Posted by zonked on June 28, 2011, at 15:15:13
In reply to Re: nardil question re: low dose, posted by SLS on June 28, 2011, at 5:31:17
>
There are undocumented suggestions that after treating the acute depression, one can then lower the dosage to 15-30mg. This has not been my experience with Nardil. To maintain remission, I must continue chronically the dosage that was effecive acutely.
>Yeah, it's in the PDR/PI as well: "Maintenance dosage: After maximum benefit is obtained, usually in 26 weeks, slowly reduce dosage over several weeks to a maintenance level.100 a Maintenance dosage may be as low as 15 mg daily or every other day."
Everyone I know of who's tried to do this has had their symptoms return or relapse.
I have a theory (albeit a complex one) as to why, perhaps, this is true.
Perhaps it's not MAO inhibition alone that's responsible for the therapeutic effects of Nardil - perhaps we also need the active metabolites: PEA (which only "works" because the parent compound, phenelzine, inhibits MAO-B which ordinarily breaks down PEA) and/or Phenylethylidenehydrazine (the GABA-T inhibitor active metabolite.)
Similarly, perhaps the therapeutic effects of Parnate depend on its unique properties as well: In addition to MAO inhibition, it also acts as a dopamine releasing agent. Perhaps, in some folks, both actions are required for antidepressant effect.
Remember last year how we both failed on
Marplan (around the same time)? Marplan, to my knowledge, does not have any properties other than nonselective, irreversible inhibition of both MAO isoforms.Just a theory, one I will probably never be able to prove.
Glad we're both doing well this time around. Very glad. :-)
-z
poster:zonked
thread:989605
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110619/msgs/989687.html