Posted by Optimist on October 21, 2005, at 11:41:36
In reply to My situation: please comment, posted by Chairman_MAO on October 21, 2005, at 0:11:48
Hey Chairman,
I've been following your posts for awhile as I have similar drug interests and dx's.
I recall Parnate working wonderfully for you in the past... I'm guessing that it's either lost some of it's efficacy, or pooped out on occasion?
I was on a trial of Parnate this spring/summer and had a wonderful response the first month followed by diminishing results. I went all the way up to 100mg a day. At that dose I noticed sexual dysfunction(anaorgasmia, and reduced sex drive). Even at 40mg a day I was noticing some reduced sex drive, and emotional flatness. To some degree that may have been my depression coming through. It's hard to tease them out sometimes, but I do know the SE's were much worse on Parnate than without.
I'm currently on 300mg Wellbutrin SR, 5mg Selegiline, and 600mg Lithium. I'm figuring Wellbutrin and Selegiline may be more hormonally friendly for males, and they seem to have a synergistic effect on one another. My sociability has improved marketedly as well. I've had dimishing returns on this combo as well after an initial great response.
I've only been on Lithium for 48 hours but am amazed at the response I've gotten thus far. It's like it's brought the Wellbutrin and Selegiline back to life. I have greater feelings of motivation, energy, sociability, and ability to be humourous. Obviously 48 hours isn't much to go on. A longer trial will be needed to further verify Lithium's augmentation ability, but I have read similar reports of quick improvements over such and short perioud of time.
At low Lithium dosages needed for augmentation, there are virtually no side effects. Many people can get a response at blood concentrations of 0.4-0.6 millimoles/L, when used for augmentation not mood stabilization.
Personally, I think if anyone has a poopout after a good response to an AD, lithium should be added rather than switching to another AD. There may be either latent bipolar tendencies or something else similarily going on.
Brian
poster:Optimist
thread:569687
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051017/msgs/569802.html