| Key to ratings for emsam: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
| Change sort order by clicking arrow under column heading. | ||||||||
| 1 | Depression | The patch left marks on my chest een after 30 days. In addition my heart rate become even more irregular and pulse was low 42bpm then at the normal Brady Cardia rate 58bpm. Dr's were considering a pace maker. Emotionally I was not much better either. Discontinued Emsam and heart returned to normal as test by Dr. in a running stress test. So Emsam can have heart rate impact for certain people. | M | 60 | 45 days | 10/4/2009 | 4 | Major Depressive Disorder with GAD | Site specific irritation, scarring eventually- accept this cosmetic issue over insanity/suicide. able to tolerate patches on my outer hips (more fat there?) better than stomach or back application. Overall, more insomnia, but of different style- can be overcome w/ mild sedative (doc chose Sonata), good sleep hygiene/routine. slight manic effect of patches. Can't tolerate the 9mg ones- went crazy anxious manic on those. at 6mg\24. Have noticed significant weight gain over last 2 years, despite increasing activity (running again for first time in years!). Going to try more weight training to see if that helps- at least stops weight gain, even if no loss. | Was incredibly happy on Serzone (SSRI) but it was removed from market (though my regular tests showed no liver damage/other side effects). However, given my cycling onset of depressive episodes, SSRIs are not as effective (Cymbalta was @1st,then crazy rapid weight gain, doc took me off it). The continuous, transdermal dosing of the patch is what has kept Depression at bay. Though i am "depressive" (melancholic?), therapy and ongoing behavioral mod, especially working with thoughts/thought patterns, and EMSAM has meant I have not had a major crash since 2005. Like someone else said, it's like a "safety net". No negative effect on libido; restored ability to orgasm (though it does effect "how" they feel- if that makes any sense). | F | 41 | 3 years | 9/25/2009 | 2 | severe depression | Insomnia, homicidal thoughts not related to my illness--these were new and disturbing. Caused frequent urination I was already having with Interstitial cystitis to get worse. I was up all night and up to pee 6-7 times. No thanks. | I wish I'd have had the luck that other people have. Instead of giving it a 1, I gave it a 2 because I think people with severe depression should be encouraged to at least try something to improve their lives. I couldn't shake the insomnia for anything and my dr. wanted to add Zyprexa so I could sleep. He didn't believe it made my IC worse and didn't believe it gave me homicidal thoughts. Oh well. I have tried nearly EVERY anti-depressant out there and just struggle with therapy. sigh. | F | 36 | 2 weeks | 6/19/2009 | 5 | bipolar (rapid cycling) | For the first 6-8 months after I began taking EMSAM I experienced severe acne on my upper trunk and arms -- a shock to the system of a 45 year old man who never had acne before. However, this very unpleasant and disturbing side effect diminished considerably by the end of the first year. Oddly, I found that once I limited application of the patch to my back, and no longer applied it to my chest or upper arms, the acne diminished. I also experience some insomnia, of a different and less disruptive sort than I experience when I am having bipolar episodes. The insomnia is usually quite manageable only occasionally disrupting my daily functioning. Also, though it may be unrelated to the EMSAM and more related to the discontinuation of my previous medication, I note that I have gained significant weight(going from 165 pounds to 210 pounds)since starting the EMSAM although my diet and exercise routine are unchanged or better than they were before. | I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (rapid cycling) nearly 20 years ago. I have been on dozens of medications (all the usual suspects), abandoning each in turn for lack of efficacy or intolerable side effects (e.g., toxicity, dramatic weight gain, loss of bladder control, excessive sedation, mental dullness or confusion). My doctor finally prescribed EMSAM, in combination with Lamictal and Deplin, and I am thrilled to report that is the first regime that has had any modicum of long-term success (now 18 months) in the treatment of my bipolar disorder. The bipolar episodes are much more muted, of shorter duration, and far less frequent than they were with any other medication regime. As the side effects are very tolerable compared to the other medications I have used and the efficacy quite high, this is a "miracle" drug for me. If only it worked so well for everyone! | M | 45 | 18 months | 5/31/2009 | 5 | severe depression | some difficulty staying asleep. Mild skin redness under patch that lasts for about 24-36 hours after the patch has been removed. I have VERY sensitive skin though. | This medication has given me my life back (and probably saved my marriage!). Over the past 35 years I've been on just about every antidepressant made. The side-effects were always unbearable. Major anxiety on the SSRI's, complete insomnia and horrible paranoia on tricyclics. From the moment I put the patch on there were no unbearable side effects or really any adjustment period. Then with each passing day I started to feel more and more "normal". It was gradual, and after about 3 weeks I realized I no longer felt like I was walking through mud every day in order to function. My attention and memory increased. My over-all mood improved. I no longer got irritated about things I used to get irritated with. I've been in therapy for years and at best I was only able to "maintain" in therapy. Having my depression lifted has allowed me to move forward with my therapy. I know everyone's body is different and this drug won't be the "miracle drug" for ev | F | 50 | 2 years | 11/12/2008 | 5 | MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER | Slight sleeping problems depending on dose...either sleep too much or not at all but thats basically normal for me whether on meds or not. Higher dose seemed to bring on a little anxiety & irritation but it didnt last after adjusting to it. When you increase or decrease a dose you have to remember that it may take a little time for your body to get used to it, if you get side effects they might go away if you're patient enough to wait it out a couple weeks. | Everyone reacts differently to everything...Emsam happens to be the one thing that has finally worked for me after years of trying numerous meds. But yes i still have to try hard to maintain a normal lifestyle because there is no such thing as a perfect miracle pill, but this has totally made life easier, better, & more content. Especially considering that before i used to have suicidal thoughts constantly & cried all the time, since i started the patch those have basically disappeared!!! YAY! I really hope you find the same relief, whether its from this drug or not. :) | F | 26 | 3 years | 11/6/2008 | 1 | Atypical Depression | Daily site-specific skin reaction to 6mg patch. Increased to 9mg for depression symptoms. Severe skin reaction under patch turned to severe auto-immune response (body-wide hives, welts, severe itching)within 4 days. Immediately stopped using Emsam, but required 2 weeks steroids to subdue hives. | Also experienced insomnia on Emsam...any possible therapeutic effects got lost in side effects. Will try oral selignine next. If that doesn't work, next step is monastery in Nepal. | M | 57 | 3 months | 9/21/2008 | 5 | depression | At first did not work well because I didn't figure out how to apply it. This has the least amount of side affects than other med I have tried. Cant sleep at night, So some times I just take the patch off at night and put a new one on it the morning. | I have found out that you must apply this patch one way only for it to work well. 1. I use hydrogen peroxide on my skin were you are going to apply it. It does not dry out your skin. 2. Your upper chest or middle of outer arm works well as the patch will not crease or fold as you move around. 3. You have to take the small peace of plastic off first and stick it to you skin. Then take the big peace fold it over to the other small peace and press and move it down tell it comes off you may have to try this a number of times before you get it down. There should not be any creases in the patch or bubbles for it to work good. Hope this helps every one having trouble with the patch, I think it's the best product out there for depression if applied wrong it wont work as well if at all. | M | 30 | 4 months | 6/9/2008 | 1 | depression | Don't even bother trying it. Was neutral in terms of mood and just gave me intolerable insomnia and a chronic urinary tract infection. | Went off it 2 weeks ago and I STILL can't sleep The cure is worse than the disease. | F | 45 | 60 days | 6/7/2008 | 2 | Depression | Headaches that would last 1-3 days with no relief. Insomnia. | I started with the 6mg patch and worked up to 9mg. During this 2 month span I had about 3 episodes of severe migraine-like headaches that lasted up to 3 days. Made work unbearable. Mild insomnia. Did not help my depression but could not give it longer time due to headaches. I did almost fall over once getting out of bed due to the drop in blood pressure effect from MAOIs. | F | 33 | 2 months | 3/3/2008 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder | Some hypomania/mania and insomnia, see explanation | Emsam was a wonder-drug for me. I believe it worked better than all the SSRI's and tricyclics I have tried over the last 15 yrs. My theory, the MAOI (Emsam) catches your depression BEFORE you can free fall into a full blown one, like a trapeze artist's safety net. For the mania side effect, my doctor decreased the patch (9mg) to every other day--worked great until I had some depression and anxiety over starting a new job. Then we went back to every day. Then some insomnia started, and I asked my doctor about removing the patch 2-3 hours before sleep. He thought that was a great idea and it worked like a charm. Sadly, I have to give the patch up as the lithium that I've been taking for almost 6 years, has shown some lousy side effects. However I praise lithium to the hilt--I initially lost 35lbs on lithium. I am soon to start tegretol as a mood stabilizer and you can't be on an MAOI with that. If it works as well as the MAOI, I'll be thrilled. Talk to your docs about ways to ge | F | 51 | 16 months | 1/30/2008 | 5 | treatment-resistant depression | There have been few side effects that have bothered me: dry skin and a red mark that persist for 12-36 hours after removing a patch, the fact that the patches will fall off if I am too sweaty or the skin flexes too much (mostly with exercise), and a worsening of the dry eyes that I’ve had since my Lasik procedure in August of 2006. I’ve found that I can minimize the first two issues by washing thoroughly with soap before applying a patch, and by washing and using lotion after removing it. A doctor at the clinic where I had my Lasik procedure was able to prescribe Restasis eyedrops, which have eased the dryness back to its pre-Emsam level. | I've been dealing with depression for about 15 years, and have tried almost everything; I've been on somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 different antidepressants, had 8 hospitalizations and 3 separate series of ECT. Nothing worked for more than a few months at a time (aside from the ECT, at up to a year), if it worked at all. I was finally talked into trying something in the MAOI family of drugs in May 2006; I’d hesitated because of the dietary and drug-interaction restrictions. I noticed – somewhat reluctantly – a gradual improvement in my mood in the first two weeks of taking this medication. My mood continued to improve until reaching something resembling stability in July or August 2007, and has remained there – more or less – since. To quote a journal entry of mine from July, “…it seems just a little easier to do what I need to do, and things don't seem as hard as I remember them being before. I'm not worrying about things as much, a | F | 27 | 8 months | 1/22/2008 | 5 | SAD,ADD,and life extension | the first couple of weeks I had a pick me affect and better concentration. sleeping was not sound until after two weeks. I had been in wellbutrun sr for the last cuople of years and very much liked that med. But when emsam came out i tried to get my doc to prescribe it for me, finally he gave me the prescription last month. I used to order liquid deprenyl from England. | I will take this med and life extension med for life and living longer. look up IAS for more info | M | 56 | 15 years | 12/15/2007 | 5 | depression | *Mild application site reaction - dry skin, reddness / discoloration. Itching goes away after 12-24 hours of removing the patch. Discoloration lasts around a week before it fades completely. *Insomnia - mostly difficulty falling asleep, occasionally difficulty staying asleep. Haven't found a solution yet, but my doc is exploring the idea of sleeping meds with me. | Neither of the above side effects are anywhere near severe enough to warrant going off of this medication. None of the 7 other antidepressants I've tried have ever touched my depression. Emsam has given me an almost complete remission. I feel more motivated, have more energy, and my overall mood has improved significantly. I'm less irritable, my self esteem has improved and I'm back to doing things I like, hobbies and seeing friends and such. It's not an instant cure, but it's truly made a difference for me. | F | 32 | 9 months | 11/26/2007 | 3 | general depression with hypomania | Skin irritation from patch, extremely itchy, red and sometimes raw, marks remain for nearly 2 weeks. Lack of motivation, and it deadened my creative energy and imagination, especially at full 6mg dose. Also terrible insomnia at 6 mg/day. General skin irritation and breakouts, and frequent cold sores. At full 6mg/day dose, had unusually high libido but difficulty reaching orgasm! | Still not sure about this stuff after a year! I've cut back to half a 6 mg. patch for half a day every other day (less than 3mg a day) and still feel that it keeps me from