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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by winterbluez on July 29, 2004, at 19:50:41
HELLO,
CAN ANYONE RELATE TO THIS? I FEEL SO UNATTATCHED
TO MY FEELINGS AND NORMAL EMOTIONS... I DON'T FEEL SEXUAL SILLY ANGRY LOVING,, WHEN I'M IN A SITUATION WHERE I SHOULD FEEL THESE COMMON EMOTIONS I LOOK FOR THESE FEELINGS TO COME AND ALL I FEEL IS VACANCY?? DOES THIS MAKE SENSE TO ANYONE HERE??
I TAKE 20 MG. PAXIL FOR OCD/DEPRESSION
COULD IT BE NOT ENOUGH MED. OR ACTUALLY THE MED CAUSING THIS??
PLEASE HELP!
Posted by Shadowplayers721 on July 29, 2004, at 23:08:33
In reply to FEEEEELING SO FLAT??, posted by winterbluez on July 29, 2004, at 19:50:41
I felt that way on Prozac after taking it for 2 years. I had to get off of it to feel again.
Posted by Racer on July 30, 2004, at 0:50:04
In reply to FEEEEELING SO FLAT??, posted by winterbluez on July 29, 2004, at 19:50:41
While Paxil was a fairly effective anti-depressant for me, I discontinued it for the very reason you describe. In my case, it was subtle enough that I wasn't entirely aware of the effect until a tragedy occurred in my life and I couldn't grieve. My doctor described it as "emotional constipation", which is pretty apt.
I'm not sure whether a dosage change might have made a difference, or whether there are any augmenting agents that might help. I've never seen any studies done to examine the phenomenon, nor even seen it mentioned as a known side effect.
On the other hand, I have read a few reports stating that many patients who report such side effects as fatigue, irritability, agitation, etc, are actually experiencing only partial response to the medication. These reports -- which I don't have it in me to find and offer links for -- suggest strongly that doctors take a more aggressive approach to treating depression, and consider side effects that mimic aspects of depression very carefully to determine which are really caused by the medication and which are residual depressive symptoms. Of course, that information only helps you if your doctor has read those same reports and took them seriously enough to make some changes to your treatment.
How long have you been on Paxil? Other than this symptom, how is it working for you?
(Oh, and you don't need to shout -- all caps is much more difficult to read that the standard mix of upper and lower case letters.)
Posted by winterbluez on July 30, 2004, at 7:27:06
In reply to Re: FEEEEELING SO FLAT??, posted by Racer on July 30, 2004, at 0:50:04
hi racer,, thanx for the info. i've been on 10 mg.
for 6 years but upped it to 20 mg. the last 3 weeks. i'm beginning to wonder if the 10 mg. ever was really doing anything besides making me think i had something helping me? I can't be flat like this though,it's worse than being anxious and depressed""
Posted by Wildman on July 30, 2004, at 8:05:02
In reply to Re: FEEEEELING SO FLAT??, posted by winterbluez on July 30, 2004, at 7:27:06
What's your diagnosis? Perhaps you could try a different SSRI. Lexapro (10mg/day) works well for me. There are many alternatives to Paxil if you find that it's not working for you.
Best of luck!
Wildman
Posted by Racer on July 30, 2004, at 15:40:03
In reply to Re: FEEEEELING SO FLAT??, posted by winterbluez on July 30, 2004, at 7:27:06
You know, this is a topic I've thought about and searched for information on, and haven't really found any definitive answer. The best I can tell you is something I kinda intuitively believe, but can't back up at all: I think that a number of the drug poop-outs are really a case of the cells in the brain "learning" to ignore the drug. Kinda like I sleep through the trains outside our bedroom now, but they used to wake me up. Eventually, the brain just adapts to the drug in question, and it loses its effectiveness.
So, what does that mean in practical terms? If you were on 10mgs, and it was working, then you can probably switch to another SSRI and get a good effect, too. Talk to your doctors about which of your depressive symptoms cause you the most trouble, and use that information to choose another SSRI.
And about Effexor: I can only speak for myself, so remember that a sample size of one is totally meaningless in statistics, but I did gain weight on it -- HOWEVER, it also gave me a good run while it worked. The weight gain, by the way, was definitely linked to changes in my endocrine system, so they could have been treated pretty effectively if we'd put the pieces together at the time. Yes, it has a wicked withdrawal, but how bad that withdrawal is depends on dose to some degree. Just common sense there: if I'm taking 100mgs, and you're taking 300mgs, one of us is likely to take longer to taper off, and might have more problems, right? When I was on Paxil, I think I was taking 45mgs (might have been 30, this was a long time ago). 10mgs is a lowish dose, so you seem to metabolize more effectively than I do. In terms of Effexor, that might mean that you'd do fine on 75mgs, or even 37.5mgs. That would minimize your risk of weight gain, other side effects, and shorten any withdrawal. It might be worth a try. I hope you won't let some of the experiences of people here frighten you away from trying it, if it might help you.
Best luck to you.
Posted by Racer on July 30, 2004, at 15:42:44
In reply to Re: FEEEEELING SO FLAT??, posted by winterbluez on July 30, 2004, at 7:27:06
Some of what I wrote was actually aimed at another post -- the part about Effexor was just a brain fart. If Paxil worked well for you, there's a good chance the other SSRIs will, as well. And you were on a low dose of Paxil, which is likely to mean you'll respond to a low dose on those other drugs, so that minimizes your risk of side effects.
Best luck, and sorry for the fragrance of rotting eggs on my last post...
This is the end of the thread.
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