Posted by merpmerp on March 1, 2014, at 8:47:36
In reply to Sudden sensitivity to SSRIs/side effects?, posted by Dispossessed on February 27, 2014, at 15:38:13
Hi Dispossessed,
I don't have an answer for you exactly, but I wanted to know you're not alone.
I took 20-30 mg Prozac for about a year back in 2006-2007, and it was literally a lifesaver. I was taking it for severe melancholic depression, and I don't drink alcohol ever, for additional info.
Thought I was "fixed", went off it. Didn't take anything for a couple of years.
Went back to Prozac in early 2009, it made me much worse. Even at 10 mg. Intrusive violent thoughts, severe akathisia (I didn't know what that was back then), panic attacks, shakiness. I switched to the name brand thinking it was a bad generic, no relief.
Now I'll try to recall exactly what happened and in what order, but my memories of the following are pretty hazy.
Switched to 10 mg Lexapro. At first it seemed better. Then I couldn't concentrate and started sleeping like 15 hours a day. Then, I can't remember why, I think my psych upped it to 20 mg, maybe in anticipation of the winter months. BAM, severe intrusive thoughts, akathisia, panic attacks for which she gave me Klonopin. Like you, I had blood tests, thyroid tests, therapy, before suspecting my med. Went back to 10 mg, was still bad. Went to 5 mg, still bad. Went to 2.5 mg, perfect. Felt great. That was early 2011 and I was really good for a few years. I still take it.
So why am I back here on Psychobabble then? Well, all of a sudden, I am having the akathisia, panickiness (I describe it as feeled constantly "revved up" physically, and nothing will calm me) and other symptoms. Much milder than before, but I want to cut it off at the knees before it gets going.
I think my main problems may be dopamine related. So I think serotonin isn't really my issue, and too much of it exacerbates the dopamine problem.
Why I suddenly got sensitive to the 2.5 mg Lexapro... I'm not sure. Except that as we age, I'm sure our brain chemistry changes and sadly what worked once may not work again. Perhaps my suspected dopamine problem is worsening. I've been through some stressors and may be responding to that; maybe it'll even itself out, maybe it won't.
As to your question about how long you should give an SSRI to work, I always figure around a month, but on the other hand, with Lexapro, I always felt the dose changes within three days, like clockwork.
Now I may have missed this, but have you tried Wellbutrin? I have not, and that may be next for me.
Best of luck to both of us.
Diagnosis: recurrent melancholic depression
Meds: Lexapro since Spt. 2009; currently on 2.5 mg plus occasional l-tyrosine.
poster:merpmerp
thread:1061454
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140214/msgs/1061588.html