Posted by blueboy on July 21, 2008, at 9:31:52
In reply to Nardil or Parnate decision - have questions!, posted by satsumas on July 20, 2008, at 18:02:59
> I'm hoping that anyone with experience with Nardil and Parnate can help answer a few questions. Understand each person will respond differently, but from my research it seems as though Nardil is a bit more sedating, but pro-social, and Parnate is a bit more speedy, but harder-edged.
>I'm surprised at your post. My pdoc told me that Nardil is the most "activating" of the MAOI's.
I took Nardil for about 22 months and although it provides tons of energy, my insomnia problems were horrendous.
> What med is more likely to help with giving me back DESIRE (romantic, achievement, etc.) and making me feel like I care about things again?
>As I understand it, any MAOI is likely to seriously hamper sexual activity. I am male, and it gave me serious problems with both erectile and orgasmic function.
As far as achievement goes, however, it was great. It's the only drug that really got me to work every day.
> Effexor had a definite blunting of emotional affect effect. Do Naridl and Parnate share that effect with the SSRIs?
>Not in my case, at all.
> Nardil seems to be more sedating...so does that mean there is a risk of me feeling blissed out, but in bed all day, happy to stay that way?
>Again, I don't know where you are getting your information. My pdoc told me, and I experienced, a noticeable surge in general energy.
> Which med, if either, would help treat (or exacerbate) constant, exhausting obsessive thoughts?
>OCD is notoriously difficult to treat with drugs. I only have a mild to moderate OCD problem, but I just can't remember how it went with Nardil. It might have helped.
> Parnate seems to be more stimulating but less social. Is there a risk of being "content" with the stimulating aspect of the drug, but still isolated?
>Again, my impression is that Nardil is very stimulating, moreso than Parnate.
> How, precisely, is Nardil pro-social? I'm assuming via it's effect on anxiety, so the physical sensations, but people seem to say it does more than that....any insight would be helpful. And does Parnate share any of Nardil's prosociability effects?
>I didn't notice much "prosocial" effect from Nardil although, again, I might not have noticed. I have serious problems with social anxiety but, as far as I remember, Nardil didn't have any huge effect on this.
> What drug is less/more likely to cause cognitive dysfunction, if at all?
>Again, don't know. Nardil did not affect my cognition, except to the degree it made me hypomanic, thus affecting my judgment.
> I'm always "in my head", often because I'm bored and/or lonely (because i'm not motivated to do things with friends, or the things I do do are so unpleasurable...classic depressive cycle). What med is more likely to get me "out of my head" and into the world and people around me?
>Don't know, sorry. The only thing that helps me overcome my social anxiety is a small dose of a benzo, clonazepam. It's a miracle drug for me in this context, as a small enough dose to keep drowsiness out of the picture is sufficient to relieve a lot of anxiety.
> If anyone has experience with Emsam and Nardil or Parnate, would love to hear subjective comparisions. For me, Emsam didn't help mood and didn't help take away obsessive thoughts as much as it gave me a bit of energy, motivation, and made me actually feel "smarter".
>I did take a sub-therapeutic dose of selegiline (10mg/day) for a while, with no effect at all.
>
> Thanks, know there is a lot of questions...but i am desperate for some relief...i've wasted so many years of the prime of my life.
>I can relate. I'm very sorry for your problem. I understand and share exactly the pain you feel from this.
About Ensam and oral selegiline:
I have asked two very good pdocs the question, "Why is Ensam (which is very expensive) any better than selegiline (the pill form of Ensam)? They both were at a loss of words and actually, a bit embarrassed.IMO, Ensam is mostly a way for the drug company to repatent a generic drug and raise the price through the roof. The steady delivery of drug is a non-starter, due to the very long period of raising/lowering blood levels of any MAOI.
Ensam might be quite helpful for people who have trouble remembering to take pills, but IMHO it's pretty much a rip-off otherwise. (I have to pay for my own drugs, btw, so I take a very close look at drug prices).
I have a major question for you. Are you sure that your depression is unipolar rather than bipolar? I suggest the following: Spend the money to sit down with a good psychiatrist for a full hour or more, with the single instruction that you want a diagnosis. I went to a university clinic (cost me $400) and was told, after 30 years of treatment for depression, that I was "definitely bipolar".
The drug regimen is quite different. I had difficult and sometimes bizarre reactions, especially to Effexor and Wellbutrin. Even higher dosage Prozac.
Now I have been started on a mood stabilizer (Lamactil) which has few side effects, but has yet to do me much good.
The reason I ask is because you mentioned hypomania.
Nardil is the only drug that did me any good but you have to realize, it is a very "dirty" drug with a lot of side effects. It also made me hypomanic and I wasted a huge amount of money during the hypomanic stage.
poster:blueboy
thread:841123
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080718/msgs/841215.html