Valdoxan (Agomelatine) during recovery from MDMA-induced long-term come down

[magniloquentcunt]

Hello cunt! I finished the 1 month course prescribed by my GP and decided not to go back for more. There were few prominent effects that I can definitively state were the result of anything more than placebo. I am relatively sure it helped normalise my sleeping patterns to some extent and enabled me to get better quality at a time when I was in need of it, however.

Its mood-lifting properties were far harder to assess in the context of my recovery. With time, exercise and a good diet, my emotional and cognitive difficulties were slowly, but surely, improving anyway. When you consider that I was more or less an incoherent, walking talking vegetable, too anxious/ depressed to leave my room, directly after abusing/ binging MDMA (predominantly), I could only have improved as time went on, regardless of whether or not I had gone down the AD route. Nevertheless, I suspect there was a very subtle mood-lifting effect which may have made a very dark period marginally brighter.

If you are considering it, I would say it is worth a try as very little can go wrong - zero noticeable side effects. On the other hand, don't expect anything dramatic. Its effects will likely be subtle at best (at least in my particular case). In the end, I terminated my usage after 4 weeks as I felt a sober recovery was probably the safest option (minus my pack-a-day cig habit......) - it's worth considering the possibility that I may have ended the treatment too soon to reap the full benefits of this medication.

Hope this helps!

thank you a lot for this report: its very nice from you to share your experiences, many users just come, ask and go...
anyhow, I myself have been suffering from a weird feeling since i stoppes SSRI and MDMA years ago, and this weird feeling has gotten better, but has not faded yet.
I tried ritalin (i really tought it might have helped, NE/DA reputake inhibitor) but it did not do anything, which is a very weird thing, as it seems it is one of these drugs everyone gets an effect from.
I am now considering Tianeptine (stablon) or Agomelatine (valdoxan), both from servier: i must say i have no problems with sleep, as i could litterally fall asleep within minutes in almost every condition, and also anxiety is not really a big problem for me, as i care little for anything and so i just think "yeah ok lets do it who cares afterall", even tho i rarely enjoy any social situation anyway. Id take it for my inability (!!!) to put focus on one single task at a time, the brainfog, the lack of motivation and the absence of any (any) rewarding feel of pleasure for activities i once loved

 

[dpd_mnk92]

thank you a lot for this report: Id take it for my inability (!!!) to put focus on one single task at a time, the brainfog, the lack of motivation and the absence of any (any) rewarding feel of pleasure for activities i once loved

No worries dude, with the amount of useful information I've gleaned off this site, the least I can do is contribute when I can be of help.

Stablon actually sounds very promising based on what's been said by some fellow bluelighters and stuff I've read on the net, although my understanding of pharmacology is far too basic for me to start drawing conclusions. Seems it could be a good solution to the symptoms you've been describing though. Here's something i've copied and pasted from another forum from a seemingly knowledgeable member -->

"Also increases DA in certain parts of the brain and although it speeds up the re-uptake of Serotonin, it's my opinion that what it actually does is make the process more efficient. So instead of your Serotonin lingering around it's going to where it's supposed to go and when it hits the receptors it gives you the heightening effect as opposed to the emotional blunting effect you get from SSRI's. There is a lot of good stuff on pubmed about Stablon if you get the time to read it"

I can relate to a lot of your symptoms and it's still early days for me I think. Have abstained from all drugs for just over 2 months now and whilst the bulk of the recovery process is probably behind me (probably recovered 60-70% ), it seems, based on other accounts, that I will have a few more months, possibly years, of slower, sustained recovery to look forward to lol. HPPD, tinnitus, cognitive difficuties, depression and anxiety continue to be a big part of daily life.

Withdrawing from university for the remainder of the year has made a huge difference, however, as it has removed the immediate burden of deadlines, mentally challenging assignments and psychologically challenging social situations at a time when I am simply unable to deal with them. Whilst it is probably necessary to try and keep ur brain active during recovery (by reading, problem solving etc), i think this should be done at your own pace - trying to do so with any external pressure just fucked me up more. This may not apply to you (or even most people) though, as you aren't experiencing the same degree of anxiety as me - the opposite of anything, it seems.

If you've been lurking around on this site as much as I have, you'll probably have read that exercise is another essential part of the recovery process. My emotions ranged from negative to neutral until I found the discipline to get on a strength training programme 3-4 days a week - focusing on the main lifts: squats, bench press, deadlifts, overhead press, pull ups, rows etc. After a week of gymming, I felt a sense of happiness for the first time since the start of my ordeal and it continues to be something I look forward to as strength levels improve, throwing more weight onto the bar every session. I can understand how hard it might be if you are feeling unmotivated, but I cannot exaggerate how much of a difference it has made to my overall mood. It even provides some very noticeable short-term relief cognitively which is awesome. If you have no knowledge about weight training, "starting strength" by Mark rippetoe, which can be purchased online, offers a decent programme for beginners but more importantly a thorough description and how-to for each of the main lifts. Definitely worth looking into!

Anyway, good luck with ur own recovery and keep us posted on whether you decide to go down the stablon or valdoxan road, and with what degree of success! If my symptoms are still getting in the way of my ability to function normally a few months down the road, I may just give it a go myself.

dpd_mnk92

 

[magniloquentcunt]

Hey there, and first of all thanks a lot for your answer.
Not to scare you, but i realized i did not put a measure of time: i stopped SSRI about 4 years ago, and MDMA 3.5 years ago. It is a shitload of time.
What i did is basically the following: First two years i basically just WAITED. I tought that the SSRIs and whatever change they might have done just might have needed time to heal. I am absolutely non sportive, but in good shape.
I now believe it was a big mistake to wait that long without taking initiative. Then i took natural supplements for a year, ginseng, gingko, rhodiola, ashwaghanda, bacopa, gotukola, jiaogulan, reishi, you name it. gave all of them time, was quite patient: i noticed something with bacopa, gingseng and rhodiola, but your body gets used to it and the improvement stops after a while, i have the feeling. nonetheless, they slightly helped, so i suggest you give them a go: they cant harm, at all.
Excercise is something i never liked: coming from a slightly ADD background, im not very coordinated and i am simply ridiculus to look at while playing sports, so i never liked that, but i did go to the gym to excercise for about 1,5 times a week for the past year (rowing, cyclette, upperbody muscles). Personally, even if i excercise a lot, i only get a 2-3hours lasting feeling of general wellbeing and complacement, but idk, its nothing great, and it does not compare with the mental clarity im looking for, its like 2 different things. So, well, im losing myself in what i was trying to say.. basically:
- thank you,
- try natural supplements (adaptogens) ginseng for energy and "wake up in the morning", rhodiola for calmness, moodbrightening and slight general wellbeing, and bacopa for funny madeleine moments where you remember things you tought were forgotten
- it might take quite a bit..