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18 May 2023
Gulliver said his mood, energy levels and sleep was improved by taking Parkinson’s disease drug pramipexole daily as part of the PAX-D trial for people with treatment-resistant depression. He is now urging others to consider taking part in studies to shape the future of healthcare.
The data analyst from Aylesbury was diagnosed with clinical depression aged 19. He tried to stop taking antidepressants but relapsed each time.
“Looking back on my childhood, I can’t ever remember a time when I didn’t feel negative. I was always sluggish and had a lot of anxiety. I never wanted to engage with anything and always thought that this is how everyone must feel."
“I tried lots of different antidepressants and had therapy. At best I felt neutral, I could function but wasn’t really living, just getting through the days. It was difficult to recognise if I was better because I never felt truly happy.”
- Gulliver
It was Gulliver’s mother who found the PAX-D trial and encouraged him to take part.
“My mum is a therapist, so sees a lot of information about mental health studies. One day, she sent me a link to the PAX-D study on Facebook. I sent them a message and that’s how I came to be on the trial.
“At that point, I would have tried anything to feel better. I wasn’t particularly hopeful because nothing had worked for me in the past. I felt like being part of this trial would at least be something positive for other people, even if I was taking the placebo.”
The trial randomly allocated participants to either pramipexole - which boosts mood-altering brain chemical dopamine - or a dummy drug, called a placebo. Researchers and participants do not know if they are taking the drug or placebo, to prevent bias.
He started the trial in January 2022 with assessment visits at the Oxford Health Clinical Research Facility, Warneford Hospital for 12 months. After completing the trial, Gulliver was told he had received pramipexole and is continuing to take it.
“The day after I started taking the drug I felt so much better. I had loads more energy and stopped sleeping during the day. I took the medication at night and it puts me to sleep very deeply which is a welcomed side effect. My sleep quality improved drastically as well as my overall mood.”
- Gulliver
Gulliver did experience some nausea - a common side effect of pramipexole - and was given anti-nausea medication in the first month of the trial, as he adjusted to the medication. But overall he said the experience was a positive one.
“I’d go through the horrible nausea again because the outcome has just been so positive.”
As part of the trial, Gulliver had weekly calls with a research nurse. He also used True Colours, an app which provides questionnaires to record how feelings change over time.
“The True Colours app allowed me to be open and honest about how I was feeling. When I had traditional talking therapy, I sometimes felt like I should tell the therapist what they wanted to hear. I answered questions on the app alone and didn’t feel pressured into saying I felt better than I did.”
Gulliver had 3 weeks off work as a data scientist for a nutrition company due to his condition, during which time he joined the trial.
“I wouldn’t have been able to return to work if it wasn’t for being on the trial. It’s not a miracle drug, but it helps so much.”
“It’s important that people consider taking part in research. The only reason I could get the help I did on this trial is because of the people that volunteered for research before me. It’s validating to know that I have helped pay it forward a bit.”
- Gulliver
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