Posted by bleauberry on December 9, 2009, at 16:54:46
In reply to Nortrioptyline question, posted by morganator on December 9, 2009, at 4:30:26
Because my dose was so low and I am exquisitely sensitive to most substances manmade or natural, I'm not sure I am a good reference or not.
Nortriptyline disturbed my sleep for about 2 nights and then improved it after that. It wasn't a heavy sedative feeling like some drugs are, but I just fell asleep faster and slept deeper.
I did experience perhaps a 40% improvement in mood during the first 2 weeks at just 5mg. I should say however that I also started 6mg Zoloft (brand) with it at the same time. It was after that I changed my mind on Zoloft and stopped it. Continued with nortriptyline, planning to increase the dose. It went like this:
Week1: Zoloft6mg + Nortriptyline 5mg...impressed.
Week2: Same, still impressed.
Week3: Felt Zoloft wasn't needed, ditched it, the improvement continued without it.
Week4: Still just 5mg Nortriptyline, but things not as good. Something's not right.
Week 5: Tried upping to 7.5mg and 10mg, and switching to brand instead of generic, disaster, much deepened depression.
Week6: Gave up.Looking back it was easy to see my mistake...I should have kept the low dose zoloft+nortriptyline combo going. I should not have rocked the boat. All I needed was more time, not a higher dose and not monotherapy.
My libido was good, the time to orgasm was increased but not excessively.
I had only two real side effects. First, a lousy taste in the mouth that made cigarettes taste bad. Second, a decrease in appetite. I was hoping for weight gain, but lost weight instead.
I did respond within the first week, but keep in mind that was with a smidgen of zoloft with it. A few months earlier I had tried nortriptyline by itself and that did not go well at all. I had already bailed out of that after just a week because it felt horrible to me. Somehow the mixture changed the whole flavor, so that it wasn't anything like zoloft or anything like nortriptyline, but more like something completely different than either alone.
In the pharmaceutical world there are very few things I can tolerate, and very few that actually help rather than hurt. This combo as one of the few friendly ones. Nortriptyline by itself however was not friendly to me.
> Can Nortriptyline enhance libido?
>
> Also, can someone respond to Nortriptyline in the first week of treatment?
>
> Blueaberry, you mentioned taking it for headaches at 5 mgs. Does that also help you sleep??
>
> I need help fast and I cannot wait to get off all meds and then switch. I think I may have to start nortriptyline and then ween off other meds and decide what to replace them with. I have a job interview this morning. Ugh..can't sleep!!
poster:bleauberry
thread:928601
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091206/msgs/928660.html