Posted by KaraS on March 12, 2005, at 2:42:59
In reply to Re: Can a lightbox cause this? » KaraS, posted by Sarah T. on March 12, 2005, at 0:20:07
Hi Sara,
>>> Hi Kara. I'm not familiar with lightboxes causing palpitations, but I suppose it's possible. After all, if they have an antidepressant effect, then they must be affecting neurotransmission and hormones. I HAVE heard of lightboxes causing irritability in some people, particular those who might have some tendency toward hypomania.
That's interesting that you've heard of light boxes causing irritability - particularly in those who are susceptible to hypomania. I may have a "soft bipolar" condition. I've never had typical hypomania but increased agitation may be the soft bipolar equivalent of that. Therefore, it might make sense that the lightbox is making me more irritable.
>>>At what time of day are you using the box? Do you live in a particularly overcast part of the country? I live in a very dreary part of the country that has bad winters, so I use the lightbox a lot during the fall and winter. When I use it in the spring and summer, I use it sparingly. During the sunnier seasons, I can feel when I've had enough; during the winter, I feel as if I can't ever get enough.
I've been using the lightbox in the late morning. I live in southern California but it's been so rainy and dreary that I thought the lightbox would be a good idea to prevent an increase in depression from the lack of sun. The weather here finally cleared up but I thought I'd continue with the lightbox since I don't get much sun anyway. I don't have enough practice with it to know when I'm getting enough. Maybe I should discontinue using it now. I haven't been able to detect any decrease in depression and so wanted to give the lightbox a full 6 week trial - but I think that maybe at this point it would be better to stop using it and see what happens.
>>>Are you taking anything besides doxepin? Are you taking any alternative meds or anything with lots of caffeine that might be causing the palpitations? May I ask what you were on before you started Doxepin? The reason I ask is that, several times when I've withdrawn from a stimulating medication, I've had palpitations intermittently for weeks after I terminated the drug. This occurred after stopping Ludiomil, Wellbutrin, dexedrine and adderall.
I am not taking anything else besides the doxepin. I'm not taking any supplements that contain caffeine or anything else very stimulating. I've been drinking very little coffee with caffeine as well. My anxiety has been too intense to take anything really stimulating. I haven't gone off of anything recently either. I decreased Effexor very slowly and went off of that completely a few months ago. I didn't seem to have any long-term problems from it.
>>>The dose you're taking (25 mg) is a small dose, but I have to say that I had some intense cardiovascular responses to nearly all the tricyclics, even at small doses. At larger, more "therapeutic" doses, I had some pretty scary episodes of tachycardia. On Ludiomil they were so bad, I had to wear a Holter monitor for a while. Another possible cause of palpitations in women can be changing hormonal levels, such as lowering estrogen.
I had tachycardia from nortriptyline and desipramine but didn't used to get that from doxepin or maprotiline. Recently I tried low-dose maprotiline again and did get tachycardia. I wore the Holter monitor for nort. too. I'd been on the low dose (25 mg.) doxepin for about a month before noticing this heart fluttering symptom. I would think that if it were the doxepin, that this side effect would have shown up sooner, but who knows.
The lowering of estrogen is a good point. I forgot that palpitations can be caused by this. That may be possible here although I thought my estrogen levels had stabilized.
Thanks for your response.
K
poster:KaraS
thread:469760
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050225/msgs/469950.html