Posted by SLS on December 4, 2008, at 11:59:26
In reply to Re: Study Of Antidepressants Show All Same!!!!, posted by bulldog2 on December 4, 2008, at 9:36:49
> Scott what prompted you to switch from nardil to parnate? Is nardil not safer in terms of hypertensive crisis than parnate?
I felt that I was receiving diminishing returns with Nardil. Of course, the body weight thing entered into the equation. Unfortunately, nortriptyline is a major culprit for this, too. I am having a difficult time losing the weight that I gained over the last few years. Efficacy was my major reason for switching, though.
I think you are probably right about Parnate being more liable to produce hypertensive events. My only episode occurred while I was taking a combination of Parnate and desipramine. In contrast to the conjecture of many, my taking a potent and selective NE reuptake inhibitor did not prevent the hypertensive event from occurring.
I find Parnate to be a "cleaner" drug with regard to side effects. Hypotension is not a problem as the weeks go by with Parnate. However, I find that hypotension with Nardil is a long-term effect that doesn't disappear after the passage of years. Nardil is tough on the liver, whereas Parnate is not. No edema. Very little, if any, weight gain.
I hate to have to say it, but I have been on both of these drugs numerous times, and their behavior for me over the last 20 years has been consistent. I have become intimate with them. My guess is that Nardil poops out at a significantly higher rate than Parnate. I think Nardil has a greater propensity to produce mania than Parnate. Both can do this, however. I think Parnate is better for bipolar disorder than is Nardil. Nardil is probably the better choice for atypical unipolar depression, especially where social anxiety is a comorbid symptom.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:866316
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081204/msgs/866663.html