Shown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 0:56:58
I came across some anecdotes from Askapatient. com and I had never heard of this med. It seems to be an older kind. According to the posters it helps your mood, does not cause weight gain and enhances your libido. Isn't this what we are all looking for? Any thoughts?
Below is one of the comments;
< Id give this more than a 5 rating if I could. As one of the earlier posters said, it is a mystery why protriptyline is not prescribed more. Partly this must be because it is in the older TCA class (although I am very supportive of new drug development, expiration of patent protection means that an older drug will not be promoted, no matter how effective it is). I am a neuroscience professor and have tried many different options, including Wellbutrin, Celexa, Effexor, Pristiq, Cymbalta, and Desipramine. Although effexor worked well for depression, the sexual side effects were worse than I was willing to put up with. Protriptyline has made me feel actually cheerful for the first time since I came down with depression about a year and a half ago. According to my wife, I am better than for the last 30 years... I find a fairly low dose works best for me (for this medication and the others), less than the usual recommended amount. I dont know if this would be true for other people. I gradually increase the dose of any new med until it starts working less well and then go back down to the amount that worked best.>ihatedrugs
Posted by floatingbridge on December 25, 2009, at 2:56:58
In reply to Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 0:56:58
Ihatedrugs,
I haven't heard of this, and the excerpted review sounds great.
I'm sorry you're looking for new meds--I had hopes for your response to emsam.
fb
Posted by floatingbridge on December 25, 2009, at 3:08:41
In reply to Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 0:56:58
Found some recent threads on it. Didn't know how to copy. Good luck.
Posted by SLS on December 25, 2009, at 6:13:40
In reply to Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 0:56:58
I hated protriptyline. It did not mesh well with my biology. It exacerbated my depression and produced the most intense anticholinergic side effects I have yet experienced. I felt better immediately once I stopped taking it.
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on December 25, 2009, at 11:06:15
In reply to Re: Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by SLS on December 25, 2009, at 6:13:40
A long time ago had a neighbor on it for migraines but she said the discontinued it. It's the TCA? Phillipa
Posted by bleauberry on December 25, 2009, at 12:05:47
In reply to Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 0:56:58
I learned a long time ago that I cannot trust any single piece of writing, or any small group of writings, on anything. The only way to get a good feel for the potential benefits and risks of something is to read a lot of stuff, pros and cons, good and bad, science and anecdotal, rumor, hearsay, everything. That way I come away with a pretty good picture of the real deal at hand.
That said, what SLS said and what I will say can add to that overall big picture.
I found Vivactil to be probably the most heavy hitting potent nasty substance I ever took. One pill, one day, and that was it. Talk about rat poison. Intensely worsened depression. Seriously strong side effects. Side effects were anticholinergic, bigtime, and also way too much norepinephrine. Geez, someone might as well have injected an overdose of contaminated adrenaline in my arm.
I don't know how anyone ever figured this thing was an antidepressant. When I read cases of successful use of it, I just shake my head in wonder and mystery. I know it has been successfully used, but oh my it is beyond my comprehension.
Posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 13:40:03
In reply to Re: Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by bleauberry on December 25, 2009, at 12:05:47
Well, I guess it is out the question for me. Anything increasing norepinephrine that much would be awful for me. I couldn't even stand Savella, I was so angry all the time. I know that everyone's chemistry is different but it is always good to hear others experiences.
Thank you all
ihatedrugs
Posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 13:45:08
In reply to Re: Why is Vivactil not often prescribed » ihatedrugs, posted by floatingbridge on December 25, 2009, at 2:56:58
> Ihatedrugs,
>
> I haven't heard of this, and the excerpted review sounds great.
>
> I'm sorry you're looking for new meds--I had hopes for your response to emsam.
>
> fbHi fb
Emsam has only provided partial reduction of symptoms and the insomnia is beginning to affect my energy, so I decided to ditch it and try something else.
Got to go, I'm at the airport and we are beginning to board.
Happy Christmas and New Years
Posted by mtdewcmu on December 25, 2009, at 15:17:44
In reply to Re: Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by bleauberry on December 25, 2009, at 12:05:47
> I learned a long time ago that I cannot trust any single piece of writing, or any small group of writings, on anything. The only way to get a good feel for the potential benefits and risks of something is to read a lot of stuff, pros and cons, good and bad, science and anecdotal, rumor, hearsay, everything. That way I come away with a pretty good picture of the real deal at hand.
>
> That said, what SLS said and what I will say can add to that overall big picture.
>
> I found Vivactil to be probably the most heavy hitting potent nasty substance I ever took. One pill, one day, and that was it. Talk about rat poison. Intensely worsened depression. Seriously strong side effects. Side effects were anticholinergic, bigtime, and also way too much norepinephrine. Geez, someone might as well have injected an overdose of contaminated adrenaline in my arm.Not to contradict what you wrote, but the excerpt did say to use a lower than recommended dose. Perhaps at a lower dose, the side effects would be tolerable and you would get an antidepressant effect.
Posted by conundrum on April 7, 2010, at 7:56:34
In reply to Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by ihatedrugs on December 25, 2009, at 0:56:58
Damn I just read the same reviews on ask a patient and was curious about trying it. I did notice that after looking at some affinity charts it has high antimuscarinic effects.
Here are some of the review:
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=16012&name=VIVACTILHere are some tricyclic binding profiles showing high anticholinergic activity for protrityline(remember the lower the number the stronger the effect):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricyclic_antidepressant#Binding_profilesSimilar info in chart form:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y32/tygereyes83/Muscarinic.jpg
Has anyone here had good experiences with Desipramine? I wanna try a TCA next, i'm just not sure which will be the best for me. I'd like to take one that has antagonistic effects on the 5 HT2C receptor like prozac. I think nortriptyline does that, not sure though.
Posted by conundrum on April 7, 2010, at 8:04:47
In reply to Re: Why is Vivactil not often prescribed, posted by conundrum on April 7, 2010, at 7:56:34
Would it be safe to take 2.5 mgs prozac with nortriptyline or desipramine? Prozac interacts with drug metabolism, but I wonder if at a dose this low if it would be significant?
This is the end of the thread.
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