I have been diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder, most of the time having spent on the 'dark side' with treatment resistant depression. A course of ECT and a prescription of Parnate seems to have helped that side of the equation, but I've had to stop taking anything like Concerta, etc. which really really helped with the other issue of focus and anxiety. Doctor reluctant to stop Parnate since nothing else has worked, but it's a hollow victory, I'm afraid. Thoughts?
Any ADD type drugs that I can take with an MAOI?
- Asked
- 1 Mar 2011 by goodguy9544
- Updated
- 10 Jul 2012
- Topics
- parnate, depression, bipolar disorder, prescription
Responses (4)
Hi, what I have found is that if a doctor doe's not help or listens to me I find another doctor.I have had the doctor that put me on meds for all my problems and he never told me about side effects or how hard it would be to get off them . Never did blood work on me. So I went to another doctor and he is weening me off the effexor. It is very hard. Sometimes doctors just say take a pill and they think that is going to fix everything and there are times when it does. I think you know your body and how you feel. I told my doctor one time that I feel bloated from the meds and he said that was not from the meds but when I went off I felt better .This was another one not the Effexor. I think everyone should listen to what their body is telling them. Hope things work out for you. I am here if you need to talk. I am having a hard time right now with the withdrawels.
Hi GoodGuy,
Ask your doctor about Tenex/Intuniv (Tenex is the standard formulation, Intuniv is extended release). These are high blood pressure medications that have also been approved for ADHD. They are generally regarded as being best for impulsive behaviors associated with ADHD. Note that they act in a very different way than the stimulants used to treat ADHD so there is certainly no guarantee they will be as effective for you as Concerta. But they can be used with an MAOI so it's worth a discussion with your doctor.
Good luck.
I take 80 mg Parnate per day and also take stimulants for Narcolepsy. I've never had any problems. I currently take Adderall, but have also taken Ritalin, Concerta and I tried Provigil and Nuvigil.
It's a good idea to monitor your Blood Pressure though, so buying your own BP monitor is a something you may want to do.
If you have further questions, feel free to ask.

Further Information
- Parnate Information for Consumers
- Parnate Information for Healthcare Professionals (includes dosage details)
- Side Effects of Parnate (detailed)
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Thanks. I hear what you're saying about doctors and their biases. I think maybe they get locked into one way of seeing things and 'since this approach has worked before in similar situations' it's probably the best choice again--so you fall into habits and forget that people really really have difference chemistry (and even that changes over time with the person). I'm sorry you're having a rough time with effexor--that was the hardest one I ever had to get off of. It was really tough. This sounds stupid but for me taking fast walks in the fresh air and drinking pure water and lots of it helped (or maybe it just took my mind off the 'mental zaps' that I had to contend with.) Good luck with that. I know it's not easy and you're to be commended for doing what you feel needs to be done.