45 replies to this topic

[pheanix997]

 

 

I'm on the lowest dose now, though, and really experience zero side effects. I still experience physical anxiety, but it's very much manageable - and I prefer that as opposed to being completely numb. It's tempting to increase the dose, but I've been there and it's only necessary if you're in an acute state of anxiety and your body just needs relief. As for mental anxiety, that's decreased since being on medication quite a bit, but it's still there somewhat.

 

 

How much is your low dose ? I've just increased to 10mg from 5mg as nothing positive was happening so far, and boy.. It has raised my anxiety and physical tension so much i've been paralysed and  haven't been able to do anything for the last two days.. Maybe I should have stayed with 5mg and waited some more.

 

What brand name are you using? I'm on cipralex, and the lowest prescribable dose is 10 mg. I'm not sure why you're experiencing anxiety from upping your dosage, as the medication is supposed to reduce anxiety! Could this mean you're a non-responder? I think you should talk to your doc about that. It must be frustrating. 

[nowayout]

 

 

I'm on the lowest dose now, though, and really experience zero side effects. I still experience physical anxiety, but it's very much manageable - and I prefer that as opposed to being completely numb. It's tempting to increase the dose, but I've been there and it's only necessary if you're in an acute state of anxiety and your body just needs relief. As for mental anxiety, that's decreased since being on medication quite a bit, but it's still there somewhat.

 

 

How much is your low dose ? I've just increased to 10mg from 5mg as nothing positive was happening so far, and boy.. It has raised my anxiety and physical tension so much i've been paralysed and  haven't been able to do anything for the last two days.. Maybe I should have stayed with 5mg and waited some more.

 

 

I know exactly what you mean.  I took only one first dose of Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) on Friday also for anxious depression and it completely made me cycle into that extreme anxiety where I find myself on adrenaline (in a very dysphoric way trembling) with a feeling of dread in the five days since then.   Today it seems to finally be a bit better but boy, did that frighten me way from this drug!

 

 

 

I'm on the lowest dose now, though, and really experience zero side effects. I still experience physical anxiety, but it's very much manageable - and I prefer that as opposed to being completely numb. It's tempting to increase the dose, but I've been there and it's only necessary if you're in an acute state of anxiety and your body just needs relief. As for mental anxiety, that's decreased since being on medication quite a bit, but it's still there somewhat.

 

 

How much is your low dose ? I've just increased to 10mg from 5mg as nothing positive was happening so far, and boy.. It has raised my anxiety and physical tension so much i've been paralysed and  haven't been able to do anything for the last two days.. Maybe I should have stayed with 5mg and waited some more.

 

What brand name are you using? I'm on cipralex, and the lowest prescribable dose is 10 mg. I'm not sure why you're experiencing anxiety from upping your dosage, as the medication is supposed to reduce anxiety!

 

SSRIs or SNRIs commonly increase anxiety at first.  The idea is that after a week or two receptors may downregulate and then you have less anxiety.  But lots of people who already have anxiety cannot take that increase of anxiety the initial days and stop. 

 

[BlueCloud]

Yeah, I expected the increase in anxiety when I started it, but at 5mg, it was still tolerable , so I toughend up and sat thru it, and that increase returned to baseline after a few weeks. But it seems going up to 10mg brings you to square one again and this time the anxiety increase is unbearable. 

[pheanix997]

 

I've heard that chronic use of SSRI's lowers dopamine over time. Is there any way to prevent this? Would taking dopamine-enhancing supplements supported by a lifestyle that naturally increases dopamine, e.g. heavy weightlifting, good sleep, proper diet, etc., over time prevent this inevitable process from happening, or happening so drastically as to change the personality of the individual into a lethargic, unmotivated, emotional-zombie? 

 

I think one way to tame this process would be to keep your dose at the lowest therapeutic level for yourself, where the benefits aren't all-encompasing but the side-effects are null. 

 

Yes, an SSRI may indirectly decrease dopamine levels. You can take a dopaminergic to counteract this, and some people even report a feeling of euphoria when combining an SSRI with a dopaminergic. 

 

Interesting. So taking something like l-tyrosine would balance things out? Is it really that simple? Also, I'm going to send you a PM about something. 

[blood]

Yeah, I expected the increase in anxiety when I started it, but at 5mg, it was still tolerable , so I toughend up and sat thru it, and that increase returned to baseline after a few weeks. But it seems going up to 10mg brings you to square one again and this time the anxiety increase is unbearable. 

