Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 266848

Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Agitation

Posted by Alexs on October 8, 2003, at 16:21:41

I am taking 20 mg prozac, 200 mg lamictal, 120 mg strattera. I have a problem with agitation, it started before the lamictal and strattera. I've been on prozac a long time, I suspect it's the prozac causing the agitation. I would like to switch to another SSRI. does any one know if there is one that is less likely to cause agitation? Also is there anything non addictive that would help?

 

Re: Agitation

Posted by Harvester of Eyes on October 8, 2003, at 17:10:20

In reply to Agitation, posted by Alexs on October 8, 2003, at 16:21:41

What is your diagnosis?

My experience is that Prozac is among the most stimulating SSRIs. Individual experiences will vary. I find Zoloft is in the middle and Paxil more sedating.

I don't know whether Klonepin fits your definition of addictive, but it's a candidate for evaluation.

I wonder what would happen if you cut your dose of Prozac in half for a week.

 

Re: Agitation

Posted by Alexs on October 8, 2003, at 17:34:32

In reply to Re: Agitation, posted by Harvester of Eyes on October 8, 2003, at 17:10:20

Bi-PolarII. Now that I'm on lamictal maybe I can cut back on the prozac. I'd rather not get on any kind of benzo because fatigue is already a problem.
By the way where did you get "harvester of eyes"? I'm a writer, just curious.

 

Re: Agitation

Posted by Lazarus on October 8, 2003, at 17:49:32

In reply to Agitation, posted by Alexs on October 8, 2003, at 16:21:41

I suspect that it is the Strattera, and not the Prozac, which is causing your aggitation. I take 9 mg of Strattera daily (1/2 of an 18 mg capsule) and find it very stimulating. When I take 18 mg I'm climbing the walls.

By the way, I'm also BPII, with Rapid Cycling.

Lazarus

 

Re: Agitation

Posted by Alexs on October 8, 2003, at 18:01:17

In reply to Re: Agitation, posted by Lazarus on October 8, 2003, at 17:49:32

The agitation was present years before I started Strattera. By the way it took me a long time to get up to the 120 mg dose of strattera because of side effects. I think the recommended starting dose is way to high. I started on the lowest dose available, I think it was 12.5 mg. I'm also rapid, the lamotrigine pretty much stopped the cycles of depression. That's another one where you have to go very slow/rash.

 

Re: Luvox » Alexs

Posted by Dinah on October 8, 2003, at 18:13:43

In reply to Agitation, posted by Alexs on October 8, 2003, at 16:21:41

I am so prone to agitation that I can barely take anything. But Luvox didn't cause it. I was apathetic on it though, and anorgasmic.

 

Re: Agitation » Alexs

Posted by Viridis on October 9, 2003, at 0:30:07

In reply to Agitation, posted by Alexs on October 8, 2003, at 16:21:41

Prozac made me very edgy, and this didn't go away, even after months. But then, I don't react well to any of the SSRIs I've tried. Prozac is notorious, though, for being the SSRI most likely to cause anxiety.

Strattera, on the other hand, makes me feel quite mellow and focused. We all react differently.

I'm not sure what you mean by "non-addictive" -- pretty much any drug that makes you feel better on a regular basis is likely to cause dependency. SSRIs and other ADs have the highest reported incidence of these effects. I'm not aware of any commonly prescribed psychiatric medications that are likely to cause real addiction for any but a small proportion of users.

The safest drugs for agitation probably are benzodiazepines (with Klonopin at the top of the list), although they certainly can cause dependency -- meaning that if you discontinue them you have to do so gradually, as you would with most antidepressants.


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