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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Justherself54 on June 16, 2008, at 16:12:47
Parnate kicked in quite well for me before at 20 mg..but I never reached 30 mg. because of severe hypotension. This go round, I've been at 30 for over a week...blood pressure gets fairly low at times but no bad spells of hypotension. My mood seems to be getting worse. Both friends and family members have commented on it. I know I'm probably expecting too much as not much time has passed since the increase. My energy has left me and I'm getting quite scatter-brained again
My worry is that it's not going to work again. All AD's that I've tried to revisit in the past have not worked for me.
Does anyone know if the MAOI's carry the same problem?
Thanks in advance
Posted by Phillipa on June 16, 2008, at 16:42:04
In reply to Parnate not working the same as before????, posted by Justherself54 on June 16, 2008, at 16:12:47
Justherself I know one poster that revisited Nardil and it's working now and she used to post on here. Write can tell you. I"m so sorry thought things were going so well for you .Phillipa
Posted by Justherself54 on June 16, 2008, at 18:18:23
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Justherself54, posted by Phillipa on June 16, 2008, at 16:42:04
Yeah..it sucks..things aren't dreadful but bad enough to have me worried...
Posted by Phillipa on June 16, 2008, at 20:17:00
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before????, posted by Justherself54 on June 16, 2008, at 18:18:23
Well you know where I am. Phillipa
Posted by Zeba on June 16, 2008, at 21:47:36
In reply to Parnate not working the same as before????, posted by Justherself54 on June 16, 2008, at 16:12:47
Parnate worked for me in the past and is now working for me again. If I were not in therapy, however, I am not sure it would be working as well.
Has something changed recently in your life that you feel worse and that might not be attributable to the Parnate? You mentioned feeling scatter brained. Is that like being distractible? I ask as I can get that way if I am really worried about something and then feel like I can't focus.
I also have days when I feel horribly depressed even on the Parnate, and I attribute it to what I am trying to deal with in therapy. I go three times per week, and it has been very intense. I told T in an email we have to be less intense for a time as I am starting to feel as depressed as I did before I did ECT. So, this is what I am wondering about. Is there something going on in your life now that is contributing to the worse feelings?
Posted by Justherself54 on June 17, 2008, at 21:59:02
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Justherself54, posted by Zeba on June 16, 2008, at 21:47:36
I've recently moved, but it was a positive thing. It's that old familiar feeling I get when an AD is pooping out on me. I'm going to put a call to my pdoc tomorrow. Perhaps an increase is in order...it must be very noticable to others, as I'm getting daily phone calls from close friends and my daughter...crap...I hate this...
Posted by Zeba on June 18, 2008, at 19:22:08
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Zeba, posted by Justherself54 on June 17, 2008, at 21:59:02
Sorry to hear the Parnate is not working well this time. I was on Parnate for around eight years in the past, and it worked well the whole time. This time I have been on it for about a year, and it continues to work. I can't figure out, though, why as I am now older that I need a higher dose. I took 30 mg. per day in the past, and now I take 40 mg. per day. I thought that it worked the other way around, that as you got older, med's were more potent. Guess I am not to the old state yet.
Let us know what you pdoc says and if you go up on the Parnate.
Posted by Justherself54 on June 18, 2008, at 20:53:45
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Justherself54, posted by Zeba on June 18, 2008, at 19:22:08
Spoke to pdoc on the phone today. I'm going to continue at 30 mg for another 3-4 weeks as he feels it needs more time to work...we'll revisit it then and decide whether to increase. I feel a bit better today and felt some motivation to get a few things done around the house and also enjoyed curling up with a book which I haven't had much interest in doing for awhile...so I have to remember to focus on the subtle changes and hope they continue.
Thanks for checking in on me Zeba..it helps..
