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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Rocky-Exentric on November 17, 2008, at 10:32:57
i can not stay my life on xanax and ativan alone. though reluctant my shrink was, he suggested ixel (milnacipran) the drug is not available in us. this is my second day on 50mg bid. i could reduce xanax to 4 mg. don't know how it was made possible. still very much suicidal but willing to give one week to this med to know what it does for me. not many of you should have taken this and this was the only one i didn't try in the past. doc says it is different to common ssris because of its noradrenergic action. well who knows...milancipran 100mg plus xanax 4 mg along with ativan too at the same amount. but going down with xanax relieves me. i never thought this will be possible. is 4 mg xanax too high a dose? necessarily along with ativan? i am sure i can never get off this drugs, but will it be okay if milnacipran starts to kick in after one week?
i am moody at the time perhaps due to milancipran. i heard it causes moodiness at the initial stages but later brightens mood. again who knows...
any help with words...? i am really lost now. if anyone can help...?
Posted by Phillipa on November 17, 2008, at 13:04:38
In reply to Now on Milnacipran plus xanax..., posted by Rocky-Exentric on November 17, 2008, at 10:32:57
Easier said then done try and relax and don't be hard on yourself. you say you're suicidal? Should a trigger be here is your doc aware? Love Phillipa
Posted by Sigismund on November 17, 2008, at 13:07:13
In reply to Now on Milnacipran plus xanax..., posted by Rocky-Exentric on November 17, 2008, at 10:32:57
Is there evidence that 100mg/d Ixel is more effective than 50?
You may not be able to tolerate 100.
Posted by bleauberry on November 17, 2008, at 17:17:18
In reply to Now on Milnacipran plus xanax..., posted by Rocky-Exentric on November 17, 2008, at 10:32:57
100mg per day is usually the target dose but not the starting dose. Usually it is started at 25mg twice a day and increased to 50mg twice a day after a week. Some people have done well with just 25mg once a day. One study showed that when there was only partial or no response at 100mg, about 80% of those patients were in remission 6 weeks after going to 150mg.
For some of us the side effects are too much. The most common one I think is increased blood pressure. That didn't happen with me. My problem was urinary difficulty, or I should say, impossibility.
As with all meds, it really takes 6 to 8 weeks to see full effects kick in. For me I saw definite improvements beginning at the end of the 2 week mark. The very first day I got a good buzz from it, but that was just the initial norepinephrine boost, not the true therapeutic effect. The real effects seemed to be coming on at about 2 weeks, which was also the time I just had to bail out.
Your xanax and ativan could very likely be making your depression worse, or even causing it.
This is the end of the thread.
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