![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 15 to 39 of 64. Go back in thread:
Posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 10:28:01
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by Phillipa on February 19, 2009, at 23:52:41
Thanks Philipa. The Lamictal was working well at 300 mg, then I started to feel shaky, we upped it to 400 mg, same thing, then to 500 mg, then that didn't work so well, then started on Nardil.
Posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 11:25:41
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 10:28:01
So, what do you think?
- Scott
Posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 11:58:31
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 11:25:41
Scott,
I'm a little confused. Do you mean what do I think of the responses to my Nardil issues?
Posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 12:17:59
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 11:58:31
> Scott,
>
> I'm a little confused. Do you mean what do I think of the responses to my Nardil issues?
Yes.I'd really like to see you resolve your cognitive difficulties.
From experience, I can tell you that when you add Nardil to high-dosage Lamictal (>200mg), it *feels* like it is the Nardil because you first feel the synergism after its introduction. If you were on the Nardil first and added the Lamictal, you would swear it was the Lamictal causing the problems.
Lamictal is known to produce significant cognitive and memory impairments in some people, especially at higher dosages. Nardil is not. Nardil *and* Parnate both seem to amplify the Lamictal induced impairments.
I feel pretty sure that were you to lower the Lamictal, your mind would clear up considerably.
One thing weird about Lamictal is that if you reduce the dosage too quickly, you can get a temporary rebound depressive dip that lasts for a fraction of a day. You might want to try avoiding this by reducing the dosage by 25mg every few days. 200mg is the "sweet spot" for this drug when treating depression.
Good luck.
- Scott
Posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 13:09:23
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 12:17:59
I don't know what to do. But I felt ok, not so bad, last Sunday, I think about 5 days into my nardil. Could I have a neurological problem? should i see a neurologist? should I switch doctors? I've had the same doctor for 8 years, and he's great, one of the premier psychopharmacologists in nyc, researcher, professor at Columbia, but he seems a bit befuddled by this complete cognitive failure. Which scares me. I'm paying him out of pocket @ 200/hr, but I don't have health insurance and can't afford to see a neurologist. My employer is great and patient with my depression issues, but i'm not making enough money in this economy to cover health insurance. But I felt ok, not so bad, last Sunday, I think about 5 days into my nardil.
> > Scott,
> >
> > I'm a little confused. Do you mean what do I think of the responses to my Nardil issues?
>
>
> Yes.
>
> I'd really like to see you resolve your cognitive difficulties.
>
> From experience, I can tell you that when you add Nardil to high-dosage Lamictal (>200mg), it *feels* like it is the Nardil because you first feel the synergism after its introduction. If you were on the Nardil first and added the Lamictal, you would swear it was the Lamictal causing the problems.
>
> Lamictal is known to produce significant cognitive and memory impairments in some people, especially at higher dosages. Nardil is not. Nardil *and* Parnate both seem to amplify the Lamictal induced impairments.
>
> I feel pretty sure that were you to lower the Lamictal, your mind would clear up considerably.
>
> One thing weird about Lamictal is that if you reduce the dosage too quickly, you can get a temporary rebound depressive dip that lasts for a fraction of a day. You might want to try avoiding this by reducing the dosage by 25mg every few days. 200mg is the "sweet spot" for this drug when treating depression.
>
> Good luck.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 13:39:54
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 12:17:59
Hi again Scott,
Sorry if I'm driving you nuts. I just keep forgetting to include relevant information in my past posts. Oddly enough, my mood has improved, and I sound fine to everyone- except for the fact that I basically can't find my way around, can't remember what someone told me 1 second ago... Mood does get worse though as day goes on, in typical atypical depression fashion. I don't know. I can relax if I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and this is temporary. But I'm really afraid I have permanent brain damage from years of meds. It scares me that my doctor seems to finally be grasping at straws- should he be able to diagnosis this, or is the administration ADs a crapshoot sometimes even with the best doctors?
> > Scott,
> >
> > I'm a little confused. Do you mean what do I think of the responses to my Nardil issues?
>
>
> Yes.
>
> I'd really like to see you resolve your cognitive difficulties.
>
> From experience, I can tell you that when you add Nardil to high-dosage Lamictal (>200mg), it *feels* like it is the Nardil because you first feel the synergism after its introduction. If you were on the Nardil first and added the Lamictal, you would swear it was the Lamictal causing the problems.
