EMSAM Reviews (SELEGILINE)Average Rating: 3.6 (65 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare EMSAM with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by length of time drug was taken longest to shortest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) |
More on EMSAM: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR EMSAM | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 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 | Atypical depression | No noted side effects. | I started experiencing depressive bouts in my late teens...40 years of therapy, every known medication but few with efficacy. An insightful physician and friend recognized my chronic depressive pain and arranged an evaluation at the Mayo Clinic. They prescribed Emsam and it was like a switch...like going from black and white tv to color. The effects were immediate and have been consistent for over 10 years. It’s a miracle medication for those that have struggled. My only complaint is it’s cost...about $2000 a month. With Medicare its about $700 . At times I am unable to afford the prescription and within 2 weeks I return to a deep sorrow, complete lack of mental clarity, frustration and anger... But quickly recover once I’m back on “the patch”. Highly recommended . | M | 67 | 10 years 6mg 1X day | 1/29/2021 | 4 | Depression and anxiety | Increased energy and difficulty with sleep | I've tried a lot of antidepressants over the years for depression and anxiety. The only one i liked was mirtazapine but it caused massive weight gain. Emsam has been great, very limited side effects just stimulation. Sometimes skin pain where i put on the patch but i just move the next one to another spot. 6mg is low dose so i don't need to watch my diet but doesn't work as well as a higher dose. | M | 50 | 5 years 6mg 1X day | 5/18/2021 | 5 | Major Depression (suicidal) | 6 mg made me feel like I had the flu, so I cut it down to 4 mg (I'm 5 ft tall, 125 lbs) and that worked perfectly. I had insomnia, but Melatonin tablets helped. | I've been using EMSAM for four years and it is the only thing that ever worked. It saved my life. | F | 69 | 4 years 4mg | 4/2/2015 | 5 | Major Depression | After more than three years, I have had no side effects. | I had tried every Anti-Depressant since 1994, nothing worked. At my wits end, I decided to try ECT, hoping it would kill me, but the psychiatrist said to try EMSAM 6mg patch. He said it would work. After three weeks of feeling like I had the flu, I read all of the instructions again, and it said, "Do not cut." So I cut it from 6mg to 4mg and in 45 minutes I felt better than I had ever felt in my life. Two days in a row, I would cut 1/3 of the patch off, and on the third day, I would use the 2 pieces of 2mgs which equalled 4mgs. Two boxes lasted me three months. My life changed completely; my depression was gone, except in times of great stress, but it still worked well enough. | F | 69 | 3 years 4mg | 9/27/2015 | 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 | 5 | Major Depression | It's been a year since I stopped Emsam, so my memory of the side effects is reduced to just the most problematic ones. At the top of the list is insomnia. I normally sleep 7-8 hours, but on Emsam, I only slept 5-6 hours and much of that was "light" sleeping. As a disclaimer, I was also abusing caffeine (3-6 cups a day) and chocolate (1 very dark bar per day) and these couldn't have helped. Sexually, I found it difficult, but not impossible to have an orgasm. Erectile function and desire were normal - unlike my experience with many SSRI's and SSNRI's. Taste perversion. This is a term used in the literature to refer to drugs that change your sense of taste. What I noticed first was that a beer I had been drinking for years all of a sudden seemed extremely bitter. For the most part, this change in taste was not a bad thing because I strangely seemed to like only healthy foods (fruit, vegetables, nuts, etc.) and had little desire for unhealthy ones (desserts, fries, | This is the best antidepressant I have ever been on. It wasn't perfect, but it brought me back from a suicidal brink that no other medications could do (or not without intolerable side effects). After decades of living a muted, desperate and unsatisfactory life, I was back reconnecting with friends, and doing activities that I had given up years ago because of lack of interest (surfing, hiking, traveling, photography, exercise). I quit taking Emsam after 3 years because of insomnia and a gradual lessening of efficacy. However, as I noted under the side effects, I was also abusing caffeine and chocolate as well as alcohol (2-5 beers/day). These may have played a part in both the insomnia and the sense that the efficacy was decreasing. I have read some anecdotal evidence that MAOI's can increase addictive behavior. I am not sure if this is what happened to me or not, but the key is not to get started with any of these substances in the first place. Once you are started with them, it is very difficult to stop. The good thing, at least for me, is that I am now off them. After a year of being off Emsam, I am ready to try again - sans caffeine, chocolate and alchol. | M | 53 | 3 years 9MG 1X day | 6/11/2011 | 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 major depression | Insomnia, irritability, fatigue, "myoclonic