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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by maoi_wowee on March 4, 2008, at 20:13:58
I'm relatively new to Nardil. First few weeks I felt nothing, then it kicked it for a month or so and gave me some of the greatest days of my life!!! But now my depression is starting to creep back in (I'm about 2 to 2.5 months into taking my effective dose of 75mg of nardil).
I read a lot of posts here from people who are relatively new to nardil, but not many (or any) from people who have been on it for several months or more.
Has anyone here been on nardil for more than a couple of months? If so, is it working for you??? What dose are you taking???
I just feel so let down right now after experiencing a few weeks of the WONDERS of nardil to have it start to "poop out" is just SO depressing to me!!!
Posted by gardenergirl on March 4, 2008, at 21:10:50
In reply to Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil???, posted by maoi_wowee on March 4, 2008, at 20:13:58
I've been on it for somewhere around 4 years now at doses varying from 45 mg to 67.5 mg. Currently I'm doing well at 60mg along with 200 mg Provigil and 600 mg Lithium.
gg
Posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 1:31:06
In reply to Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil???, posted by maoi_wowee on March 4, 2008, at 20:13:58
Hi,
I've been on Nardil for most of the last eleven years. I've stopped four times for other med trials because of the Nardil side effects; mostly weight gain and delayed orgasm. Each time I've quit my major depression has returned.A lot of people get that initial rush on Nardil, which is probably a touch of hypomania. It felt good to me after being depressed for so long. However, this is not the true antidepressant affect of Nardil. Think back to just how lousy you felt before you started the medication. I use 2mg of clonazepam with 90mg of Nardil, because I have social anxiety along with my atypical depression. I would like to add modafinal but my MD hasn't gone for that yet. I'm in pretty much full remission except for some residual dysthymia which I have lived with for 35 years.
I have tried more than 45 combinations of ADs and augmentors. Nardil is the only thing that has worked for me. Baring some scientific breakthrough, I will be on Nardil for the rest of my life.
Good luck,
Jedi
> I'm relatively new to Nardil. First few weeks I felt nothing, then it kicked it for a month or so and gave me some of the greatest days of my life!!! But now my depression is starting to creep back in (I'm about 2 to 2.5 months into taking my effective dose of 75mg of nardil).
>
> I read a lot of posts here from people who are relatively new to nardil, but not many (or any) from people who have been on it for several months or more.
>
> Has anyone here been on nardil for more than a couple of months? If so, is it working for you??? What dose are you taking???
>
> I just feel so let down right now after experiencing a few weeks of the WONDERS of nardil to have it start to "poop out" is just SO depressing to me!!!
>
>
Posted by Justherself54 on March 5, 2008, at 8:06:45
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil??? » maoi_wowee, posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 1:31:06
When I first started Nardil I went into a short lived hypomania and although it was lovely, I recognized it was happening and reported it to my pdoc..it didn't last of course. I've been on Nardil since September 07 and am at 60 mg. Other than physical side effects, it has worked better than any AD I've been on (which have all pooped out on me after 6 mos to a year)..my depression is gone, motivation up and energy way up..I'm no longer self-isolating either, but it took time..I find Nardil to be the slowest acting AD I've taken.
At 45 mg I felt it was pooping out on me so I increased to 60..when I did that I had some weird cycling happen for 5 hours, but that was it..
I had almost zero options left for meds..my biggest regret is that we didn't try this first..It would have saved me a lot of time, frustation, and pain.
If it doesn't poop out on me, I'll stay on this the rest of my life..and I believe Nardil is known for it's longevity..it's just been such a relief to finally feel "normal" again..
You have no idea when I see posters who've been on it for years, the hope it gives me that it will last for me also..give it some time..although the side effects aren't subtle, the drug is..
Posted by tgo on March 5, 2008, at 13:48:57
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil??? » maoi_wowee, posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 1:31:06
Jedi,
Just curious to know how much weight you have gained on Nardil in the last 11 years?
Posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:27:12
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil??? » maoi_wowee, posted by gardenergirl on March 4, 2008, at 21:10:50
> I've been on it for somewhere around 4 years now at doses varying from 45 mg to 67.5 mg. Currently I'm doing well at 60mg along with 200 mg Provigil and 600 mg Lithium.
>
> ggThanks, GG! Glad to hear things are going well for you.
Could you tell me why you are taking Provigil and how it works with Nardil? I really know nothing about Provigil but have heard elsewhere of people using it to augment Nardil.
Posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:31:55
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil??? » maoi_wowee, posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 1:31:06
> Hi,
> I've been on Nardil for most of the last eleven years. I've stopped four times for other med trials because of the Nardil side effects; mostly weight gain and delayed orgasm. Each time I've quit my major depression has returned.
