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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 9:42:08
I've just started parnate after having too many problems with nardil even though the stuff was the first AD to actually work :(
Anyway the problem i'm having is on the parnate i just can't stay awake... i'm so drowsy all the time it isn't funny and as soon as i close my eyes for a second i'm out like a light. it's meant to cause insomnia, not this! I've been on parnate before, about 6 years ago and had to stop it because of the insomnia so this is just weird.It's only been 7 days so far, and i'm only on 10mg a day, i tried 20 but had the same problem but with really bad orthostatic hypotension which is what lead to me ceasing nardil. Anyone had drowsiness problems with parnate, i had read about it making you sleepy in the arfternoon or something but not 24/7
Posted by Maxime on January 11, 2008, at 19:10:40
In reply to Parnate ) can't stay awake, posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 9:42:08
Parnate is a strange med. It's stimulating, yet I always wanted to sleep when I was on it.
I think you should add Provigil if your doctor will allow it.
Why did you come off Nardil?
Maxime
Posted by Molitor on January 11, 2008, at 19:11:33
In reply to Parnate ) can't stay awake, posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 9:42:08
Both Nardil and Parnate cause me to be sleepy, and this gets worse with higher doses and the longer I'm on them. I've never found anything to help with this except for stimulants (Provigil included). I've had this both with old and new versions of both drugs. This last time I was on Parnate was the generic, and the orthostatic hypotension was worse than I'd ever had it before.
At its worst, I felt like I could sleep almost continually on these drugs. Doctors invariably say "the sleepiness is symptom of depression, these drugs are stimulating." But then, doctors say a lot of things...
I've found a couple things to help with muscle weakness / general fatigue, but nothing to help with the drowsiness. It's terribly, terribly frustrating.
-Moli
Posted by ny2bk on January 11, 2008, at 19:25:53
In reply to Re: Parnate ) can't stay awake » mav27, posted by Molitor on January 11, 2008, at 19:11:33
> Both Nardil and Parnate cause me to be sleepy, and this gets worse with higher doses and the longer I'm on them. I've never found anything to help with this except for stimulants (Provigil included). I've had this both with old and new versions of both drugs. This last time I was on Parnate was the generic, and the orthostatic hypotension was worse than I'd ever had it before.
>
> At its worst, I felt like I could sleep almost continually on these drugs. Doctors invariably say "the sleepiness is symptom of depression, these drugs are stimulating." But then, doctors say a lot of things...
>
> I've found a couple things to help with muscle weakness / general fatigue, but nothing to help with the drowsiness. It's terribly, terribly frustrating.
>
> -Moli
>
>
>
>Yep around noon as well,ugh.Then at night it stabs u in the back and wakes u up so u cant sleep.
Although its listed as not compatable,having used most of the common stimulants,provigal,ritalin,etc,some which put me in er,.....the safest and actualy most effective thing i found to work was a caffiene tab.
Vivarin,nodose,etc contain pure caffiene 250 mg no other active ingredients,and i use these easly with parnate.
Posted by Maxime on January 11, 2008, at 20:06:13
In reply to Re: Parnate ) can't stay awake, posted by ny2bk on January 11, 2008, at 19:25:53
Yes, it would hit me at noon too. Finally added Adderall and I was much better. Then Parnate stopped working and I now re-trying old meds.
Maxime
Posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 20:53:47
In reply to Re: Parnate ) can't stay awake » mav27, posted by Maxime on January 11, 2008, at 19:10:40
Unfortunatly i could't get any stilumants (not sure they even have provogil here in australia) but it's strict here and my psych isn't even allowed to prescribe them (have to be a certain rank psych or something)
As for the nardil, well the problem was it lowered my blod pressure too much, it got down to 70/40 and i couldn't get out of bed without blacking out and fainting no matter what we tried to get around it. That was at only 30mg.
> Parnate is a strange med. It's stimulating, yet I always wanted to sleep when I was on it.
>
> I think you should add Provigil if your doctor will allow it.
>
> Why did you come off Nardil?
>
> Maxime
Posted by Bob on January 11, 2008, at 22:28:01
In reply to Re: Parnate ) can't stay awake » mav27, posted by Molitor on January 11, 2008, at 19:11:33
> Both Nardil and Parnate cause me to be sleepy, and this gets worse with higher doses and the longer I'm on them. I've never found anything to help with this except for stimulants (Provigil included). I've had this both with old and new versions of both drugs. This last time I was on Parnate was the generic, and the orthostatic hypotension was worse than I'd ever had it before.
