Emsam User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 20, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on 6 mg for a week now. I know I will probably need to be on 12 mg, as I think I'm probably one of the most rapid drug metabolizers there is, but I can tell things are different again. I've tried Prozac, Celexa, Effexor, Cymbalta, Wellbutrin, Trazodone, and the traditional MAOI Parnate, and the only one that helped at all was Parnate, which I stopped because of swollen ankles but actually started again this time when I withdrew from Cymbalta again before starting Emsam. Parnate and Emsam actually lower my BP. I also take 40 mg Adderall 3x a day and Claritin D and don't have hypertensive crisis or SS. MAOIs are the only AD that don't make me numb, and hopefully at 9 or 12 mg it will be great. I get upset easier, but I am happy easier too."

• Sun...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 29, 2021

For Depression "Excellent medication for treatment-resistant, severe, recurrent atypical depression. Expensive ($2000/mo retail), but I'm on disability for lifelong depression (since age 19 - I'm 54 now), so it costs $4. Got rid of my severe, lifelong depression; made me social again - kind of like a bright light switch being turned on in a dark, forgotten room. Girlfriend says it's like 'night and day.' Side effects: insomnia treated with low-dose quetiapine (Seroquel 100-175 mg); adhesive site reaction (itchy rash) prevented by using dry skin lotion to massage into the area between the patch and skin as it is slowly peeled off. Started at 6 mg/24 hr patch and increased to 9, then 12 mg/24 hr patch (maximum dose). Psychiatrists younger than about 60 tend to have little experience prescribing and managing MAO inhibitors, of which Emsam is one; even though MAOIs are the best antidepressants for treatment-resistant, severe, recurrent depression. Emsam (selegiline), Parnate, Nardil, and Marplan are US FDA approved."

• Dia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 29, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been taking Emsam 6 mg for almost two months. I initially was feeling pretty good, but the last 21 days I have been very depressed and full of anxiety. I have tried almost every other antidepressant, SNRI, and mood stabilizer. I also did two rounds of TMS. I really want this medicine to work and want to stay at the 6 mg because of the possible strokes from eating foods high in tyramine. I do suffer from insomnia but take clonazepam 0.5 mg, and that has helped. Just wish I knew why I have been so depressed and full of anxiety."

• Smi...
• April 24, 2019

For Depression "I don't need to go into detail here about how terrifying going through your first depressive episode is. I was prescribed 6 mg Emsam. I didn't notice an improvement for the first three weeks. When I was bumped up to 9 mg, I began to laugh again. I was able to function again. I'm to a comparable state to where I was before my depressive episode, however, with a few alterations in my personality. The negatives: insomnia - It is rare when I am able to sleep through the night. I often wake up in the middle of the night and have a lot of difficulty falling back asleep. My psychiatrist recommended that I take off the patch before going to bed, but this put me in a really weird mood in the morning. The irritability - I notice that I get frustrated/angry much more easily now, and I never felt like this before. This medication has been an absolute lifesaver for me."

• Pat...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 26, 2023

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been diagnosed with MDD + TRD, which is just MDD that has failed many different treatments. I have had every class of med and several treatments, including TMS, ECT, ketamine infusion, therapy, dextromethorphan, psilocybin microdosing, etc. I was even in an MDMA-assisted therapy clinical trial. Emsam is a game-changer. Emsam is a 6 mg, 9 mg, 12 mg 24-hour transdermal patch. It releases a tiny amount of medicine into your body every second. Unlike pills or injections, where it all goes into your body at once, the patch keeps the blood plasma concentration of selegiline extremely low, so the side effects are minimal. It took about 6 weeks for me to see the full effects, but I was shocked at how my severe depression went from 10/10 to 2/10 in just two months. It brought back my motivation, stopped my constant crying, and my brain is functioning again (most days). However, it is important not to forget to wear the patch, or the depression may come back."

