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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by reflecting on November 23, 2011, at 3:35:01
Hi,
has anyone ever experienced the following with Nardil:
When I take my dose, esp. if it is on an empty stomach, I get a clear peak in blood pressure like maybe half an hour later... actually, I measured values up to 190mmHg... is this something common?
Best,
reflecting
Posted by policebox on November 25, 2011, at 11:58:32
In reply to Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by reflecting on November 23, 2011, at 3:35:01
I don't take Nardil, but I take another MAOi Parnate. I frequenly experience a spike in my blood pressure, usually rising into the 150;90 range within an hour of taking a dose. It tends to not occur if I take 20mg at a time instead of 30mg and/or if I take it with food.
I read a research article that showed an effective way to avoid this was to supplement with a calcium channel antihypertensive medication, in that case Norvasc.
Posted by reflecting on November 28, 2011, at 6:55:27
In reply to Re: Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by policebox on November 25, 2011, at 11:58:32
thanks for your answer... I try to eat a lot now before taking the dose... strangely, that works very well in the morning for the first dose, but if I take the second dose later I still get a blood pressure increase up to a 160 from it even with food (which is at least not dangerously high... but still not comfortable and surely not very good for the cardiac system to have that every day)
really strange, since it seems people normally only get that with parnate and not as extreme as in my case
Posted by williamockham on December 7, 2011, at 14:23:25
In reply to Re: Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by reflecting on November 28, 2011, at 6:55:27
I just started Nardil, and have had a similar reaction, although not nearly as severe as yours (at least I've never been concerned enough to pull out the monitor). It seems to go away pretty quickly.
Nardil metabolizes to PEA (amongst a whole slew of other things), this might be a reason.
Posted by reflecting on December 8, 2011, at 2:17:39
In reply to Re: Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by williamockham on December 7, 2011, at 14:23:25
Thanks for your answer! It relaxes me that I am not the only one with this kind of reaction... I solved it somehow now with taking it in single doses over the day with at least an hour in between... strangely the first tablets in the morning are very fine while the last ones in the evening still give me increases up to like 140 (which I believe to be okay)... but if you are experiencing it as well, that's good... I already thought it might be a non-diagnosed cardiac disease of mine or something like that...
btw, how do you know it is not severe when you do not measure? symptoms like headache probably do not turn up before 180 or more.
Posted by williamockham on December 8, 2011, at 10:24:03
In reply to Re: Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by reflecting on December 8, 2011, at 2:17:39
It only happens from the midday dose. No idea why. Doesn't seem related to food intake.
Good point about the BP, perhaps I should check.
Posted by deepreason on December 13, 2011, at 16:33:18
In reply to Re: Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by williamockham on December 8, 2011, at 10:24:03
I used to get the exact same thing on nardil. My evening dose would spike my bp to 150 ish sometimes.
Posted by reflecting on December 14, 2011, at 23:43:46
In reply to Re: Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by deepreason on December 13, 2011, at 16:33:18
really good to hear that i am not the only one.
how are you handling it? have you stopped taking nardil or are you splitting up your doses into single tablets?
Posted by Vincent_QC on December 22, 2011, at 6:59:29
In reply to Re: Nardil - Blood Pressure Increase after Taking Dose, posted by reflecting on November 28, 2011, at 6:55:27
> thanks for your answer... I try to eat a lot now before taking the dose... strangely, that works very well in the morning for the first dose, but if I take the second dose later I still get a blood pressure increase up to a 160 from it even with food (which is at least not dangerously high... but still not comfortable and surely not very good for the cardiac system to have that every day)
>
> really strange, since it seems people normally only get that with parnate and not as extreme as in my caseMy experience with this 2 drugs is weak... I had normal blood pressure with the Nardil, never had increase blood pressure or fast heart rate but had severe otrhostatic hypotension all the time so I had to stop it, even if it was effective for my anxiety for sure. Also was really tired and exhausted on the Nardil. With the Parnate I had high blood pressure and hypertensive crisis not linked to the food I eat. Had also very low blood pressure to the point that I faint several times on it, not only I was extremely tired all the time with the Parnate, but it was doing something really not good for my heart. Always had to have with me some nifepidine pills in case I had an hypertensive crisis and florinef in case of very low blood pressure... it was not a funny experience for me.
I also think that I may have a heart disease or a weak heart since almost all the older AD (TCA's especially, remeron or trazodone, wellbutrin or mirapex who is a dopamine agonist drug) make my heart race very fast or give some spike of my blood pressure or lower it too much... I also wonder why I never was able to do physical activities normally without feeling very tired after 5 minutes, even as a kid I was already like that... but I had so many heart tests and the Cardiologist say my heart is fine, so that's must be something else in my brain, maybe too much noradrenaline or too much dopamine even if I don't have schizo symptoms...or I have too much sensitive beta-adrenergic receptors who lead to heart abnormalities pattern or a problem with the autonomic nervous system like an over-reactive parasympathetic nervous system with low activity with the sympathetic nervous system... really don't know... or it's purely anxiety related?
Anyway, I hope the blood pressure is stable now...and I don't think that a blood pressure reading of 160 is dangerous for you even in a long-term view... some peoples have a naturally high blood pressure all their life with no problem... low blood pressure and orthostatic hypotension is somewhat more dangerous, not normal, and also have more side-effects and give more problems in a long-term view and it's hard to treat, harder than high blood pressure for sure...but again everyone is different...someone else in your family have high blood pressure? Sometimes it can be genetic... in my familly high blood pressure is common... strangely it's seem that mine is on the low side all the time now and I can have a panic attack with blood pressure reading of 90/60... mean no spike of the blood pressure when i'm anxious, who is not usual at all!!!
This is the end of the thread.
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