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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by MM on October 22, 2005, at 3:20:45
Hi Link,
I noticed that you feel you have had SSRI induced brain damage (as do I, partially because they were given to me so young, but who knows) and I also remember you posting something about how they change your brain permanently. I'm wondering if I interpreted that correctly. Do you believe that you can't un-do the changes SSRI's (or any medications?) make to your brain/preception of the world (even when off them)?
Posted by linkadge on October 23, 2005, at 15:23:22
In reply to Question for Linkadge, posted by MM on October 22, 2005, at 3:20:45
The main problem I have is what I call a movement disorder.
The best way to describe it, is that when I get up to move, by body doesn't really know how! I also experience strange sensations like feeling like my head is being twisted to the left, Shaking, twisting, sinusoidal head movements, illegable penmanship, the list goes on.
I would like to believe, just as much as the next man, that these effects are only temporary. But I have to face the reality that these problems are as promanant now as they were 8 months ago when I stopped the meds.
I can't say I know the mechanism for sure, but If I take a test dose of an SSRI, most of these problems vanish for a while.
We know that long term use of many antipsychotics can lead to structural morphology to areas of the brain associated with movement. I don't find it inconcievable that other drugs could not cause similar changes. Dr. Breggin, (as much as I don't like him) has done a fairly good job at collecting similar accounts.
I am not really anti-drug overall. But, I think that the highly liberal prescription of these medications based on the assumption that they are "safe" may be prfoundly unwise.
If people want to discount my account, thats ok, but I just pray that similar things don't happen to them.
Linkadge
Posted by nolvas on October 24, 2005, at 13:57:44
In reply to Re: Question for Linkadge, posted by linkadge on October 23, 2005, at 15:23:22
My ex partner was prescribed Stelazine for quite some time and started getting a movement disorder in her neck. I read about the side effects and said the Stelazine is causing the problem and consult her psychiatrist. He blatantly stated that it wasn't the Stelazine and didn't change her meds, so it shows you what the doctors know about the stuff they prescribe.
I've taken SSRI's for panic disorder and they may as well have said wire your self up to the mains, it just made the anxiety worse. There could well be an anxiolytic drug out there that would work for me but after experiencing the nasty side effects of prescription meds I'm too scared to try anything else.
The anti psychosis drugs seem to have the worst side effects with regard to dyskinesia. I didn't get anything like that with SSRIs but I wouldn't be suprised if that was a side effect for some people.
Posted by MM on October 24, 2005, at 14:28:30
In reply to Re: Question for Linkadge, posted by linkadge on October 23, 2005, at 15:23:22
I agree that the liberal use of these meds seems unwise, or dangerous. My lasting effects are more cognitive/emotional, although the weight gain worsened my depression so much, even though I've lost it, it still has its effects. I was put on them for the first time when I was 14-15 and had super-anxious/agitated/surreal states, and became incredibly suicidal, like compulsive. I think I developed what the black-box warning now um warns of. Anyway, the last time I tried an SSRI was this past December for a few weeks (Lexapro) and though I didn't have quite that bad of a reaction (I am on Trileptal too, so that might have something to do with it), I was still very uncomfortable.
I feel like taking SSRI's was the most detrimental thing to my wellness that I've done (even above taking illegal drugs) and I'm scared they have changed my brain/personality permanently. I still want to believe that the body/brain can heal itself over time though.
I thought I recalled you doing some research into whether or not SSRI's do permanently change brain chemistry?
Anyway, I hope that your "atypical" (although, who knows) effects diminish and disappear. IMHO I think you deserve some kind of compensation. Take care.
Posted by linkadge on October 24, 2005, at 17:59:44
In reply to Re: Question for Linkadge » linkadge, posted by MM on October 24, 2005, at 14:28:30
Yeah, its really just a shot in the dark when a doctor prescribes an SSRI.
If you went to the Buspar website a year ago, it would have told you that anxiety was due to excess serotonin (since buspar lowers serotonergic neurotransmission). There's really no conscensious that anxiety is due to low serotonin at all.
Activation of some serotonin receptors are anxiogenic, ie 5-ht2a, 5-ht3, 5-ht2c. Taking an SSRI activates all serotonin receptors, so the net effect is very unpredictable.
Linkadge
This is the end of the thread.
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