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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by iforgotmypassword on January 12, 2013, at 16:20:48
Hi.
I hope I don't make this long.
I take a lot of lorazepam to function, this is not workable. I use it for both severe anxiety in public situations and to be able to think fluidly / initiate / relieve movement symptoms. Disinhibition it causes appears to be what I rely on for relief of both motor and cognitive complaints.
I already use memantine in an attempt to diminish it's use, avoid contribution to tolerance. It's effect is distinct from lorazepam, but it helps. I feel like if I took more it may help. Amantadine added on also further diminished my movement complaints, but I also had minor visual effects, which seems to be a consequence of mixing nmda antagonists, incl. herbs that incl nmda antagonism in their effects (like boiled asian cat's claw / gou teng) Amantadine also causes a strange visible vascular skin condition over time in an alarming amount of people, seems to be far more toxic the higher the dose, and is actually the less weird of the two.
Unfortunately, memantine in my doctor's practice is the weirder more off-label of the options, which is understandable, it got fda clearance as a dementia drug where even it's use as a dementia drug is questioned. It's off label use may even just still be becoming known, it isn't cleared for alcoholism like acamprosate, and doesn't have the seniority of amantadine. Doses up to 40mg seem common, anecdotally and in journals, one preparation being studied for an indication that I don't remember used 28mg of memantine.
What would be more useful is if there is more monograph-like instructions for prescribing that high. This may help my doctor feel better about the idea if I ask about it.
Thank you.
Posted by g_g_g_unit on January 16, 2013, at 0:04:49
In reply to documentation of memantine dosing over 20mg/d, posted by iforgotmypassword on January 12, 2013, at 16:20:48
I'm really sorry, I can't answer your question, but I was wondering if I could ask you something.
How are you currently taking your Memantine dose, i.e. all at once (and if so, roughly what time during the day?), or are you splitting it into two equal doses?
Weirdly enough, doses lower than 20mg caused agitation, dysphoria and increased anxiety in me. I had given up on the drug but in a last-ditch attempt recently tried taking 10mg b.i.d. I found my mood was more stable on the drug than it had been at lower doses, and it seemed to have a more noticeable effect on ruminating thoughts.
Unfortunately, because I'm so depressed, my wake-time varies anywhere from 10am-1pm, meaning the times I was dosing varied quite drastically (10mg upon waking and 10mg at 6pm). I noticed the cognitive effects/spaciness hadn't disappeared after a week and wonder if my erratic dosing contributed.
I've been wondering if, given the half-life, I could just take 20mg everyday at, say 1pm. I know people who take it for AMP tolerance suggest splitting it in two doses, but anyway ..I digress..
This is the end of the thread.
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