Posted by Zeba on June 19, 2008, at 21:38:03
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Zeba, posted by Justherself54 on June 18, 2008, at 20:53:45
I am glad to hear you had a good day. I think that is how it goes over time. Hopefully you can enjoy more good days vs. bad days as time goes on. There is no doubt that I still have some very bad days, but the good days are outnumbering the bad now. I usually have a bad day after therapy has been particularly intense. Then I start telling myself that nothing works and get into a negative mode. I try to wait a few days to see if that changes, and it does.
Today and one other day this week I forgot to take my 20 mg. at noon. so I have to be careful and not mess around with the dosage. I took 10 mg. at 4 p.m. which was probably a mistake and will keep me up half the night now. Maybe I will take a valium so I can sleep. I have them for prn.
Now that the Parnate is working again and I am dividing the dosage, I actually feel like I have more energy and I am losing weight. Lost five pounds in the past week and a half. Hooray.
So keep us informed as to what the Parnate is doing for you or not and how you are doing.
Posted by Justherself54 on June 20, 2008, at 19:07:03
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Justherself54, posted by Zeba on June 19, 2008, at 21:38:03
I've lost the depressed monotone speech, another good sign. Sometimes I think the symptoms of my fibromyalgia can mask the starting benefits of an AD. I still have trouble managing it and pay the price by overdoing it. Fatigue and "fibro-fog" are the two that I have the hardest time handling. I think I've just gotten used to the pain. It's a frustrating illness in its own right!
Posted by Justherself54 on August 8, 2008, at 11:05:11
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Justherself54, posted by Zeba on June 18, 2008, at 19:22:08
I've been at 40 mg now since July 20th and still don't feel great. My self-isolating behaviour is returning to the point where I'm not answering phone calls. Sometimes even being with my grandkids is overwhelming. I take meds for sleep...one night I won't sleep at all and the next I'll sleep for 12 hours. I also feel teary at times and feel my depression is always hovering in the background.
I'm not sure what to do now. Do I try another increase? Do I call it a day and go off it. My problem is I've been through all the ssri's. I can't tolerate TCA's and SNRI's make me so anxious I could just about hang from the ceiling? So what to do?
I haven't been on Remeron as I'm very overweight (thank's SSRI's and Nardil) and now have high blood pressure...the only other one I haven't been on is Cymbalta and to be frank I'm a bit scared of it.
Posted by Phillipa on August 8, 2008, at 19:34:10
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before????, posted by Justherself54 on August 8, 2008, at 11:05:11
Justy why? Boy if you can take an MAOI it will likely be nice to not have to think about diet, blood pressure and the like. And with fibro it did help aches and pains for me. Give it a try? Love Phillipa
Posted by Zeba on August 8, 2008, at 21:44:09
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before????, posted by Justherself54 on August 8, 2008, at 11:05:11
I can understand your concerns about Cymbalta. I know lots of people who go through the worst withdrawal and brain zaps trying to go off of Cymbalta. What does your pdoc say about going up on the Parnate.
I have actually had to come down from 40 mg. because of side effects--the feeling of ants crawling under my skin around the front of my ankles. Makes it so I can't keep my feet still. So, I had to go down to 20 mg. Now I will try to go up to 30 mg. We shall see. This medication thing can be so frustrating for me.
Zeba
Posted by Justherself54 on August 8, 2008, at 22:55:32
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Justherself54, posted by Zeba on August 8, 2008, at 21:44:09
> I can understand your concerns about Cymbalta. I know lots of people who go through the worst withdrawal and brain zaps trying to go off of Cymbalta. What does your pdoc say about going up on the Parnate.
>
> I have actually had to come down from 40 mg. because of side effects--the feeling of ants crawling under my skin around the front of my ankles. Makes it so I can't keep my feet still. So, I had to go down to 20 mg. Now I will try to go up to 30 mg. We shall see. This medication thing can be so frustrating for me.
