Reviewer: Nora, 45-54 on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)

Comment:
I have been depressed my entire life. Bi-Polar and suicidal just as long with many attempts. I take a mood stabilizer which helps a lot. I've been on many anti depressants too. I've been on Nortriptiline for 4.5 years at 100 ml. I started out with the patch now making two antidepressants. Now I am down to the 12 ml patch only with no side affects at all. I feet much better. I felt numb for ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
I have been depressed my entire life. Bi-Polar and suicidal just as long with many attempts. I take a mood stabilizer which helps a lot. I've been on many anti depressants too. I've been on Nortriptiline for 4.5 years at 100 ml. I started out with the patch now making two antidepressants. Now I am down to the 12 ml patch only with no side affects at all. I feet much better. I felt numb for a long time and I have more emotions now than I have in the last 5 years. I am mentally ill and I accept that. I keep myself very busy doing good things and hanging with good people who lift me up. I will always be suicidal, but I am aware of the signs and I have many tools in place with the best psychiatrist in the world. I can call him anytime. He has saved my life and so has this medicine.
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Reviewer: Caelian, 55-64 Female on Treatment for 2 to less than 5 years (Patient)

Comment:
None of the SSRIs I've taken have been successful and I think I've tried them all over the past 20 years! So my psychiatrist decided to switch me to an MAOI, and he chose EMSAM. Nothing has worked so well for me and it has improved the quality of my life tremendously. The only side effect I suffer is from the adhesive and my doctor got very creative with that. He has prescribed a nasal s ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
None of the SSRIs I've taken have been successful and I think I've tried them all over the past 20 years! So my psychiatrist decided to switch me to an MAOI, and he chose EMSAM. Nothing has worked so well for me and it has improved the quality of my life tremendously. The only side effect I suffer is from the adhesive and my doctor got very creative with that. He has prescribed a nasal spray mist called Triamcinolone. I spray it a couple of times on my hand and rub in into the site where I'm going to put the patch. Let it dry for a few minutes and apply the patch. The spray contains an antihistamine and cortisone, which helps with any allergic reaction to the adhesive. I haven't broken out or itched at all since I started this. I hate to see anyone miss out on what I consider a cure for depression due to the awful rash associated with the EMSAM patch.
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Reviewer: 55-64 Female on Treatment for 1 to 6 months (Patient)

Comment:
Started the patch (6 mg) about six weeks ago. Seems to be working but have tingling in my hands and feet and sone itching not too bad. Not sure if this side effects will eventually subside. Anyone else have these side effects? I'm concerned if I need to increase the dosage the side effects will increase.

Comment:
Started the patch (6 mg) about six weeks ago. Seems to be working but have tingling in my hands and feet and sone itching not too bad. Not sure if this side effects will eventually subside. Anyone else have these side effects? I'm concerned if I need to increase the dosage the side effects will increase.
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Reviewer: GuyInNYC, 45-54 Male on Treatment for 2 to less than 5 years (Patient)

Comment:
Five other medications (Prozac, Wellbutrin, Effexor, [Effexor + Lamictal], and Elavil) as well as months of weekly outpatient ECT treatments all failed to provide me with the degree of relief from depression that I got with Emsam 12 mg. The 6 mg and 9 mg patches were helpful, but 12 mg is best for me. I've been on the 12 mg patch for over 3 years. Biggest downside: inconvenience of patch. I ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
Five other medications (Prozac, Wellbutrin, Effexor, [Effexor + Lamictal], and Elavil) as well as months of weekly outpatient ECT treatments all failed to provide me with the degree of relief from depression that I got with Emsam 12 mg. The 6 mg and 9 mg patches were helpful, but 12 mg is best for me. I've been on the 12 mg patch for over 3 years. Biggest downside: inconvenience of patch. I'm a moderately hairy male and sometimes sweat heavily. I've reduced to once or twice a month the frequency that the patch falls off and needs replacing before 24 hours by sticking the patch on nearly hairless regions on my upper thighs and outer pelvis. No other part of my body works as well. This region that is best for patch adherence also happens to be least often seen by others, thus preserving my confidentiality. While Emsam relieves my depression far better than anything else I've tried, the only unwanted side effect I've noticed is occasional itchiness at the patch site. Once or twice a month, itchiness forces me to remove a patch before the 24 hours. In all, I lose 2 to 4 patches a month to either sweating or itching. From experience I've learned it's important to replace a patch promptly, not "skip" partial days after a patch falls off. Instructions say patches should not be worn longer than 24 hours each, but if I followed that, with 2 to 4 patches lost each month, I'd be in danger of running out too soon. I've found no downside to occasionally wearing a patch an extra 8 hours (32 hours total). As to dietary restrictions, I've experimented with small amounts of tyramine foods using a blood pressure monitor. They did not affect my blood pressure. I still generally avoid tyramine foods as the instructions advise, but I don't worry about occasional small slips.
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Reviewer: Jkay, 45-54 Female on Treatment for 5 to less than 10 years (Patient)

Comment:
Started on emsam when approved by FDA in 2006 after nearly 5 years of disabling MDD which was resistant to all anti-d's and other treatments , including ECT. Within 3 weeks of starting on 6/mg-24 hr dose all scores had improved significantly and I was able to feel emotions and function akin to normal. in the first 3 years my dosage needed to be increased and I've been on a 12/mg-24 hr for ... Show Full Comment

Comment:
Started on emsam when approved by FDA in 2006 after nearly 5 years of disabling MDD which was resistant to all anti-d's and other treatments , including ECT. Within 3 weeks of starting on 6/mg-24 hr dose all scores had improved significantly and I was able to feel emotions and function akin to normal. in the first 3 years my dosage needed to be increased and I've been on a 12/mg-24 hr for about 6 years, and on emsam without a break for over 8 years. The side effects I've experienced have been horrible, including acute non positional vertigo, which was disabling for over 1 year; migraines shuck if never had prior to starting emsam but are now fairly regular and can be quite severe; severe chronic constipation; digestive problems; adult onset narcolepsy; severe and chronic insomnia; memory problems; extremely low blood pressure; musculoskeletal problems and many others that have all been attributed to long term emsam use. In addition to emsam therapy I take 2 benzos for anxiety, OCD, PTSD, panic, social and other phobias. After years of darkness and nothingness this trio works very well for me, and while I dream of a day I (we all) can live without medications to function and be cured instead, I am able to participate more in activities. I am by no standard "well" and I've had several relapses, 3 which were fairly long in duration (>3 months to ~7 months), but overall my quality of life with regard to mood is greatly improved. Until there is another alternative from a new medication, drug class, treatment or cure I will be on emsam unless it loses its efficacy almost completely. The alternative is worse than the bandaid for me.
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