Posted by Cindylou on September 12, 2001, at 22:04:40
In reply to Re: Prozac CRASH again -- Thank you., posted by Cindylou on September 7, 2001, at 13:56:01
Well, I saw my pdoc today and shared all of your suggestions with her. She was very responsive to all of them ... and I almost took home a sample of Risperdal to start trying. (Since I get very fatigued on most medications, she thought Risperdal would be a better choice than Zyprexa).
But just before I left, she said that HER first choice for me would be to try a low dose of Lithium! Just the name Lithium scares me -- it sounds like we're pulling out the "big guns" now.
Her reasoning makes sense -- I do have these swings in mood -- but not "highs" or manias. For me, I may feel good (e.g., like a normal person, with normal energy and motivation) for a few days, maybe a week if I'm lucky -- but the feeling never lasts. I always spiral downward again (feeling tired, weary, lethargic, etc.) usually for a few weeks. Then I might feel some relief for a few days again ... and the cycle continues. It often seems related to PMS, but sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to it.
So... I agreed to try it, even though it scares me. My doc has been with me for a year now, and she has been wonderfully open with me, trying out my suggestions and listening to the information I bring her. Best of all, she hasn't given up on me.
I would love to hear from anyone who has tried Lithium, to see if it helped or not. I would only take about 300 mg a day, in addition to my 5 mg. Prozac and 150 mg. Wellbutrin. (I am very med sensitive, that's why the doses are so low).
Thanks for everything,
cindy> Thank you everyone for your feedback, and for giving me hope. I will take all of your suggestions to my pdoc on Wednesday. I cut the Prozac down to 5 mg. for now -- still feel tired and have to nap, but don't feel as disoriented and don't have as much "lead/fog in the head." I'll keep you posted on what I end up doing.
>
> Any more ideas are welcome -- the more the merrier!
> Thanks again,
> Cindy
>
> > Hi,
> > I've tried Prozac on three different occasions, and every time I "hit a wall" after about two months. It just happened again.
> >
> > Out of desperation, I started Prozac again in June (nothing else was working -- all had horrible side effects. Tried Effexor, Paxil, Zoloft; combined with Wellbutrin to help the fatigue. I also tried adding Provigil for a day and felt like I had the worst hangover ever.) I thought maybe this time would be different.
> >
> > I started out the Prozac really low -- 2.5 mg. -- since I am very med sensitive. This seemed to work well -- eventually I increased up to 10 mg.
> >
> > I felt pretty good for a couple months, had energy, didn't need to nap, etc. I was even a bit agitated. But about a week ago -- WHAM. I hit that old familiar wall. I feel sick, exhausted, heavy-headed, can't focus, etc. It feels like there's a lead balloon in my head. This is the all-too-familiar feeling I get from SSRIs. I tried increasing the Prozac to see if that would work, but it only made it worse.
> >
> > I am taking Wellbutrin, and tried increasing that a bit, but it didn't help. Tried some Adderall. Didn't help. NOTHING WILL CUT THROUGH THIS FOG.
> >
> > I am so discouraged. Does anyone have suggestions for me???? Any good ideas for treatment of depression for people who feel this way on SSRIs???
> >
> > Any MAOIs that don't cause horrible fatigue?? I've tried the tri-cyclics, and all had horrible side effects I couldn't tolerate.
> >
> > I feel like I've tried everything but the MAOIs. Am a bit afraid of those.
> >
> > Please, please help. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Feel like giving up.
> >
> > cindy.
> >
> > P.S. My diagnosis is depression and anxiety; not bipolar.
poster:Cindylou
thread:78035
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010907/msgs/78688.html