>
> At its worst, I felt like I could sleep almost continually on these drugs. Doctors invariably say "the sleepiness is symptom of depression, these drugs are stimulating." But then, doctors say a lot of things...
>
> I've found a couple things to help with muscle weakness / general fatigue, but nothing to help with the drowsiness. It's terribly, terribly frustrating.
>
> -Moli
>The same thing happened to me on Effexor. The longer I took the drug, the more I found myself sleeping later and later into the day, and then staying awake later into the night. There was nothing I could do to change it. I never saw a corroboration in the literature of this, or had any doctor acknowledge that this was a documented effect. I know the extreme frustration and disappointment this can cause.
Posted by Molitor on January 12, 2008, at 9:59:55
In reply to Parnate ) can't stay awake, posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 9:42:08
I will add that one thing that alleviates fatigue is a supplement called ALCAR (acetyl-L-carnitine). There's a couple threads on it in alternative. Although it doesn't help much with the sleepy/alertness issue, it does help alleviate the associated fatigue and may allow you to better cope with the sleepiness.
It's cheap, and widely available in the U.S., but I don't know how Australia views supplements.
Caffeine helps some, but stay away from "Energy Drinks", as those may make you feel a lot worse the next day.
One thing I did notice on Nardil/Parnate is that the sleepiness would be worse after I ate anything. Sometimes eating would cause my BP to crash, esp. the diastolic, and I'd feel wiped out. If you notice this is happening, eating smaller meals helps to minimize it.
Posted by Maxime on January 12, 2008, at 15:35:49
In reply to Re: Parnate ) can't stay awake » Maxime, posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 20:53:47
My psychiatrist recommended caffeine pills at first. Might help?
Maxime
Posted by tecknohed on January 12, 2008, at 16:53:02
In reply to Re: Parnate ) can't stay awake » Maxime, posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 20:53:47
> As for the nardil, well the problem was it lowered my blod pressure too much, it got down to 70/40 and i couldn't get out of bed without blacking out and fainting no matter what we tried to get around it. That was at only 30mg.
How long did you put up with the hypotension?
It was bad for me too on Nardil for first 4-5 months, maybe not as bad as yours. I fainted a few times but the worse thing was that I would often walk around as if blind where I'd gone all starry eye'd from the dizziness. Crossing the road was dangerous for me. Shopping was pointless - couldn't see what I was buying half the time.
Thing is this side effect nearly ALWAYS goes with time & all by itself. Need to be very patient - NOT easy. But if it was that intolerable then who can blame you for giving up.
I guess you tried increasing your sodium intake? Pitty your healthcare is so strict 'cause there are a few meds you can take with Nardil to normalize BP until it sorts itself out. Even experimenting with Tyrosine may have helped.
Molitor is right about ALCAR - it counteracts fatigue brilliantly but I also find it increase mental energy too. It also helps me with physical energy, but unlike psychostims it doesn't 'get me going' but rather I find it easier doing strenuous activities and I dont feel tired at all during the day & keep going 'till bedtime. Mind you I am on a whole concoction of nootropics with even more planned :)
teck
Posted by FrequentFryer on January 15, 2008, at 23:13:30
In reply to Parnate ) can't stay awake, posted by mav27 on January 11, 2008, at 9:42:08
> I've just started parnate after having too many problems with nardil even though the stuff was the first AD to actually work :(
> Anyway the problem i'm having is on the parnate i just can't stay awake... i'm so drowsy all the time it isn't funny and as soon as i close my eyes for a second i'm out like a light. it's meant to cause insomnia, not this! I've been on parnate before, about 6 years ago and had to stop it because of the insomnia so this is just weird.
>
> It's only been 7 days so far, and i'm only on 10mg a day, i tried 20 but had the same problem but with really bad orthostatic hypotension which is what lead to me ceasing nardil. Anyone had drowsiness problems with parnate, i had read about it making you sleepy in the arfternoon or something but not 24/7Hah I had the exact same reaction to Parnate and Im a pretty bad insomniac. It pretty much gave me, that disease where you can't controll when u fall asleep. And I tried a really high dose.
Its crazy to because Parnate is probably the most dopaminergic anti'D on the market, it musn't haany NA inhibition, or maybe theres a form of DA that makes you tired, dunno.Freq
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