Posted by Kirbyw on October 10, 2009, at 13:13:30
In reply to Parnate, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on October 9, 2009, at 19:16:08
RJ
its hard to really describe how parnate improves my mood. I think it reduces my anxiety enough that I can begin to feel well enough to interact socially and carry out my daily responsibilities. It acts as a buffer against stress. Supposedly it is enhancing the release of all 3 major synaptic transmitters, as you probably know.
it also has a stimulant effect. Without Parnate when depressed I tend to sleep a lot, and I could sleep 12-14 hours a day easily, which is not healthy at all. With Parnate, I feel stimulated to stay awake. The problem then is to feel good enough to want to do things when I am awake. Right now i am unemployed and kind of isolated but at least with the Parnate I am more relaxed and able to do a lot of reading on the internet. And also it is easier for me to interact socially with people. I have just re-started Parnate and am taking 30 mg daily after two weeks. I hope this will be enough, but if not, I will go to 40 mg. daily. Parnate reduces my libido and sexual functionng but at the moment this is not a primary concern. Usually in the past, when I want to have sex I can reduce the dose for a day or two and feel almost normal in terms of sexual functioning. I think Parnate is very powerful and it definitely makes it possible for me to have a much more labile depression. By this I mean that I can be very depressed in the morning and not want to get out of bed or interact, but once I start to interact, perhaps in the evening, it is much easier than it would be without the Parnate. Parnate can reduce but does not eliminate my suicidal ideation. Once I really get to a point where the Parnate has kicked in I can notice a very signficant difference and my depression is practically not a factor. But this time I am facing some new challenges in the sense of lack of meaningful employment and a more isolated social situation. I have tried several TCAs and Remeron, but I have never tried and SSRI so I cannot compare Parnate to that.
I don't drink so I don't have to worry about Parnate's interactions with some kind of alcohol. I do watch my diet carefully in terms of the dangerous food interactions, but this becomes surprisingly simply most of the time. Just follow the list, and there is still plenty to eat. At times I have gained weight on Parnate. Also it seems to slow me down a little bit when I am exercising. I only do walking, but I try to do this as early as possible in the day when I have only taken 10 mg, as after taking the 2nd and 3rd pills I am more likely to feel the postural hypotension and some kind of general tiredness when I walk.
Anyway these are some random thoughts about Parnate. By the way I am 62 years old and started taking Parnate when I was about 34 so I have a lot of time with this medication.
Rick
poster:Kirbyw
thread:920306
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091001/msgs/920390.html