Posted by Tomatheus on November 17, 2010, at 17:18:39
In reply to Switch from Nardil to Parnate, posted by Sailboat77 on November 17, 2010, at 15:22:21
Sailboat77,
What dose of Nardil are you taking, and how long have you been at your current dose?
I know that this probably isn't going to be what you want to hear, but I would probably give the Nardil more time to see if the fainting spells go away or become less severe. It sounds like the side effect that you're experiencing is orthostatic hypotension, a common side effect of Nardil's that involves dizziness, blurred or dimmed vision, numbness, fainting, and other related phenomena. I never passed out when I was on Nardil, but I did experience dizziness and lightheadedness upon standing during my early days on the medication. For me, the dizziness and lightheadedness went away with time, but I'm not completely sure if these and the other signs of orthostatic hypotension eventually resolve themselves in everybody taking Nardil. I personally think that it would be best to see if the orthostatic hypotension becomes less severe with time and also to see if Nardil becomes more effective with time. If you stop taking Nardil prematurely and Parnate doesn't give you the relief that you're looking for, you might find yourself wanting to try Nardil again and having to go through the first five weeks on the medication all over again. I'd rather give Nardil the time it needs to work so you'll have a better idea of how the medication would affect you long term before moving on to Parnate, but then again, your orthostatic hypotension sounds like it's more severe than mine was, and I can understand not wanting to pass out. That can be dangerous, so I think you have a difficult choice in deciding whether or not to continue Nardil. As I said, I would probably continue with the medication, but if you and/or your doctor feel like it might be too dangerous to keep taking Nardil, I can see why you'd want to stop taking it.
I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do.
Tomatheus
Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Currently taking 5 mg Abilify, 12.5 mg Lamictal, 2.25 mg Hydergine, and four supplements.
poster:Tomatheus
thread:970623
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20101117/msgs/970629.html