>
> Lamictal is known to produce significant cognitive and memory impairments in some people, especially at higher dosages. Nardil is not. Nardil *and* Parnate both seem to amplify the Lamictal induced impairments.
>
> I feel pretty sure that were you to lower the Lamictal, your mind would clear up considerably.
>
> One thing weird about Lamictal is that if you reduce the dosage too quickly, you can get a temporary rebound depressive dip that lasts for a fraction of a day. You might want to try avoiding this by reducing the dosage by 25mg every few days. 200mg is the "sweet spot" for this drug when treating depression.
>
> Good luck.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 15:26:39
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 13:39:54
I am almost 100% sure that you need to either reduce the dosage of Lamictal to 200mg or stop taking it altogether.
I don't think there is anything else wrong with you.
I'll keep my fingers crossed.
- Scott
Posted by Jeroen on February 20, 2009, at 15:35:37
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 15:26:39
what ive read on board, is that high dose lamictal can impair memory
so that might be the case with you :)
the bad news is it gave me psychosis, thats bad
Posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 15:55:45
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by Jeroen on February 20, 2009, at 15:35:37
OK, so it is possible that a lower dosage improved my memory, and that the higher dosage is interacting with the nardil in a way that it didn't on the lower dose of lamictal? Like the Nardil is potentiating the effect of the Lamictal? I was really helping my memory before at 500, until it stopped working, but when I added the nardil things got bad fast, even though my mood is much better. actually, my mood is fine outside of the anxiety over this memory issue.
> what ive read on board, is that high dose lamictal can impair memory
>
> so that might be the case with you :)
> the bad news is it gave me psychosis, thats bad
Posted by g_g_g_unit on February 20, 2009, at 15:59:08
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » g_g_g_unit, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 8:31:31
>
> > > Withdrawal from an SSRI?
>
> > is that skepticism on your part?
>
> NO! Not at all. I even have an explanation of sorts as to how such a thing can happen. Certainly, Linkadge can provide more insight on the mechanisms that might be responsible for this.
>are you able to go into this at all - less in the interests of scientific theory and more insofar as whether anything can be done to treat it?
Posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 15:59:52
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 15:26:39
OK, so it is possible that a lower dosage Lamictal improved my memory, and that the higher dosage is interacting with the nardil in a way that it didn't on the lower dose of lamictal? Like the Nardil is potentiating the effect of the Lamictal? I was really helping my memory before at 500, until it stopped working, but when I added the nardil things got bad fast, even though my mood is much better. actually, my mood is fine outside of the anxiety over this memory issue. I don't want to stop taking the lamictal altogehter, it's really stabilized my mood, where the nardil made me feel happier, but seemed to aggravate my bipolar two. also made me extremely hyper. and the amouunt of trazadone i needed to sleep through teh night left me with horrid hangovers. My mood was also very reactive, and I was extremely sensitive to bed events/rejection, and I would sink lower than I ever did when i was taking the lamictal with it. so i can't go back to just the nardil. anyhow, sorry to be so neurotic. have you been through this nardil lamictal nightmare? i just lowered my lamictal dosage, how long do you think it will take to see an effect? I've always needed more lamictal than "normal".
> I am almost 100% sure that you need to either reduce the dosage of Lamictal to 200mg or stop taking it altogether.
>
> I don't think there is anything else wrong with you.
>
> I'll keep my fingers crossed.
>
>
> - Scott
>
>
Posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 16:13:15
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 15:55:45
> OK, so it is possible that a lower dosage improved my memory, and that the higher dosage is interacting with the nardil in a way that it didn't on the lower dose of lamictal?
Yes.
> Like the Nardil is potentiating the effect of the Lamictal?
Yes.
:-)
I think you got it!
- Scott
Posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 16:26:11
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by g_g_g_unit on February 20, 2009, at 15:59:08
> are you able to go into this at all - less in the interests of scientific theory and more insofar as whether anything can be done to treat it?
Here is the thread on the Withdrawal board dealing with a theory on kindling:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050214/msgs/460726.html
As far as what can be done about it, I am less sure of this because no one I know has tried anything other than either return to the offending antidepressant or wait months. I am thinking that anticonvulsants might be useful.
Can you make a list of the symptoms you are currently having?
When you discontinued the offending drug, how did you go about it?
Did you suffer any withdrawal effects? If so, for how long?
How many other drugs have you experienced withdraw symptoms from when you discontinued them?
