could not resist posting here any longer. :)
And I'm pleased to report that, despite untreated dysthymia and ADD, I managed to enroll myself at Rutgers University in New Jersey, serendipidously receiving far more financial aid than I ever could have dreamed of. Then, during the last week of August, as I was preparing to gleefully vacate my parents' house, I presented for treatment at the local medical school's mental health clinic. Unlike my previous state-funded psychiatrist in my parents' home county, the resident I saw here seemed interested in me as a person and intent on helping me. After a brief discussion with her supervising doctor, she agreed to let me try Parnate, given my lengthy history of failures with everything else.
From day one it's been nothing but improvement! I titrated up to 80mg/day in less than a month so that I'd have maximum effectiveness for the school year. It would take hours of writing and revision to adequately convey the manifold improvements I enjoy, but it suffices to say that, on most days I experience at worst euthymia and at best hours of unfettered positivity. The robust, sustained mood lift is superior to and completely unlike any other drug I've tried, including the ones that get you "high". Sometimes when, as Bob Marley wrote, the "sun is shining and weather is sweet", I'll be waiting for the campus bus in the morning and be thinking "wow, it's great to be alive!" I used to trudge around, head angled toward the ground, feeling as if I were a member of the "untouchable" social caste, unable to look others in the eye for too long without feeling profound psychic discomfort. Now I walk with a self-assured stride, looking strangers in the eye and smile! My excessive rumination, anxiety, social phobia, and depression have all been decreased by well over 50%. I fully intend to take this drug for as long as it remains even 25% as effective as it is now.
My doctor told me that I am the singular MAOI patient at that facility--among hundreds of patients. I replied to this regrettably unsurprising news with muted lamentation. Why deny so many suffering people such effective drugs? These are the only side effects I have: delayed orgasm--though when the Parnate is in my system the orgasms are way more intense than they are by default--and insomnia. The insomnia was SEVERE at the beginning of treatment, but seems to be improving; I managed to sleep last night with only marijuana instead of downers. Also, there was some hypotension, pretty bad impotence, weakness, and afternoon drowsiness during the first 2-3 weeks that have all but disappeared.
The fuss made over the diet is, IMHO, laughable. I've been safe simply avoiding gourmet aged cheeses, soy sauce, sauerkraut, tap beer, and I think one other thing. I am not a disciplined person by nature, and the diet is easy for me to follow. I carry chlorpromazine around in case of a reaction, but I haven't had one. Knock on wood.
Well, time to go take care of some life activities. Just thought I'd check in; best wishes to all!
P.S. I've tried all sorts of dosing regimens, and am finding it hard to settle on one. It's very complicated, because there are active metabolites formed, and trying to maintain optimal levels of them is hard. I hate how the morning dose only becomes significantly activating about three hours after I take it, bolstering my suspicion that there are amphetamine-like metabolites. The best dosing regimen I've found for that is 20mg morning, noon, dinner, and bed; but with the bedtime dose I cannot sleep, even with Ambien. As of now, I'm taking 30mg morning, 30mg 5-6 hours later, and 20mg 5-6 hours after that. Any comments on this?
poster:Chairman_MAO
thread:401261
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041012/msgs/402635.html