Posted by SLS on February 11, 2013, at 22:03:00
In reply to Re: Doctor today, posted by jono_in_adelaide on February 11, 2013, at 16:46:58
> I was thinking if i try Nardil + nortriptyline, I would take the nort back to 25mg a day and build it up over 2 weeks or so along with the Nardil.
That sounds like a reasonable strategy to me. Just remember that there is a delay of 3 - 7 days between an increase in Nardil dosage and peak pharmacological effect; not to be confused with therapeutic effect. I suggest caution when assessing the magnitude of side effects after a dosage increase. You really need to wait. It has been my observation that most people need a minimum of 60 mg/day of Nardil to receive optimum therapeutic results. You might need as much as 90 mg/day. I would suggest waiting 3 weeks between dosage increases beginning at 60 mg/day to evaluate treatment effect; 1 week to establish peak MAO inhibition and 2 weeks to allow for the emergence of a therapeutic response.
I need 90 mg/day of Nardil and 150 mg/day of nortriptyline to receive an improvement of depression. For me, 90 mg represents 1 mg per Kg of body weight. I think most people end up at 75 mg/day when treating severe depression. I do not find that combining Nardil and nortriptyline allows me to take lower dosages of each drug when compared to monotherapy. If a dosage of 75 mg/day of nortriptyline is necessary to produce results in the absence of Nardil, you will most likely need 75 mg/day when combined with it.
If there is any residual anxiety after establishing optimal drug dosing, you might need to bring in a third drug. I would consider Zyprexa, Klonopin, Ativan, or Neurontin. Neurontin is a GABA releaser. If Nardil inhibits GABA deactivation, GABA stores should increase. When combined with increased release, you might glean a robust anxiolytic effect. At least, that's how I drew it up on my chalkboard.
How do you know that you are not bipolar? Does the word "agitation" ever apply? I have no reason to believe that you are overtly bipolar, but perhaps you lie along the bipolar spectrum. This might explain the residual anxiety you experience if you are in a mixed state. Alternatively, you can be suffering from comorbid depression and GAD, in which case your taking Nardil is an ideal choice.
As I have said before, I have little doubt that you will figure it out.
Good luck.
- ScottSome see things as they are and ask why.
I dream of things that never were and ask why not.- George Bernard Shaw
poster:SLS
thread:1037806
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130205/msgs/1037897.html