![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 15:57:14
I haven't seen much about this topic on this board, and was therefore wondering: is there a nasty withdrawal associated with coming off of an MAOI, like there is with Effexor, or Paxil?
Posted by spike4848 on December 29, 2001, at 16:35:55
In reply to MAOI withdrawal???, posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 15:57:14
because MAOI provide so much energy, I found after stopping nardil .... I felt I was walking in molasses. No energy, sleepying all day. I also found I was more sensitive to stimuli .... sounds, lights, etc. ON THE PLUS SIDE, all the side effects were 100% reversed. No more sexual side effects, all the weight gain came off in 6 weeks, no more insomnia and my memory improved.
Spike
Posted by shelliR on December 29, 2001, at 21:26:49
In reply to MAOI withdrawal???, posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 15:57:14
> I haven't seen much about this topic on this board, and was therefore wondering: is there a nasty withdrawal associated with coming off of an MAOI, like there is with Effexor, or Paxil?
I've been on and off nardil for many years (mostly on) and I've never had any withdrawal symptoms that I'm aware of in getting off. For example, I'm certain that I did not have the flu-like symptoms described by most people withdrawing from SSRIs.
I've also never been on that high a dose of nardil, (mostly 30mg daily--up to 45mg), but I would still think that I would get the same reaction going on as someone else who was tapering to 30mg then off.
shelli
Posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 22:50:09
In reply to MAOI withdrawal???, posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 15:57:14
Well... I'd have to say that from what the two of you have written, it sounds like the MAOIs don't have the nasty discontinuation syndromes of the SSRIs, and some of the tricyclics. This, at least, is consoling. Living without sex and with major weight gain is not.
Posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 22:53:14
In reply to Re: MAOI withdrawal???, posted by spike4848 on December 29, 2001, at 16:35:55
Spike:
Sorry to bother you more, but you seem to have a lot of experience with the MAOIs. Did you find the sexual dysfunction to be dose dependent, or was it basically an on-off switch: i.e., 1mg of Nardil erased your libido?
Was the weight gain dose-dependent at all for you?
What are you like off of meds: a mess, or just not happy?
Bob
Posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 22:54:45
In reply to Re: MAOI withdrawal??? » bob, posted by shelliR on December 29, 2001, at 21:26:49
Shelli:
Did you ever notice a dose-dependent effect with regard to weight gain or sexual dysfuntion?
Do you have any experience with Parnate?
Thanks,
Bob
Posted by spike4848 on December 30, 2001, at 17:12:03
In reply to Re: MAOI withdrawal??? » spike4848, posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 22:53:14
> Spike:
>
> Sorry to bother you more, but you seem to have a lot of experience with the MAOIs. Did you find the sexual dysfunction to be dose dependent, or was it basically an on-off switch: i.e., 1mg of Nardil erased your libido?
>
> Was the weight gain dose-dependent at all for you?The only mood benefits I saw was at 60 mg per day, which is about .7 mg/kg for me. This is also where I started to see side effects, weight gain-insomnia-sexual side effects. I tried 45 mg, 52.5 mg, and 55 mg per day without benefit, but without side effects. So it really didn't seem dose dependant, more like on/off switch. Doc use to think people needed at least 80% MAO inhibition for benefits-and would check blood levels for that.
I saw a journal article once that stated most people needed a dose which also gave them the side effect of insomnia. Actually the author suggested that REM suppression was the mode of action of MAOIs.
>
> What are you like off of meds: a mess, or just not happy?
>
Off meds-moderately depressed with occassional panic attacks, difficult to get out of bed ..... no mania, no delusions, no ocd. I surf the web ALOT and read psych books looking for a way out of the depression. I definately come to p-babble for support/information.Spike
Posted by Elizabeth on December 30, 2001, at 17:40:27
In reply to MAOI withdrawal???, posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 15:57:14
> I haven't seen much about this topic on this board, and was therefore wondering: is there a nasty withdrawal associated with coming off of an MAOI, like there is with Effexor, or Paxil?
