Posted by Ron Hill on March 5, 2003, at 17:00:48
In reply to SSRIs and apathy, posted by sedona on March 4, 2003, at 14:10:38
Hi Sedona,
> Has anyone else had a problem with lack of motivation and apathy on an SSRI? I have been taking Prozac for over a year now, and it has worked well for my anxiety, but I have no motivation whatsoever. Any suggestions?
I have tried almost all of the SSRIs and they all do the same thing to me. For me, of all the SSRIs, Prozac is the least offensive and Paxil is the worst when it comes to apathy and low motivation. I attribute these adverse SSRI side effects to the fact that:
“Chief among the brain’s reactions to artificially elevated serotonin levels is a compensatory drop in dopamine.”
I took this quote from page 20 of the introduction in a book entitled "Prozac Backlash" by Joseph Glenmullen, M.D. He is a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is on the staff of Harvard University Health Services, and is in private practice in Harvard Square. His credentials look impressive, but he appears to be somewhat extreme in his views regarding the dangers of SSRIs. If you want, you can read the Introduction and Chapter 1 in their entirety for free at the Amazon link provided. I thought it was worth the time I spent scanning the available portions of his book.
There have been numerous discussions on this board regarding the issue of SSRIs adversely affecting dopaminergic pathways and, thereby, inducing the types of symptoms you describe. However, this is the first time that I personally have seen a doctor state in print that SSRIs cause a reduction in dopamine levels. However, I'm sure there are other doctors that have addressed this issue in print and that I have merely not come across those documents.
I have found something that is currently working well for me. However, everyone is unique so it may or may not benefit you. Let me know if you to hear about it. Also, what is your dx? In addition to the one year of Prozac, have you been on other medications? If so, which ones, for how long, and how did they affect you?
-- Ron
poster:Ron Hill
thread:205860
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030301/msgs/206217.html