Posted by CaptainAmerica1967 on January 13, 2009, at 20:32:11
In reply to Re: MAOI TX in Severe+Resistant Depression, posted by Cseagraves on January 13, 2009, at 16:39:32
Hi Courtney,
Yes, the general rule is that you need to be off any SSRI, SNRI for two weeks although the times I went onto-off MAOIs (Tofranil to Nardil...Effexor to Nardil..Nardil to Cymbalta...Cymbalta to Parnate), I never did a washout and started the next day without any problems. Tricyclics are safe with MAOIs too.
According to the psychiatist who is the "guru" on MAOIs I posted earlier, he transitions his patients to MAOI's (if they're on an ssri or snri) by putting them on either trazodone or remeron and building them up and has never had any problems.
I'd just moniter my BP when starting the Parnate if I had BP problems. It may go up or down temporarily, but will probably stabilize after a while. I cannot speak for others, but the MAOI's have generally braught my BP down, and I haven't had any ill effect on my exercising for both my cardiovascular and weight lifting training. When I used Nardil it did cause more hypotension that Parnate and after a heavy squat lift I may have become a little dizzy, but Parnate causes less of this.
I cannot answer for others about how they've responded as far as being stable and in remission. I can tell you my own experience though. I'm 41y/o and my depression started at the age of 15y/o. Out of the twenty-six years I've had treatment resistant depression and out of all the treatments I received (70 ECT, 50 some odd meds, other odd treatment attempts), I have been the most stable on MAOIs although I've had my trying times, but at least I was functionable. I guess I could say remission in a sense that my life was functionable, but the depression has never fully went into remission except two different summers when I exercised three times a day and felt so great that I thought the depression was gone for good until I stopped exercising three times a day and the depression returned.
Hope this helps,
Jeff
poster:CaptainAmerica1967
thread:873284
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/873869.html