Posted by Bob on August 5, 2008, at 20:57:23
In reply to Alpha Blockers for AD Side Effects?, posted by bleauberry on August 5, 2008, at 18:59:23
> Milnacipran. Wonderful AD. For someone with a frustrating 13 years of FDA med cocktails, and failed ECT on top of it, Milnacipran works.
>
> Problems that keep me from taking it:
> 1. Severe unrinary retention. Almost went to the emergency room for a catheter.
> 2. Flare-up of dormant previously cured DeGuerveins Tinnitus (the thumb tendon running up the side of the wrist). It goes away when Milnacipran is withdrawn and comes back when restarted. Several trials to confirm. Accompanying this is cold fingers, indicating to me some constriction of blood vessels.
>
> The above side effects kick in within hours of the first dose. No delayed effect. I thus can't help pointing the guilty finger at NE, which was immediately boosted as soon as the med was absorbed.
>
> My theory: A noradrenergic deficit over several years has left my entire biochemistry oversensitive to NE, especially boosted NE from a medicine. My brain loves it, but not my body.
>
> To block the urinary retention of Milnacipran a psychopharmacology book recommends Flomax as a prophalactic against it. Someone else here a couple months ago said Flomax worked for the same problem on Desipramine.
>
> But the squeezing of muscles and tendons? What NE blockers would work for that? I need an alpha or beta blocker, not sure which, or one that does both maybe, that works systemically but spares the nervous system. ??? I have Flomax onhand but haven't tried it yet, and am slightly curious if it might even work on the tendonitis thing.
>
> Any advice on this topic is much appreciated. Alpha blockers are not something I know much about, other than Propranolol for stage fright, and Clonidine often causes depression. That's about all I know.
>
>Bleauberry, your experience parallels mine quite remarkably in some ways. I too have struggled with med trials for about 15 years and had a nasty course of ECT about 3 years ago. I now have problems with activating drugs causing me joint pains and aches, especially in my hands. I don't really have any answers, but was struck by the similarity.
BTW, do you think that urinary hesitancy would lessen over time?
poster:Bob
thread:844410
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080805/msgs/844437.html