After speaking to the Lundbeck local rep at the HDSA national convention, I am looking into giving tetrabenazine another chance, for my wife.

She tried it many years ago, on our neurologist's recommendation, and we sourced it through Canada at the time. I don't recall the dosage but she was very much depressed after takin it, although it improved her movements.

My hope is that today, Xenazine will work better for her, with a lower dose being stepped up accordingly.

I am encouraged as I don't believe there was much "control" exhibited the initial foray into this drug for her, and I am also reminded that the half-life of the drug is 24 hours or so, which means she can always stop taking it if the depresssion side effects were to kick in.

Has anyone here given tetrabenazine (Xenazine) another chance after having depression concerns from previous use many years ago? I would love to hear from you if you have experience with this.

My wife's movements are ratcheting up, so we feel we have nothing to lose with the short half-life. Thanks, Ty

Is she taking an antidepressant?

Ms.America has been on Xenazine since '09 with increasing dosages as HD continues it predetermined course. Presently @62.5mg daily, 2x12.5 2xday- 12.5mg 1xday. She is/has been on EffexorXR,75mg, for depression. Her chorea ramps up when she gets off schedule, usually due to missed delivery from the specialty pharmacy (big delivery problems with Accredo). Have been vocal about Xenazine cost, but to Lundbeck's credit, they jumped on our Accredo issues and assigned a new pharmacy to Linda.

The good folks at John Hopkins at the Baltimore Huntington's Disease Center, funded by NIH, see Linda every ninety days and her primary care provider is tuned in and sensitive to HD depression issues (hat tip to the new Physician's Guide To Huntington's Disease). Those support entities communicate - i.e. lab test results and changes in meds.

Moral of the story: Linda's Xenazine journey was initiated by and is carefully monitored by medical professionals familiar with HD.

Form the south of Maryland,

Fred Lothrop

Marsha, she is taking Effexor and Zoloft generics. Our neurologist said that we should decrease the Effexor (due to interaction with Xenazine) and increase the Zoloft (sertraline). We are also going to lessen the Risperidone as we increase the Xenazine so that she doesn't have too much of the movement control where she becomes "parkinsonian" and stiff. Thanks.

Quote
Marsha
Is she taking an antidepressant?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2014 11:21AM by TylerFitz.

Tyler, that sounds like a good plan to me.