Posted by itsme2003 on August 25, 2006, at 14:40:41
In the past I've tried over 20 anti-depressants or anti-depressant combinations but not had much luck treating my treatment resistant atypical depression. I am finally trying parnate, which I know often has good results for this type of depression.
I am self-medicating with parnate. I have been taking this for three weeks and have just moved my dosage to 30 mg / day taking 20mg in the morning and 10 mg mid-afternoon. I am very carefully following the dietary restrictions. I am currently taking no other meds. I am also on the Atkins diet (six years). I am a diabetic and my blood sugar is in great control. I weigh 280 lbs. and I have lost 10 pounds since starting parnate. I usually spend three hours per week working out in a gym.
Hypotension or postural hypotension is a know effect from parnate. My blood pressure has dropped considerably since starting parnate, which is no surprise to me. My heart rate has also dropped quite a bit since starting parnate, which is a surprise to me.
Prior to starting parnate my blood pressure was normally in the range of 130-140/85 and my resting heart rate was 85. Now my blood pressure ranges around 110/70 to sometimes as low as 100/62. My resting heart rate is now around 68. One time earlier this week my heart rate was 61. I don't feel light-headed when standing up, but I'm being cautious because I feel that at this BP I could easily be light-headed on standing.
I am using one of the electronic blood pressure cuffs and I know from previous comparisons that it correlates well to blood pressure readings that I have gotten from my doctor's office. I noticed a drop in my BP and heart rate when I first started with 10 mg of parnate and the drop has increased as I have increased my dosage. In addition I am very lethargic (my normal state is lethargic, but I'm even more so now). I believe that the lethargy is also an expected side effect of parnate.
Quite a few years ago I was very fit and my resting pulse rate was around 65 which I was not concerned about (and in fact I was pleased to be fit enough to get my resting pulse down that far). I'm not terribly worried about my heart rate now, but I am concerned a little. I am concerned that if my dosage needs to go higher (which I think will be likely) that my heart rate will fall even further. If I do increase my dosage and my resting pulse rate should fall below 60 I will immediately cut my dosage back.
I've read research about combining a very low dose amphetamine (5 mg / day) with parnate to help boost low BP. I currently have a prescription for adderall (which I'm not currently taking). I could divide one of the adderall into 5 mg doses to help boost my BP and heart rate.
Does anyone have any thoughts about my heart rate or about adding the low dose amphetamine to the mix? Should I cut back my dosage now to get my heart rate back up? Does this reaction reveal any interesting uderlying biochemistry?
poster:itsme2003
thread:680053
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060825/msgs/680053.html