• Noo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2016

For Depression "I actually struggle with the possibility of BP II. At 6 mg, I didn't have any response, positive or negative, except that it repressed my appetite, with infrequent feelings of rage, which were controllable with benzos (Ativan). At 9 mg, I began to have extreme insomnia (probably because it metabolizes as L-amphetamine or an Adderall-like substance). At this dosage, the rage I would feel was too much to handle and was very much similar to what I felt on Wellbutrin. I would caution anyone, if you have rage on Wellbutrin, you may (as others have anecdotally said) have feelings of rage on Emsam as well. It's worth a try still, however, when I wasn't feeling intense anger, at 9 mg, I did feel better. Best of luck."

• Joy...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 24, 2018

"I was diagnosed with bipolar I and anxiety 17 years (post-partum) and had spent much of that time depressed and/or suicidal. I had so many hospitalizations that I lost count. I'm telling you: it is at least worth a try. I tried every other combination and all of the SSRI meds and the group of tricyclics. I also have had various rounds of E.C.T., but nothing has helped as much as Emsam. I do not find the dietary restrictions to be much of an issue. I know that not everyone tolerates different medications, but this has truly been a lifesaver for me. The downside is the cost of the drug. I am fortunate at this time that my insurance covers it."

• hap...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 15, 2017

For Major Depressive Disorder "The side effects of this drug have destroyed my well-being, and I am not exaggerating when I say that. Everything was going very well the first 2 months I was on the drug. But then the insomnia started. And then came the irritability. Then the short temper. Then the escalated anger. And then came the panic attacks, leading to dependency on Xanax XR. Depression came back anyway when the insomnia started. My social anxiety has returned in a big way. The lowest dose was too activating for me. I would not recommend this medication for anyone who suffers from anxiety along with depression, even if your depression is worse than your anxiety. I've been off it for almost a week. Pro: transdermal = bypasses the digestive tract."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2020

For Depression "Took this years ago for bipolar. I took it for several months, and it caused severely agitated mania. Felt good and euphoric at first, and quickly turned into extreme anger and impulsivity. Barely slept, and when I did, the nightmares were violent and never-ending. Dr. took me right off it."

• Emi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 7, 2022

For Depression "I’ve had every side effect there is with Emsam. It started with the 6 mg, but I thought they’d go away. The insomnia was already normal for me with the depression, but it’s been way worse. Impulsivity, intense irritability, chronic constipation, blackouts upon standing, weight gain, exhaustion. We went to the 12 mg because I was still depressed, and even though the depression went away, the side effects progressed. When my feet and legs swelled up to where I couldn’t wear shoes, I was done. Down to 9 mg, no better, down to 6 mg, still not sleeping. This was my “last resort.” Devastated."

• joa...
• October 8, 2007

For Depression "Emsam has helped me with my depression. However, when it is a very muggy, humid day, the patch has a hard time staying adhered. I went to my pharmacist, and he gave me something in addition to help hold it on. When the weather is fine, I have no problem, even through the swimming pool or a bath. Yesterday I had a patch that had the larger part of the sticky end missing."

• Tun...
• February 16, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I took Emsam for 3 weeks, and before Emsam, I tried many antidepressants, TMS, and also ECT, nothing helped. I was hoping this medicine would help, but side effects are unbearable: stomach pain, indigestion, nausea, upset stomach. I tried to relieve this with other medications like Zantac, but with no effect. I really want this medicine to work, but I have no luck again. I don’t know what to do now because my options are limited."

• Mel...
• November 16, 2009

For Depression "Have been using the 6 mg patch for 4 weeks now, with absolutely no results. No side effects. No skin irritation. Nothing. Doctor says I should be patient and wait till the 6-week point, where it might finally kick in. If it doesn't, we will go to the higher dosage. Probably just double it to the 12 mg patch. Not looking forward to the dietary restrictions, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to take for relief from 30+ years of despair."