I've never experienced SRI withdrawal, but I've been through some pretty bad -- and protracted -- MAOI withdrawals, and I know of other people who have too. The symptoms included fatigue, lack of energy, moodiness, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, and REM rebound (e.g., intense, vivid nightmares). Benzos can help with some of this.
-elizabeth
Posted by shelliR on December 30, 2001, at 20:19:02
In reply to Re: MAOI withdrawal??? » shelliR, posted by bob on December 29, 2001, at 22:54:45
> Shelli:
>
> Did you ever notice a dose-dependent effect with regard to weight gain or sexual dysfuntion?I didn't experience weight gain per say. When I started I was very young and had lost much weight due to depression. I took nardil for so long that I didn't identify it with weight gain, but looking back I think it was absolutely responsible for carbohydrate cravings. In my experience, if I didn't start with carbos, I was fine and my weight was under control. But once the sugar mechanism in me was on, it was impossible to control.
As to side effects, the good news is that for me nardil at 30-45mg did not effect me sexually that I was aware of, anyway. Well, more specifically, when I wasn't in a relationship I tended not to have much sexual feeling, but in a relationship, it would definitely kick in. I do feel now, not on nardil, that I'm more aware of sexual feelings in general; I'm assuming that doesn't have to do with being on methadone, but it's hard to know for sure until I go off again of methadone.
> Do you have any experience with Parnate?I tried parnate for a several weeks last summer after nardil had pooped out and I couldn't tolerate the fatigue.
Shelli
Posted by spike4848 on December 30, 2001, at 21:34:02
In reply to Hey Bob, posted by spike4848 on December 30, 2001, at 17:12:03
>
> > Spike:
> >
> > Sorry to bother you more, but you seem to have a lot of experience with the MAOIs.Never a bother, never a bother. Check out this site:
http://www.vh.org/Providers/Conferences/CPS/19.html
I thought it was very informative.
Spike
Posted by ben on January 1, 2002, at 10:25:06
In reply to Re: Hey Bob, posted by spike4848 on December 30, 2001, at 21:34:02
How about withdrawal of Moclobemide ?
> >
> > > Spike:
> > >
> > > Sorry to bother you more, but you seem to have a lot of experience with the MAOIs.
>
> Never a bother, never a bother. Check out this site:
>
> http://www.vh.org/Providers/Conferences/CPS/19.html
>
> I thought it was very informative.
>
> Spike
Posted by spike4848 on January 1, 2002, at 12:27:11
In reply to Re: RIMAs like Moclobemide (Manerix), posted by ben on January 1, 2002, at 10:25:06
> How about withdrawal of Moclobemide ?
Sorry, no information on that.
Spike
Posted by IsoM on January 1, 2002, at 13:03:24
In reply to Re: RIMAs like Moclobemide (Manerix), posted by ben on January 1, 2002, at 10:25:06
Ben, Manerix is the only MAOI that I've taken in mmy long list of ADs. I have had horrible times getting off SSRIs in the past & even with TCAs, if I forgot my dose for the day, would get very sick. So I seem to be very sensitive to stopping ADs.
But with Manerix, I took it for a few months. Unfortunately, it didn't help - my irritation grew into rage instead. When I stopped Manerix, I had absolutely no withdrawal or discontinuation problems at all - NOTHING! I don't know anyone else personally who's taken Manerix so I can only speak from my own experiences.
***************************************************************************************************
> How about withdrawal of Moclobemide ?
>
> > >
> > > > Spike:
> > > >
> > > > Sorry to bother you more, but you seem to have a lot of experience with the MAOIs.
> >
> > Never a bother, never a bother. Check out this site:
> >
> > http://www.vh.org/Providers/Conferences/CPS/19.html
> >
> > I thought it was very informative.
> >
> > Spike
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.