Posted by bulldog2 on October 29, 2009, at 17:52:11
In reply to Re: Parnate losing effectiveness. Why?? Help please. » Girlnterrupted78, posted by SLS on October 29, 2009, at 14:37:50
> It seems that many people need 80mg of Parnate to obtain a stable response.
>
> I am currently having luck with the following treatment regime:
>
> Parnate 80mg
> nortriptyline 150mg
> Lamictal 200mg
> Abilify 20mg
> lithium 900mg
>
> My illness has a bipolar counterpart to it. The amount of lithium I am taking is greater than what is usually needed when it is used as an augmenter in unipolar depression. 300-600mg has been shown to be an effective dosage range for this purpose. My opinion is that one can respond to blood levels as low as 0.3 mEq/L. The nice thing about lithium is that if it is going to work in this role, it works fast, often within 3 days. If you feel no better by the end of two weeks, it is probably of no therapeutic value.
>
> Adding a tricyclic antidepressant like nortriptyline to Parnate can produce dramatic results. Unfortunately, I doubt many doctors are willing to prescribe such a combination.
>
> The antipsychotic Abilify has some pro-dopaminergic properties that have been described by some as being a dopamine system stabilizer (DSS). It is unique in this regard.
>
> Lamictal rarely works as an antidepressant on its own, but can act as an effective augmentor.
>
> It is only natural that people extol the value of the various treatment strategies that they have had success with. I can think of other things to try, but for now, I prefer to describe the things that I have seen work well for me.
>
> I wish you the best of luck. That you have been partially or transiently responsive to Parnate monotherapy bodes well for your eventual success in treating your depression.
>
>
> - ScottSeems like upping the lithium had a dramatic effect. Is that dose within the therapeutic range when being used as montherapy?
poster:bulldog2
thread:923267
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091029/msgs/923403.html