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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by banga on April 20, 2005, at 18:15:57
Anyone know what the blood levels are for desipramine therapeu..ticity??...darn! ok! let's try that sentence again!
What blood levels of desipramine are considered the beginning therapeutic range?
Posted by med_empowered on April 20, 2005, at 19:45:38
In reply to Desipramine blood levels, posted by banga on April 20, 2005, at 18:15:57
hey! When I asked an old shrink about the blood-level tests for TCAs, she said she only did them on old and/or impaired people, or people on "tricky" drug combos, and then the tests were really just to screen for potential toxicity...the tests, it seems, aren't as good as say, lithium blood-tests, in determining adequate dosage.
Posted by banga on April 20, 2005, at 19:54:16
In reply to Re: Desipramine blood levels, posted by med_empowered on April 20, 2005, at 19:45:38
> hey! When I asked an old shrink about the blood-level tests for TCAs, she said she only did them on old and/or impaired people, or people on "tricky" drug combos, and then the tests were really just to screen for potential toxicity...the tests, it seems, aren't as good as say, lithium blood-tests, in determining adequate dosage.
Well I guess I fall in the tricky med combo, as my Abilify potentiates the desipramine. For this reason I have been only taking 75mg desipramine..
but now wondering if I would like to increase that med as opposed to others.Thought it might be good to check the blood levels.
Thanks!
Posted by zeugma on April 20, 2005, at 19:57:47
In reply to Re: Desipramine blood levels, posted by med_empowered on April 20, 2005, at 19:45:38
> hey! When I asked an old shrink about the blood-level tests for TCAs, she said she only did them on old and/or impaired people, or people on "tricky" drug combos, and then the tests were really just to screen for potential toxicity...the tests, it seems, aren't as good as say, lithium blood-tests, in determining adequate dosage.>>
hmm that's odd, years ago when hospitalized I had blood levels drawn every week to determine my nortriptyline blood levels. Two years ago I had another blood level done on nortrip. Nortriptyline is the TCA most noted for its therapeutic range (really a window).
Desipramine's "official" therapeutic range begins at 116 nanograms/mL.
Posted by banga on April 20, 2005, at 20:20:38
In reply to Re: Desipramine blood levels, posted by zeugma on April 20, 2005, at 19:57:47
> hmm that's odd, years ago when hospitalized I had blood levels drawn every week to determine my nortriptyline blood levels. Two years ago I had another blood level done on nortrip. Nortriptyline is the TCA most noted for its therapeutic range (really a window).
>
> Desipramine's "official" therapeutic range begins at 116 nanograms/mL.
I think I remember someone here saying that it is more critical to measure blood levels of nortryptiline than it is for desipramine....Thanks for your response! I will have my pdoc OK a blood analysis tomorrow during the appt.
B.
Posted by Phillipa on April 20, 2005, at 20:47:26
In reply to Re: Desipramine blood levels » zeugma, posted by banga on April 20, 2005, at 20:20:38
Gee if there's a way to measure the levels I'd definitely get one. You can't with the SSRI's, etc. Fondly, Phillipa
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