>
> A lot of people get that initial rush on Nardil, which is probably a touch of hypomania. It felt good to me after being depressed for so long. However, this is not the true antidepressant affect of Nardil. Think back to just how lousy you felt before you started the medication. I use 2mg of clonazepam with 90mg of Nardil, because I have social anxiety along with my atypical depression. I would like to add modafinal but my MD hasn't gone for that yet. I'm in pretty much full remission except for some residual dysthymia which I have lived with for 35 years.
>
> I have tried more than 45 combinations of ADs and augmentors. Nardil is the only thing that has worked for me. Baring some scientific breakthrough, I will be on Nardil for the rest of my life.
> Good luck,
> Jedi
>
>
> > I'm relatively new to Nardil. First few weeks I felt nothing, then it kicked it for a month or so and gave me some of the greatest days of my life!!! But now my depression is starting to creep back in (I'm about 2 to 2.5 months into taking my effective dose of 75mg of nardil).
> >
> > I read a lot of posts here from people who are relatively new to nardil, but not many (or any) from people who have been on it for several months or more.
> >
> > Has anyone here been on nardil for more than a couple of months? If so, is it working for you??? What dose are you taking???
> >
> > I just feel so let down right now after experiencing a few weeks of the WONDERS of nardil to have it start to "poop out" is just SO depressing to me!!!
> >
> >
>
>Thanks, Jedi! I know what you're saying about that initial Nardil euphoria; those were probably the greatest couple of weeks of my life!
Do you find that you can stay on 90mg of Nardil for extended periods of time without becoming desensitized to it and having to raise the dose? I am contemplating upping my dose from 75mg to 82.5 or 90mg, but I don't want to end up in a position where Nardil starts to poop out (even more) and I'm unable to raise the dose...
thanks!
Posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:35:20
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil??? » Jedi, posted by tgo on March 5, 2008, at 13:48:57
> Jedi,
>
> Just curious to know how much weight you have gained on Nardil in the last 11 years?I'm curious about that as well. Also, to what do you attribute the weight gain? When I kicked up my Nardil dose to 75mg, I gained 15-20 lbs in about 2.5 weeks despite getting plenty of exercise and eating right. The only thing I could attribute such a dramatic weight gain to is water retention and constipation...
Posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:43:35
In reply to Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil???, posted by maoi_wowee on March 4, 2008, at 20:13:58
A multi-part question for all, especially those who have been on Nardil for a prolonged period of time:
How much Nardil do you take? How do you divide your dose? What time of day do you take it?
---
I'm at 75mg now and have been dividing the dose by taking 30mg or 45mg in the morning and the rest in the early afternoon. However, last night I tried taking all 75mg at once before bedtime and ended being in a better mood today than I have been for a while.I'm going to continue taking the full dose at one time before bedtime, then, if that doesn't produce great results, will try taking the full dose in the morning.
The one hesitation that I have about taking the full dose at once is that I've heard that to be effective against social anxiety, that doses should be spread out as much as possible to maximize the effects on GABA.
Any thoughts???
Posted by gardenergirl on March 5, 2008, at 16:27:39
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil???, posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:27:12
>
> Could you tell me why you are taking Provigil and how it works with Nardil? I really know nothing about Provigil but have heard elsewhere of people using it to augment Nardil.Hi,
I started Provigil in hopes of improving my inattention from ADHD. It hasn't really helped that, but it does slightly improve verbal impulsiveness (interrupting and blurting), and it's done a wonderful job in regulating my sleep/wake cycle. It's officially a "use with caution" med for Nardil, so some doctors won't try it. I don't think my current pdoc would either, but I was already on it when I started seeing him, and I guess he's convinced that at least I'm convinced it's worth it.gg
Posted by gardenergirl on March 5, 2008, at 16:31:23
In reply to When and how do you take your Nardil???, posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:43:35
I take 30 mg in the a.m when I get up, 15mg at about 2:00 p.m., and the last 15mg around 8:00 pm. If for some reason I get up late, I've been known to take 30mg when I get up and then 30 mg in the evening. I started out taking 15mg four times a day, but that was a pain. I've not noticed any huge difference in the effect based on my dosing schedules.
gg
Posted by squatlover on March 5, 2008, at 17:56:40
In reply to When and how do you take your Nardil???, posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:43:35
Like you, I take mine all at night for me to stop sleepiness during the day. there surely shouldn't be any difference after all you are just permanently inhibiting the enzymes.
Posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 20:57:26
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil??? » Jedi, posted by tgo on March 5, 2008, at 13:48:57
> Jedi,
>
> Just curious to know how much weight you have gained on Nardil in the last 11 years?
