I'm in discussion with my pdoc and T about the possibility of trying the new Emsam (selegiline) patch, as the Cymbalta seems to be pooping out on me (I can try one more increase) Then an MAOI - which is what the Emsam patch is - is my next likely choice.
I'm wondering if anyone has tried it yet, and could share their experience with me.

I would also love to find out about anyone using the MAO patches.... Anyone out there with any experience or advice???

thanks ,
gigi

I too am very interested in anyone that gives EMSAM a try. Sounds very promissing for those with Treatment Resistent Depression (TRD). There are a few people trying it and posting on a different formum. Check out [pm poster for link] and go to the EMSAM posts.



This post has been edited by firelizardee: May 15 2007, 06:38 AM

I too am interested in experiences with this. Doc is weaning me off Lexapro now to start this in a couple of weeks...I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

please keep us posted! And best of luck.


gigi

Yes, Good luck w/ the taper and EMSAM trial. Please keep us posted on how it goes.

I have tried so many different meds...SSRI's, SNRI's, TCA's...you name it. I am just glad that there is a different class of medication to try. Will be off Lexapro by Tuesday, then one week with no meds at all, then I start the new stuff...I will for sure keep everyone updated.

Lisa

I have just started on Emsam. I just got weaned off of Cymbalta than had to be completely off of it for a short period. I just started the patch. Please let me know how it is doing for you.

Me too. I started the patch three days ago (6/24) after weaning off Cymbalta (which made me paranoid and have an incredibly urgent bladder!).

So far - no noticable effects or side effects...still feeling like crap on a crutch, but at least I don't think my sister is out to get me anymore. (At least not in the imaginary ways I concocted ;->)

This post has been edited by BrokenDownShell: Oct 27 2006, 10:10 AM

OKay....

So am I supposed to be whiny and cynical on this drug? I'm feeling terribly...NOT amused.

I did read somewhere that Emsam pushes out unhappiness before it starts pumping out happiness....well, isn't that a kick in the patootie?

This post has been edited by BrokenDownShell: Oct 27 2006, 10:13 AM

It's been 3 weeks now for me. Anyone having success with it?

This post has been edited by mbeth_67: Nov 1 2006, 11:32 PM

Isn't that just wonderful. I know I have been very down lately, but I have not had any of the noticable side effects. I am ready for it to pump out the happiness.

This post has been edited by mbeth_67: Nov 1 2006, 11:32 PM

Nine days, and I'm not finding any discernable difference. At least I'm not having the awful side effects of SSRIs and nontypicals....which for me was half the battle.

I wonder if it's time to go up to 9/24? How quickly are you supposed to increase doses?

I don't know I go back to the Doctor on Nov. 13. It seems like I am extremely emotional right now. Are any of you having that problem?

I suggest you give your doctor a call or make an appointment...they are the ones with the best advice regading meds.

Take care,
SO6

I've been on Emsam (6mg/24 hr) since Sept. 4. And loving it - I felt a little better within the first two weeks, I thought, but the best thing was no side effects which was amazing. Started feeling like life is worth living and I can really enjoy things again - the real noticeable change kicked in after about 3-4 weeks. The only problem is increasingly bad insomnia, which is really starting to build up. All I have to take for it is lorazepam, which I take as little and as infrequently as possible.

The doctor recommended more exercise - I think I'm a bit beyond that. I don't have trouble getting to sleep, but after the first hour or two, I wake up more and more often. Actually - at the beginning this was a good thing, as I lost my 2nd shift position and had to start working days - it made it easier to get to work in the morning. Not so good anymore, though. I'm really feeling the lack of sleep.

But I still feel more positive than I have in years (without being hypomanic, anxious, or naseaus all the time), so I hate to give up on the stuff!

Would love to hear about anyone else's experience with Emsam.

the only other minor problem is the red squares on my skin - sometimes they remain for days - but no irritation, just the redness. I can live with that.

Yes, I'm feeling quite emotional as well. I'm not certain if it's a particularly lousy menstrual cycle or the meds not quite kicking in the way they should. It's been just two weeks now...so maybe it's just starting to get into my system. I see the pdoc again in a week...so we'll see what he thinks.

The best thing I can say is that I'm not having the wealth of awful side effects I had with other antidepressants.

<sigh>

When am I supposed to feel better? I'm feeling worse.

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!

hi brokendown
i will post another about my own new experience with emsa, but b-d, i noticed you had another post in a different topic - something about 'when is the hospital..'
i guess i should have read your post but i haven't yet

i really feel for you - as a life-long depressive i've been thru the meds mill

BUT - when you are depressed long enough, we learn to live that way - we do have some responsibility to try to observe our behaviors and make an effort to change, esp when a med gives a leg up

if you haven't read "feeling good" by burns, MD, please do
it can help

your very signature shows just how you are clinging to a poor image of yourself - i DO know how impossible it seems make a dent there, but please read that (cognitive therapy) book and give it a shot - even if you hold manage to 'intercept' a few distorted thoughts a day, that's still progress and you'll have the knowledge that it was progress that YOU made, notwithstanding any meds

sorry to be so didatic - you truly have my heartfelt sympathy - please post again here and let us know how you are doing

best wishes

i took effexor for many years and it seemed to stop working - i felt that the med had improved my situation considerable - at least keeping me out of the real bottoms almost all the time
next was lexapro which i've used for at least the last 4 years - i liked the reduced side-effect profile but i continued to lack resolve, to be seemingly unable to apply my will to much of anything - i felt grateful that suicidal ideation had become pretty infrequent - "a good day is any one where i can function and not think of suicide'
but ya know - i felt like i wasn't getting anywhere except away from the really deep periods

so, in consult with the doc, i quit lexapro to go on emsam - after 7 days of washout - btw the withdrawal synptoms were mild and moderating over time (WAY WAY better than getting off of effexor!!) - i could have started the emsam but i chose - for the first time in whenever - to see how i did with no meds

big mistake - the 8th and 9th day were replete with symptoms, ideation, acting out, blah blah - i should add that this was made worse after a few cocktails - i take NO other meds for anything but i do drink

so, in a way, that was unpleasant but good - prety much proved that the old brain chem is indeed needy!

so today is day 3 on the lowest does emsam patch

i am concerned that i am just getting a placebo effect, BUT, all withdrawal symptoms from lexapro are gone, my outlook is vastly improved and i am actually finding some pleasure in things - the very fact that i chose to participate in a forum such as this (a first for me) makes me think that i am already being able to 'bend my will' to something

to hear that you have had even better results after a few weeks is cheery!

i hope this lasts and that it is a real benefit of the med, rather than just my own hoping it will

for me, insomnia will be an acceptable problem - and yes that does seem already to be happening some

Pdoc has taken me off the Emsam...I guess he was convinced by the five days of nearly non-stop crying.

I've frankly run out of antidepressants. We've hit every class - several drugs in each class, even.

I'm happy for those of you for whom Emsam works...but I'm especially sad for me.

On to the next thing....wonder what that will be?

Okay, so he only took me off it for two days - he did it by phone. This morning, he put me back on it, saying that it 'takes longer for MAOIs to work'. He wants me to give it another month.

That feels contrary to the anecdotal evidence seen here - folks seem to notice a difference within a week or so. Is this a case of YMMV? (Your Mileage May Vary)

If so...then I got a lemon for a body.

<sigh>

BDS and all on the MAOI Patch; I'm watching this topic very closely and I bet I'm not the only one on DF that is. Please continue to post and include the other meds you take, if any, so that you can really educate us all. Since this is a new delivery system of an old AD you are kinda like making history. Patients reviews mean more than MD's IMHO.

Wishing you all peace and freedom from the D-monster.

eve

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I started 10/31 and had one of the worst cycles of my life this month. I`m not sure what we`ll decide to do when I see the Dr. this week, but I`ve added Lamictal.

Hi folks, I just started using the emsam 6mg patch yesterday. How long does it take for most people to notice the drug's effects?

