Posted by nutjob on August 7, 2007, at 14:58:53
In reply to Re: Nardil... do the stupid side effects ever dimi » nutjob, posted by girlnterrupted78 on August 7, 2007, at 12:51:57
girl,
1. I live in America--hence, Pfizer. I wouldn't worry about the reformulation. This is really only an issue for people accustomed to the old version. It's still the same drug. Supposedly the new version isn't absorbed by the gastro tract quite as well as the old. But I imagine taking it with/without food, along with the types of foods you eat and how much, can affect the absorption of Nardil. I can only surmise here, cause I'm no science wiz--but for me, when I take it on an empty stomach in five separate doses (1 pill/dose) I have virtually no fatigue issues, and overall the medication seems to work better for me this way. Sometimes I even feel mildly stimulated in a very soothing way. Taking two pills at a time tends to make me drowsy.
2. Like I said, I still experience fatigue at times if I take two pills or if I take it with a big meal. It's only been this way up until fairly recently though--for at least the first three months or so I found myself taking long naps during the day, especially when I was idle.
3. When I first increased the dose to 60 mgs I felt high as a kite and pretty relaxed around people. The euphoria long with the anxiolytic effect quickly diminished, and so I upped the dose to 75 almost almost right away--however I couldn't tolerate 75 at that point. I jumped back down to 60 for about 2 months with partial anxiety relief. Then when I increased to 75 after a couple of months the transition was smooth and the side-effects were hardly any worse at 75 than at 60. Within a few a days at 75 I noticed that I was no longer sensitive to rejection. I could sit around for days and think about my inadequacies or ruminate about painful experiences from the past where I had felt rejected or humiliated, and while my thoughts were much the same as they had always been, the emotional pain was suddenly gone.
It's important to realize that Nardil alone does not have the power to change your corrupted thought patterns. It's just an emotional anesthetic so to speak, a kind of painkiller for the nerves in your body that facilitate emotional suffering and dread. I would bet my balls that Nardil is related to opiates in some way--this is especially evident when you feel that initial euphoric effect that so many (though not everyone) experience at first.
You didn't mention what dose you take, but if you're not feeling any relief from rejection sensitivity (the essence of "social anxiety") yet then you're probably not taking a high enough dose. The information out there on Nardil is pretty sparse unfortunately--but some studies suggest that close to 80% of people afflicted with social anxiety will experience significant relief on Nardil once they've reached a high enough dose. For some this might mean 45 mgs/day--for others it might mean 90 mgs or even more.
The problem of course is allowing your body enough time to adjust. There's no question that the side-effects are pretty f*cking nasty at first and it can take 2 to 4 months for them to mostly subside.
If I were you I would try experimenting with different dosing intervals in varying amounts, e.g. 1 in the morning, 2 at night; 1 pill for every dose (as I do). Also, try with/without food. I don't know what your habits are like--but maybe try four or five smalls meals instead of three large meals, or whatever. Food really does seem to have an affect, at least in my experience. Experiment in this way and see if you notice any changes in energy level, fatigue. If nothing makes a difference give it at least another month or so to see if you feel less tired eventually. Then talk to your doc about raising the dose--if 15 mg increases cause too many side effects, maybe scoring the tablets and increasing in 7.5 mg intervals could be an option...?
The fact is, Nardil is the single most efficacious treatment for social phobia. It even outperforms the benzos and Cognitive Behavioral Group therapy. No single treatment works for everyone, though. Some people might require 120 mgs of Nardil, 5 mgs of klonopin, and months of CBGT just to get moderate improvement--who knows.
Everyone's different.Do what you want, but were it me, I would stick it out, play around with the dosing schedule, etc.
One thing's for sure, generalized social phobia really f*cking blows! "Normal" folks have no clue how much of a nightmare it is--and I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. You owe it to yourself to explore all options, and to be patient. The process of recovery can be long and arduous--but you must approach it as systematically and rationally as possible. Keep a journal of how you're feeling each day if you can find the time and motivation. Consider all possibilities. And never forget: where there is a will there is a way, patience is a virtue, blah, blah, blah, lots of other cliches....usually cliches becomes cliches for a reason though-- and that is that more often than not, they're true.job
poster:nutjob
thread:774174
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070730/msgs/774604.html