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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 porkpiehat on July 31, 2018, at 23:08:58
since I've been taking MAOI's I've had a profound lack of empathy and interest in others. Scares the sh*t out of me. I have a PTSD background and possible BPII/borderline. I've always been somewhat narcissistic but never to this degree. I feel like I don't love my family and friends a lot of the time.
My new therapist suggested I may never had developed empathy due to trauma at an early age, but I know some of the anticonvulsants like trileptal and gabapentin, even klonopin and alcohol (the next day after I drink), have opened up my interpersonal feelings. Antipsychotics frequently make it worse.
I've always felt they've been buried by anxiety, but Part of me wonders if I've just given up and become bitter about my feelings of alienation and lack of sustained relationships, plus anger. But now I can't get past the suspiscion that I'm some kind of latent psychopath and I've nearly committed suicide over the last couple of weeks ruminating over it.
I think the dopamine has some roll in it. I felt this way (worse even) when I was taking effexor and vyvanse. MAOIs obviously boost it too, I can tell because my drinking, smoking, and compulsive behavior has gone thrugh the roof. When I stopped taking the effexor mix a lot of my feelings came back, followed by depression of course.
I could really use some help my therapist seems to have an axe to grind with me and almost suggests I need to stop looking for outside causes for the terrible person that I am.
Cheers?
Posted by porkpiehat on July 31, 2018, at 23:09:47
In reply to can meds cause lack of empathy/uncover it?, posted by porkpiehat on July 31, 2018, at 23:08:58
forgot to notify myself of follow ups..
Posted by linkadge on August 1, 2018, at 14:09:57
In reply to can meds cause lack of empathy/uncover it?, posted by porkpiehat on July 31, 2018, at 23:08:58
Yes, absolutely they can. I notice this with effexor. After I started taking meds in late teens, I became compleltely uninterested in persuing any kind of relationship. I just see it as baggage. I think mostly of my own problems. In some ways, it is adaptive. In other ways it is maladaptive.
Linkadge
Posted by Christ_empowered on August 1, 2018, at 18:44:03
In reply to Re: can meds cause lack of empathy/uncover it?, posted by linkadge on August 1, 2018, at 14:09:57
i vote for the meds, personally. antidepressants and neuroleptics, in particular. benzodiazepines aren't exactly empathy pills, either.
Posted by ed_uk2010 on August 2, 2018, at 12:57:00
In reply to can meds cause lack of empathy/uncover it?, posted by porkpiehat on July 31, 2018, at 23:08:58
>since I've been taking MAOI's I've had a profound lack of empathy
I think this reaction is common to numerous groups of antidepressants. You know that you should feel something/more, but don't.
Posted by porkpiehat on August 2, 2018, at 22:12:03
In reply to Re: can meds cause lack of empathy/uncover it?, posted by Christ_empowered on August 1, 2018, at 18:44:03
> i vote for the meds, personally. antidepressants and neuroleptics, in particular. benzodiazepines aren't exactly empathy pills, either.
so I'm not a latent psychopath? I was hoping not! My impression of the MAOIs was that they would give me more emotional openness and less blunting. Aside from the ability to concentrate and less "hysteria" and suicidal thought, they haven't come through. Although anxiety is low and it would be tough to give up the cognitive abilities, and I still can function sexually.
I'm hoping that a low dose of naltexone will help with the compulsiveness. I'd still love to have my feelings and motivation for good, future-oriented decisions back also.
Thanks for the reassurances!
Posted by SLS on August 3, 2018, at 7:25:10
In reply to Re: can meds cause lack of empathy/uncover it? » Christ_empowered, posted by porkpiehat on August 2, 2018, at 22:12:03
> I'd still love to have my feelings and motivation for good, future-oriented decisions back also.
Not all MAOIs are alike.
The reason I discontinued Parnate was because my drive and motivation were blunted and I felt somewhat numb cognitively. I did not feel happy and was emotionally flat. The sense of reward was missing. By contrast, Nardil increased interest and motivation. It brightened my mood. I was more social and engaged emotionally. I was happier and experienced reward.
My sense is that Marplan is more similar to Nardil than it is to Parnate. However, it might be less robust as a pro-social drug. For the short time that I responded to it, Marplan felt more balanced than Nardil. There was no euphoria or mania, and I was more deliberative in my decision-making process. Some people actually experience a more robust and cleaner antidepressant response to Marplan as compared to Nardil.
- Scott
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