Posted by craig getty on October 14, 2004, at 14:48:49
In reply to Re: Is taking Selegiline under tongue = to patch f, posted by utopizen on October 12, 2004, at 22:13:18
Thanks for your response.
I think we crossed paths on a previous post recently but I often forget my past posts. Your symptoms - including the procrastination - sound very similar to mine. I often question whether my procrastination is a symptom or a cause of my depression (it becomes a chicken or egg question). I also take Adderall and Klonopin (my doses are lower - Adderall ER 20 - 40 mg. and Klonopin 0.25 - 1 mg.).
At one point your post stated you were on 20 mg. of Celexa, but then you said it was Lexapro. I'm assuming you meant Lexapro. I tried Celexa in the past and quit after 2 weeks because it made me VERY TIRED. I haven't tried Lexapro, but if it's working for you somewhat, I recommend increasing the dose to the max before abandoning it or adding anything else. Our bodies build up tolerance to these meds and the threshhold for maximum effectiveness often increases as time goes by. Maybe you should even try an increased dose of Lexapro before taking selegiline, otherwise you won't know which one is helping you and could end up wasting money.
I'm curious as to why your doc is considering Lithium. You said you have unipolar depression, and I thought Lithium was a mood stablizer for bi-polar symptoms, to help flatten out the manic episodes.
Yes, Cymbalta has gotten some good buzz, but remember that it's one of the newest ones. There might be some people still benefitting from a placebo effect, plus there hasn't been enough time for people taking it to become disillusioned with it pooping out. Yet, I don't want to appear negative - I'm ALWAYS rooting for one of these new drugs to finally be THE ONE. At any rate, I'm sure it's as least as good as any other of these meds, and might in fact be THE ONE for many people. It's still in my "possible to try in the future" category.
Right now I take Wellbutrin SR (300 mg) and do get some increased energy from it. So far, I have found it the best antidepressant for me out of the others I've tried - often in combos: Zoloft, Prozac, Effexor, Celexa, Buspar, Elavil, Nardil, Parnate....etc?
Although I've tried Ritalin and Provigil, I haven't tried Desoxyn (methamphetamine, right?). How do its effects differ from Adderall for you?
Your pdoc sounds a bit rigid in his thinking. Have you considered switching to another? Although I think you should first try increasing the Lexapro by itself, I don't see anything wrong with adding another antidepressant in conjunction to it. From what I've read, it's VERY common for people to take a combination of 2 antidepressants. Many take 3 or more. Also, the fact that you are having to order the selegiline online might be a reason to shop around for another pdoc. If you're going to be taking something, I think it's valuable to work with a doctor - not to mention cheaper. A couple of years ago, I asked my doctor about Provigil. He told me he hadn't read enough scientific evidence to think that it would be helpful to me, but when I told him I was considering ordering it online, he was willing to prescribe it and go with my judgement (which also gave him the ability to monitor how it affected me).
Well, sorry if the post was unnecessarily long, but that goes with the procrastination territory. Keep me posted on what you're taking and how you're doing.
Craig
> > Are you getting sublingual selegiline prescribed in the U.S.? Do you know if the transdermal patch is available yet?
> >
>
> The sublingual, as I understand it, received an FDA approvable letter but isn't out on the market yet (or am I confusing the transdermal patch?) Either way, the only U.S. option is to receive the oral tablets.
>
> I didn't get it prescribed-- my list of med changes for my pdoc is so long I thought it was worth it to just buy a 2 month supply online from Europe. It's generic tablet form. I plan to take 2 5mg tablets daily along with my 20mg of Celexa (proven not to interact with selegiline in one study, but effexor and other drugs have interacted, so be careful!)
>
> From what I've read, taking above 10mg/day is risking MAOI-A side-effects, requiring dietary restrictions. The patch allows higher doses that are more likely to treat depression without needing a dietary restriction. But the patch isn't approved yet!
>
> I'm just hoping it'll help me in a cocktail of Lexapro 20mg, Klonopin 1mg 3x/day, Adderall 20mg 3x/day.
>
> I plan to switch back to Desoxyn 2 5mg tablets taken 5x/day (50mg/day- don't try this if you're not me!) for my ADD/low motivation, but I also need the relief of lack of energy from SOME antidepressant-- be it the Selegiline I should get in 2 weeks, maybe doubling my current dose of Lexapro 20mg, or adding/substituting the Lexapro with Cymbalta at 60-120mg.
>
> My doc, I suspect from having him earlier say to me "I believe in *rational* polypharmacy" will likely replace the Cymbalta for the Lexapro than add to it.
>
> He's open to trying Lithium to add to my Lexapro or increasing the Lexapro a lot, though-- I just see so much more promise in Cymbalta, since I have ADD, lack of motivation, energy, all the things Cymbalta success stories seem to rave over on this board.
>
> I don't have bipolar, but depression, ADD, soc. anx. dis. My Klonopin controls my social anxiety, but I'm looking forward to added relief from an antidepressant. My depression is really hurting my classwork-- productivity, energy, motivation, and mood makes me feel like my life is meaningless. I have trouble concentrating, even when I force myself over to the library.
>
> And like most here, I procrastinate by reading this board and Medline abstracts.
poster:craig getty
thread:401725
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041012/msgs/403027.html