How long have you been medication free?
- Scott
Posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 16:45:50
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 16:26:11
Regarding residual withdrawal symptoms:
> I am thinking that anticonvulsants might be useful.
Or perhaps memantine (Namenda).
Perhaps someone on Alternative has some ideas.
Magnesium would be interesting to look at.
- Scott
Posted by g_g_g_unit on February 20, 2009, at 16:46:57
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 16:26:11
> > are you able to go into this at all - less in the interests of scientific theory and more insofar as whether anything can be done to treat it?
>
> Here is the thread on the Withdrawal board dealing with a theory on kindling:
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050214/msgs/460726.html
>
> As far as what can be done about it, I am less sure of this because no one I know has tried anything other than either return to the offending antidepressant or wait months. I am thinking that anticonvulsants might be useful.
>
> Can you make a list of the symptoms you are currently having?i guess any symptoms i'm experiencing have been obscured by the nardil. but during december when this began i suffered:
* lack of concentration
* word loss difficulties
* difficulty finishing thoughts when writing (if that makes sense, i.e. while trying to hash out concepts my mind fell into a kind of 'black hole')
*(complete social 'retardation' (sorry can't think of a better word), i.e. i could only interact by asking really basic questions to keep conversation moving. no original thoughts came to mind
* zero emotional affect - i was constantly told i looked really depressed by friends but in truth i felt nothing/empty
*feeling of a blank mindof course, my OCD kind of latched onto these symptoms, which caused my pdoc to think OCD/anxiety was the cause. but i theorize it more in terms of obsessing about a lost leg (i.e. there is still the matter of the physical trauma that's actually taken place). obviously the line in psychiatry is more blurred than that, but i mean is there has still (in my mind) been some chemical change outside of the OCD's existence
>
> When you discontinued the offending drug, how did you go about it?the last drug i tried was nortriptyline. i was at a low dose (10mg) so i simply stopped.
>> Did you suffer any withdrawal effects? If so, for how long?
nothing i can directly link to the nortriptyline. the above mentioned symptoms manifested slowly throughout the course of the year
>
> How many other drugs have you experienced withdraw symptoms from when you discontinued them?Remeron, quitting cold turkey @ 30mg
for the rest (Luvox @ 100mg, Lexapro @20mg, Prozac @10mg) I tapered
>
> How long have you been medication free?
>i was medication free from november until i began nardil in january
Posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 17:02:04
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by g_g_g_unit on February 20, 2009, at 16:46:57
> i guess any symptoms i'm experiencing have been obscured by the nardil. but during december when this began i suffered:
You mean they've disappeared?
> * lack of concentration
> * word loss difficulties
> * difficulty finishing thoughts when writing (if that makes sense, i.e. while trying to hash out concepts my mind fell into a kind of 'black hole')
> *(complete social 'retardation' (sorry can't think of a better word), i.e. i could only interact by asking really basic questions to keep conversation moving. no original thoughts came to mind
> * zero emotional affect - i was constantly told i looked really depressed by friends but in truth i felt nothing/empty
> *feeling of a blank mind
All of these things can be a part of major depressive disorder. In fact, I am sure that would be the explanation given to you by many psychiatrists.Regardless of what the true explanation is, your choice of Nardil is a logical one, and you may already be responding to it. Hopefully, your mind will be sharp as a tack again.
- Scott
Posted by g_g_g_unit on February 20, 2009, at 17:18:08
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » g_g_g_unit, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 17:02:04
> > i guess any symptoms i'm experiencing have been obscured by the nardil. but during december when this began i suffered:
>
> You mean they've disappeared?no. my memory is worse on the nardil, and i sometimes experience confusion (i.e. difficulty following a movie plot), though i understand these are transient symptoms. the social symptoms feel slightly improved however
>
>
> > * lack of concentration
> > * word loss difficulties
> > * difficulty finishing thoughts when writing (if that makes sense, i.e. while trying to hash out concepts my mind fell into a kind of 'black hole')
> > *(complete social 'retardation' (sorry can't think of a better word), i.e. i could only interact by asking really basic questions to keep conversation moving. no original thoughts came to mind
> > * zero emotional affect - i was constantly told i looked really depressed by friends but in truth i felt nothing/empty
> > *feeling of a blank mind
>
> All of these things can be a part of major depressive disorder. In fact, I am sure that would be the explanation given to you by many psychiatrists.
