Posted by Trevpr on August 15, 2013, at 4:46:25
Okay so my catecholamine levels were measured from a 24 hr urine sample and found to be 3x normal. They did a bunch of endocrine tests to see if I had a tumor that could be causing it, but everything looks normal. Great.
So I am going to have to come off Parnate. It didn't do anything for my emotional numbness/no libido/depression or whatever you call it anyways. Maybe for like a week it gave me a sort of dopamine boost, but I didn't feel like myself or anything.
So I really think my issue is too much anxiety which causes the numbness. Sometimes I feel the flat mood even when not really anxious, but maybe I'm just used to feeling "up-tight." Benzos calm me down but I still feel numb. Stimulants helped a little to return emotion but for like 30 minutes after dosing and for less than a week before tolerance set in.
Wellbutrin, NRIs, DA Agonists, Abilify, and a host of other meds haven't done anything really. Parnate seemed to lower my pulse when coming on it. Now I am having EXTREME panic attacks every day (requiring klonopin).
I'm afraid to take SSRIs because I REALLY want to get rid of this emotional flatness. Everyone who I've talked to on SSRIs says it made them feel more flat, their orgasms weaker, libido weaker, emotions weaker, and so on. I don't want to be numbed out, I just want the anxiety gone and to be able to feel good again.
After 11 bilateral ECTs I only felt a few windows of feeling good lasting less than an hour like a week later. Not worth it in my opinion.
Should coming off Parnate make me feel less up-tight? I'm tapering off it 1/4 a tab per week. I'm on 2.75 tabs ATM (27.5mg). I was at 40mg when my catecholamines were 3x normal. Not sure if coming down has helped or made things worse... I certainly don't feel like myself.
I'm thinking of just coming off of everything permanently and just waiting for things to heal. Does that work? Man this sucks. It's ruining my dating life, my social life, and my quality of life. This is very hard on a young person.
poster:Trevpr
thread:1049063
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130730/msgs/1049063.html