Posted by Phoenix1 on January 16, 2008, at 8:20:10
In reply to Re: Question for Nardilites/Phoenix/Stargazer » Phoenix1, posted by Jedi on January 16, 2008, at 2:25:19
> Hi Phoenix1,
> Nardil can be an amazing med, especially for people with atypical depression and social anxiety. I find it pretty easy to put up with the side effects if something is working. There is nothing much worse than lying in a fetal position on the floor in total misery. I have been on 40+ combinations of antidepressants and nothing has even come close to Nardil. Sure, it would be nice not to have to take meds and more meds to control the side effects. But, you play the hand you were delt.
>
> When I first started Nardil, about eleven years ago; the drug kicked in after about four weeks at 75mg. It was like night and day. One day, hopeless despair; the next day, complete clarity. I initially started out with some euphoria or hypomania. Actually, that felt pretty good after years of misery. This side effect went away fairly quickly. Many people mistake the loss of hypomania with poop-out. But this is not the true antidepressant affect of the med.
>
> I'm glad Nardil is working for you and Justherself.
> Be Well,
> Jedi
>
>
> > Side effects are truly minor. Much more manageable than other AD's I've been on in the past. And the fact that the drug is ACTUALLY working makes me a bit more willing to put up with side effects. Probably the biggest side effect is bad, bad embarrassing gas. I can live with this, it's just embarrassing. Then there's the clumsy sort of drunk feeling which probably causes the typing irregularities. I'm sure I'd be sleeping horribly if I weren't so well medicated for sleep. And I still have an odd twitchy eyelid/scalp. My BP is lower than normal, but it is within the normal range as it was slightly high before. So that's a good side effect.
> >
> > I think the Nardil reduces my daytime anxiety immensely, so I have just stopped taking Klonopin except as needed for particularly bad days. But it makes my depression worse, so I think I will ask for PRN Ativan instead.
> >
> > And I'm ready to start reducing my sleep meds (or trying). So I will ask to go from 75mg of Seroquel to 50mg, but to keep the 7.5mg zopiclone as it is. Baby steps.
> >
> > But the big news is that I'm feeling, on average, pretty great compared to just a month or two ago. To go from hospitalization just before Christmas to an almost complete remission in a little over a month is miraculous. This is not a placebo effect, Nardil works for me. It has powerfully killed my depression.
> >
> > In the evenings, I find my depression and anxiety trying to crawl back in, but then I take my sleep meds, and feel OK in the morning. I hope the last 2 dose increases will kill the remainder of the depression (I like to think of it like an infection or a cancer)
> >
> > I'm productive and motivated at work again for the first time in a long time. And I feel optimistic about life in general. It's really a 180 degree turn.
> >
> > Anyways, sorry for the essay, but you DID ask how I was doing. I just feel so strongly about this med that I feel the need to tell other treatment resistant depressives what it has done for me. It may not be a miracle for everyone, but for now, it is certainly a miracle for me. I just hope hope hope things continue as they are right now.
> >
> > Phewww... What a rant... And how are you doing Justherself? Side effects, improvement? Again, don't worry about supply issues, ERFA WILL help you. Increase your dose if you need to and feel ready. They told me not to avoid my next dose increase just because of the supply problem. They would supply directly to my pharmacy to facilitate the dose increase. What dose are you on now, and how high would you like to go? There is literature to suggest 1mg/kg is ideal.
> >
> > Phoenix1
>
>Hi Jedi,
Thanks for the response. I know you're a Nardil supporter. I think I went through that hypomania thing for a week at 60mg. Now I just feel tired. But my depression is GONE for long periods of the day. Starting 75 tomorrow, then onwards to 90 in a week.
Phoenix1
poster:Phoenix1
thread:806363
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080114/msgs/806949.html