>
> Regardless of what the true explanation is, your choice of Nardil is a logical one, and you may already be responding to it. Hopefully, your mind will be sharp as a tack again.
>I pray so. thank you so much for your support
Posted by n_wolfie on February 20, 2009, at 17:34:44
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 16:13:15
OK, only took me 5 emails!! And I'm still hoping I remembered the med schedule properly, but I think I covered everything in all the emails. Ok, thanks for putting my mind at rest. Scary to hear my doctor of 7 years say I may need a neurologist for a 2nd opinion. Anyhow, I guess I just have to trust him. The only time he's been wrong in the past was putting me on lithium. What a disaster that was, I was literally cycling every 5 minutes, and just as spaced as I am now. it was by far the worst med experience I've ever, ever had.
Posted by mickapoo on February 22, 2009, at 20:42:15
In reply to Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by n_wolfie on February 19, 2009, at 23:23:37
Hi there! I've been on Nardil 75 mg for the past 7 months, and on Lamictal, 300 mg for over a year. I have had HUGE memory issues lately. Small ones for sure, but big ones too. I went out to dinner and a week later I could not recall even going. The very same thing happened a few days later also. Then I left my dog in the car and forgot to bring him in. He was in there for 9 HOURS. I didn't realize I forgot him until I was going to bed. Luckily I live in FL, my car was in the garage, and it was cool in there. Had it have been summer, he would not have survived. My family is quite concerned about the memory loss. There was also a time when I was taking a shower and there was a bottle of shampoo in there. I didn't know how it got there. My sister said she gave it to me- I had no recollection of it. Things like that are waaaay scary.
Posted by mickapoo on February 22, 2009, at 20:46:04
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by SLS on February 20, 2009, at 12:17:59
Scott,
Not trying to doubt you, just wondering about your comment that:>200mg is the "sweet spot" for this drug when >treating depression.
Is this from personal experience or from doing research? Would this apply for mood stabilization or just depression?
Thanks!
Posted by SLS on February 22, 2009, at 21:18:24
In reply to Re: Lamictal optimal dosage, posted by mickapoo on February 22, 2009, at 20:46:04
> Not trying to doubt you,
You should. I often doubt myself.
> just wondering about your comment that:
>
> >200mg is the "sweet spot" for this drug when >treating depression.
>
> Is this from personal experience or from doing research? Would this apply for mood stabilization or just depression?
200mg was found to be the average effective dosage from very early in the history of investigations into using Lamictal for bipolar depression. By comparison, a range of 300-500mg has been used for epilepsy.Lamictal is often ineffective as an anti-manic agent. However, it can help penetrate a rapid cycling bipolar disorder, especially when combined with lithium.
For me, personally, I have found no further *stable* improvement from increasing the dosage of Lamictal beyond 200mg. However, my cognition and memory are very much impaired at the higher dosages, especially when I combine them with Nardil or Parnate.
For many, Lamictal feels pretty good each time they increase the dosage, but then watch the improvement fade away. People can even feel an improvement while taking as little as low as 50mg. But once you get to 500mg and are dissatisfied, what do you do? Lamictal does not usually make for a good antidepressant by itself. Now you add Nardil, which seems to amplify the cognitive side effects of Lamictal. How do you know how low to go with the Lamictal? I simply brought the dosage down to the maximum that would allow the cognitive side effects to disappear. For me, this just happens to be 200mg.
- Scott
***********************************************************************1: Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2009 Feb;18(2):132-9.Click here to read Links
Trends and changes in the clinical use of lamotrigine.
Reimers A.Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. arne.reimers@legemidler.no
PURPOSE: To investigate long-term trends and changes in the pattern of use of lamotrigine (LTG). METHODS: Retrospective survey of a large, routine therapeutic drug monitoring database. RESULTS: Twelve thousand one hundred and seven samples from 4123 subjects were analysed from October 1999 to May 2007. Within this period, the mean daily dose rose from 183 to 253 mg, whereas the median dose remained unchanged at 200 mg. Females became the majority of LTG users, and they had a higher proportion of psychiatric diagnoses than male patients. The mean patient age increased from 34 to 41 years. The proportion of samples from psychiatric patients became larger than that of neurologic patients. A total of 130 different diagnoses were stated, most of them psychiatric off-label. The mean serum concentration was 3.8 mg/L and it remained quite stable during the whole observation period. Neurologic patients had a higher mean serum concentration than psychiatric patients. 30% of the neurologic and 41% of the psychiatric patients had serum concentrations below the reference range. Sixty-eight per cent of the patients used additional drugs. Females used a higher number of additional medications than males. The 10 most frequent co-medications consisted of seven psychotropic drugs, two anticonvulsants, and thyroxine. CONCLUSIONS: Significant changes in the pattern of use of LTG have taken place during the observation period and some significant trends could be identified.