jerks," "visions/hallucinations in side vision, dry mouth, balance issues etc. | I feel a little dumb, in that I only just have realized most of the above are side effects of Emsam. I thought most were due to untreated depression. I even went to an ophthalmologistfor the visions--I now know I also have cataracts--tho' the doc said the visions were due to that. 3 yrs. ago, I had horrible pain and almost every symptopm of depression you can think of. The pain was physical. I got 6 mos of IV ketamine treatments which took the edge off the pain. Then the Emsam plus Ativan for sleep. It probably helped some along w/ the ketamine--but there's been no further improvement. I am going back to Pristiq which is helpful to me unless the depression is very severe. Or I might try Viibyrd. | F | 63 | 3 years 12.5 mg pa 1X day | 10/1/2015 | 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 | Occasional dizziness when standing quickly or urinating while standing | Wonderfully effective, without any mental side effects. It just works, period. | M | 24 | 2 years 9 mg | 12/16/2016 | 5 | social anxiety | Weight gain, constipation, diarrhea | Because of EMSAM I am able to go to work and earn a living and get health insurance. The weight gain is the same as on when I took Nardil years ago but EMSAM is more effective. | F | 33 | 2 years 6 MG 1X day | 10/23/2011 | 2 | MDD | Insomnia, increased anxiety, panic attacks, hypomania at night, increased depression. I have never been diagnosed with Bipolar I or II but there were definite "bipolar lite"? mood differences. | This site won't let me enter more specific details of my time length and dosage of EMSAM. I was on it for 18 months, not 2 years. This medication worked for a glorious 2 months and then I crashed in a spectacular way. This. drug. is. activating. I spent the first 6 weeks at 6 mg, 6 weeks at 9, 1 month at 12, 9 months on 9, & 6 mg for the final 5 months. The cessations of the 12 mg patch followed by the 2nd try at the 9 mg patch were only done because I got harsh with my psychiatrist and said it was becoming a quality of life issue. The insomnia was unbearable at these levels which created a dependence on Xanax XR. I found a new psychiatrist on 3/1/17 and we completely stopped the EMSAM. I had a VERY hard time coming off this medication, even though I was at the lowest dose. it took a good month for it to leave my body rather than the "normal" 2 week washout. Tried the lowest dose of Cymbalta on days 15 and 18 of the washout and I had dry heaves, extreme nausea, vertigo and feeling faint. I noticed the drug really didn't leave my system until Day 26 or 27 because that's when my current dosage of Xanax XR really began to feel sedating. If we got to try it all over again, my psychiatrist said he may have told me to cut the 6 mg patch in half (which you're not supposed to do) but what's done is done. Btw, the major withdrawal symptom I had was nausea/loss of appetite which began around Day 8 and stayed for about 2 weeks. Now I'm just flat out exhausted. (I'm | F | 34 | 2 years 6 MG | 4/9/2017 | 1 | bi-polar disorder | back outs, due to sudden drops in bp | I finally found a Dr. who nailed my black outs right away. since being off the drug, I have never even had a dizzy spell | M | 65 | 2 years 12 mg 1X day | 6/12/2013 | 5 | Fibromyalgia | Yes, Emsam is inexplicably flying under the radar. I'd been around the block from time to time with antidepressants for dysthymia or depression. Then I developed fibromyalgia and the treatment methods most doctors use are still in the dark ages. They don't understand fibro and they don't care. After fibro, I became intolerant to many meds that had been effective in the past. Or, those old meds no longer worked. I also have IBS (common in fibro patients) and everything ruined my stomach for days. Realizing that I needed to try something completely different from the mood stabilizers, SNRIs, SSRIs, etc. it was either transdermal selegiline or Viibryd. My doctor had a eureka moment when I suggested it. It won't go through my GI system, I don't have to watch my tyramine at 6mg, and he had samples right there in his desk that no other patient would've benefited from. They were almost expired, that's how little attention anyone in his practice paid. Since he was more familiar with MAOIs than new Viibryd, we gave it a chance. I'm not exaggerating: overnight my depression and anxiety began to lessen. Within a week I had sustained energy, improved mood, clearer thinking, and no dude effects. Here's the major breakthrough and the reason Emsam is seriously, for everyone's sake, grossly undervalued. Within 10-14 days I noticed that MY PAIN WAS GONE! Muscle aches, spasms, parasthesia, tender points, all GONE. I had my sense of humor and libido back. No more brain fog. Normal word rec | F | 35 | 1 years 6 | 8/16/2013 | 4 | major depressive disorder | F | 34 | 1 years 6mg 1X day | 6/7/2011 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 |
EMSAM (SELEGILINE): Selegiline is an antidepressant (monoamine oxidase inhibitor) that treats depression by restoring the balance of certain natural substances (neurotransmitters) in the brain. Selegiline can improve your mood and feelings of well-being. This medication is a patch for use on the skin. FDA Approval Date: 2006-02-27 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)