Posted by Sarah T. on August 10, 2005, at 18:26:23
In reply to Re: Reboxetine/edronax Three weeks on . » Tom Twilight, posted by Meri-Tuuli on August 10, 2005, at 10:24:31
Hi Meri,
I'm so glad that Reboxetine is going pretty well for you! I think you are approaching the transition very wisely. Reboxetine isn't approved for use here in the U.S., and I'm convinced that one reason patients here don't like it very much is that U.S. doctors and their patients just don't know enough about it or have enough experience with it to approach it properly (i.e. start low and go slow(ly). Nearly everyone I know in the U.S. who tried Reboxetine started at either 4 or 8 mg because that's what the package insert says to do. That's too high. If doctors had more patients on the drug, they'd know that most patients just can't take that much noradrenergic stimulation, especially when starting the drug. In fact, if I ever try it again, I will probably never go back up to that high dose. I'll start at 1 mg or less and possibly stay well below 4 mg and try to supplement it with something else, if necessary. When I tried it, the antidepressant response occurred very quickly, faster than any other AD I've taken. Unfortunately at the higher dose, I had unbearable insomnia, twitching and sweating, etc.
I had a similar problem with Strattera. The manufacturer of Strattera advises starting at 40 mg and working up to 80. I would have died or ended up in the ER if I'd done that. I started at 10 mg and worked up very slowly to 50 mg. Up to 50 mg, it was OK. Above 50, I was unable to sleep at all and experienced twitching and sweating, just as I had on Reboxetine. Although Strattera's side effects were similar to Reboxetine's for me, I think Reboxetine is far superior as far as antidepressant efficacy.
I agree with you about the Atkins diet. I could never, and would never, go on it. First, I think it's unhealthy. Secondly, I need to eat carbohydrates. I feel better when I eat them, and I also sleep better when I have carbohydrates at night. Since you're on a stimulating medication now, I think carbohydrates would be even more important, especially later in the day. If you still have trouble sleeping, maybe you can take your last Reboxetine dose earlier.
Please continue to let us know how you're doing.
Sarah
poster:Sarah T.
thread:539078
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050803/msgs/540033.html