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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bob on February 7, 2002, at 19:31:33
Has anyone here found that Luvox made them aggressive and angry?
Posted by OldSchool on February 7, 2002, at 20:44:04
In reply to Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by bob on February 7, 2002, at 19:31:33
> Has anyone here found that Luvox made them aggressive and angry?
Luvox, nor any other antidepressant should make you physically aggressive and angry. If Luvox does that to you or someone else, it probably isnt the med for you. Actually, thats a sign of bipolarism...SSRIs making you aggressive and angry.
However i am a little bit confused about your term "aggressive." Depressed people are oftentimes sappy and turn into wussys off medications. Being aggressive can actually be a good thing. Maybe the word aggressive is the wrong term. Maybe focused or assertive is a better term. I used to have a personality kind of like that...focused, with a bit of an underlying aggressive tone to my personality. Not physically aggressive as in violent...thats obviously bad.
I sometimes think the term "aggressive" gets a bad wrap in psychiatry. As aggressiveness is not always a bad thing, particularly for males. Aggressiveness leads to a better work ethic, aggressive people have goals and objectives in their lives. Being aggressive also makes you stand up for yourself and not let people run all over you...aggressiveness can be a good leadership trait particularly in the work world.
Aggressive people tend to make more money and advance more in their career. They also tend to have higher blood pressure LOL.
So if you mean aggressive as in physically violent feeling, physically confrontational, yelling and screaming or whatever (manic perhaps) then no way that is not good nor a normal reaction for Luvox. But if you mean aggressive as in you feel like you want to go back to work and "take charge" of your life, then no thats not a bad thing at all.
Old School
Posted by johnj on February 7, 2002, at 21:03:04
In reply to Re: Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by OldSchool on February 7, 2002, at 20:44:04
I agree that aggressive can mean many things. My depression makes me sappy and more of an introvert. When I am feeling fine I have a shorter temper, but it is always controlled and I don't let people walk all over me. But, when I am depressed I am sometimes afraid I will become violent, but in fact I avoid people(seems weird, but that is what happens at times). I think it is the anxiety and agitation of my depression trying to scare me.
Posted by OldSchool on February 7, 2002, at 21:57:16
In reply to Re: Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by johnj on February 7, 2002, at 21:03:04
> I agree that aggressive can mean many things. My depression makes me sappy and more of an introvert. When I am feeling fine I have a shorter temper, but it is always controlled and I don't let people walk all over me. But, when I am depressed I am sometimes afraid I will become violent, but in fact I avoid people(seems weird, but that is what happens at times). I think it is the anxiety and agitation of my depression trying to scare me.
This is kinda how I get too when real depressed. Like when I go off meds and crash real bad, I turn into the biggest wussy...totally unlike my non-depressed personality. Like I feel super guilty all the time, dont make eye contact with people, feel "shy" and worry about all kinds of stupid shit that never happens or that I wouldnt do. I just feel like a wussyboy.But when I get on meds and get out of depression somewhat, my confidence comes back some and Im more focused and less nervous and less uptight. When I get to 50% or better, I start feeling "aggressive" again and more like a man and not a wussy. Like Im focused good and can stand up for myself good.
When Im totally nondepressed, which I havent been in years, Im focused and "in control." I feel aggressive in a good kind of way. Like calm, cool and collected. Like when I go out people respect me and call me "sir" and stuff like that.
But depressed off meds I turn into a wuss and nobody gives me any respect.
Thats why I was saying aggressive is not all bad.
Old School
Posted by bob on February 7, 2002, at 22:30:42
In reply to Re: Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by OldSchool on February 7, 2002, at 21:57:16
Well, I guess what I'm saying is more complicated. I'm tapering off of Luvox, or trying to, and am really having second thoughts about it now. I've taken it very, very slowly, and have been at 25mg for more than 3 weeks now. I was at 50mg for weeks before that. The problem is, I feel like I'm going to explode. I'm getting waves of anxiety, muscle tension, restlessness, and bouts of irritability and anger. I'm starting to snap at people, etc. I don't remember being this way when I came off of other meds. The anxiety yes, the anger, no. I usually just degenerate into a mess of emotional lability with severe anxiety. I don't know how the hell I'll ever taper off of this SSRI with these strong feelings of anger and anxiety. I'm taking .5mg of Clonazepam, but it's not really enough now. I don't want to go up, because for me, every reduction in that drug is a killer. When I reduced from 1mg down to .5mg months ago, I got nausea and anxiety for about a week. I'm thinking about maybe adding Lithium to smooth things out. Any opinions???
