My wife who has PD and i went to see a consultant on Monday and he has said for her to take 1 tab per day of Rasagilene . Alongside the 4 sinemet she takes and the sitolapram ( anti depressant ) .I looked at the information on the Mayo clinics Website and the sitolapram isn't mentioned. What do you think ?
"Patients and Caregivers Clinician Explanation
Serious - Use Alternative
Potential for serious interaction; regular monitoring by your doctor required or alternate medication may be needed
citalopram oral and rasagiline oral
citalopram oral and rasagiline oral both increase affecting serotonin levels in the blood. Too much serotonin is a potentially life-threatening situation. Severe signs and symptoms include high blood pressure and increased heart rate that lead to shock. Combination may increase risk of potentially life-threatening reactions such as serotonin syndrome or neuroleptic malignant syndrome (a neurological disorder).
Thanks for the info and the link, we have not got the Rasagiline on prescription yet because our GP has not received the letter from the consultant. My wife will ring our GP and ask for an appointment and we will take the information with us. It may be that we can change antidepressants and then use the Rasagiline but we will see.......nothing is straight forward with PD !!!! But you never know our GP or Pharmacist may have spotted the problem. Anyway thanks to you we are aware of the problem and i will let you know how we get on
Years ago when was depressed I took several antidepressants.How depressing those years were.lolThe more I took the worse i got till I found Dr. Low.That was over twenty years ago and now even with PD stage 3 and myoclonus I still enjoy a mind free from fear and doubt.Right now i don't even have a doctor other than a VA primary.Hopefully I can find a doctor someday that will be sincere in helping me.
Sometimes i think maybe it's the message I bring to people that they can overcome emotional distress and avoid the stigma of mental illness.Without the need for long term psychiatric meds of course.
It's amazing how changing one's thoughts and moving your muscles can overcome so much emotional distress.
A thought brings it on and a thought takes it away
If you have not developed any worrying symptoms by now, I would assume you are not one of those affected and need not worry.
When a drug reaction is classified as "serious" it means a high number of patients experience serious , potentially life-threatening side effects.
Where this is known and warnings published, it is not right , in my opinion, for doctors to let patients take part in the Russian roulette of finding out if they will be the unlucky one.
There are other, safer anti-depressants.
I have always understood anti-depressants are for short-term use only and other talking therapies such as cognitive behaviour approaches offer a non-drug solution.
My husband and I benefited from a variety of counselling sessions including learning mindfulness techniques.
Too many doctors push pills at the anxious and depressed patient, in my opinion.
They have a useful role in getting one over the initial , bottom of the pit stage of depression and lift the mood sufficiently to allow other strategies to be explored.
If you feel well and have confidence in your doctor, it is your decision to keep on the path you are on or look at alternatives.
Have been in touch with our GP today and my wife is coming off the citalopran and going on mirtazapine before taking rasigiline. JUJU i am glad to hear that you are having no bad effects from them meds. Goldengirl our GP new about the citalopran/rasigiline problems but i took her a print out anyway, maybe i should send one to the consultant !!!!!
I am so pleased things have been sorted, Billywhizz.
I do hope your wife responds well to the meds and feels better soon.
I am so cross that neuros do not keep on top of necessary info when prescribing....after all, many PWPs suffer from depression as part of the Parkinsons package.
How do we stop doctors risking patients' wellbeing?
Well, things have progressed and now he has been prescribed Rivastigimine due to narrowing of the blood vessels in his brain ....
..... which has caused memory loss and confusion over some time. At least we now have a diagnosis after the CT scan and some sort of progress with medication, maybe?
Today I am going to start to reduce the Citalopran until I am not taking it at all. It will probably take a number of weeks. I am hoping that I don't and won't need them anymore
Good luck JUJU, my wife is slowly coming off Citalopran (30mg) and then going on Mirtazapan but she is going to try just half a tab (15mg), in readiness for the addition of Rasigiline to work alongside the sinemet. Fingers crossed the change in meds works
Go slow with the reduction of Citalopran it can be a shock to the system, today I have started the ball rolling to get me off Zoplicone from full strength 7.5 mg to 3.5 mg, will probably take three months but better to gently do it as to quick to much of a shock to system.
I wish you both luck let me know how you get on xx BB
Finding them less effective again actually take and get no sleep at all some nights want some normality back into my sleep pattern I know it will be hard but whilst out of work best time to do it.