Posted by Wayne R. on September 19, 1999, at 10:56:16
I continue to experience miraculous relief of my depression since having augmented an SSRI antidepressant with Naltrexone (ReVia). However, I also have noticed that many have not shared in my success. I would like to offer some tips to anyone who is interested in trying Naltrexone augmentation. Remember, I am not a doctor, only a patient that has had a successful experience. Also, there is no guarantee that even if you follow these tips that this augmentation will work for you.
Understand the augmentation strategy. Naltrexone has only been shown to augment SSRI type antidepressants. Work with your Dr. to select an appropriate SSRI for you. If you have been around and around the SSRI loop, choose the one that worked best or had the least side effects. You and your Dr. should review the following links for background information.
Augmentation of Antidepressants with Naltrexone
http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/split/Aug-antidep-with-naltrex.htmlUS Patent 5512593: Composition and method of treating depression using natoxone or naltrexone in combination with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
http://www.patents.ibm.com/details?pn10=US05512593Dry out. I believe you can have very unpredictable results if you are on any other medications. Knowing my sensitivity to meds, I tapered off all medications I was on and “dried out” for 2 weeks. It can be nasty, but then you are starting with a clean slate. Again, work with your Dr. to do what is right for you.
Start the SSRI first. After the drying out period, I took the SSRI medication by itself for 10 days to let the levels stabilize. Again, your Dr. can help determine the time period for your particular med.
Add the Naltrexone slowly. The ultimate target dosage for Naltrexone is usually 25 or 50 mg per day, but start out very gradually. I broke a single 25 mg tablet into 8 fragments and sorted them by size. I took the smallest the first day, and so on, and then broke another into larger fragments and continued up. If things get tough, stay at the same fragment size for a few days until you system adjusts.
Wishing everyone my miracle… Wayne
poster:Wayne R.
thread:11770
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990914/msgs/11770.html