Posted by Jackster on February 8, 2002, at 0:21:33
In reply to Re: Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by OldSchool on February 7, 2002, at 20:44:04
Actually, thats a sign of bipolarism...SSRIs making you aggressive and angry.
>
Is that true of Tricyclics as well? I became really aggressive (I was ready to hit people) when I upped my dosage of clomipramine. PDoc didn't believe it was the cause of it.Jackie
Posted by bob on February 8, 2002, at 12:11:08
In reply to Re: Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by Jackster on February 8, 2002, at 0:21:33
> Actually, thats a sign of bipolarism...SSRIs making you aggressive and angry.
Well, the thing is, not all of them do that. Celexa, Paxil definitely did not make me angry at any dose... just tired. I took Zoloft a long time ago, but I don't remember it doing that either. Prozac made me panicky and anxious, and Luvox seems to be doing the same at LOW doses. On the higher doses, I start to sleep all the time.Irritability and anger as a form of mania is, I think, not fully accepted as a form of mania by the professional psychiatric community. I have asked more than one doctor whether they have felt that bouts of irritability and anger could be a sign of bipolar, and they always seem to disagree. I think they tend to stick to the traditional view of mania as a euphoric, hyper experience.
Posted by Jackster on February 8, 2002, at 14:32:00
In reply to Re: Luvox and aggressiveness » Jackster, posted by bob on February 8, 2002, at 12:11:08
> > Actually, thats a sign of bipolarism...SSRIs making you aggressive and angry.
>
>
> Well, the thing is, not all of them do that. Celexa, Paxil definitely did not make me angry at any dose... just tired. I took Zoloft a long time ago, but I don't remember it doing that either. Prozac made me panicky and anxious, and Luvox seems to be doing the same at LOW doses. On the higher doses, I start to sleep all the time.I had the same effects with those SSRIs. Paxil worked the best. Prozac and Zoloft both made me panicky. Haven't tried Luvox.
I've only just been reading about bipolar involving anger instead of mania. Mainly because my PDoc has augmented my Paxil with tegretol. I've always had a kind of volcanic anger (with a hair trigger) that is better when I'm on Paxil. I'm taking the AD for panic disorder, but maybe the tegretol will help if there is a kind of bipolar element.
Jackie
>
> Irritability and anger as a form of mania is, I think, not fully accepted as a form of mania by the professional psychiatric community. I have asked more than one doctor whether they have felt that bouts of irritability and anger could be a sign of bipolar, and they always seem to disagree. I think they tend to stick to the traditional view of mania as a euphoric, hyper experience.
Posted by IsoM on February 8, 2002, at 15:10:36
In reply to Re: Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by Jackster on February 8, 2002, at 14:32:00
I've been on a few SSRIs & only with the tapering off Luvox, did I feel aggression & anger that much. I had also started Manerix at the same time(which didn't work) so I'm really not sure whether the anger was due to Manerix or tapering Luvox.
Posted by bob on February 8, 2002, at 20:30:48
In reply to Tapering Luvox and Aggressiveness » Jackster, posted by IsoM on February 8, 2002, at 15:10:36
> I've been on a few SSRIs & only with the tapering off Luvox, did I feel aggression & anger that much. I had also started Manerix at the same time(which didn't work) so I'm really not sure whether the anger was due to Manerix or tapering Luvox.
Well, IsoM... if I had to guess, I'd say it was the Luvox. It seems like the lower I go on this med, the more anxious and irritable I get. I think I might have to get the heck off of it. It's a shame though, because it is quite effective as an anti-OCD agent. I just never get a calm, relaxed feeling.
