Switching From Nardil - Any Suggestions?

I've been on Nardil for a little over 7 weeks and have decided to stop taking the medication. The main reason is the cost. I don't have insurance, and even the generic was about $90 for a months supply. This was only for 60mg/day and I've read many people need even higher doses than that for 2 months or more to see any effects. I would have loved to give this a full try to see the benefits, but I simply can't afford it.

So now on to something else. In the past 12 years I've tried about 5 different SSRI's which didn't do anything, Remeron which I was a zombie on (could barely function/stay awake the following day), Wellbutrin and Buspar with no luck, Ritalin, Adderall (was ok, but pooped out and didn't notice a big help in depression or anxiety), Klonopin (which I take at night to help me sleep, but makes me too tired and out of it to take during the day). So at this point I'm basically down to an SNRI like Venlafaxine (Effexor) or a Tricyclic like Nortriptyline (Pamelor).

My psychiatrist was leaning towards the Nortriptyline, mainly because Effexor usually has serious sexual side effects (which is what I've hated the most about all meds, even Nardil) along with some other sides.

Has anyone had any luck with either med? Would it even be worth trying the Effexor - do the positive effects outweigh the negative or is there anyway around the sexual side effects? Any advice or even suggestions on possible other meds would be greatly appreciated! (If you have other med suggestions it would have to have a fairly cheap generic version). Thanks!

Sorry to hear your situation. I have wanted to try Nardil for a long time. I have the diet part down, just need to get a prescription if possible. How long does it take to feel the effects of Nardil? Did you notice a change using it? If you haven't already, ask your Dr. what he thinks of Depakote. It is on the top of my most wanted to try med list ATM. Good luck with whatever path you choose.

Marplan (Isocarboxazid) is another MAOI you may want to consider before leaving MAOIs for good. Its also indicated for phobias and stubborn anxieties and is a very good antidepressant. Milder and less dangerous of the MAOIs IMO. Goes well with a benzo.

Moclobemide would be the sensible switch, but because its better than other drugs, its not available in most countries

What happens is there is a opposite-world correlation with everything, including meds. So as a medication is more better with less toxicity, it is less popular, less used & in less countries

The more toxic, ineffective or worsening a medication is, the more popular & prescribed it is & the more countries it is in. Just like how the most untruthful message baord posts are liked the best and the most truthful ones are flamed. Just like the more dark & negative music lyrics are, the more popular and distributed a song is, etc etc etc -- everything is negative-based Opposite world

Your options to try include:

Moclobemide if you can get it,
Trileptal , the least toxic mood stablizer
Strattera, the Noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor that causes nausea with the first 3 doses

Im sorry to hear that SSRIs make you worse and that doctors for years and years give you meds that make you worse, yet still get paid, still sleep at night, and have no problem with this and do not even care due to their bizarre lack of empathy & being negatively programmed.

4-12 weeks.

When I was living in Australia I was paying $35 for nardil.

Now i'm living in Europe and i'm paying $120! There is no PBS here, and unfortunately nardil is not covered by health insurance as it has to be imported from the UK.

Despite the cost, I still think its worth it to not have depression/anxiety.

Imipramine and Trimipramine were good for me

Sure, maybe a TCA. How much is gabapentin? Also you could try a different benzo.

The original post is from 2011...

But, I'm going to recommend that if anyone has trouble paying for their prescriptions, it might be worth it to check out goodrx.com. They have coupons that could save you some money. Plus, they allow you to find the pharmacies with the cheapest price. I've found the prices to be accurate so far. You might have to be in the USA, though.