Posted by Jackd on September 20, 2004, at 21:18:00
I have been taking 60mg of Namenda for a few months now along with 150-300mg of Effexor and 30-60mg of Remeron per day. The reason for the ranges is that I still tweak the dosages and sometimes need to stop/reduce the dose for a day or two for renewed effect of antidepressant. I have had the worst treatment resistant bipolar II depression, where I take an antidepressant, usually a norepinephrine related one for full effect, and get great results (sometimes hypomania) which subsides into a terrible depression that even a change in antidepressants doesn't fix. At that point, only stopping all antidepressants and waiting until my tolerance builds back am I able to have a significant effeect from the drugs. Subsequently, I have read information that Effexor and Remeron specifically, target indirectly the opioid receptors in the brain, and I have also noticed that during my period of depression following the drug-induced hypomania that even alcohol or other recreational drugs have little/lessened effeect (noticeable). I have also read (I don't have the references, check PUBMED) that the part of the brain associated with bipolar depression is affeccted by NMDA antagonists like Namenda (Memantine HCL). All these peices of the jigsaw puzzle have finally come together to give me a lasting, stable and robust antidepressant response with NO manic episodes. For more info, do searches on bipolar, mania and opioid receptors, memantine and tolerance, etc on pubmed. I really hope this helps someone and I am ever grateful to my wholy unconventional psychiatrist for allowing me to dabble in this previously only "theoretical" experiment.
poster:Jackd
thread:393171
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040915/msgs/393171.html