Posted by dcruik518 on February 23, 2009, at 17:46:53
In reply to Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by n_wolfie on February 19, 2009, at 23:23:37
In my experience the MAOI's actually have an extremely positive effect on my cognitive abilities. I find I'm much more fluent with words, for instance, and my writing comes much more easily and is better. I was also wittier on Nardil. I loved it. I just can't afford the weight gain. Are you saying you're losing weight because of the Lamictal. You're actually still on a really low dose of Nardil. The optimal dose for me was 90 mg. It works better the more you take, for most people, up to a point. Still, it could be interacting with the high dose lamictal in some way. Good luck. If nardil doesn't work for you, you could alway try Parnate. It's a bit more stimulating and doesn't affect GABA the way Nardil does.
> I've been on Lamicatal 500 mg for a few mos. It was working wonderfully, then it stopped, I became depressed again, so my doctor started me on Nardil, which had worked in the past with the Lamictal, so well in fact that we discontinued the Nardil. I'm into my second week of 30 mg Nardil, and my mood has improved somewhat, but my cognition/memory is at an all time low. I can't keep a thought in my head long enough to even express it. I can't find my way around the subway, I put money back in my wallet instead of paying the restaurant check, forget to lock my apt, I try to read and I can't understand what I'm reading. It's not sooo bad in the morning, but gets worse as the day goes on, by 2pm I'm exhausted and my brain completely shuts down. I have atypical depression, so this pattern is typical, but I don't remember my memory ever being this nonexistent. It's very, very scary. My doctor told me to reduce my Lamictal to 400mg, as I've lost a lot of weight, and my blood levels have increased, so it may be due to that. Or is this a temporary Nardil side effect? Sorry if this is soo confusing, it's hard just keeping my thoughts clear enough to write this.
Posted by n_wolfie on February 23, 2009, at 19:42:23
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by dcruik518 on February 23, 2009, at 17:46:53
Hi, thanks for your post! Yes, I lost weight from the Lamictal, and from stress. Lamictal seems to control my carb cravings, which used to be a problem on the Nardil. I was on 75 mg of Nardil a few years ago, and yes, I was wittier, fluent with words, but my memory still wasn't as great as it was when I was on the Lamictal alone. My doctor added the Lamictal as a mood stabilizer, since I'm soft bipolar 2, and it's really worked well for that. When I first took the Nardil, it exhausted me, which improved over time, but I'd still nap around 5 almost every day. I started exercising, cardio about 45 minutes 4 times a week, and it made a huge, huge difference in my energy levels. The exercise also seemed to curb my carb cravings. I also just read about Nardil induced hypoglycemia (even though I'm only on 2), and I tend not to eat for long periods sometimes, and I'm thinking that could be contributing to the complete exhaustion. I've read that eating lots of protein helps, but I'm a vegetarian because I love animals, so eating meat to increase my protein intake is going to be difficult. I've tried Parnate before, and I was literally passing out all over the place,and extremely sensitive to cold. High level Nardil made me hypotensive at first but that subsided over time. Also, the last time I took Nardil it made me much more tired at first, which subsided over time, but not completely. You may want to try adding some Lamictal to the Nardil if you had weight problems, it has really helped control my carb cravings. Yes, I'm having issues right now, but that could be early side effects, or from a high dose of Lamictal. I definitely don't want to go off the lamictal, that's why were reducing it slowly. Supposedly it potentiates the effect of the Nardil, so you may not have to take as much Nardil, which could help with the weight gain. So, from experience, I think you may want to think about adding some Lamictal to the Nardil and exercising. When I was on the Nardil alone, before I started exercising, I weighed 132, after exercising I was down to 117, and now on the 400 Lamictal and 30 Nardil I'm about 107-110. The Nardil initially increased my carb cravings with the increased dosage, but only for a few days. I don't think the exercise per se made me lose that much weight (since diet is more important) but it really curbed my carb cravings, made a big difference emotionally, and did wonders for my energy levels. I should take my own advice.
