![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by iGradiva on February 20, 2001, at 5:39:56
I have been off prozac and other misc. anti-depressants for one and a half years. I took anti-depressants for almost ten years. In the last year I have been diagnosed with cervical spondylosis(arthritis) and fibromayalsia. I am curious if anyone has had similiar conditons or can direct me to any info,etc. I have had irritable bowel syndrome,chronic fatigue syndrome,increased sensitivity to sound and light and hormone changes among other things.I am now taking Neurontin to help ease pain. I am concerned that some of my physical issues are the result of long term anti-depressant usage.
Thanks for any info you can provide.
Posted by KayJay on February 20, 2001, at 20:48:04
In reply to Lasting effects after many years on Prozac, posted by iGradiva on February 20, 2001, at 5:39:56
Hello, This is my first time posting on the board and I hope I'm doing this right. Your post did catch my eye because I took Prozac also, along with the stimulant drug, Cylert for 10 years. After 6 years of taking these drugs, I developed joint pain and swellng, difficulty breathing and Raynaud's syndrome. I eventually tested positive for lupus. The last 5 years, have been spent going on and off SSRIs and stimulants, only to find that the joint symptoms return. I test positive for lupus several months after being on the drug, and then tests become neg. several months after stopping them. The docs don't know for sure whether it is lupus caused by the drugs, or if I had lupus, and the drugs are aggravating it. Anyway, since lupus and Fibro are somewhat related, I thought I'd share my experience with you.
Posted by iGradiva on February 21, 2001, at 1:24:01
In reply to Re: Lasting effects after many years on Prozac » iGradiva, posted by KayJay on February 20, 2001, at 20:48:04
KayJay,
I often wonder if the amount of time I was on these drugs has resulted in some of my physical issues or if some of it would have occurred on it's own anyway...symptoms began with an awareness of tingling in hands up into arms less that 3 months after getting off the anti-depressants and got worse from there(I was on Serzone for a few months when I decided that anti-depressants weren't an option for me anymore.)Possible coincidence? I don't know.
The fact is that I can find no long term studies at this point in this journey to info. My doctors are stumped to a certain extent...many blood and other diagnostic tests have shown nothing remarkable.
I am amazed at how little info I can find on the net about this.I am going to try to look at some medical journals.
Mostly, I am still hoping that eventually these symptoms will wear off the further I get from the time that I took those drugs. 10 years is a lot of time-maybe my body just got too used to them?
Good luck.
Posted by KayJay on February 21, 2001, at 23:15:12
In reply to Re: Lasting effects after many years on Prozac » KayJay, posted by iGradiva on February 21, 2001, at 1:24:01
iGravida,
Good luck to you also. I don't think there is much info out there on long term effects of these drugs. I've seen a few references about joint pain and rashes caused by SSRIs, but not much else. Haven't had any luck finding a doctor that knows anything about autoimmune reactions to these meds either. I've had this same reaction with Prozac, Celexa and Paxil. I started taking taking Zoloft about 3 months ago, but in the last week, the lupus symptoms have returned. When I go off the meds, I am very depressed, so I don't know what to do at this point. I'm pretty worried though about continuing the meds, and have wondered, like you, whether I would start feeling better if I went off of them for a year or so. In addition to the lupus symptoms, I also now become very fatigued and have trouble thinking.I hope you find some answers, and start doing better soon. I wish I could say something hopeful about you discovering whether or not it was the drugs that caused your fibro, but I think it's almost impossible to tell.
KayJay
Posted by iGradiva on February 25, 2001, at 18:06:44
In reply to Re: Lasting effects after many years on Prozac, posted by KayJay on February 21, 2001, at 23:15:12
Hi KayJay,
Someone sent me all these links to medical journals so that I could research. I am still picking away at it bit by bit. It is daunting and has been fruitless thus far.
I also am having major issues with depression and anxiety. I find that I am ultra sensitive. I am actually baffeled by the increased sensitivity I have mentioned in the earlier postings. It is very hard for me to stay focused. I find that I cannot handle too many types of stimulation at one time or I start feeling clausterphobic-this occurs mostly with sound levels and pitch.
It is very difficult for me to work-I am worn out easilly-physically and mentally. I go to the gym several times a week to keep some semblence of peace to my interior self -even if it does hurt a bit,the exchange rate is worth it for varying amounts of time.
But I do wonder how I am going to continue to work with all these different issues on the table. I fear the loss of my apartment,health insurance,my independence...
What do you do for yourself to cope?
Thanks for keeping up the thread.-i
Posted by KayJay on February 26, 2001, at 22:26:20
In reply to Re: Lasting effects after many years on Prozac » KayJay, posted by iGradiva on February 25, 2001, at 18:06:44
Howdy again, I'm afraid that I'm not coping very well these days. When I go off the antidepressants, the lupus symptoms eventually go away and I become less tired, but the depression is worse. I am taking Zoloft right now in spite of the joint pain, etc. because I thought maybe the stimulants I was taking was what what causing the lupus symptoms. Since I started the Zoloft, I have had a few flare ups, but not very bad ones. However, I'm very tired most of the time, sleep at least 12 hrs. a day, and have not really worked in 4 years. Before the lupus stuff, I was doing quite well on my meds, was working hard, had many projects going in the house, etc.(although, I noticed my memory was poor). Now I'm lucky if I do the dishes.
