Posted by Jedi on August 9, 2007, at 23:21:49
Hi Guys,
Well I'm back on Nardil after being off for five months for a trial of Parnate. Parnate seemed to help my depression but I had a rare spontaneous hypertensive reaction that stopped that trial two months ago. Rather than going right back on Nardil, I thought I would see if I could make it on clonazepam (2mg) by itself. After two months, I just can't do it anymore.I thought that after being on Nardil for most of the past ten years, that maybe a few months off would give my brain a chance to become accustomed to being without MAOIs. Perhaps normalize the receptors and be able to live without the meds. Alas, the depression and social anxiety were growing worse on a daily basis. It was getting to the point that I could get nothing done at all. My illness again was becoming the center of my entire life. So, I gave in and started titrating back up on Nardil about a week ago. My usual effective dosage is 90mg and I'm up to 75mg today. I'm actually starting to feel a little better already, probably the GABA effect. I know it takes me about four weeks for the antidepressant effect to kick in. At least this has been my pattern the previous three times I've been off Nardil.
I'm using my emergency stash that I saved up when I went off Nardil last February. I've made an appointment with my MD but I haven't told him I've started back on Nardil. When I went off the MAOIs, I had him promise that he would prescribe them again if the major depression returned. They are the only meds out of about forty combinations that have worked for me.
I'm pretty sure the Nardil will knock back the major depression again, but I'm not looking forward to the side effects. I'm really going to have to push the exercise to combat the sweet carbohydrate cravings. They haven't started yet, but from experience, the cravings are inevitable.
I'm still going to be looking for an augmentor. I'm thinking a small dose of lithium might help. This is something I have not used with Nardil. I may also give nortriptyline another shot. I augmented 90mg of Nardil with 100mg of nortriptyline in the past. It didn't seem to do a lot of good, but I may of needed to increase the nortrip. I seem to be a rapid metabolizer of tricyclics. The 100mg did not come close to the therapeutic window for nortrip. I've also augmented Nardil with 300mg of bupropion with mixed results. Modafinil is also an option, but I haven't been able to talk my MD into that one yet.
I will probably drop the clonazepam back to 1mg when the full effect of Nardil kicks back in. I would sure like to hear from anyone that has had a successful experience augmenting Nardil; especially people with atypical depression and social anxiety.
Thanks a lot,
Jedi
poster:Jedi
thread:775191
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070808/msgs/775191.html