You could try alternating 5 and 10 mg doses on successive days for a few weeks.

[BlueCloud]

 

Yeah, I expected the increase in anxiety when I started it, but at 5mg, it was still tolerable , so I toughend up and sat thru it, and that increase returned to baseline after a few weeks. But it seems going up to 10mg brings you to square one again and this time the anxiety increase is unbearable. 

You could try alternating 5 and 10 mg doses on successive days for a few weeks.

 

Yes, that would be like taking 7.5mg, an intermediary dosage. But I've decided to just go back to 5mg and give it a couple more weeks. There are quite a few anecdotal reports of success at that dosage, with tolerable side-effects.

[beez]

Is it a fact that SSRI increase inflammation in the brain?

Does this mean it would be better to stay depressed in case SSRI help with your depression?

 

[xks201]

Any benefit anyone gets from these drugs probably have more to do with their nerve growth factor and neurosteroid up regulation than their serotonin increasing abilities.

[ILIkeBeer]

The reason why most people on these forums are down on SSRI's is because they have not worked for them... that is why they are here for the most part.... they work for me I have been on lexapro for 4 years now.  Unlike you however I can't get off of them... I mean I probably could but the withdraw is so miserable I can't take that much time off life/job/kids to do so... that might be part of it as well... when I started taking these I did not know I was signing up for a highly addictive drug.

[mealz13]

I love SSRIs, but like ILIkeBeer I can't seem to get off of them; they've worked extremely well for my anxiety but I get nervous about what they're doing to my brain when my body becomes complete misery when I try to withdraw.  Oh well, i still love my zoloft. B-)

Edited by mealz13, 10 May 2014 - 05:22 PM.

[xks201]

I love SSRIs, but like ILIkeBeer I can't seem to get off of them; they've worked extremely well for my anxiety but I get nervous about what they're doing to my brain when my body becomes complete misery when I try to withdraw.  Oh well, i still love my zoloft. B-)

 

And your pecker still works without pecker drugs on it?

[mealz13]

 

I love SSRIs, but like ILIkeBeer I can't seem to get off of them; they've worked extremely well for my anxiety but I get nervous about what they're doing to my brain when my body becomes complete misery when I try to withdraw.  Oh well, i still love my zoloft. B-)

 

And your pecker still works without pecker drugs on it?

 

Well, I don't have a pecker, but yeah, sexually speaking, it kinda sucks.  Zaps whatever sex drive I had but I'll take that over being so filled with anxiety I can't function.

[xks201]

Yeah. Personally i am pretty depressed if my pecker doesnt work. I guess now you have time to focus on your career.

[beez]

I have a question.

 

Let's say a SSRI actually works for you (which is probably rather seldom) then would you simply take it and not care if it causes inflammation or would you rather not take it anymore?

 

 

[Milkyway]

Withdrawal for me from S.S.R.I's has been impossible.  I have tried many times.  I guess I had one of the very worst long term responses to it, because I do not function or feel anything like I use to.  I am very addicted and my quality of life has been strongly compromised.  My anxiety has become tremendous.  I took them at first because initially they did work.  That was however very short lived.  I am still hoping they come out with something that allows me to withdraw from the things as I have not been able to just stop or even wean.  Maybe somehow psychiatry will become regenerative and not just aim to mask symptoms.  If anyone has found anything that has allowed them to stop S.S.R.I.'s after years of use or at least helped mitigate their side effects then please let me know.

[blood]

Withdrawal for me from S.S.R.I's has been impossible...

 

I assume you've tried to taper the dose slowly?

 

In the past, I have used 5-HTP (a serotonin precursor) in a time-release formulation** when discontinuing Effexor. It blocked the worst of the withdrawal effects.

 

Another trick is to switch to a second SSRI for a short time. E.g., you're trying to discontinue Effexor, & you've tapered to a very low dose but still get intolerable sides when stopping completely. Substitute the Effexor for low dose prozac for a few days or weeks. This will mask the worst of the Effexor withdrawal sides. Then, quit the prozac (slowly, with dose tapering, if necessary).

 

A final option is to acknowledge that you are still depressed - or bow to the research which finds a role for SSRIs in preventing recurrence of depression - and continue taking your SSRI.

 

**I used Natrol's time-release 5-HTP, purchased from iherb.com.