Posted by ColoradoSnowflake on September 13, 2009, at 13:31:28
In reply to Re: Rhodiola and Parnate » ColoradoSnowflake, posted by SLS on September 13, 2009, at 5:50:43
> Hello.
>
> > Rhodiola sounds like a really good, natural addition to one's meds!
>
> I would recommend not adding more substances into the mix, unless you reach a plateau refractory to further dosage increases of the drugs you are already on. Plants are drugs, too.
>
> What do you find lacking in your present condition?WOW .... How did you guess?????
>
> You need to know that it is likely to take a few months before you reach the maximum improvement that your current treatment will produce. You also have quite a bit of room left on the nortriptyline dosage.
>
>
> - Scott
>
Scott:Thanks so much. You caught me!!
The weekend came and I went down the tubes again. I don't want to admit it.
Last week I said I was going up to 70mg Parnate, forgetting that I was taking 50mg. So, this last week I have been taking 60mg Parnate. I have tried taking more nortrip but if I take over 25mg it makes me so tired I feel even worse. 25mg seems to be the right amount for me to sleep ok.
My pdoc had said I could go up to 80mg Parnate on my own. I think I'll start taking 70mg today and send him an e-mail tomorrow and let him know I'm not doing well. I am also taking the full 200mg Provigil which helps. I am so relieved to have a source for it!
I've been taking the Parnate 30mg as soon as I get up with 50mg provigil, and 30mg Parnate at 1 or 2 in the afternoon with 100mg Provigil, then another 50mg Provigil at 4 or 5 in the afternoon. I've been afraid I would get insomnia. Maybe I should take it closer to the end of the day.
Last night I was so depressed when I got home about 5pm I thought about drinking. I've been sober in AA for a very long time, so I'm not going to do that. I rarely even think of drinking any more. I know that it is suicide in a very ugly bottle. Then I thought about the different benzo's that I have on hand, and decided that was potential trouble for me. So I went to bed with Ben and Jerry....in a carton,... and went to sleep, thinking I would be ok when I woke up. Wrong. Still depressed today. Sh--!I'm thinking I need to spread the Parnate out late into the day. I take the Provigil with it, so I should probably skip that late in the day. I take the Nortrip about 7pm.
I'm also thinking I'm having a big letdown from a year of wrangling in court over my grandson. It was successful, thank goodness.
I think also the court stuff was a distraction from dealing with the sudden death of my 18 year relationship with my manfriend and then my best girlfriend since grad school's sudden death as well. My insurance offers a "Grief Group" and maybe I should think about that.
I'm also having grief and fear and anger that this darn Parnate is pooping out on me. I'm in my fifth month on it. I promised my pdoc 6 months. But there isn't anything else out there except ECT and I have decided I absolutely will not do that, no matter what.
So I have to make this Parnate work. The worst part of my depression is terrible fatigue etc. I've tried so many other things...can't handle any SSN<Ri<'s, No lamictal etc etc. Only thing I could ever take was Wellbutrin.. Everything else gives me migraines and such bad balance that I fall all over the place. I have fallen 5 times now on Parnate/nortrip but its still "do-able" and getting better with time.
What are your suggestions?
Sorry to be such a downer. But very happy you saw right through me!!
Gayle
poster:ColoradoSnowflake
thread:916735
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090912/msgs/916896.html