Posted by merpmerp on March 20, 2014, at 22:32:06
In reply to Re: Another step on the Lexapro journey » merpmerp, posted by phidippus on March 20, 2014, at 18:15:28
Thank you, Eric, for taking the time to read and formulate an in-depth reply. That really means a lot to me - these last few months have been pretty awful.
***I put my replies after asterisks, like this, you can find them.
> > Eric,
> >
> > I've been spending the last few days re-reading my old posts from 2010/2011 to try and remember exactly what happened. I have a few questions, I'm honestly asking if you or anyone else have any ideas as to why this all happened. Brainstorming and all that.
> >
> > I'm going to post a condensed timeline.
> >
> > 2006-2007: Generic Prozac
>
> Do you remember the dose?***20-30 mg. This was my first time on any antidepressant of any type. I was 20.
>
> >akathisia/diarrhea/intrusive thoughts
>
> This may have been a reaction to the generic prozac. At this point did you try name brand again?***Had never had name brand or any other manufacturer of it.
>
> >Lexapro name brand, 10 mg. Switched from 5 to 10 mg every now and then
>
> Exactly how did you switch from 5 to 10 mg?***My pdoc and I would adjust the dose as needed to compensate for the seasonal aspect of my depression.
>
> >akathisia, diarrhea and intrusive thoughts.
>
> SSRIs don't seem to be agreeing with you. Do you have OCD in the first place?***No, I don't. I never had intrusive thoughts before the SSRIs. I went around for a year or two thinking I must have developed OCD, but with a lower dose the thoughts finally all went away.
***I have always (until the last few years, with this med ride, considered anxiety secondary to my depression.
>
> > Late 2010: Realized the Lexapro was making things worse and dropped to 2.5 mg *against my pdoc's advice*.
>
> You should have just stopped it.***I did the best I could. I felt powerless, trapped, miserable, muddled. I agree with you now, though.
>
>
> >
> >Then the akathisia, diarrhea, intrusive thoughts started to return a couple of months after they switched my generic manufacturer in Oct 2013.
>
> This tells me you may not have these reactions to all SSRIs.
>
> > -My question is, why did the Prozac help me so much in 2006-2007? Why then was I unable to tolerate it again in March 2009?
>
> Again there's some question as to which you were taking at the time-name bradnd or generic.***I suspect it is a difference with the manufacturers, yes, it's just scary that it made such a difference. 2006-2007 was Pliva brand (I believe Teva has since bought them). Second time was Mallinckrodt brand and then name brand.
>
> >Why did Lexapro work so well for 3 years?
>
> It sounds like you switched to a generic brand that didn't work for you.
>
> > -Are all SSRIs bad for me now for some inexplicable reason?
>
> I wouldn't say that, but perhaps you should try something else like a TCA or Mirtazapine.***To be honest TCA's kind of scare me. Probably undeservedly so. But my mother died from an overdose of a TCA - Elavil, I think - and Valium. (I believe this was accidental and not suicide, after having thought long and hard about the circumstances in which it happened.)
>
> >This is the reason I stayed so long on the meds even when they seemed to not help
>
> When medicines have stopped working for me, I immediately stop them and seek treatment with another medication.***I tried. I was not and am not a very assertive person, although getting better about it. Part of the problem was that I was assigned a pdoc by my grad school - I felt that I had no say in who I got and no recourse to change - a very bad situation. And no finances to go outside the school mental health system. It was this forum that gave me the social support I needed in order to make any changes at all - so for that I am incredibly grateful to everyone here :)
>
> Eric
Diagnosis: recurrent melancholic depression
Meds: Lexapro since Spt. 2009; currently on 2.5 mg plus occasional l-tyrosine.
poster:merpmerp
thread:1062452
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140307/msgs/1062897.html