Posted by TSA West on April 9, 2002, at 6:51:30
In reply to Effexor + Adafrinil?, posted by Anna Laura on April 9, 2002, at 3:15:13
I read your post with interest...
COMBINATIONS, SSRIs, CALCIUM, B6, ALPRAZOLAM, CHASTEBERRY
*COMBINATION(S): Since Effexor can be safely combined with Adrafinil's relative Modafinil, I assume judiciously that Effexor can be combined with Adrafinil. It is recommended that you have liver enzymes double-checked on Adrafinil though.
*SSRIs and FIGHTING FATIGUE: I assume you have tried SSRIs before, during, and after PMDD symptoms. So far, all studies but one have found that SSRIs as well as clomipramine decrease emotional and physical symptoms of PMDD and produce an overall moderate to marked improvement in up to 70% of patients compared with response rates of about 20% with placebo and 30% with reboxetine and TCAs--you mentioned imipramine and amitriptyline. If the side-effects from SSRIs were too much for you during every-day continuous therapy with them, you may be able to get away with just taking Fluoxetine (**which could provide the wakefulness you desire**) during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle: Several recent preliminary studies have also shown that intermittent use of an SSRI-eg, during the luteal phase only-is at least as effective as continuous daily dosing.
THE B6 YOU TAKE IS GOOD: Vitamin B6 is about twice as likely as placebo to relieve symptoms of PMS (Wyatt KM, British Medical Journal 1999)
*ADD CALCIUM CARBONATE, if not already doing so: Calcium carbonate has been shown to decrease total symptom scores by 48% compared with a 30% reduction seen in the group on placebo (Thys-Jacobs S. Calcium carbonate and the premenstrual syndrome: effects on premenstrual and menstrual symptoms. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998).
*CHASTEBERRY: A formulation of chasteberry used in an appropriately designed study was well tolerated and more effective than placebo in decreasing symptoms of PMS. Most symptoms of PMS significantly improved with active treatment, and slightly more than half the women taking this herb experienced a substantial (>50%) decrease in overall symptoms {Journal of Family Practice, April 2001}.
*ALPRAZOLAM - Alprazolam, an antianxiety medication, may be potentially useful for some women with severe symptoms, but should be carefully considered because of side effects.
I wish you the best of happiness and health; in light of your only partial success with prescription medications, I recommend a combination of prescription and natural remedies.
--The Salvation Army A.R.C. Command: Producing quality Christians out of the most disadvantaged and destitute individuals--
poster:TSA West
thread:102491
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020408/msgs/102493.html