Posted by indivmed on June 13, 2003, at 21:27:43
I really need some collective information on Parnate!
I started taking 30 mg last week, bumped to 60 mg this week (this is VERY quick I know) due to the fact that I have been slipping for a while and was not doing well at all. So anyway, I was extremely exhausted the first week but towards the end, tended to be (a little) more awake, but not enough to go to work or do anything else. Was this due to hypotension? I actually have developed hypertension (which is odd as I'm 25 and a triathlete in great shape) since starting the parnate--it's usually around 138-150/70...pulse around 60. So systolic is the only bad number. Anyway, I heard Parnate was supposed to be stimulating--does it become stimulating after a while, or only after a certain dose level?
Okay, so I'll get some frowns here, but I augmented the Parnate with Wellbutrin (it's been done but very carefully--monitoring BP every 15 minutes)...it worked like a charm and very much combated the fatigue. There was no additional increase in BP--sometimes it actually lowers it. I was very motivated, got work done, etc. Towards the end of the week, I was getting hypomanic and started retaking my depakote. So I'm taking the Parnate, Wellbutrin, and Depakote.
I have a friend who is a pdoc and since I am a graduate student and don't have any insurance that will kick in for 6 months, I've had to somewhat self-medicate with his advice. He told me that it was wise to take the Depakote with the Parnate since I was bipolar. He also said DEFINITELY take the Depakote if I augment with Wellbutrin.
I asked him about the blood pressure issue and he said that it wasn't THAT big of a deal--but to talk about it with my regular doctor. A few questions:
1) Did anyone get hypertension from parnate?
2) Does anyone take Wellbutrin with Parnate? What about Provigil with Parnate?
3) Any bipolar people out there that take a mood-stabilizer (especially Depakote) with Parnate?
4) Did the lethargy go away after a while (and was the disappearance of the fatigue dose-dependent) and finally
5) Does anyone take blood pressure medication with parnate? This may become an issue if my BP doesn't drop a little--plus, I may have developed hypertension over the years for some reason--I have DAILY headaches which may be a result of the hypertension.I would be VERY grateful for any help/experience/advice!
Rick
poster:indivmed
thread:233824
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030609/msgs/233824.html