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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by christ_empowered on October 14, 2013, at 15:14:11
...your experiences? I take full dose (15) plus 20mgs generic Prozac, plus 1200 Triltpal and up to 300 Neurontin, plus my Orthomolecular madness.
What have been your experiences? For me, so far...so good....
Posted by SLS on October 14, 2013, at 15:38:56
In reply to Abilify+ Antidepressants..., posted by christ_empowered on October 14, 2013, at 15:14:11
> ...your experiences? I take full dose (15) plus 20mgs generic Prozac, plus 1200 Triltpal and up to 300 Neurontin, plus my Orthomolecular madness.
>
> What have been your experiences? For me, so far...so good....Without Abilify 10 mg/day, my treatment would be all but worthless. I take Parnate and nortriptyline as antidepressants.
- Scott
Posted by babbler20 on October 14, 2013, at 20:54:15
In reply to Re: Abilify+ Antidepressants..., posted by SLS on October 14, 2013, at 15:38:56
Hi Scott,
You take parnate and notriptyline? I had to get off Parnate because I hadn't slept more than 5 hours in a year and a half and I was running out of steam. When I asked my doc for something for sleep, he said I couldn't take a TCA or an anti-psychotic. Parnate certainly worked well for me, but I think it just worked because sleep deprivation alleviates depression and anxiety. I can't be sure, but I sure would have loved to have tried nortityline when I was on Parnate.
Posted by baseball55 on October 14, 2013, at 20:59:50
In reply to Re: Abilify+ Antidepressants..., posted by SLS on October 14, 2013, at 15:38:56
Abilify was a miracle drug for me. Within 24 hours, my depression lifted. Within two weeks, I had gained 5 pounds (didn't eat any more and had actually increased my exercise since I felt less depressed). I tried it over and over with metformin, cytomel. Tried other AAPs -- all but geodon had same effect. Immediate relief followed by rapid weight gain.
I recently have been having bouts of severe depression that last only a week or so. I got a prescription for abilify to use, basically, pen. If the suicidal thoughts get too bad, I take abilify for a week, then stop it before I gain too much weight. This seems to work. But if I went again into a prolonged depression, I'm not sure what I would do. I gained 50 pounds in a year on AAPs and it took me two years to lose it all. I don't want to gain that kind of weight again.
Posted by SLS on October 15, 2013, at 7:03:52
In reply to Re: Abilify+ Antidepressants..., posted by babbler20 on October 14, 2013, at 20:54:15
> Hi Scott,
>
> You take parnate and notriptyline?Parnate 80 mg/day
nortriptyline 150 mg/day
Lamictal 200 mg/day
lithium 450 mg/day
prazosin 25 mg/day
minocycline 200 mg/day> I had to get off Parnate because I hadn't slept more than 5 hours in a year and a half and I was running out of steam.
> Parnate certainly worked well for me,...
What sorts of things did you try to treat the insomnia?
I refused to let insomnia be the thing to prevent me from taking MAOIs. When necessary, I even took a combination of Halcion and Ativan.
> but I think it just worked because sleep deprivation alleviates depression and anxiety.
I doubt that this was the reason. Sleep deprivation has an acute effect, but cannot be sustained if used everyday. I doubt it would last even one week. Also, 5 hours is really not enough to produce a sleep deprivation antidepressant effect.
> I can't be sure, but I sure would have loved to have tried nortityline when I was on Parnate.
Well, then this represents hope. You still have something left to try - if not with this doctor, then perhaps with another.
- Scott
Posted by babbler20 on October 15, 2013, at 16:37:04
In reply to Re: Abilify+ Antidepressants... » babbler20, posted by SLS on October 15, 2013, at 7:03:52
Thanks Scott. That is encouraging
Posted by Bob on October 22, 2013, at 21:51:08
In reply to Re: Abilify+ Antidepressants... » babbler20, posted by SLS on October 15, 2013, at 7:03:52
> > Hi Scott,
> >
> > You take parnate and notriptyline?
>
> Parnate 80 mg/day
> nortriptyline 150 mg/day
> Lamictal 200 mg/day
> lithium 450 mg/day
> prazosin 25 mg/day
> minocycline 200 mg/day
>
> > I had to get off Parnate because I hadn't slept more than 5 hours in a year and a half and I was running out of steam.
