Posted by Elizabeth on March 30, 2001, at 20:15:28
In reply to Re: ML Opiates and Treatment resistant Psychiatrists » Elizabeth, posted by SLS on March 30, 2001, at 9:14:57
> Hi Elizabeth.
Hi!
> I hope all is well with you.
Getting there.
> Are you still taking Parnate?
Yes, but just 30mg/day.
> How long have you been taking buprenorphine, and how do you feel it has helped you?
How long...hmm, I must have started it again around Christmas, so that would be 3 months, not counting the time I was in the hospital (3 weeks -- different thread).
It helps tremendously with negative symptoms, such as anhedonia and anergia, that the Parnate doesn't touch. It also lifts my mood, of course. (I don't know at what dose the ceiling effect occurs, but I am apparently nowhere near it.) And, although this effect seems to be unique to me, it is very activating with no period of sedation or "nodding."
The side effects are a big down side, and I do worry about tolerance. Supposedly, delta antagonists can prevent tolerance. I wonder if anybody is working on developing a mixed mu agonist/delta antagonist?
> Would you consider yourself to be at all depressed at this point?
I'm not at 100% yet, no. A problem with bupe for me is that it's short-acting, so I get a lot of ups and downs throughout the day. Another problem is that the disastrous condition of the stock market has led many manufacturers to cut down production of drugs, and unusual drugs like bupe are the first ones to go, so I've been having a hard time finding it. (Most pharmacies don't carry it, of course, but now I'm finding that the wholesalers are all out of it too.)
> I hope you don't mind listing them, but I would like to know what medication you are currently taking and at what dosages. I am still nowhere near where I need to be to go back to work.
I know what you mean.
Parnate 10mg tid
buprenorphine 0.3mg tid
Claritin 20mg qd
docusate 100mg tid
iron and calcium supplements
Metamucil whenever possible
a bunch of random stuff prn
poster:Elizabeth
thread:57821
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010327/msgs/58155.html