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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by crabwalk on June 3, 2006, at 1:58:57
I tried ginkgo starting a year ago for about 3 months to undo the sexual dysfunction that ssris caused. I'd like to try it again with emsam; emsam seems to have a very small effect on libido for me, but I am still very numb sexually and emotionally, and ginkgo is one of the few things that people say works at least for the genital anesthesia part. Is taking ginkgo with an maoi a bad idea? I've read that it can potentiate the effects of maoi's, but also that it has no maoi activity itself. Anyone tried ginkgo with an maoi before?
Posted by crabwalk on June 3, 2006, at 1:58:57
In reply to taking ginkgo with emsam - a bad idea???, posted by crabwalk on June 2, 2006, at 9:51:26
Posted by Caedmon on June 3, 2006, at 1:58:57
In reply to taking ginkgo with emsam - a bad idea???, posted by crabwalk on June 2, 2006, at 9:51:26
I think the main interaction is just blood pressure stuff. Gingko biloba thins the blood and can lower blood pressure, which MAOIs can do as well. However, I think that with EMSAM, the hypotensive effects are not considered very significant. I might stop gingko intake before EMSAM and then start it again cautiously while also checking blood pressure. But I would check with a pharmacist.
- Chris
Posted by Declan on June 4, 2006, at 14:37:59
In reply to taking ginkgo with emsam - a bad idea???, posted by crabwalk on June 2, 2006, at 9:51:26
Does gingko aggravate insomnia?
Posted by crabwalk on June 4, 2006, at 15:09:47
In reply to Re: taking ginkgo with emsam - a bad idea??? » crabwalk, posted by Declan on June 4, 2006, at 14:37:59
Now I'm confused. I tried ginkgo for these past few days and it seemed to make my sexual numbness worse. Could have been a coincidence, but it felt like the serotenergic effect of emsam was augmented. Plus I had some GI effects. I stopped taking it. I don't know if it makes insomnia worse because mine is intense to begin with, on or off emsam. I used to take ginkgo with buspar a year ago and that was the best I had slept in awhile, but that's not saying much.
Posted by Declan on June 4, 2006, at 17:13:11
In reply to Re: taking ginkgo with emsam - a bad idea???, posted by crabwalk on June 4, 2006, at 15:09:47
Low dose tianeptine (2 tabs/d) has given me the best sleep I've had in years.
Posted by crabwalk on June 5, 2006, at 9:19:55
In reply to Insomnia » crabwalk, posted by Declan on June 4, 2006, at 17:13:11
Unfortunately I had a terrifying reaction to tianeptine, quite literally: it gave me nightmares and made me feel like I was on acid or mushrooms, a complete disaster. It also dried out my hair and skin and along with the nightmares my sleep was terrible and terrifying. This happened when I went up from 1 tab to 2 a day, on my birthday weekend no less. I had high hopes for it, but it turned out to be pure hell. Kind of unbelievable how bad it was since most people take it very well.
Posted by Declan on June 5, 2006, at 17:23:11
In reply to Re: Insomnia, posted by crabwalk on June 5, 2006, at 9:19:55
Wow, you wouldn't believe the differnces in responses to ADs. A lot of drugs affect people in more or less the same way; not ADs though.
Posted by crabwalk on June 6, 2006, at 11:09:39
In reply to Re: Insomnia » crabwalk, posted by Declan on June 5, 2006, at 17:23:11
Tell me about it. Individual responses even change over time. I took buspar for a few months and had only mild side effects. I stopped for a couple months then tried to take it again, and at half the original dose it caused bad akathisia, and I mean bad. It also caused a tremor in my hands that seems to be permanent.
Posted by linkadge on June 9, 2006, at 23:34:52
In reply to Re: Insomnia, posted by crabwalk on June 6, 2006, at 11:09:39
Unfortunately buspar has some antipsychotic like d2 antagonism. Gepireone is a much cleaner and more potent version. It should have been approved. It would have been a usefull tool.
Gingko may make emsam a little too stimulating. The effects of gingko on MAO have been disputed, though ginkgo can cause irritability and activation in some people.
I personally found that ginkgo improved sleep. It has a combination of 5-ht1a agonism and 5-ht2a antagonism, which may be benificial for sleep.
Long term use can have a restoritive effecton on the 5-ht1a receptor population. I found that a months use would sometimes restore responces to serotonergic antidepressants.
Unfortunately, the herb has some effects on acetylcholinsterase which may be part of its memory enhancing effects. This may worsen some types of depression.
Linkadge
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