I tried the emsam patch but I drink alot of coffee, my doc said just to cut back on the coffee but there was still an interaction so I had to stop the patch.
Hope this emsam works for you, keep us updated.

will

This post has been edited by will: Jan 12 2007, 08:21 AM

Hi,

I just joined this site hoping to find other folk who are doing the EMSAM patch. This is day two for me.

ms fish

I started the EMSAM 6mg patch in December, upped to 9mg after 2 weeks, lots of energy, but too much, Doc was not too avalable. I was way too energized on 9mg and did 25 loads of laundry in 3 days, folded put away, and drawers sorted out, for a friend and her grandchildren!. Pulled out my back! Very drained at end of day but almost obsessive about it! Lowered dose back to 6 mg. Seems better, but don't think an 8 week interval between followups is a good idea!
One positive note- lower dose is not so energizing, but I'm a bit sleep challenged! I already have sleep apnea, and insomnia so it is a challenge! Another good thing is that interpersonal relationships do not end up in weeping episodes or over sensitivity episodes anymore. That is a wonderful relief. Did have episodes of food interactions and blood pressure increases, so sticking to the food regs is a good idea and not so terribly difficult!
Up to this point nothing else worked in 4 1/2 years of trying! Although having PTSD and dysthymia, and a major depressive disorder, High Blood pressure and hypothyoidism and sleep apnea which can cause depression itself because of all the health issues surrounding that, one wonders what contributes to what!
Don't find EMSAM particularly wonderful, but it does help! The next question will be should something else be added to it. Good luck!

hi everyone. i am starting the emsam 6/24 patch tonight, and looking forward to seeing if it works for me. i've been off lexapro for 3 horrible, dreadful weeks. didn't expect lexapro withdrawal to be so miserable, although not as bad as withdrawal from effexor and paxil, thank god! i am still taking adderral, although it's generally contraindicated w/emsam, i'm on a low dose (max 10 mg 2X day), and it has really worked well for my add. also still taking ativan to control my outbursts. i will keep you all posted. i wish more people were taking this so i could get a better idea of what to expect...oh well. i'll post again soon!

Hi! I've been on the 6mg/24hr Emsam patch now for 24 days and I do see a little improvement. I have some days where I have energy and am able to do what I want. Then, I have other days where I feel like the patch isn't working! Pdoc wants to up the dose to the 9mg/24hr and I'm kinda scared because of the restrictions. I've been told to give it more time to work, but I don't know. The only side effects that I've really noticed is increased appetite, bad dreams, and I tend to wake up early and not be able to go back to sleep. I also take Xanax XR for the anxiety and Seroquel at night. Hope this works for you!

tnmom

Charlotte;

Tomorrow I go to new Dr and will request emsam as it's all I have left to try for Major Unipolar Depression. Am so happy to read your post & truly hoping Emsam is working for you.

I also could not believe how awful getting off of Lexapro was. Also had terrible W/D from Parnate, among others, in the past. I have TRD (treatment resistant depression) of many years plus ADD, the inattentive, non-hyper active type.

Didn't know that adderall was contraindicated w/ emsam as I have heard several people who take both do well. I wish you would post tonight. I need all of the push I can get to help me put one foot in front of the other and get to the Dr tomorrow! Depression is evil and it will paralyze me if I am complacent.

I am hoping for energy to help w/ work. I am so behind now I am not sure I can ever catch up. Most day's I know I'd be doing myself a favor if I'd just lie down and die. It would be a relief. As it is I die a small deaths everyday.

Hope to hear from you and all other's who have tried taking Emsam or Selegiline tabs, capsuls or liquid. Please post your positive & negative experiences here and help Charlotte and I get through this. Not feeling so alone if this med works, and especially if it does not, could save a life.

Thank You! eve

Remission; Thank's for the web site address. I feel very stupid but I am unable to navigate that site and cannot find EMSAM posts. Is Dr. Bob's web site difficult to use for anyone else? I feel like just giving up, I am so frustrated.

eve

This post has been edited by firelizardee: May 15 2007, 06:36 AM

Yes, it is very difficult to use. Not user-friendly at all. Yet, I'm not sure it's a bad set-up. It probably is more effective than most message boards, which is why it's never been changed.