• tho...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 31, 2024

For Major Depressive Disorder "Diagnosed at age 22 (1984) with Major Depressive Disorder, I was prescribed the MAOI NARDIL. It completely changed my life, and I continued taking it. In the year 2003 (thereabouts), my Major Depression returned. Unbeknownst to me and the thousands who also took NARDIL, the drug was sold to a new manufacturer who removed several elements in the compound. It stopped working. I noticed the change of the pill - it had been a hard-shell orange color, then after the new manufacturer took over, it was chalky with orange-pink color. The Internet was in its early days, but five years later, I began finding groups online describing the devastating effects after the NARDIL compounds were removed. One famous artist in New York committed suicide within a few years after not being able to find a replacement drug. My experience was horrific. I was paraded through a series of SSRIs, like then-popular Prozac, and NOTHING worked. I went back to the 'new' NARDIL as it was better than nothing. Over time, I read ab"

• Vsh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 27, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Was on the lowest dose, to prevent too many food restrictions. Did nothing for my depression-in fact, made my mood awful, gave me nightmares in which I did unspeakably violent things, and a waking rage I have never experienced. Weeks off it, and my doctor is trying to get rid of my extreme agitation and anger with no success. I can’t interact with people without losing my temper. Comes in a very convenient patch form, but that’s the only positive, in my opinion."

• lau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2019

For Depression "3 months on Emsam patch with some sense of mood improvement, yet I feel like I'm lacking the motivation and the sense of happiness that I experienced so long ago on the original Nardil formula. On 9 mg 24-hour schedule. I am going to ask my provider to consider a 12 mg trial period."

• Min...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 30, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I’ve been on just about every antidepressant known to man over the last 40 years. Nardil worked for five years and then suddenly stopped being effective. Two years ago, I had 10 ECT treatments at UCLA, which were ineffective. Becoming desperate, I tried Emsam for two months. It had no effect at all, and at a cost of $1500.00 per month, might be considered one of the bigger pharmaceutical rip-offs."

• Tes...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 21, 2022

For Major Depressive Disorder "I have been on Emsam since 2007, when it first came out. Started on a 12 mg patch, then down to 9, and then down to 6, which I have been on for 10+ years. I tried all SSRIs with minor and limited-time help. It has been a true blessing. Insomnia has been a constant problem. Now taking 300 mg gabapentin and 0.25 lorazepam with the patch about 9 p.m. and falling asleep after midnight. Sleeping well most nights. Tremors and fine motor skill weakness are my main problematic symptoms. I am a 74-year-old female. I would highly recommend Emsam. Not many problems with food or medicine. I am careful with food and drink selections and have had a few reactions. Hair dye with MSG, eye drops for numbing caused me to spike in BP, also, I did have a hospital stay for a spike due to old mushrooms, but not bad for this many years."

• DCS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2024

For Depression "Like others on this thread, I have tried almost every antidepressant that was available prior to 2010. The one that worked the best was Nardil - but I needed to stop because of severe insomnia and one bad hypertensive episode - even though I strictly followed the diet. The sedating ones made my insomnia worse and others caused weight gain and impotence. I winged it for the next 14 years, but a series of events caused me to socially isolate. Enough was enough, and I again sought professional help. I was prescribed an SSRI and refused because of my previous experience. I had heard about Emsam and thought it might work because of my experience with Nardil. I was surprised that my HMO approved because of the outrageously high cost (retail $2,000/month, but my copayment is only $75.) Wow, what a difference. I started to feel the positive effects in a week. It took a while to learn how to apply the patch."

• bag...
• September 19, 2008

For Depression "First drug to work for me in 30 years."

• Dow...
• July 26, 2010

For Depression "Tried Effexor, Wellbutrin, Paxil, and Zoloft in the past with no results. EMSAM has brought me out of it after seven years. Only a little localized skin irritation."

• Anonymous
• December 22, 2010

For Depression "It really does work, the one side effect you have to overcome is it makes it difficult to sleep at night."

• Z-N...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "Is a potential cure for your depression worth crippling debt? Well, I guess you'll find out after you pay over $1500 for a 30-day supply. Unless you have your Medicare paid for you, look elsewhere."

• Rad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "Tried many antidepressant medicines over 30 years without much satisfaction, now on 9 milligrams of Emsam patch, waiting to see results in 1 to 3 weeks with a slight improvement in depression."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 2, 2012

For Depression "This is my first day on Emsam 9 mg. Very low blood pressure so far. Going to call the doctor in the morning about that. Otherwise, so far I have a little neck pain, but nothing I can't handle."