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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 18 of 18. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 16:54:22
I started Nardil while in the hospital last week. I was hospitalized because I have severe agoraphobia and panic disorder. I was having difficulty even starting meds because I would panic.
So I ended up on Nardil. I was on 15mg for a few days and seemed to be responding well. We upped the dose to 30mgs, 15 at 9pm and 15 and 3pm. I have been on this dosage for about a week.
I was released Tuesday. My anxiety at home seems to be worse. I just had a huge panic attack. I am having trouble leaving my room. I'm a mess. I'm worse than I was.
However, the angry hornet's nest anxiety seems to be less. The agoraphobia is just no better.
Is the Nardil causing this? Have I failed another drug? I don't know what to do. My shrink isn't back until Tuesday. I'm so distraught right now. I need a break. I need a miracle. I need some hope.
Did anyone else have increased anxiety on Nardil? I feel kind of restless. I don't know.
Posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 17:22:38
In reply to Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 16:54:22
And I also take 1mg of Klonopin 3 times a day and Risperdal .5mg once a day.
I am so restless and agitated. It seems to have hit like a freight train today.
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on August 28, 2011, at 17:37:59
In reply to Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 16:54:22
You need to try a higher dose for a good period of time to see if Nardil works for you or not (usualy 1mg per kg of bodyweight, for atleast 6 weeks).....keep increasing the dose until you reach this point, and stick with it for 6 weeks before you start talking about failing
In the short term, a benzodiazepine suck as Valium, Xanax, Ativan or Klonopin would help control your anxiety while getting the Nardil sorted out - ask your doctor.
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on August 28, 2011, at 17:39:23
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 17:22:38
Oh, or, you're already on Klonopin.....maybe increasing the Risperdal to 1mg would help?
Stick with it, Nardil is a great drug if you take it in the right dose etc.
Posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 17:46:03
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by jono_in_adelaide on August 28, 2011, at 17:39:23
> Oh, or, you're already on Klonopin.....maybe increasing the Risperdal to 1mg would help?
>
> Stick with it, Nardil is a great drug if you take it in the right dose etc.I am trying to stick with it. It is pretty much my last hope. But that agitation and anxiety was ridiculous.
I was extremely fatigued so maybe it is some energy coming back and I just have no place to put it since I'm sonagoraphobic and don't move around much?
I guess luckily I only weigh 135lbs so I shouldn't need a much higher dose.
Thank you for your reply.
Posted by gman22 on August 28, 2011, at 18:56:15
In reply to Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 16:54:22
Lepus, Hang in there..there is a very good chance that within a week or two your days of anxiety will be just a memory.
Posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 19:06:14
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by gman22 on August 28, 2011, at 18:56:15
> Lepus, Hang in there..there is a very good chance that within a week or two your days of anxiety will be just a memory.
>I'm not normally a religious type but...from your lips to God's ears.
I wish so dearly for this anxiety to be a memory.
Posted by jono_in_adelaide on August 28, 2011, at 19:30:38
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 19:06:14
Any chance you could up the Kloopin for a week or two just to get you over the hump?
Posted by lepus on August 28, 2011, at 19:36:27
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by jono_in_adelaide on August 28, 2011, at 19:30:38
> Any chance you could up the Kloopin for a week or two just to get you over the hump?
The doctor at the hospital said I could take up to 4mgs a day, so yes. I ended up taking an extra .5mgs. Feeling better now but tired. Wondering how I'm going to get through school this semester. Ugh. I was supposed to be better by now!
Posted by Phillipa on August 28, 2011, at 21:01:03
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by lepus on August 28, 2011, at 19:36:27
Lepus well you are not better yet. School will have to wait. As the meds can't be rushed. I do know the feeling Phillipa
Posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 21:20:45
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil » lepus, posted by Phillipa on August 28, 2011, at 21:01:03
Yeah, definitely not better. My class is online so it isn't like I have to go to campus but...
Sorry to hear you know how I feel. No one should feel like this, not to be overly dramatic. I just feel awful.
Posted by jedi on August 29, 2011, at 3:06:08
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 28, 2011, at 21:20:45
> Yeah, definitely not better. My class is online so it isn't like I have to go to campus but...