You get to see the latest postings on the main page. If you click on a posting you can trace it back to the original post and all replied. Going back an looking through "achives" is difficult. However, using the seach option tends to get you more relevant posts than most message boards. I'm not sure why.

It's a nice place because there's such a rapid turn over and response rate. A lot of people there are self-taught (some professionally taught too) "drug experts". You can get a lot of good input and advice there. People of all ages, backgrounds, and with different disorders post (although depression and anxiety and the main complaints).

This post has been edited by firelizardee: May 15 2007, 06:36 AM

Tried it, didn't work for me.

I've been taking Emsam patch sice Feb 06 it has been very good for me. Have tons of energy. Over the past year and a half I have had to increase dosage to the 12/40 mg patch. I also take Kilonapin and Seroquel at bedtime to help sleep and get better rest. With the increased energy I started walking, exercising have lost weight 58 lb. to date, feel very good most of the time. I feel better so I want to do more. Pray it continues to work.
I wanted to know if anyone else has had trouble with the patch not staying stuck or coming off during the day? I live in the deep South so its hot and humidity is greater than in some other places.
Otherwise great experience with Emsam.

I didn't have much trouble with it coming off.

Dear grayycoyote;

This is music to my ears! After several false starts I believe Iwill actually get the Ensams patch Rx'd tomorrow. I so hope with all my heart that it works for me as it has for you! I would love to know everything about it. Do you mind sharing your diagnosis? Mine is Unipolar Depression (regular Depression) w/ some anxiety and severe insomnia.

How long after you started taking it did it begin to help you? The tons of energy really amazes me and I need that so much! So glad that it has been helping you for well over a year now! Congradulations on the weight loss! Are you now better able to get things done around the house and/or at work?

I am praying that Ensam continues to work for you 'greycoyote', as you have asked! I am so desperate for relief that yesterday I looked up the Patron Saints for Depression (this is not something i would ordinarily do, believe me) and on the list are 'Saint Chritina The Amazing' and 'Saint Michelina', among other's. I'm going to pray to both Saints to intercede for us graycoyote.
In all honesty, I must confess that I gave up prayer long ago, so it may take a while to get through, if indeed that is possible. However, I am going to start thinking it is possible right now b/c (if I remember correctly from long ago religious studies) it is all about you having FAITH that your prayer will be answered. I usually see things in a more scientific manner but amm now inviting spiritual back in!

When you suffer from Depression for so long it is hard to believe in God or a 'high power', however if Ensam and Prayer work for me I will praise God and be his servant 'til the day I die! AMEN!


I'm not sure if you actually meant prayer to a High Power when you asked for prayers 'gray', but it was fate or a coincidence coming a day after my searching out of sheer desperation for a patron saint for depression, so I am going for it!

Please pray for me too! Your posting today was a gift to me! Yes, maybe even from God! I'm going out on a limb here...but I do so want to believe!

Please post often and I will contact you if OK for support, guidance if that is OK.

Sincere Thank's for you hopefully life changing post!

eve

To Eve and Graycoyote: I just got the go-ahead that I can start Emsam tomorrow!! I swear I have been sinking deeper and deeper, losing hope, going
through withdrawal from Cymbalta--and then a welcome voice on the phone told me my bloodwork came back ok, and to put on a patch--yay!! I'd
like to be a part of this Emsam discussion, since Graycoyote was so kind and supportive when I asked some questions about Emsam a while ago. I'd almost given up on God or the power of the universe--that's what depression does. I guess I had to go through this to be totally convinced that, yes, I AM chronically depressed. So now I am back praying again that the Emsam will be the answer... I think it's really important to let people know how we're doing on Emsam, getting into details and stuff. I'm hoping it'll all be good news.

I do have a question: does Emsam seem to kick in pretty quickly, or will I feel like this for a while longer? When will my head stop feeling fuzzy and clogged up? Does the Emsam make you feel more clear-headed? (Oh, that's two + questions--oh, well).