Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 77511

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The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by SalArmy4me on September 3, 2001, at 5:03:53

I started taking Bromocriptine (an old Parkinson's Drug) two weeks ago to add "drive" to my 50% improvement with non- Parkinsons' unipolar depression on Moclobemide. I am now able to accomplish much more with the Bromocriptine than I was ever able to on the Moclobemide alone. Indeed, it brings me to 110%, better than I felt before the depression.

I found that there are a surprising amount of data which confirm Bromocriptine's potential for treatment of depression. Here are excerpts from just a few of the studies, which I can e-mail you: Study #1 below compared bromocriptine to the tricylcic antidepressant imipramine; Study #2 uses it to treat cognitive dysfunction and mood in Parkinson's; Study #3 mentions it in the context of Treatment-Resistant Depressions.

Bromocriptine in depression.
Current Medical Research & Opinion. 8(3):150-3, 1982:

"A double-blind trial was carried out in 9 patients with endogenous depression to compare the effectiveness of bromocriptine (15 mg per day, 4 patients) with that of imipramine (75 mg per day, 5 patients) over a period of 10 weeks. The results of assessments using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression showed that both drugs produced comparable reduction in mean scores and there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. Fewer patients han anticholinergic type side-effects on bromocriptine..."

A double-blind cross-over placebo-controlled trial of the effects of bromocriptine on psychomotor function, cognition, and mood in de novo patients with Parkinson's disease.
Behavioural Pharmacology. 6(1):81-91, 1995 January.
Department of Surgical Neurology and Clinical Neuropsychology, Morriston Hospital Swansea:

"A review of the literature suggested that decreased emotional distress may have arisen through bromocriptine's action on neural circuits modulating mood. Some clinical implications of bromocriptine's effect on mood are mentioned...."

Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University School of Medicine. [Survey and treatment strategy of antidepressant-resistant depression].
Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi - Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica. 98(5):329-42, 1996:

"The addition of lithium, _bromocriptine_ or levothyroxine treatment were effective in the treatment of ARD (antidepressant-resistant depression). Levothyroxine were more effective in the treatment of the bipolar patients than the unipolar patients...."


 

Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by Neal on September 4, 2001, at 0:03:18

In reply to The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel), posted by SalArmy4me on September 3, 2001, at 5:03:53

That's great news Sal. Well, fellow Babblers, anybody with comments about bromocriptine as an augmentor?

 

Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by Seamus2 on September 4, 2001, at 0:35:10

In reply to Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel), posted by Neal on September 4, 2001, at 0:03:18

> That's great news Sal. Well, fellow Babblers, anybody with comments about bromocriptine as an augmentor?

Tried it w/ Parnate years ago. Made me feel spacey, dizzy and light-headed.

Seamus

 

Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by JohnL on September 4, 2001, at 5:16:38

In reply to Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel), posted by Neal on September 4, 2001, at 0:03:18

> That's great news Sal. Well, fellow Babblers, anybody with comments about bromocriptine as an augmentor?

I have tried Bromocriptine. It helped me a lot beginning the very first day. But then it seemed to poopout, or tolerance set in, or whatever by day 3. Increasing the dose did nothing after that. I could never get the good effect to return. In addition, it made me impotent. It is supposedly a prosexual drug, but for me it was not.
John

 

Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by SHRINK on September 4, 2001, at 5:34:21

In reply to The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel), posted by SalArmy4me on September 3, 2001, at 5:03:53

Sal, I'm really happy that you've stumbled on a combo that actually does the trick!

For you to say something makes you feel 110% better is encouragement enough for me to give it a try too!

I'm on Efexor 150mg daily. What dose of bromocriptine are you using? Any side-effects I should know about? Any good spots for more info?

Cheers and stay hypomanic for as long as you can!!!!

 

Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by SLS on September 4, 2001, at 8:23:44

In reply to Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel), posted by JohnL on September 4, 2001, at 5:16:38

Hi.


> I have tried Bromocriptine. It helped me a lot beginning the very first day. But then it seemed to poopout, or tolerance set in, or whatever by day 3. Increasing the dose did nothing after that. I could never get the good effect to return. In addition, it made me impotent. It is supposedly a prosexual drug, but for me it was not.


Several people have responded extremely well to Mirapex (pramipexole) when they used it to augment their antidepressant regimen. It doesn't seem to poop-out as often as Parlodel does. It, too, is a direct dopamine agonist. However, in addition to stimulating the D2 receptor, it also stimulates the D3 receptor, one that is known to populate regions of the brain thought to be involved in reward, motivation, and mood. For me, Parlodel helped for the first three days and then faded-out. I will try Mirapex at some point as an augmentor if necessary.


- Scott

 

Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by Jonathan on September 4, 2001, at 18:07:28

In reply to The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel), posted by SalArmy4me on September 3, 2001, at 5:03:53

Perhaps this recent case hasn't been so prominently reported outside the UK:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1434000/1434259.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1445000/1445237.stm
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001233394,00.html
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001244837,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,520331,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,523891,00.html
http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2001%2F07%2F13%2Fnsex13.xml
http://www.lineone.net/telegraph/2001/07/22/features/the_36.html

I'm sorry that none of the above are from reputable medical journals; regrettably, they over-sensationalize the case and leave so many interesting questions unanswered.

Take care,

Jonathan.

 

Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel)

Posted by SLS on September 4, 2001, at 23:38:02

In reply to Re: The Potential of Bromocriptine (Parlodel), posted by Jonathan on September 4, 2001, at 18:07:28

Thanks, Jonathan.

All of this suing of drug companies crap disgusts me. Most every drug is capable of producing side effects - even potentially fatal ones. There are only two people liable in this case: the doctor and the patient. Novartis did its job by listing very clearly in its labelled instructions the potential for bromocriptine to produce behavioral side effects. Cortisone can too. It is the responsibility of the doctor to educate and monitor the patient. It is the responsibility of the patient to report to his doctor untoward experiences.

Disgusting.

Just my 2 cents.


- Scott


> Perhaps this recent case hasn't been so prominently reported outside the UK:
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1434000/1434259.stm
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1445000/1445237.stm
> http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001233394,00.html
> http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001244837,00.html
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,520331,00.html
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,523891,00.html
> http://news.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2001%2F07%2F13%2Fnsex13.xml
> http://www.lineone.net/telegraph/2001/07/22/features/the_36.html
>
> I'm sorry that none of the above are from reputable medical journals; regrettably, they over-sensationalize the case and leave so many interesting questions unanswered.
>
> Take care,
>
> Jonathan.


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