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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 Jay Limmo on April 5, 1999, at 20:41:16
Alright, sorry about that last message. I've spent the past hour trying to make this thing work and it kept telling me I hadn't filled in my NAME. Sheesh.
My mother, a chronically depressed 66-year-old, took the antidepressant Ascendin for over a decade. Worked fine. Last fall, she decided to stop taking it, and has since become so emotional overwrought and erratic that she's alienated just about everyone in our family.
She tried PROZAC and ZOLOFT. Both times, her doctor tapered her off the Ascendin while increasing her dosage of the new drug. By the time she went off the Ascendin, she would feel so ill that she could barely leave the couch.
Finally, she went cold turkey off the Ascendin and spent six weeks on the couch in withdrawal. Not long after, she tried Prozac again. She said she had two days where she felt better than she's ever felt, and then became ill like she had before.
She also takes the following medications.
ARTHROTECH, an anti-inflammatory;
PROGESTIN and ESTRADIOL for hormone replacement;
PRAVACHOL for cholesterol.
ATENOLOL, a beta blocker.
PRILOSEC, for acid reflux.
And FIORINOL, for migraines.
My questions:
Do either Zoloft or Prozac interact negatively with any of these medications?
Is there any other reason why she felt so bad from taking Zoloft or Prozac?
Are there any other antidepressants that she could take?
I'm at my wit's end, here, folks. Any advice you could offer would greatly help.
Posted by Matt on April 6, 1999, at 0:29:30
In reply to HELP! re: antidepressants, posted by Jay Limmo on April 5, 1999, at 20:41:16
I hope this doesn't seem naive, but why did she stop the amoxapine?
Matt
Posted by Nick on April 6, 1999, at 7:14:58
In reply to HELP! re: antidepressants, posted by Jay Limmo on April 5, 1999, at 20:41:16
> My mother, a chronically depressed 66-year-old, took the antidepressant Ascendin for over a decade. Worked fine. Last fall, she decided to stop taking it, and has since become so emotional overwrought and erratic that she's alienated just about everyone in our family.The rule of thumb is to restart any antidpressant that has been effective before, unless there has been an intolerable side effect, loss of efficacy or new contraindication. Amoxapine has a different method of action to the other antidepressants that your mother's doctor has recommended. There is only a 2 in 3 chance that a particular antidepressant will be effective in a given case. She might be best off going back on the amoxapine. Hope this helps, Nick
Posted by harry on April 6, 1999, at 12:16:08
In reply to HELP! re: antidepressants, posted by Jay Limmo on April 5, 1999, at 20:41:16
Same thought as Matt..why did she quit and not restart the Ascendin?
Posted by Jay Limmo on April 6, 1999, at 19:58:23
In reply to Re: HELP! re: antidepressants, posted by harry on April 6, 1999, at 12:16:08
> Same thought as Matt..why did she quit and not restart the Ascendin?
She went off the Ascendin because she had been taking it for more than a decade, and according to her, once you use it for twelve years or more, permanent side effects like uncontrollable lip twitches start to appear. Again, this is just what she told me - whether this has any basis in fact or not, I can't say, I'm still looking all this stuff up.
Posted by Jay Limmo (again) on April 6, 1999, at 20:21:04
In reply to HELP! re: antidepressants, posted by Jay Limmo on April 5, 1999, at 20:41:16
One more thing:
I just did a search on Amoxapine. She may also have gone off because she has blockage in one of the major arteries inside her heart. Tricyclic antidepressants can worsen heart problems, and perhaps her doctor wanted her to go off for that reason.
I would ask her for more details, but since our last phone conversation ended with her telling me "Have a nice life!" and then hanging up, I'm not rushing to call her. So this is the best info I can give you at the moment.
Posted by Nick on April 7, 1999, at 15:03:42
In reply to Re: HELP! re: antidepressants, posted by Jay Limmo (again) on April 6, 1999, at 20:21:04
There is a risk of movement disorders on amoxapine, and you're also right about possible (but often overstated unless an actual arrhythmia is present)cardiac problems. She might be better trying a drug which includes a noradrenergic action - venlafaxine or reboxetine - like amoxapine, rather than the serotonergic ones you mention. KR, Nick
This is the end of the thread.
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