Posted by Matryoshka on April 5, 2010, at 13:54:52
In reply to Re: EMSAM patch » Matryoshka, posted by Economist on April 3, 2010, at 19:13:14
> Matryoshka, did you notice any change once you started taking 9 mg? I have been on the 6 mg EMSAM patch for three weeks and I haven't noticed a thing.
Well, for one, I did feel an energy boost on the 6mg, but not really any depression relief - the fact that you haven't felt a thing means our cases may be different.
On the other hand, Emsam becomes a different drug entirely when you move from 6mg to 9 or 12mg (going from an MAO-B inhibitor to a nonselective MAOI) so there is still a good chance that 9mg will feel differently to you after a couple of weeks.
It takes two or three weeks on average, from what I can tell, to feel the higher doses working. Some people seem to notice a much faster onset; a few seem to need a couple of months (!). It seems to vary a lot.I felt a bit of improvement after two weeks on 9mg, but not enough; it took 12mg. I noticed a real jump at 12mg (which, at first, was not pleasant - I was unusually weepy for a few days - but that faded). Also a little bit of morning nausea for a few days when moving up in dose.
What I really like about Emsam is the lack of weight gain and zero libido side effects.
(It's also not a horrible flattening, apathy-inducing drug like Lexapro.)If you decide to keep titrating on the Emsam, and therefore have to start the MAOI diet, I really recommend this guide:
http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/neurology/Tyramine Menu Book 06227101.pdf
(copy-paste the whole URL, it's showing up as an incomplete link)
Unless you're a big fan of cheese, soy sauce, tofu or preserved meats, it's not too hard to get into a routine with the diet.I like the username; Econ was my uni major :)
poster:Matryoshka
thread:940819
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100328/msgs/942355.html