>
> > Parnate certainly worked well for me,...
>
> What sorts of things did you try to treat the insomnia?
>
> I refused to let insomnia be the thing to prevent me from taking MAOIs. When necessary, I even took a combination of Halcion and Ativan.
>
> > but I think it just worked because sleep deprivation alleviates depression and anxiety.
>
> I doubt that this was the reason. Sleep deprivation has an acute effect, but cannot be sustained if used everyday. I doubt it would last even one week. Also, 5 hours is really not enough to produce a sleep deprivation antidepressant effect.
>
> > I can't be sure, but I sure would have loved to have tried nortityline when I was on Parnate.
>
> Well, then this represents hope. You still have something left to try - if not with this doctor, then perhaps with another.
>
>
> - Scott
Scott,I notice that you have kept the prazosin and minocycline on board for quite awhile now. How do you feel these drugs have contributed to your therapy? Can you attribute specific benefits to each, or is there an overall improvement that is more vague?
Bob
Posted by SLS on October 23, 2013, at 5:38:17
In reply to Re: Abilify+ Antidepressants... » SLS, posted by Bob on October 22, 2013, at 21:51:08
> > > Hi Scott,
> > >
> > > You take parnate and notriptyline?
> >
> > Parnate 80 mg/day
> > nortriptyline 150 mg/day
> > Lamictal 200 mg/day
> > lithium 450 mg/day
> > prazosin 25 mg/day
> > minocycline 200 mg/day
> >
> > > I had to get off Parnate because I hadn't slept more than 5 hours in a year and a half and I was running out of steam.
> >
> > > Parnate certainly worked well for me,...
> >
> > What sorts of things did you try to treat the insomnia?
> >
> > I refused to let insomnia be the thing to prevent me from taking MAOIs. When necessary, I even took a combination of Halcion and Ativan.
> >
> > > but I think it just worked because sleep deprivation alleviates depression and anxiety.
> >
> > I doubt that this was the reason. Sleep deprivation has an acute effect, but cannot be sustained if used everyday. I doubt it would last even one week. Also, 5 hours is really not enough to produce a sleep deprivation antidepressant effect.
> >
> > > I can't be sure, but I sure would have loved to have tried nortityline when I was on Parnate.
> >
> > Well, then this represents hope. You still have something left to try - if not with this doctor, then perhaps with another.
> >
> >
> > - Scott
>
>
> Scott,
>
> I notice that you have kept the prazosin and minocycline on board for quite awhile now. How do you feel these drugs have contributed to your therapy? Can you attribute specific benefits to each, or is there an overall improvement that is more vague?
>
> Bob
That's a good question. I tried discontinuing minoycline and felt noticeably worse. I tried reducing the dosage of prazosin and felt noticeably worse. What does "noticeably" mean? It does not mean remission, to be sure, but it does make my life easier and more worthwhile living. I am currently increasing my Parnate to 100 mg/day. If it works well, I might try discontinuing the prazosin because it obliterates my sex-drive. I have a feeling that I will end up needing it, though.I have been taking prazosin for 21 months, and minocycline for 14 months.
The only two people I know who take minocycline for depression began to respond while also being on Abilify and Lamictal. Of course, that might be an unrelated coincidence.
- Scott
Posted by babbler20 on October 31, 2013, at 20:39:49
In reply to Re: Abilify+ Antidepressants... » Bob, posted by SLS on October 23, 2013, at 5:38:17
Hi Scott,
Did you increase the parnate to 100 mg? How did it go?
Posted by rockerchick46 on November 3, 2013, at 7:06:42
In reply to Abilify+ Antidepressants..., posted by christ_empowered on October 14, 2013, at 15:14:11
> ...your experiences? I take full dose (15) plus 20mgs generic Prozac, plus 1200 Triltpal and up to 300 Neurontin, plus my Orthomolecular madness.
>
> What have been your experiences? For me, so far...so good....I used to take Abilify and stopped it. It was in combination with Seroquel, Neurontin, and Wellbutrin.
I stopped it because of the weight gain and the mild akathesia.
Tam
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