Re: Nardil!

First, welcome to Psycho-Babble. I think that you bring up some interesting questions that those taking Nardil tend to commonly ask, and I'll try to address at least some of them.

I took Nardil for several months back from 2005 to 2006, and I think that I consumed at least a little bit of caffeine for the duration of the time that I spent taking the medication. Like you, I found caffeine to have a synergy of sorts with Nardil, and I also found it helpful in combating the drowsiness that I sometimes experienced on Nardil. Whether or not caffeine is completely safe in everybody and whether it might interfere with the effectiveness of Nardil aren't questions that I have a definitive answer to. I know that I've seen caffeinated beverages listed as one "food" to limit when taking MAOIs. The extent to which it should be limited, as far as I can tell, seems unclear. I don't think that I'd advise anyone to consume large quantities of caffeine while taking an MAOI, but it does seem that some individuals can consume small to moderate amounts of the stuff without any noticeable problems. But then again, maybe some of those who've consumed caffeine while taking Nardil have experienced problems without really knowing that they were due to the combination of the Nardil and the caffeine, so I guess I can't say for sure that caffeine with Nardil might not be problematic for some individuals.

Your question concerning whether you're experiencing temporary feelings of hypomania that will eventually fade is one that I think has come up on these forums several times in the past. I think that without question, at least a good percentage of those taking Nardil experience an initial boost that fades after some time. My own personal opinion on this is that the initial boost can feel like (and be) hypomania or mania in some individuals, but might also be closer to euthymia (a "normal" affective state without any significant feelings of depression or mania/hypomania) for other individuals. Regardless, I do think that the initial Nardil boost does fade in a lot of individuals who take the medication, based on the reports that I've read from patients who've taken Nardil. I will say that I don't think I've come across any mention of an initial Nardil boost in the scientific literature that I've read about the medication, so what I'm saying is based on the anecdotal reports that I've read. I'm not sure exactly how common it is to notice a temporary boost on Nardil, but I do know that a lot of those on this board who've taken Nardil have reported experiencing such a boost.

As far as your question about whether or not you'll ever notice "real" results from Nardil is concerned, I think that my response might disappoint you, but I think you'll only get the answer to your question after you've waited to see how the medication will affect you in the longer run. I didn't personally find the way that Nardil affected me after the initial boost wore off to be the least bit energizing or therapeutic, but there have been individuals on this board who've said that the "real" Nardil effect for them is the effect that they feel after the initial boost fades. So, as much as I'd like to tell you in advance whether or not you're going to experience any therapeutic benefits from Nardil in the long run, I don't think that I can do that because different individuals have different experiences with the medication. For better or for worse, you're just going to have to gauge for yourself whether or not the way you feel on Nardil a few months in is an improvement over the way you feel at baseline.

I have a feeling that I might not have answered your questions in a manner that you'll find to be quite satisfactory (I know that I didn't address them all, because I don't think that I have the knowledge to address all of them), but I do hope that your experience with Nardil will be a positive one -- especially in the long run -- and I wish you luck in your journeys with the medication. Take care, and the best of luck to you.

Conditions:
* chronic fatigue, hypersomnia, and related symptoms
* schizoaffective disorder

tomatheus.blogspot.com

Re: Nardil!

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