I really don't know if I would be like this anyway either, but I wish I could have found some other way to beat the depression early on. I certainly was not this depressed before I started taking antidepressants, and I definitely never had any arthritis symptoms or muscle pain. But maybe the depression has just gotten worse over the years. I have a lot of trouble thinking and remembering, and my motivation is at an all time low. Before I started with the SSRIs, I had tried many other meds, and couldn't tolerate the side effects.
I've done quite a bit of research on the web(not finding much) because the first docs I saw were brushing me off about the medication connection. They kept telling me that it was not possible for the meds to be causing the joint pain, breathing difficulties, and other problems I was having. I know now that the meds were causing those symptoms, because over the last few years I've gone off of them, and back on 4 or 5 times, and the symptoms go away off the meds, and come back when I go back on. I also have had numbness and tingling in hands, feet, and legs when I stopped taking them, but it has been fairly mild, and has gone away for the most part after being off the meds for a few months.
To be honest, I'm pretty worried about remaining on the SSRIs. So little seems to be known about long term effects. None of the docs I've seen have even been able to tell me what might be the consequences of staying on them if they are causing a drug induced lupus, or aggravating a pre-existing lupus, yet they recommend that I stay on them, because of the depression.( which by the way, the meds don't seem to work very well for me anymore, anyway). Right now, I guess I'll try the Zoloft for a few more weeks, and see what happens.
KayJay
Posted by crickett on April 25, 2006, at 13:10:48
In reply to Re: Lasting effects after many years on Prozac, posted by KayJay on February 26, 2001, at 22:26:20
> Howdy again, I'm afraid that I'm not coping very well these days. When I go off the antidepressants, the lupus symptoms eventually go away and I become less tired, but the depression is worse. I am taking Zoloft right now in spite of the joint pain, etc. because I thought maybe the stimulants I was taking was what what causing the lupus symptoms. Since I started the Zoloft, I have had a few flare ups, but not very bad ones. However, I'm very tired most of the time, sleep at least 12 hrs. a day, and have not really worked in 4 years. Before the lupus stuff, I was doing quite well on my meds, was working hard, had many projects going in the house, etc.(although, I noticed my memory was poor). Now I'm lucky if I do the dishes.
>
> I really don't know if I would be like this anyway either, but I wish I could have found some other way to beat the depression early on. I certainly was not this depressed before I started taking antidepressants, and I definitely never had any arthritis symptoms or muscle pain. But maybe the depression has just gotten worse over the years. I have a lot of trouble thinking and remembering, and my motivation is at an all time low. Before I started with the SSRIs, I had tried many other meds, and couldn't tolerate the side effects.
>
> I've done quite a bit of research on the web(not finding much) because the first docs I saw were brushing me off about the medication connection. They kept telling me that it was not possible for the meds to be causing the joint pain, breathing difficulties, and other problems I was having. I know now that the meds were causing those symptoms, because over the last few years I've gone off of them, and back on 4 or 5 times, and the symptoms go away off the meds, and come back when I go back on. I also have had numbness and tingling in hands, feet, and legs when I stopped taking them, but it has been fairly mild, and has gone away for the most part after being off the meds for a few months.
>
> To be honest, I'm pretty worried about remaining on the SSRIs. So little seems to be known about long term effects. None of the docs I've seen have even been able to tell me what might be the consequences of staying on them if they are causing a drug induced lupus, or aggravating a pre-existing lupus, yet they recommend that I stay on them, because of the depression.( which by the way, the meds don't seem to work very well for me anymore, anyway). Right now, I guess I'll try the Zoloft for a few more weeks, and see what happens.
> KayJayHi,girls, I've never done this before, but I thought I'd give it a try...I have suffered from pretty heavy depression since I was a teenager and some of it circumstancial and definitely some of it chemical. I have taken a number of anti-depressents since my early 20's. Some worked great for a while and some just made my depression worse. Then about 5 years into the meds., I was diagnosed with fibro...very frusterating, especially since my husband is military and can run and run...very unfair. Anyway, over the past 2 years, I have really sought God about the whole thing. I mean over the last 15-20 years, everyday life has been so difficult and I really wondered why should I even try, I mean, it couldn't possibly be this difficult emotionally and physically for others, could it? Well, over the last month, I have really had my answer from HIM. I have to just fight back. I have never felt this motivated physically...every morning, rain or shine, I put on my headphones with music that really fires me up and leash the dogs and go for a 2 or 3 mile walk....it really hurt at first, I took it slow and looked for God's blessings in nature all around....these things really helped to keep me going. I never wanted to listen to my husband when he told me for years to just get physical in any way, I mean, how could he possibly understand what I was going through, how I felt? But in MY time, when I couldn't take it any more, I pushed through and I feel like I'm finding the girl I lost years ago. It gets a little easier every day, and I don't know how much better I will get if I keep this up, but I'm so thankful to have this glimpse of hope....I still have a hard time staying on task, and my memory is awful, but I'm not on anti-depressents any more and the first 3 weeks or so, I had to go back to bed for a couple of hours each day, but I feel about 75% better and I know if I keep active I will get better and I thank God that he (finally) made me strong enough to break out. Time, Good shoes,Uplifting music and my fast doggie have really been key factors in me doing it, too....it hurts sometimes terribly, but the good feels so good again. I will pray for God you give you two strength, start off with the eensy,weensy bit of strength you have. God bless, Crickett
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.