>
> ZebaI hear you about the frustration. I spoke to my pdoc today and as my BP is registering in the normal range, we're going to try an increase to 50 mg. If I don't have any partial response to it, it's back to the drawing board..he mentioned revisiting some of the meds I had success with before. I am feeling a bit cynical about that, as I may hit upon one that works again...but what about the poop out that always happens...
I don't know if I should just give up on Parnate and start the process of coming off it and get it over with or try another two weeks with it. If it doesn't work, it'll just take that much longer to titrate off it. Man, I feel caught between a rock and a hard place.
Posted by Justherself54 on August 8, 2008, at 23:03:09
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Justherself54, posted by Phillipa on August 8, 2008, at 19:34:10
> Justy why? Boy if you can take an MAOI it will likely be nice to not have to think about diet, blood pressure and the like. And with fibro it did help aches and pains for me. Give it a try? Love Phillipa
I'm always afraid to start a new med in case it causes my anxiety to skyrocket. The funny thing with the MAOI's, for me anyway, all the side effects are physical, dizziness, nausea, not inside the head side effects that I've had with others...for some reason I cope way better with physical side effects than the head ones.
I just wish I knew what to do..waste more time trying and then 3 weeks or more to get off, plus the 14 day washout. I just feel I've spend the last three years doing nothing but continual med trials with no success. I feel very vulnerable.
Posted by Zeba on August 10, 2008, at 18:04:27
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before????, posted by Justherself54 on August 8, 2008, at 11:05:11
Now that I went down and am going back up again on the Parnate (went from 40 to 20 to 30 mg.) due to side effects, I have become hypotensive. BP was 96/63. I took the next dose of Parnate, but now I wonder if I should take my bp med tonight. I will see what my bp is. I never had this problem before. Now I wish I had never messed with the meds and just dealt with the ants under the skin another way, like taking some Klonopin or something.
Zeba
Posted by Justherself54 on August 10, 2008, at 21:21:34
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before????, posted by Zeba on August 10, 2008, at 18:04:27
> Now that I went down and am going back up again on the Parnate (went from 40 to 20 to 30 mg.) due to side effects, I have become hypotensive. BP was 96/63. I took the next dose of Parnate, but now I wonder if I should take my bp med tonight. I will see what my bp is. I never had this problem before. Now I wish I had never messed with the meds and just dealt with the ants under the skin another way, like taking some Klonopin or something.
>
> ZebaIt's a hard call. I know Parnate is acting as a blood pressure reducer, as I had developed high BP just before I started it...actually my high BP is what's allowed me to go higher than 20 mg. I couldn't get past that dose before as the hypotension was so bad. I'm starting 50 mg. tomorrow. Right now my BP is pretty much at normal range, although I've had a few low readings.
I've never been on meds for high BP before so I don't know if taking your med would lower it further..I wouldn't want you to be passing out! Maybe skip it tonight and take some readings tomorrow and give your doc a call. If it stays low you may not need to BP med.
Keep us posted!
Justy
Posted by Zeba on August 11, 2008, at 22:47:54
In reply to Re: Parnate not working the same as before???? » Zeba, posted by Justherself54 on August 10, 2008, at 21:21:34
Bp was low but not too low. I was able to go to work today and not feel like I would fall asleep. My pdoc/therapist emailed me to take 5 mg. of Abilify to see if that would help with the ants under the skin feeling in my ankles. I can't do that. I told him before that taking just 2.5 mg. knocked my socks off. I was like some sort of stupid person walking around falling over things and sounding like I was from The Planet of the Apes with groans. I sounded like an idiot. I have something important I have to do at work either tomorrow morning or the next. Can't do it. I will tell him tomorrow when I see him.
I am not so sure Abilify wouldn't make the symptoms worse anyway. Gees he keeps wanting to push that stuff on me. I will have to knock him over the head with why I cannot take it and end up sounding like I can't talk straight, walk straight. I look and sound drunk on that stuff. So, I don't know what might help other than Abilify.
Zeba
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