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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SLS on August 10, 2002, at 9:06:49
Hi Guys.
What are some effective ways to safely augment Nardil?
I am nothing if not consistent.
Every time I begin to respond "correctly" to an antidepressant, the response disappears within a week. These brief awakenings are both a ray of hope and a cruel tease.
What I mean by "correct" is that I experience a global improvement in all aspects of depression. I "awaken" from the depressed state. Otherwise, some drugs can improve my ability to function by giving me more mental and physical energy - nothing more. There is NO improvement in motivation, anhedonia, libido, blunted affect, social anxiety, slow thinking, impaired memory and concentration. I remain vegetative and feel extremely unintelligent.
I recently added Nardil to my medication regime. After two weeks, I began to experience a correct antidepressant response. 5 days later - kaput - it stopped working. I would not call this "poop-out" (tachyphylaxis) because there is never an establishment of a stable trend towards improvement lasting a month or more. What I experience is more like a "blip".
Anyway...
I suffer from a chronic and rather severe bipolar depression. Over the course of 25 years (age 17), I have never experienced a spontaneous remission. I haven't worked in over 12 years.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what I can safely add to Nardil?
Can anyone describe a personal success story involving the addition of medications while already taking Nardil? How does your experience compare to mine? How would you describe any partial improvement that Nardil might have produced before adding the other medications?
Thanks!
- Scott
Posted by JonW on August 10, 2002, at 17:52:45
In reply to Nardil - What can you add to it? - Need ideas!, posted by SLS on August 10, 2002, at 9:06:49
> Can anyone describe a personal success story involving the addition of medications while already taking Nardil? How does your experience compare to mine? How would you describe any partial improvement that Nardil might have produced before adding the other medications?
Hi Scott,
It's such a cruel joke, isn't it? You think you finally find the miracle drug or miracle cocktail, and then as quickly as it came it's gone! :( I think everyone in the bipolar spectrum can sympathise with you...
Well, there were a lot of confounding factors at the time, but when I added Geodon to Nardil it was "magical". It could've been a mild hypomanic reaction, it could've been the Nardil suddenly kicking in, or it could've even been omega3s, but while I was coming off of Nardil I added Geodon and it was amazing for about a week and then it lost this synergy. Geodon continues to be a wonderful drug for me, but not like the first week. It's possible that as the Nardil decreased I lost the synergy and I hope this is the case because I'm now going to start moclobemide to see if I can recapture some of the magic. Anyway, you might want to give it a shot -- watch out for a hypomanic reaction, though... I'm sure you're aware of combining MAOIs with stimulants, it's my understanding that this is effective for many people with intractable illness. There is risk involved but it's minor compared to years of suffering. Obviously, *any* cocktails involving Nardil should be done with your doctor.
My experience on Nardil was a splash of happiness in the beginning and that quickly went away. However, there seemed to be some sort of gradual improvement with time. My startle reaction wasn't as sensitive -- that was the only real thing I noticed from the drug. I felt it wasn't helping my SP or depression, but as I withdrew from it my SP increased slightly in intensity. I was expecting to fall into a deep depression at times but this has not happened and I credit Geodon for that. I've been far more stable on it than any other drug. I'm almost always in a mixed state filled with agitation and irritability and always an undertoe of depression and it has really addressed this. However, Nardil seemed like it had the potential to really lift me out with time. I didn't realize it was helping the SP at all until I took it away, so who knows, maybe it would've helped more with time but I felt like it did next to nothing at the time. I just couldn't take the side-effects and I've done war with drugs. I start moclobemide in a couple of weeks and I'm very hopeful about that. I'll let everyone know how that goes. Well, hang in there Scott -- as if that hasn't been your life so far :)
Good Luck,
Jon
Posted by jaby on August 11, 2002, at 13:26:17
In reply to Nardil - What can you add to it? - Need ideas!, posted by SLS on August 10, 2002, at 9:06:49
SLS,
I hate to do this, but I'm going to write, but not give a suggestion on what you were asking...I would like to know, however, if you have ever tried ECT. It seems to me that if you have been unable to work 12 years because of your problems, then it would definitely be something to look into. My little sister went from a "grave" catatonic state to just having left for Mexico for 6 months as a result of ECT primarily.I am in your exact position it seems. I am giving one last tweaking of a drug (lamictal) which provided me full relief of my symptoms for just a few weeks. After 5 years I had been totally cured. Again, beautiful but creul.
I am likely going to try the MAOI's and if no luck, I'm on to ECT myself. If you have had ECT, please let me know what you experienced.
Thanks.
This is the end of the thread.
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