Posted by RobertDavid on May 21, 2006, at 21:57:36
In reply to Re: Everyone PLEASE share your EMSAM updates?, posted by ZeitGuest on May 21, 2006, at 20:12:05
> I'm wondering if some of the earlier "early adopters" on this site are still experiencing beneficial effects from EMSAM with regard to social anxiety. I believe RobertDavid commented on that effect early in his trial. So, RobertDavid, are you still feeling more socially engaged/motivated on EMSAM?
He's pretty much everything I have experienced since going on EMSAM 6 weeks ago:Quick response to mental clarity in particular. That contiues for me, I'm just sharper, have better consentration and my energy remains high. Over the last 2 weeks it's been pretty much the same, most came within 4 weeks for me.
When I first started EMSAM I dreamed a lot, though I am not dreaming quite as much as in the beginning, I'm still dreaming more than before. Initially I wasn't sleeping as many hours, but I woke up with more energy. I still have more energy, pehaps not quite the amount I felt in the beginning.
I've always dealt with insomnia. I'm still not sleeping like I want to and am working on ways to improve it. EMSAM overall isn't a medicine I'd suggest will help people sleep should they have insomnia. My doctor and I looked at some options like adding 12.5 mgs seroquel. I did sleep, but I was zonked the next day and seroquel brought back the foggy headed feeling I got rid of with EMSAM. Lunesta helps some on occation. A few nights I took the patch off at bedtime and did sleep a little better, but then after putting the patch back on in the morning it would take till about noon to get the energy I like.
Since I do not deal with major depression (SAD & GAD primary disorters) I suspect that an even smaller dose of EMSAM, say a 10 or 15mg patch would be ideal. I get more than enough of what I'm looking for with the 20 mgs, it's really good, but perhaps a smaller dose would still be enough, but help with sleeping, not sure.
I have written to Dr. Alexander Botkin who I understand was one of the leading reaserchers in the EMSAM studies to discuss the issues with cutting the patch in half, to find out if it leaks selegiline as some have suggested, to find out if there would be an uneven dose by cutting the patch in half or to just see if the drug companies don't want people to cut patches to save money such as someone getting a 40mg patch, cutting it in half to make a two 20mg patchs to save money (which I suspect, not sure). It also seems to me that there were smaller patch doses in the original study and wonder if there are plans to release one, maybe for Parkinsons patients who only need a small dose. It's just something I'm looking into as I'm a firm believer in playing with dose till you find the right med(s) at the right doses.
I do feel EMSAM is stimulating, but that's what I wanted to lift me from my mental fog, mild depression that perhaps klonopin aggrivated, not sure, but klonopin certainly tackles my social and generalized anxiety. Other stimulants I have tried were just to stimulating (even provigil) and made me more anxious in the long run. With EMSAM I seem to get the energy and mood boost without the anxiety, I'd just like to find a way to sleep better. When I sleep good, I feel my best.
I did notice that when I added EMSAM to the 2mgs of klonopin (taking for 12 years) I was more social. It might have been do to the fact that I have more energy which makes me more social and since I take klonopin I can't really say how much EMSAM specifically has improved my social anxiety or what it would have been like for me if I wasn't takingn klonopin. I can say I get around more, do more things, feel better.
What I have learned is that for me, caffeine does not go well with EMSAM. I have never been a big coffee drinker as it has increased my anxiety before, but now I get jacked up quick, real quick and come crashing down. I have wasted a couple of days after drinking coffee and have sworn it off.
In my quest to try to find the right dose for me, I've lowered down on klonopin from 2 mgs to 1.5. That has caused some issues (during the tapering) that is normal for me to feel when lowering klonopin dose (increased insmonia for several days, slight increase in anxiety for a week along with being irritable). I'm going to stay at the 1.5 dose for a while and see how I feel. I felt so good so fast I probably jumped to gun to try to conclude if EMSAM will be effective without klonopin.
So I'm better, much better overall. I have no doubt I'm on the best med I've ever tried for mild depression, energy, mental clarity. I would like to see how effective a smaller dose of EMSAM would be for me, but not sure if that's possible, but am looking into it.
I know I'm doing well as I'm no longer focusing on other meds I once considered trying. I'm just focusing on the dose these two meds. The answer for me is probably a long term klonopin/EMSAM combo. At some point I'm going to settle on dose and go on with my life until the next potential breakthrough that may come out to be a better solution.
In my opinion EMSAM is something that should give many hope, another option, it will work for some, not all. As I've always said it's just trial and error with this meds. Rob
poster:RobertDavid
thread:640308
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060520/msgs/646740.html