Posted by Kingston on December 2, 2009, at 19:37:01
In reply to Re: Add anything to help with the EMSAM wait...., posted by Kingston on December 2, 2009, at 18:20:52
Monica,
Thought I'd ask why you are switching from the EMSAM patch? and why have you chosen Parnate over Nardil when Nardil is considered the safer and more efficacious of the two? I really want to believe in Parnate but i've yet to run into anyone that will explain why it is any better than EMSAM. So far, all i keep reading is that Parnate makes you feel good, eliminates depression but insomnia is a hallmark. Why isn't everyone taking Parnate if it is so great. There must be some downside to it? Someone be honest please and give me the low down on their long term experience with this drug? Can you or can't you sleep on it and if not, have you continued use and what did you do to resolve the sleep issue? Most importantly, how does it effect sex drive? Can you take Viagra with Parnate? How does Parnate effect your cognition? I just don't wan't to start taking something that makes me feel great(i have no doubt that Parnate will do wonders in that regard) but comes with a library's worth of side effects. Cocaine makes you feel good but that doesn't mean you should take it on a daily basis. Although I know plenty of people that actually do mini-bumps of cocaine all day long as a means of self-medicating(many of which are high functioning individuals), cocaine is not practical for most; particularly someone such as myself with biopolar spectrum issues.The only reason i'm even switching to 'possibly parnate', maybe even Nardil, is because of cost; Otherwise I would stick with EMSAM. The attraction of ESAM is that it should theoretically work like the other MAOis but with fewer side effects. Even at 12mg where dietary restrictions come into play, Selegeline just has fewer side effects in general. It's apparently the fountain of youth and will actually slow down the aging process when taken chronically(at least it does in rats but who knows if the effect is the same in humans. The idea of it sounds nice and was motivation enough for me to stick with EMSAM long enough for it to pay out. And that's all i suggest to anyone that reacts poorly to EMSAM. Give it a chance. It took a month of heightened anxiety and mood swings and another 2 months of nothing before EMSAM started working like I theorized and I think that's partially b/c the 6mg dose I started off at was the wrong starting dose. I found that starting at 3mg(cutting the patch in half) worked best, mainly targeting dopamine. After three weeks at 3mg, I went straight to 9mg, bypassing the 6mg patch. There isn't enough balance between MAO-a and MAO-b at 6mg. MAO-b is getting hit big time, releasing tons of dopamine which is overstimulating for most but MAO-b is only being brushed slightly. Serotonin and NE release is not enough to combat the dopamine shakes/ irritability(unless you are just someone who is severely deprived of dopamine).
I actually noticed that I became calmer, less anxious at 9mg EMSAM then at 3 and 6 mg. The true efficacy of the patch wasn't fully revealed until a 12 mg dose was reached. My blood pressure dropped drastically though so I augmented with two 15 mg Dex spansule to set my BP back to normal 115/76. Without the Dex, I would actually hate EMSAM as you do and would find myself hating life, very lethargic. Bp was at 86/31. However, the stim-MAOi combo is superior to anything i've ever tried. I've actually strapped on two 12 mg patches , 24mg total and found this to be Pandora; what I assume Parnate or Nardil must feel like. The current EMSAM doses are just too low for most people with years of major depression on their side; especially rapid acetylaters such as myself and a good portion of the Caucasian population. I also augment with 30-50mg of Lamictal which is another amazing find with zero side effects and 1mg of Klonopin which takes care of the GABA that both Parnate and EMSAM lack that Nardil targets.
Unfortunately, my insurance will only cover a 6mg patch( and they only cover 50% of the cost) and now that i'm tapped out($2000max), i can't even afford that. I'm actually thinking of using Zelepar until my insurance kicks in at the beginning of Jan...but then there's Parnate. I mean what if it works? I thinking from a purely financial perspective here. If Parnate works like EMSAM, well, obviously I'll take the Parnate given that it is about 490 dollars cheaper/ month. It sickens me when I think what cool stuff i could buy with a month's supply of EMSAM.
If finances weren't an issue, 12mg EMSAM, alow dose of stimulant, low dose Lamictal and low dose of Klonopin with either Namenda or Aricept or both would be my ideal cocktail. I like this for several reasons: the main being the lack of side effects. Other than low blood pressure and some initial acne, there haven't been any side effects. 2)cognition isn't dulled; if anything this combo boosts your IQ a few domains on the Richter scale. 3)enhanced athletic performance. LAMICTAL and Klonopin block the sensation of pain while EMSAM and a Stimulant increase stamina and strength.
What worries me about Parnate is just that it's going to come at a cost: liver damage and sexual dysfunction as well as insomia. Anyways Monica, sorry for the diatribe. I just start writing and well, don't have time to edit. Stream of conscious is what you get I suppose. Keep me updated on your progress with Parnate b/c i may follow your path if you find that it is working.
poster:Kingston
thread:926582
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091127/msgs/927855.html