Posted by kirbyw on April 11, 2010, at 13:57:16
In reply to Re: Parnate and reduced athletic performance?, posted by g_g_g_unit on April 11, 2010, at 6:02:24
I have taken Parnate off and on for 25 years and have noticed this since the beginning. However, the last two years have been very difficult. I had bypass surgery two years ago and am supposed to exercise in order to regain my strength. But the combination of Parnate which lowers blood presure with another med, Lopressor, which also lowers blood pressure has made exercise very difficult. the month that I did not take Parnate (trying to switch to Remeron) I was able to do much more exercise, but went into a severe depression. So back to Parnate. Now, I am going to try phasing in Lithium and phasing out Parnate but I am not very optimistic that it will work.
My only other option is to try to go to a higher dose of Clonazapam (am at 2 mg per day) in the hopes that this would control my depression, but higher doses of a benzo create dependency.
I have been very disappointed in the recovery of my physical strength and I know Parnate has been a factor.Also my by-pass surgery was 'optional' as I had not had a heart attack and there were other options but the physician never took into account that a beta blocker would interact with an MAO and put me in a situation where my blood pressure if I take both drops a lot.
But I also have the feeling that Parnate affects energy level in some other subtle way that has not been investigated, that its more than just lower blood pressure. Its just an intuitive feeling.
The other drawback for me of Parnate is that I am 60 and single and it definitely affects my sexual functioning, much more than it did when I was younger. I know this is common, and its another trade off, but its unpleasant.
I view Parnate as a life saver as it was the only anti-depressant that worked for me, but the exercise issue is now a big drawback. And if an intimate relationship is another issue that would improve my depression, then the impact on sex drive and sexual functioning is also an obstacle.
The food interactions have not been a problem for me. Only once have I apparently had a hypertensive crisis, in 25 years.
anyway, hope this helps.
Rick in Costa Rica
poster:kirbyw
thread:943037
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100406/msgs/943092.html