Posted by yznhymer on July 23, 2007, at 1:45:46
In reply to EMSAM At 6 Weeks, posted by Darkness At Noon on July 22, 2007, at 9:09:08
I'm at EMSAM 4 weeks, 6 mg. Overall, I think this has been the smoothest adjustment I've made to an antidepressant. Remarkably, I've had no adverse sexual side effects and no weight gain. However, I have experienced some agitation/anxiety... its hard to describe exactly, sort of a tightness in my chest especially in the evening. I also experienced some difficulty settling down in order to sleep. Both of these effects have eased up over time, though not completely.
Still, I have no problem falling asleep within a couple of minutes with the help of some Ambien. I have Klonopin on hand but haven't felt so anxious that I've been using it, though I have a bad habit of not using Klonopin even when it probably would be helpful to do so. I'm not getting enough sleep each night though, and this has been going on for years. My best sleep recently was after stopping Wellbutrin and before starting EMSAM. I do get sleepy some days in the afternoon, and will take a nap, and I have to tell you they are exquisitely wonderful - I'm really reluctant to wake up and leave the state I'm in. So at this point, I'd say my sleep issues still need to be resolved.
In terms of benefits from EMSAM, I am feeling somewhat better. I have more energy and more motivation, and its pretty consistent. After the first 2 weeks, I went through a few days where I was feeling pretty low again but then rebounded. I should say that I am seeing a new therapist who is excellent, and I think that has been key also. He has been pivotal in getting me back to the gym and increasing my exercise routine. I'm sure this has helped. Two indicators that things are substantially better: my apartment looks great and I've got an active To Do List with 43 items on it.
I am wondering if moving up to 9mg would add some benefit. In fact, trying to find information about optimal dosage of EMSAM is what got me snooping around tonight. I got the impression from my pdoc that he's reluctant to move to a dose that requires dietary restrictions, though I don't see that as a big issue. I was hoping for a more robust impact on my social anxiety similar to my experience on Nardil many years ago, but I haven't seen that. While I still experience anticipatory anxiety about social situation, I do find myself more talkative than I am usually, and somewhat less withdrawn as well.
poster:yznhymer
thread:771104
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070719/msgs/771286.html