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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jessers11581 on March 13, 2005, at 14:17:58
I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps the medication is more of a problem than a remedy at this point. I keep telling myself I need to get more serotonin in my system--that serotonin deficiency MUST be causing all this frustration. However, one of the biggest issues I'm battling right now is APATHY. I'm depressed and anxious because I feel like I can't control anything, and yet I have no desire or initiative to try and make things better. I practically have to FORCE myself to take a shower and get ready for work in the morning. I have to force myself to exercise, to drink a glass of water, to do anything that I know is good and beneficial for me. It's like my body has just stopped caring about itself. I also hate the fact that I feel so dulled while using the Celexa, and my sex drive is absolutely non-existant (even though I take 240 mg. of ginkgo daily). What might happen if I were to actually start reducing the medication and supplementing it with SAM-e and other natural products for depression/anxiety. Is this a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad idea? I'd really LOVE to be able to feel better without the side-effects of an SSRI. But at the same time, I'm a little scared to try it. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!
Posted by ed_uk on March 13, 2005, at 14:39:39
In reply to as I sit here thinking more and more..., posted by jessers11581 on March 13, 2005, at 14:17:58
Did you see my post to you above?
Posted by jessers11581 on March 13, 2005, at 15:12:21
In reply to Re: as I sit here thinking more and more..., posted by ed_uk on March 13, 2005, at 14:39:39
Oh wow, I must have missed that before. So you think that gradually quitting might be effective, then? I guess I'm frightened to do it, in a way, because last year I tried to wean off and went nuts (not that I don't feel nuts now). And my doctor is STRONGLY against it for that reason. I actually get the nervousness, brain fog, anxiety, and everything ten times worse when I'm weaning. That's why I know I would need to supplement with something else while I'm doing it. Are you familiar with SAM-e at all? I don't know what it would do for anxiety, but I had a counselor reccommend it to me for depression. What do you think?
Posted by ed_uk on March 13, 2005, at 15:19:04
In reply to Re: as I sit here thinking more and more..., posted by jessers11581 on March 13, 2005, at 15:12:21
Hello,
>So you think that gradually quitting might be effective, then?
I'm not necessarily saying that you should quit, but I do think a dose reduction could be helpful.
>I guess I'm frightened to do it, in a way, because last year I tried to wean off and went nuts.
What dose did you get down to when you went nuts?
>That's why I know I would need to supplement with something else while I'm doing it.
Have you ever tried fluoxetine (Prozac)? It might be helpful to replace Celexa with Prozac.
>Are you familiar with SAM-e at all?
Yes, people often talk about SAMe on the alternative board. You could post a question there if you like. I'm not that knowledgeable about alternative medicine myself.
Ed.
Posted by mike13 on March 13, 2005, at 15:28:39
In reply to Re: as I sit here thinking more and more... » jessers11581, posted by ed_uk on March 13, 2005, at 15:19:04
Try a stimulant like ritalin , to counter the apathy and motivation problem..
Posted by Phillipa on March 13, 2005, at 17:51:05
In reply to Re: as I sit here thinking more and more..., posted by mike13 on March 13, 2005, at 15:28:39
I just asked the same question. About taking St. Johns Wart while on an AD. The answer was no. It could be dangerous. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Chris O on March 14, 2005, at 4:20:41
In reply to as I sit here thinking more and more..., posted by jessers11581 on March 13, 2005, at 14:17:58
Jessers:
Regarding your SAM-e query, it certainly couldn't harm you to try the stuff. I took it off and on for over a year, but, sadly, it's way weak in treating anxiety and depression. I suffer greatly from GAD, OCD, panic and SAM-e, even in higher doses (1600mg/day) acted only as a mild antidepressant on my system. Compared to Celexa (which I took for a year), SAM-e was, like, nothing. Fish oil knocks out some of my physical anxiety symptoms at higher doses (6-10 grams/day) but also has some strange side effects--brain fog and, paradoxically, increased anxiety--just like with SSRIs (oh, joy!)! Anyway, I wish you luck, whatever you do. Don't know your exact symptoms, but...I also empathize with you in terms of the effort it takes to just do basic things in life and the whole "body stopped caring about itself" sentiment and the conflicting emotions about taking pharmaceuticals. I just took Lexapro for 8 months, gained 10 pounds, felt fatigued and dulled much of the time, stopped taking the stuff, and now am moving back into "panic mode" once again. I'm going through a regiment of natural supplements again, none really doing much of anything. It's a vicious cycle I've gone thru several times in an attempt to combat this stupid disease.
Good luck,
Chris
Posted by cache-monkey on March 15, 2005, at 15:24:12
In reply to as I sit here thinking more and more..., posted by jessers11581 on March 13, 2005, at 14:17:58
Hey there,
As far as dropping off meds... Well, I tried that route and ended up getting more and more depressed/anxious (my main issues; well I'm actually probably soft BP+anxious and Celexa first put me into a hypomania and then left me in a mixed state; but that's a whole 'nother story).
In any case, I think that if your pre-existing state was very mild depression/anxiety/whatever, then the herbals might be a way to go. But for more serious stuff, I really think you should consider sticking with medication in some form.
In terms of medication, the apathy you're experiencing is not uncommon among long-term SSRI users. The issue is that chronic SSRI use can damp down the dopamine system. Someone else mentioned that you could add a stimulant (e.g. ritalin). These tend to increase dopaminergic function. Another alternative might be Wellbutrin, which works on norepinephrine and dopamine, which are responsible for drive and and reward.
There's also other routes (e.g. TCAs and MAOIs) to consider... It could even be that switching SSRIs might prove beneficial.
Are you seeing an experienced psychologist for your condition, or a general practitioner? GPs and inexperienced pdocs tend to be less knowledgable about long-term med responses, non-SSRI approaches, and possible polypharmacology (multiple-meds).
I hope that you can find something the help with your ails.
Best,
cache-monkey
> I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps the medication is more of a problem than a remedy at this point. I keep telling myself I need to get more serotonin in my system--that serotonin deficiency MUST be causing all this frustration. However, one of the biggest issues I'm battling right now is APATHY. I'm depressed and anxious because I feel like I can't control anything, and yet I have no desire or initiative to try and make things better. I practically have to FORCE myself to take a shower and get ready for work in the morning. I have to force myself to exercise, to drink a glass of water, to do anything that I know is good and beneficial for me. It's like my body has just stopped caring about itself. I also hate the fact that I feel so dulled while using the Celexa, and my sex drive is absolutely non-existant (even though I take 240 mg. of ginkgo daily). What might happen if I were to actually start reducing the medication and supplementing it with SAM-e and other natural products for depression/anxiety. Is this a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad idea? I'd really LOVE to be able to feel better without the side-effects of an SSRI. But at the same time, I'm a little scared to try it. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!
This is the end of the thread.
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