sinking all the way down when I start to get depressed and anxious. It lifted the general depression that I was under most of the time for years, made me feel like it was worth being alive after all. Also makes me less hypersensitive and emotionally reactive to everything, which is good in some ways but not in others. I've got my imagination back, which I needed since I'm a writer. I'm not sure if it's still affecting my sleep at this dose. But I still feel completely unmotivated to do daily things, can't keep track of things at all (like bills and finances), have some memory problems and mix up words a lot. I don't get anxious about the future, but I can't make plans, either. I had some of the same problems on Celexa: couldn't think clearly and didn't care enough to worry about all the stuff I was messing up. Still | F | 50 | 13 months | 10/5/2007 | 2 | DEPRESSION | NONE | Felt a buzz the morning of the 2nd day, but do not believe its doing much now. I am at 6/24. | M | 54 | 19 days | 9/27/2007 | 4 | Atypical Depression/ Panic Disorder | Took 3.5 weeks to get any benefits at all. At that time, the panic attacks went into remission for a couple of days and then returned intermittently for a week until I contacted the doc. Upped the dose to 9mg patches at that point. At 9mg after 4 days I began to have a hypomanic onset of anger and hostility. Also had a marked increase in energy which I really liked. Have been having to mix the 6mg and 9mg patches back and forth every few days to keep out of depression/panic on the bottom end and out of hypomania on the top end. Note: I e-mailed a doc that assisted with the research of EMSAM, turns out that you CAN cut the patch safely and so I have started doing so. Jury is out on the exact amount I need, I am guessing 8mg. | I had almost given up at 3 weeks, but am happy now I didnt. The one thing it has not helped with at any dose has been the generalized anxiety but that is usually a GABA related issue and I wouldnt expect EMSAM to help that. Also, lost weight and began a great workout routine due to the stimulant effects at a higher dose. Started it 12/23/2006 and am still using it today. Overall it is the second best med I have used through the years (I have been on 27 different ones in 15 years) with Celexa being the best but lost its punch after about 3 years. | M | 34 | 9 months | 9/19/2007 | 1 | Depression | The discomfort of the adhesive and the remnants of the patch stay for days or more. | It simply didn't work for me. There was some early relief, but it peaked so quickly and tailed off to nothing in a few months. My doctor kept telling me to wait, but there was no real help after eight full months. | M | 46 | 8 months | 9/3/2007 | 1 | depression | eye pain, severe dry eyes, insomnia | No benefit for depression, eye problems intolerable | F | 57 | 5 weeks | 8/8/2007 | 3 | chronic depression | I had terrible nausea the first week I started Emsam but it finally went away. I started experiencing insomnia about the second week but it comes and goes. About the 3rd week I had abdominal pain and started having blood in my urine. | I do not feel Emsam is helping my depression much. I am waiting to up my dosage to see if it might finally kick in for me. I am afraid it might be causing bladder/kidney problems. | F | 40 | 5 weeks | 6/13/2007 | 5 | Depression | No real side effects to speak of. I normally get a reaction from adhesives, I can't wear a band-aid without a rash but I have had no irritation or redness with this patch. I've had more vivid dreams. There are NO negative sexual side effects, it seems to enhance sex if anything...but maybe that's just because I'm not depressed anymore. | LOVE it, I call it the "happy patch" : ) | F | 45 | 4 days | 4/15/2007 | 3 | Major Depression | Red outline of patch remains several days after removed | Started 6 mg patch after SSRIs stopped working and nothing else I tried "stuck" for depression relief. I think Emsam is helping, but jury is out. 6th day on 6 mg had a massive "rage" episode - threw everything I touched and slammed every door for a couple of hours before escaping to bed. After that got depressed again and couldn't control crying. Upped dose to 9 3 days ago. First few days of new dose it definitely stops the constant teariness/weepiness, but it's not the "rebirth" I felt when I first took Zoloft 3 years ago and had the most "normal", depression-free year of my life (until it just stopped working). On Emsam, I continue gaining weight rapidly (leave it to me to GAIN weight while depressed instead of lose) and feel fat pushing out on my skin which is quite uncomfortable. Not sure if it is Emsam related or not. Dr. wants to increase dose. | F | 37 | 13 days | 4/12/2007 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |