Posted by colin wallace on May 2, 2002, at 5:50:14
In reply to Re: A budding bipolar ??(Colin), posted by johnj on May 1, 2002, at 15:38:20
Johnny boy,
I know precisely what your going through with the Remeron experience- I tinkered around with the dosage, from 15mg to 90mg at one point, and found that the 'sponge-brain' feeling and post-exercise crash were just too much for me in the end.
There are two similar tricylic AD's that you may want to investigate, if that's the way you want to go.One is Lofepramine (gamanil), and the other is desipramine.Both work similarly on the noradrenegic systems primarily, and aren't particularly sedating as far as tricyclics go.(However, you cant get gamanil in the States I believe, or Desipramine here in the UK.)
I felt quite good on Gamanil, but tricyclics cause me tachycardia at anywhere near therapeutic doses.Didn't interfere with exercise at all though, and the side-effects with Gamanil are slight , as it's a 'modified' tricyclic.
Many people on this site have done well with desipramine too.
Amitriptyline is the the most potent and sedating tricyclic, and when used in very small doses (10mg etc) is a great sleep aid.
I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to dismiss SSRI's either to be honest. 'Poop out' need not be inevitable- these meds are very effective for some people, who can go for years without a poop-out; even then a dose increase can solve the problem.
Basically, any med can cease to work after a certain length of time anyway, as the brain somehow adjusts to its effects.Also, I personally had more sexual side-effects with the tricyclics than with the ssri's.
Hope you stumble upon something that works for you soon- I'm going to discuss a Lithobid trial with my doc. tomorrow. Hopefully that'll keep my head above water permanently, when it joins forces with my sam-e/ zoloft arsenal- we'll see.Col.
poster:colin wallace
thread:104523
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020425/msgs/104729.html