Posted by Sarah T. on March 12, 2005, at 0:20:07
In reply to Can a lightbox cause this?, posted by KaraS on March 11, 2005, at 16:05:28
Hi Kara. I'm not familiar with lightboxes causing palpitations, but I suppose it's possible. After all, if they have an antidepressant effect, then they must be affecting neurotransmission and hormones. I HAVE heard of lightboxes causing irritability in some people, particular those who might have some tendency toward hypomania. At what time of day are you using the box? Do you live in a particularly overcast part of the country? I live in a very dreary part of the country that has bad winters, so I use the lightbox a lot during the fall and winter. When I use it in the spring and summer, I use it sparingly. During the sunnier seasons, I can feel when I've had enough; during the winter, I feel as if I can't ever get enough. Are you taking anything besides doxepin? Are you taking any alternative meds or anything with lots of caffeine that might be causing the palpitations? May I ask what you were on before you started Doxepin? The reason I ask is that, several times when I've withdrawn from a stimulating medication, I've had palpitations intermittently for weeks after I terminated the drug. This occurred after stopping Ludiomil, Wellbutrin, dexedrine and adderall. The dose you're taking (25 mg) is a small dose, but I have to say that I had some intense cardiovascular responses to nearly all the tricyclics, even at small doses. At larger, more "therapeutic" doses, I had some pretty scary episodes of tachycardia. On Ludiomil they were so bad, I had to wear a Holter monitor for a while. Another possible cause of palpitations in women can be changing hormonal levels, such as lowering estrogen.
poster:Sarah T.
thread:469760
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050225/msgs/469919.html