Hi wowee,
At one point I had gained over 100 pounds from atypical depression and Nardil. Kind of ironic that the gold standard for treatment of atypical depression causes some of the same symptoms as the depression itself. With two hours of daily exercise and a low carb diet I was able to take off 80 pounds of this. The problem with low carb diets is if you go off of them, the weight comes back just as fast. For me Nardil causes sweet carb cravings; guess what-a pound of chocolate does not cause a hypertensive reaction; at least in my case. Currently, I'm up 60 or 70 pounds from when the major depression first hit me. I used to run ironman events; bicycle 30 miles or run five miles daily. I really need to push the exercise now. It is hard while packing this extra weight. But it beats lying on the floor, in a fetal position, in total misery. Not many things are as bad as severe major depression.
Be well,
Jedi
Posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 21:33:53
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil??? » Jedi, posted by maoi_wowee on March 5, 2008, at 15:31:55
> Thanks, Jedi! I know what you're saying about that initial Nardil euphoria; those were probably the greatest couple of weeks of my life!
>
> Do you find that you can stay on 90mg of Nardil for extended periods of time without becoming desensitized to it and having to raise the dose? I am contemplating upping my dose from 75mg to 82.5 or 90mg, but I don't want to end up in a position where Nardil starts to poop out (even more) and I'm unable to raise the dose...
>
> thanks!I've been on 90mg of Nardil for most of the time I've used the med. Most MDs don't want to go above that. However I have taken 105mg and 120mg several times, it didn't seem to make that much difference for me. There are augmentors that can be added to Nardil, but you will usually have to have a good psychopharmacologist prescribe them. Some psychiatrists will, flat out, not prescribe a MAOI. I had one like that, he almost killed me before I found a MD who would look at my research and past history and do the logical thing.
Take care,
JediReferences:
J Clin Psychiatry. 1985 Jun;46(6):206-9.
Combined MAOI, TCA, and direct stimulant therapy of treatment-resistant depression.Feighner JP, Herbstein J, Damlouji N.
Patients with "treatment resistant" depression who do not respond to standard methods or relapse over time have a moral and legitimate right to innovative therapy. Combined treatment with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and stimulants has been resisted by practitioners because of hypertensive and hyperthermic crises noted in certain cases. This paper reports a case series demonstrating the safety and efficacy of adding a stimulant to an MAOI or to a combination of TCA and MAOI in the treatment of intractable depression.
PMID: 3997787 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15183599?ordinalpos=6&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Treatment and response in refractory depression: results from a specialist affective disorders service.Kennedy N, Paykel ES.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK. N.Kennedy@iop.kcl.ac.uk...
Patients received higher antidepressant doses and more combinations on the specialist service. Very-high-dose antidepressants (tricyclics, velafaxine or tricyclic--MAOI combinations), usually augmented with lithium and often combined with ECT, were the most effective somatic treatments. Most subjects improved substantially, but few reached premorbid levels. LIMITATIONS: The study was retrospective. Treatment courses were sequential rather than random. CONCLUSIONS: Refractory depression is responsive to vigorous somatic therapy, although most patients continue with some symptoms.
PMID: 15183599 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Posted by F00TBALL on March 16, 2008, at 4:07:33
In reply to Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil???, posted by maoi_wowee on March 4, 2008, at 20:13:58
Hello! I haven't been here for a while, but I used to be a daily poster. I've been on 75MG Nardil for about a year with a few week break in the middle when I had serotonin syndrome. Getting up to 75 MG (twice) was terrible, but now I'm virtually side-effect free (with a few odd exceptions) and it's working great.
And we're in the minority, but there are people who actually lose weight on Nardil. I've dropped about 10 LBS without changing my diet or my workout routine.Good luck all!!
Posted by FredPotter on March 26, 2008, at 22:05:13
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil???, posted by F00TBALL on March 16, 2008, at 4:07:33
I've cut Nardil right down because of weight gain and sexual dysfunction. I figure what will put me right is a partner in life, and a big gut and non-working bits are not attractive. Besides even on 105mg Nardil started to fade, although it worked well for several months Fred
Posted by SLS on March 27, 2008, at 4:39:41
In reply to Re: Anyone have LASTING success on Nardil???, posted by FredPotter on March 26, 2008, at 22:05:13
> I've cut Nardil right down because of weight gain and sexual dysfunction. I figure what will put me right is a partner in life, and a big gut and non-working bits are not attractive. Besides even on 105mg Nardil started to fade, although it worked well for several months Fred
You could try adding Deplin. I am suspicious that this drug works best with an MAOI.
- Scott
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