Posted by Piquet on September 28, 2004, at 14:36:33
In reply to Re: I'm EXTREMELY distressed, posted by Nohope on September 28, 2004, at 8:06:50
> Hi Piquet.
>
> > I am now taking Parnate (a MAOI) and since starting it 3 months ago I have lost 10 kg (22 lbs).
>
> I'm jealous.. I've lost a few kilos on Parnate, but haven't done as well as you :-)
>
> >I should also say that my depression is in remission to the tune of 70 per cent.
>
> Still at 70% ... have you considered upping the dose? I've gone from 40mg to 60mg as of last Saturday. Hopefully I will gain further benefit without too much in the way of side effects.
>
> BTW, believe it or not my worst side effect by far at the moment is fatigue and napping. My limbs feel like lead and sometimes it is very difficult to resist the rather frequent sleep attacks. Pretty different to the usual stimulant experience with Parnate huh? I found one hospital website where they use Cylert for their patients on Parnate who have similar experiences. As for me, I'm prepared to ride it out for another couple of months before asking for a stimulant (usually contraindicated with MAOIs anyway). We will see what happens at 60mg - never know till you try.
>
> Apart from fatigue and occasional breathrough panic attack, I am very pleased with Parnate. It is effective, and on the whole, the side effect profile is very tolerable compared with my previous medications. (To me it feels like Parnate was invented after, rather than before other medications).
>
> Keep getting well, Piquet.
>
> NohopeHi Nohope, good to hear from you. Coincidentally, I saw my pdoc yesterday and we've upped the dose from 60 to 80. Although I said I'm still at 70 per cent remission, the 'atypical' lowered evening mood I normally experience, weirdly enough, was switched to a similar morning mood for a few days, then departed, seemingly for good. That has to be worth a couple of percentage points, at least.
Glad to hear that you're still doing well on this 'gentle gorilla' of an AD. I agree that it is a superior medication for some of us. You seem to be having more of a problem with tiredness than I did -- presently, if I can just lie down, prop up my head and listen to a CD for 40 minutes, I'm then set to go for the rest of the afternoon without needed to actually doze or sleep. I hope that aspect gets better for you soon.
My doc, in response to my query, said that the dosage escalation effects are non-linear, in that the difference between 60 and 80 mg could outdo the 'percentage' difference of remission between 40 and 60 mg (for example).
And I'd just got back into unaided sleep mode, too -- looks like the Ambien bottle comes back out of the fridge. The weight loss is truly great and a significant boost to my flagging self-esteem. (I share Todd's views, stated in another post in this thread.) Our issues with weight, whether seen to be rational or not, are definitely of great importance when it comes to considering the side effects of ADs. I just need to lose *another* 10 kg and I'll be happy.
Wishing you a 100 per cent outcome -- and soon,
Piquet.
poster:Piquet
thread:396153
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040927/msgs/396375.html