Posted by Chloe on February 8, 2002, at 20:38:58
In reply to Re: Tapering Luvox and Aggressiveness » IsoM, posted by bob on February 8, 2002, at 20:30:48
>... if I had to guess, I'd say it was the Luvox. It seems like the lower I go on this med, the more anxious and irritable I get. I think I might have to get the heck off of it. It's a shame though, because it is quite effective as an anti-OCD agent. I just never get a calm, relaxed feeling.Bob,
Perhaps adding some lithium (ER) to the luvox would be a good idea. It's a shame to discard a med that is giving you some relief from symptoms. Lithium is well documented as being effective in controlling rage and anger problems. And definitely has a calming effect even at the lower doses.As you know, I am a big fan of lithium augmentation :)
Keep up posted
Chloe
Posted by IsoM on February 8, 2002, at 21:16:35
In reply to Re: Tapering Luvox and Aggressiveness » bob, posted by Chloe on February 8, 2002, at 20:38:58
>
> >... if I had to guess, I'd say it was the Luvox. It seems like the lower I go on this med, the more anxious and irritable I get. I think I might have to get the heck off of it. It's a shame though, because it is quite effective as an anti-OCD agent. I just never get a calm, relaxed feeling.
>
> Bob,
> Perhaps adding some lithium (ER) to the luvox would be a good idea. It's a shame to discard a med that is giving you some relief from symptoms. Lithium is well documented as being effective in controlling rage and anger problems. And definitely has a calming effect even at the lower doses.
>
> As you know, I am a big fan of lithium augmentation :)
>
> Keep up posted
> Chloe
Posted by bob on February 8, 2002, at 21:45:33
In reply to Re: Tapering Luvox and Aggressiveness » bob, posted by Chloe on February 8, 2002, at 20:38:58
Chloe:
I actually convinced my pdoc to give me a prescription of Eskalith ER about 1.5 weeks ago. I never got up the desire to try it though.
In addition to irritability, do you think it would help any with agitation/restlessness?
Lithium scares me, though. I gain weight on most drugs, and I seem to see that a LOT on this board. I'll have to do what I have to do, I guess.
Bob
Posted by 3 Beer Effect on February 9, 2002, at 3:17:05
In reply to Luvox and aggressiveness, posted by bob on February 7, 2002, at 19:31:33
Posted by jay on February 9, 2002, at 6:29:00
In reply to One of the columbine kids took Luvox! (nm), posted by 3 Beer Effect on February 9, 2002, at 3:17:05
I am not trying to stir up any poop 3 Beer, just noting that we can't assume any drug causes people to kill other people, or themselves.You are right with a bit of caution, though, and some medications can have dangerous side-effects such as aggressive reaction "..sometimes..".
Jay
Posted by Chloe on February 9, 2002, at 9:30:20
In reply to I have actually been considering that!!! » Chloe, posted by bob on February 8, 2002, at 21:45:33
> I actually convinced my pdoc to give me a prescription of Eskalith ER about 1.5 weeks ago. I never got up the desire to try it though.Bob, good thinking to get the script last week when you had your pdoc's attention. I think now is a great time to start it. Perhaps 225 mgs (the pill is scored) in the morning to start. You can build up to twice a day as you see how you tolerate it...I am not a doc, I just like to take things low and slow...
> In addition to irritability, do you think it would help any with agitation/restlessness?Absolutely, an augmentation dose of 450 to 900 mgs can definitely help your symptoms, though YMMV, of course.
> Lithium scares me, though. I gain weight on most drugs, and I seem to see that a LOT on this board. I'll have to do what I have to do, I guess.
Please don't be scared by what your read about lithium. It is a good drug. It has been around a long time, and many, many people have great success with it. And not everyone gains weight on lithium. I never did.
I think the people that tend to gain drink alot of sugary, high calorie drinks like cokes or juices. Stick to water, and a healthy diet, and I don't think you will have a problem with your weight. Your stability is the issue now.Hope this helps!
Chloe
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