> In my experience the MAOI's actually have an extremely positive effect on my cognitive abilities. I find I'm much more fluent with words, for instance, and my writing comes much more easily and is better. I was also wittier on Nardil. I loved it. I just can't afford the weight gain. Are you saying you're losing weight because of the Lamictal. You're actually still on a really low dose of Nardil. The optimal dose for me was 90 mg. It works better the more you take, for most people, up to a point. Still, it could be interacting with the high dose lamictal in some way. Good luck. If nardil doesn't work for you, you could alway try Parnate. It's a bit more stimulating and doesn't affect GABA the way Nardil does.
>
>
>
>
>
> > I've been on Lamicatal 500 mg for a few mos. It was working wonderfully, then it stopped, I became depressed again, so my doctor started me on Nardil, which had worked in the past with the Lamictal, so well in fact that we discontinued the Nardil. I'm into my second week of 30 mg Nardil, and my mood has improved somewhat, but my cognition/memory is at an all time low. I can't keep a thought in my head long enough to even express it. I can't find my way around the subway, I put money back in my wallet instead of paying the restaurant check, forget to lock my apt, I try to read and I can't understand what I'm reading. It's not sooo bad in the morning, but gets worse as the day goes on, by 2pm I'm exhausted and my brain completely shuts down. I have atypical depression, so this pattern is typical, but I don't remember my memory ever being this nonexistent. It's very, very scary. My doctor told me to reduce my Lamictal to 400mg, as I've lost a lot of weight, and my blood levels have increased, so it may be due to that. Or is this a temporary Nardil side effect? Sorry if this is soo confusing, it's hard just keeping my thoughts clear enough to write this. Sorry if this is so long and disjointed, let me know if you have any specific questions.
>
>
Posted by n_wolfie on February 23, 2009, at 19:54:39
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory » n_wolfie, posted by dcruik518 on February 23, 2009, at 17:46:53
And now I'm noticing that the reduction of the Lamictal has negatively affected my mood, and my writing doesn't come as easily isn't as fluent. The main reason I reduced it was because it completely destroyed my memory. I don't know, I'm so confused. I guess I just have to wait and see. Maybe the Lamictal mood dip is temporary.
> In my experience the MAOI's actually have an extremely positive effect on my cognitive abilities. I find I'm much more fluent with words, for instance, and my writing comes much more easily and is better. I was also wittier on Nardil. I loved it. I just can't afford the weight gain. Are you saying you're losing weight because of the Lamictal. You're actually still on a really low dose of Nardil. The optimal dose for me was 90 mg. It works better the more you take, for most people, up to a point. Still, it could be interacting with the high dose lamictal in some way. Good luck. If nardil doesn't work for you, you could alway try Parnate. It's a bit more stimulating and doesn't affect GABA the way Nardil does.
>
>
>
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> > I've been on Lamicatal 500 mg for a few mos. It was working wonderfully, then it stopped, I became depressed again, so my doctor started me on Nardil, which had worked in the past with the Lamictal, so well in fact that we discontinued the Nardil. I'm into my second week of 30 mg Nardil, and my mood has improved somewhat, but my cognition/memory is at an all time low. I can't keep a thought in my head long enough to even express it. I can't find my way around the subway, I put money back in my wallet instead of paying the restaurant check, forget to lock my apt, I try to read and I can't understand what I'm reading. It's not sooo bad in the morning, but gets worse as the day goes on, by 2pm I'm exhausted and my brain completely shuts down. I have atypical depression, so this pattern is typical, but I don't remember my memory ever being this nonexistent. It's very, very scary. My doctor told me to reduce my Lamictal to 400mg, as I've lost a lot of weight, and my blood levels have increased, so it may be due to that. Or is this a temporary Nardil side effect? Sorry if this is soo confusing, it's hard just keeping my thoughts clear enough to write this.
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Posted by SLS on February 23, 2009, at 20:00:21
In reply to Re: Nardil cognitive side effects- zero memory, posted by n_wolfie on February 23, 2009, at 19:54:39
> And now I'm noticing that the reduction of the Lamictal has negatively affected my mood, and my writing doesn't come as easily isn't as fluent. The main reason I reduced it was because it completely destroyed my memory. I don't know, I'm so confused. I guess I just have to wait and see. Maybe the Lamictal mood dip is temporary.
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