Posted by girlnterrupted78 on July 13, 2007, at 6:47:30
In reply to Re: Awful, pounding headache on Nardil/GI78, posted by stargazer2 on July 12, 2007, at 21:39:12
> The potential for low BP exists just in taking Nardil and my reaction is this, but not to the degree that you have it, but I only went up to 60 mg and just came down to 45 mg.
So you also had a bad headache when you went up to 60mgs? What kind of headache was it, and how severe? Was it a pounding headache in the occipital area that lasted more than half an hour and was very intense? Did you have syncope too?
> I'm curious what the cause of your headache was and what the ER determined the cause was. What did they do for you and was your BP very low where they had to give you medication and/or fluids?
This is what the ER report says:
"Your exam shows your headache does not have any specific cause. Headaches are caused by many different things including stress, tension and high blood pressure. Rarely headaches may be due to bleeding and tumors in the brain. Although your exam today does not indicate that you have a serious cause, it is very important that you see you doctor for further evaluation if it does not get better in 1-2 days"
> I have had severe headaches from low BP and low sugar, as well, that is why I suggested if the high BP was not causing the headache it could be low BP from too high a dose of Nardil. You shouldn't get so bad that you feel you are going to fall down constantly. The only way to know for sure is by taking your BP during any episode of having the headache or extreme lightheadness. My reaction to Nardil is low BP around 90/50, but not so low as your BP might be and this may account for more severe side effects for you.This is what the ER report says about my syncope episode:
"Your exam shows that you have had an episode of syncope or fainting. This is a problem that can be brought on by many different conditions including: *Physical pain, heat exhaustion and emotional distress, *Reactions to certain medications (especially blood pressure pills), *Dehydration, alcohol intoxication and internal bleeding, *Heart disease, circulatory problems and nervous system disorders.
Fainting usually occurs when the blood pressure or pulse is too low to provide enough blood flow to the brain to keep you conscious. Warning signs that you are about to faint include dizziness, nausea, body numbness, vision disturbance, and turning pale. If you feel these symptoms or like you are about to faint, please lie do down flat right away; wait until all the symptoms have passed before you get up again. Most people recover from a fainting episode in a few minutes but they may feel tired for several hours. Fainting is not usually caused by a serious medical problem. Taking your pulse during a fainting spell may help with the diagnosis."> 90 mg is a dose usually for someone large, so if you are closer to 150, a much lower dose may be indicated. MD's are not that experienced with MAO's and may not be adjusting the dosage adequately and the side effects may be much worse than they need to be if the dosage was increased more slowly.
I'm 5'7 and my weight is 130lbs. It was in fact my p-doc who increased the dose straight from 45mgs to 90mgs. He STARTED me on 45mgs. I secretly went up to 60mgs before going up to 90mgs, but then I decided to try 90mgs and within 4 days, one evening, 30 minutes after taking Nardil, the headache started like a bomb in my head.
> Hope this helps explain some of what may be going on and get a BP cuff if you don't have one, since you may be able to avoid another trip to the ER and your doctor should beware if your BP is lower than 90/50. That is getting too low and can cause you to pass out. Are you on anyother meds with Nardil?I only take clonazepam (besides Nardil,) and I don't take it on a regular basis, just as needed.
I don't remember my BP at the ER, but the doctor said it was an excellent BP and that lots of patients wish they had it.
But I am 100% certain that the 90mgs of Nardil are the culprit. I experimented with it. I took 90mgs twice after the first episode of the pounding headache, and each time, the headache was back. One time I took the 90mgs on an empty stomach (to check for food interaction) and the pain was there within 30 minutes, without food or anything else. It was the NARDIL alone. I counted the time. It started half an hour after taking the 90mgs, and the headache lasted a little over half an hour. The first pain episode lasted longer, like an hour and a half, because I waited a while in the ER and I still had it (albeit less severe) when I finally got to see the doctor. When I saw the doctor, the pain had gone from the occipital to the center of my head and was less severe.
Once I went down to 60mgs then there was no pain at all. I just feel my heart pounding faster in my chest with a little bit of anxiety (very mild.)
As for Nardil working, it is in fact helping more than the other SSRIs, but not in the way other people describe, like "you'll know exactly when it kicked in because it will be like a flash of light.." (or something like that they used to say..) They were probably referring to the old Nardil. This Nardil helps, but I think it's not as amazing as the old version used to be. Which is really sad. I wish there was a way to bring back the other Nardil. Do you know if the old Nardil still gets manufactured somewhere else in the world? Maybe Europe? Canada?
Thanks a lot for your input, it's greatly appreciated.
GI78
poster:girlnterrupted78
thread:768911
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070710/msgs/769312.html