Posted by RobertDavid on June 7, 2006, at 22:36:50
In reply to Emsan-Day 30, posted by cecilia on June 7, 2006, at 6:27:10
Cecilia:
I'm very sorry to hear that your struggling with EMSAM. I think you're doing the right thing to stay with it as long as you can, 30 days now, but if by 6 to 8 weeks you feel no improvement, only side effects such as insomnia then you probably should bail.
In the mean time you might try a couple of things. My first thought would be to cut the patch in half to perhaps help with insomnia, but you're not feeling any benefit at the 20mg dose, not sure why you would at the smaller dose. That might be wise to try if you were feeling better, but your not.
So otherwise you might just try taking the patch off an hour before bedtime for 3 or 4 nights. Seleginline has a short half life so it should help you sleep and by putting it back on in the morning you'll still hopefully keep blood levels up high enough to have anti depressant effects.
When you don't sleep well you're never going to feel well and perhaps with a little sleep you'd find it might be working. Lastly, you might consider something to help you sleep for a while (leaving the patch on). A couple of sleep meds come to mind, low dose seroquel, Sonata, Lunesta, Restoril perhaps klonopin or xanax.
I was able to take the patch off at night and it helped my insomnia (I have always delt with insomnia). After a while I was able to put the patch back on at night (I started by taking half off at night now leave the whole 20mg patch on). The nights I really wanted sleep I took it off and took lunesta.
But what concerns me is that you are not feeling any benefit. It's admirable for you to hang in there and give it a try, but if you don't figure a way to get some sleep or you'll certainly be forced to get off it when perhaps with some adjustments it may turn out to be helpful. I recognize all this is easy for me to say, but I'm just giving you my honest opinion.
I hope things get better for you..... Rob
poster:RobertDavid
thread:653947
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060604/msgs/654287.html