>
> Sorry to hear you know how I feel. No one should feel like this, not to be overly dramatic. I just feel awful.You are small so may be the exception to the rule, but I have not read of very many people responding to less than 60mg of Nardil. When I first started taking it in 1998, my PDOC upped my clonazepam to 5 or 6mg daily just to get me through the pain until the med could kick in. You don't want to take that much long term, but maybe just to get through. Gives the Nardil a chance to work. Hope it does kick in for you. From my experience and many others on here, it can be like throwing a light switch when it does. Never have had an antidepressant that caused such a pronounced "SIGH" of relief when it did hit. For me that was several weeks after getting to 75mg daily.
Nardil does have some pronounced side effects, but I don't believe increased anxiety is a major one. Not sure what you were on before, but quick washout can cause tremendous rebound anxiety with some medications.
With its affect on GABA, Nardil can work synergistically with clonazepam to reduce your level of anxiety. It did for me.
I'm doing a very slow taper off of clonazepam after many years at 1 and 2mg daily. With long term use it severely degrades memory. I'm currently down to .25mg daily and have been there for weeks. It is that last little bit that is hard with clonazepam. It is a potent benzo. I've seen people, going into rehab for alcohol, that were forced off 2mg of clonazepam overnight to get into the program. In my opinion, this is malpractice and can have serious detrimental health effects(seizure) plus tremendous rebound anxiety.
Be Well,
Jedi
Posted by Lepus on August 29, 2011, at 17:41:13
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil » Lepus, posted by jedi on August 29, 2011, at 3:06:08
I don't understand why I am having such anxiety. Today was horrendous. I took an extra .5mgs of Klonopin and it did nothing.
I did not have to wash any drugs out of my system other than one day of being on 10mg of Viibyrd, and that was 2 weeks ago.
Why would such high doses of Klonopin be necessary to tolerate the ramping up of Nardil? I'm not even functional. This is ridiculous. And of course my pdoc is gone until tomorrow now and my doctor at the hospital isn't calling me back.
Posted by jedi on August 29, 2011, at 18:35:33
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 29, 2011, at 17:41:13
> I don't understand why I am having such anxiety. Today was horrendous. I took an extra .5mgs of Klonopin and it did nothing.
>
> I did not have to wash any drugs out of my system other than one day of being on 10mg of Viibyrd, and that was 2 weeks ago.
>
> Why would such high doses of Klonopin be necessary to tolerate the ramping up of Nardil? I'm not even functional. This is ridiculous. And of course my pdoc is gone until tomorrow now and my doctor at the hospital isn't calling me back.I'm not saying that high dosage clonazepam is required to titrate Nardil. I'm saying that Nardil usually takes several weeks to kick in. It is one of the best for anxiety along with depression. If you are in severe pain and highly anxious, I know how bad this pain can be, then the high dose clonazepam can take the edge off until the MAOI can kick in. You will not be highly functional during this time, but are you now?
Good Luck,
JediPS Anxiety is a very rare side effect of Nardil. It is probably the most calming of the MAOIs. Hypomania is a know side effect, when the med first kicks in. Some people mistake this for the true antidepressant affect. I've read of some people on here chasing that high. Not a good idea.
Posted by Lepus on August 29, 2011, at 18:53:15
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil » Lepus, posted by jedi on August 29, 2011, at 18:35:33
Yeah, I don't chase highs. I just chase normalcy. Thrilling.
Okay. Thank you for answering my questions. I'm viewing my situation in a different light. I was having bad days like this before the hospital and the medications. I guess I can't expect them to miraculously disappear just because I sought more intensive treatment. Recovery still takes time. I just wish something could turn down this anxiety quickly.
Pdoc never did return my call. Wonderful.
You're very helpful, Jedi. Thank you.
Posted by Phillipa on August 29, 2011, at 19:03:34
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil, posted by Lepus on August 29, 2011, at 18:53:15
Lepus seriously Jedi knows a lot about nardil. And he's enormously helpful and will steer you in the right way.Phillipa
Posted by Lepus on August 29, 2011, at 22:59:53
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil » Lepus, posted by Phillipa on August 29, 2011, at 19:03:34
Good to know, Phillipa!
Posted by Conundrum on September 5, 2011, at 0:05:01
In reply to Re: Anxiety on Nardil » Lepus, posted by jedi on August 29, 2011, at 18:35:33
I've noticed increased anxiety at work. The reason I notice this is I generally have no anxiety at all as it is not a symptom I am trying to treat. So its appearance after being on 60 mg of nardil for awhile makes me think it is the nardil. Its like caffeine jitters, so I haven't been drinking as much caffeine with it for that reason.
This is the end of the thread.
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