Posted by Triss on February 4, 2002, at 15:33:57
In reply to Re: Lithium Augmentation of Nardil, posted by petters on January 30, 2002, at 1:07:02
> Hi...
>
> Litium augmentation of any antidepressant, will make the antidepressant to work better. In other world it often boost or replenish the antidepressant effect.
>
> Litium in combintation with MAO-inhibitior is an usuall combination in bipolar disorder or refractary depression.
>
> Best Wishes...//Petters
(Written and saved Friday, Feb. 1) Thanks for your input and kind interest. Being that my pdoc increased my Nardil from 75 mg to 90 mg last week, I'm beginning to feel more positive about life and less wistful of the past, etc., and I am able to relax in relative emotional comfort in the evening when by myself at home. But this little benefit is at great cost to my self-identity as a thinking, alert and attentive, ‘able-to-remember-information’ human being and worker. Instead of being better off, this last week I've spent a horrible time getting through *work as I'm feeling SO heavily "drugged" and "intoxicated". Even my sense of balance is off... similar to what it's like when a person is, both, a bit drunk and drowsy, at the same time.*{I am only so very fortunate that the ward where I work is currently very light (in terms of patient to staff ratio. Plus my coworkers and superiors are aware and supportive of my current struggle to beat this depression.}
The use of coffee barely 'cuts through' the present extreme, half-awake, dopiness. Today, out of desperation I did a no-no and tried a fraction of a tablet of Dexedrine (my pdoc would ‘abandon’ treating me in disgust if he were to find this out) to try to salvage some of this day by 'waking me up' and clearing my head a little. [Recall that Dexedrine or any other noradrenergic type stimulant is normally contraindicated for anyone taking an MAO-inhibitor due to the dangerous risk of excessive noradrenergic stimulation; the risks of which entail the likes of serious rise in blood pressure, excessive heart rate, and theoretically at least, some increased risk for spontaneous ventricular-fibrillation (though I don't think any of these are likely to occur when careful monitoring of vital signs and skillful caution is exercised).] Previous to stopping the old Luvox-Dexedrine combo and starting on this MAO-inhibitor, my morning dose of Dexedrine was 40 mg. In contrast, today I took one-eighth of a tablet (0.625 mg). However, when it became clear that 1/8th of a tablet didn't do anything (not increasing my blood-pressure or heart-rate at all) I took another 1/8th tablet, after which I experienced some (though very little) increase in alertness, concentration, and wakefulness. My heart rate and blood pressure rose only slightly.
Update Sunday, Feb. 4: I’ve stopped using trazodone to get to sleep at night. (With my pdoc’s approval/direction, I was using 1/4 of a tablet, or 12.5 mg trazodone to counter insomnia.) Since then I’ve noticed less of the above problem of being so mentally addled (though it is still there; only less disabling now). Now (sigh), to find an alternative way of dealing with the problem of the MAO-inhibitor (i.e. Nardil) related insomnia...
Triss
poster:Triss
thread:88818
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020131/msgs/92848.html