Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 885917

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Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ??

Posted by AdamCanada2 on March 18, 2009, at 11:11:40


10mg, 20mg, 25mg, 30mg all had it's benifits, expecially at 20ish. I have strong depression and been on over 20 meds, this is one of few that has shown tremendous promise at various times but it shows inconsistency. It would often help by allowing me to be more pro-social, creative, interested, driven, motivated, I would even omg Meet People. Imagine that. Instead of being a zombie (my baseline depression).

So... I have been on Parnate at various doses along with ritalin which at first didn't do much but later on ritalin would bring out a more profound appreciation for life. For once I could feel at least a bit normal. That would fade over time and I still do take it along with Diazepam.

10-20-25mg would cause severe insomnia to the point where I'd average 2.5 hours of sleep usually. Then as doctor recommended and I agreed, lets try 30mg, what a difference. And not necessarily a good one. Easy to fall asleep. Normally an augment of 25mg-50mg Seroquel would not cut it, not even 100mg. But then 25mg would allow me to sleep quite easily every single day. At the cost of less drive/motivation/enjoyment/much less social etc. Cloudy mind, difficult to think... and I tolerated it as long as I could but it was no life to live. I could not for the life of me meet with people whom I cared about let alone even be able to feel those emotions of empathy to the degree I used to. I would feel blunted. Tired during the day instead of active and even productive.

So after 2 weeks I dropped down to 20mg and very quickly things are better. I am able to ''Write'' this kind of posting and not feel like ugh I can only keep one eye open at times due to day-time sedation.

So the question is, what happens next? I still feel as if it's easy to fall asleep but seroquel is out. I am not taking it anymore. I refuse to take it because it would make things even worse. When I feel lifeless around people then I am just a shell of my former self. So I am augmenting my depression with doctor prescribed risperidone 0.5mg at night. I do still sleep better than I did on those insomnia filled days with the exact SAME regimen, but why? And why am I less active still? Less social?

I dont get it. This parnate is difficult to figure out. It has given me times of joy, one day when I upped the dose from 10 to 20 a while back I felt so wonderful for one day that I would fantasize about marriage to a dream girl and even cry tears of joy. My mind would feel alive... I, would feel alive.

So I dont know what's next. I can keep trying this and see how risperidone low dose augmentation can benifit me, or eventually after 3 weeks or so give up, or go back to 10mg which last year ironically made me feel better. Amazing isn't it. Increasing a dose would give me such a boost, yet dropping the dose would as well.

I have been able to finally recieve Tianeptine permitted by my doctor, an SSRE (E stands for enhancer), which according to research seems to fit my symptoms just about perfectly. Who knows. Once I am off Parnate (if I go off), and wait a week since I am on a relatively low dose (sensitive to meds) I can try Tianeptine and see how it goes.

I just need some relief and I wish so much that Ritalin would not develop tolerance so quickly these days. It used to help me for periods of over half a year I believe. Ugh.

Please offer any comments, or advice... 20 meds I been on, I am 25, poisoned by accutane at 18, and still need some serious help.

 

Re: Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ?? » AdamCanada2

Posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2009, at 12:42:42

In reply to Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ??, posted by AdamCanada2 on March 18, 2009, at 11:11:40

Adam I forgot about the Accutane does it never go away or maybe it is now? Phillipa

 

Re: Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ?? » AdamCanada2

Posted by bleauberry on March 18, 2009, at 15:38:09

In reply to Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ??, posted by AdamCanada2 on March 18, 2009, at 11:11:40

Ya know, with the background of so many med failures, and now some forward movement finally, gosh I sure wish there was a way to finetune Parnate. There has to be. How, I don't know.

For one, go with the dose that is the best compromise. Is that 10mg? 15mg? Whatever it is, stay there. I don't know how long you've been on Parnate, but I think it needs a solid 3 months at a steady uninterrupted dose to really do its thing. The good things you feel now might just be hints of things around the corner.

Sleep is obviously the major issue. Risperdal seems like a decent option, between .25mg and .5mg. I wouldn't go any higher than that personally, on that particular med. Have you ever tried Zyprexa? It is a good sleep med, not the elephant dart that Seroquel is, but a smoother sleep, and the daytime zombieness the next day isn't nearly the degree of Seroquel. Why, I don't know. But that is just my experience. All I know is 25mg Seroquel completely zombied me out 24/7 while 2.5mg-5mg Zyprexa only did that at bedtime and maybe at waking, but that's it.

I think the sleep problems will gradually resolve over months, but you do need some sleep help now. Waiting months for good sleep is not an option.

Lunesta. Too bad you can't get that.

Though I'm a little stuck as exactly what to do, I think basically...get the dose down to what works better than your baseline misery, give it a few months, and continue working on sleep with other options such as Zyprexa. Perhaps Nortriptyline would be a good trial too. I'm not sure if Amitriptyline is safe with Parnate, but that would be one to ask your doc about.

I do not know which meds to suggest, but I was thinking something that is anti-cortisol and/or anti-norepinephrine. Not an NE antagonist like Remeron, because that will just stimulate more NE. I'm talking about blocking NE for about 8 hours for sleep. Some kind of alpha blocker of something. Maybe do some research on that?

I've tried Tianeptine and I seriously doubt it has the power to do what you want.

 

Re: Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ??

Posted by desolationrower on March 19, 2009, at 1:35:08

In reply to Re: Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ?? » AdamCanada2, posted by bleauberry on March 18, 2009, at 15:38:09

Trazadone has some alpha1 blocking capability, as does quetiapine; i think thats part of why they are hypnotics. Risperdone does, too. I think clonidine woudl work even better, as it also is an alpha2 agonist, the NA autoreceptor. i suppose prazosin could be used in this way as well.

-d/r

 

omg life may be ruined

Posted by AdamCanada2 on March 24, 2009, at 12:18:23

In reply to Re: Parnate Dissapointment :( But I sleep better. ?? » AdamCanada2, posted by Phillipa on March 18, 2009, at 12:42:42

never goes away. and now i have carpel tunnel syndrome or something, left hand is so numb for 5 days


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