Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 891615

Shown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?

Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 19, 2009, at 14:26:10

Hello all, I'm hoping you have ideas and can help me. After a year of being back on fluoxetine (20 mg) and Trazodone (25 mg, for sleep), plus a new addition of .5 mg of Ativan in the morning and 1.5 Ativan at night, I ended up narcoleptic. I mean, I am not diagnosed as such but am displaying all the symptoms.

I had an appt with a sleep doc. In two weeks I am to have a sleep study. In preparation, I have to go off of the fluoxetine.

I have found that already after missing three doses, I am not as sleepy as I was. Still fatigued, but not sleepy.

Has anyone experienced sleepiness from fluoxetine (Prozac) + Ativan? Or fluoxetine on its own? And might this be occurring because I am an "intermediate metabolizer" of fluoxetine rather than a normal one?

Finally, what does this mean for medication choice? I used to be put on Wellbutrin as an adjunct to wake me up, but started experiencing panic attacks.

I am very sensitive to meds. Hard to find that fine line between wakefulness and anxiety.

I have tried most SNRIs and SSRIs with bad effects, quite intolerable, ending the trials after two days, three at max. Is this giving it enough time? But what if I sleep for 48 hours after a dose or have double vision--how can I last through a proper trial?

Frustrated, tired, angry, sad, hopeful, without hope, all at once....

Please help!

(Abilify--lead anyone to be too sleepy/too anxious/too anything??)

Should I be looking at mood stabilizers?

So confused. Also, how do I start figuring out what kinds of meds are good for me. Someone in another post mentioned that histamines are a good choice for her. How would one figure out that?

Sorry for allllll the questionsssssss....

zzzzz
Amelia

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?

Posted by sac on April 20, 2009, at 5:28:28

In reply to No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?, posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 19, 2009, at 14:26:10

In response to your post, I am beginning to suspect that after 8+ years on Fluoxetine that it is causing me extreme fatigue, weakness, difficulty concentrating and narcoleptic type symptoms. I am also on Lithium (low dose) 450mg. and recently added Wellbutrin for some stimulant effects. I am having alot of difficulty at my job (accountant) because I feel sleepy and can't concentrate. I have tried Provigil which helps but leaves me very depressed/anxious when it wears off, so I gave up on that. I'm beginning to think that the Fluoxetine is the culprit. It's supposed to help my depression but I really don't feel that great on it. I think it's making me worse.

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness? » Amelia_in_StPaul

Posted by janejane on April 20, 2009, at 14:16:24

In reply to No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?, posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 19, 2009, at 14:26:10

You're not alone in your reaction to fluoxetine. It gave me excessive daytime sleepiness, lethargy, and brain fog. It may have a reputation for being an activating drug, but it certainly isn't that way for everybody.

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?

Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 20, 2009, at 15:05:46

In reply to Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness? » Amelia_in_StPaul, posted by janejane on April 20, 2009, at 14:16:24

Hi Jane, have you found anything that helps your depression and doesn't put you to sleep? Thanks for the confirmation. I suspected as much was happening to me, but my pdoc appears to think his data is more important than my experience!!


> You're not alone in your reaction to fluoxetine. It gave me excessive daytime sleepiness, lethargy, and brain fog. It may have a reputation for being an activating drug, but it certainly isn't that way for everybody.

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness? » sac

Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 20, 2009, at 15:07:58

In reply to Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?, posted by sac on April 20, 2009, at 5:28:28

I think that happened to me too. I tried the Wellbutrin route but the second time I was on it, I ended up with panic attacks. I'm sorry to hear you are in the same boat, sac.

> In response to your post, I am beginning to suspect that after 8+ years on Fluoxetine that it is causing me extreme fatigue, weakness, difficulty concentrating and narcoleptic type symptoms. I am also on Lithium (low dose) 450mg. and recently added Wellbutrin for some stimulant effects. I am having alot of difficulty at my job (accountant) because I feel sleepy and can't concentrate. I have tried Provigil which helps but leaves me very depressed/anxious when it wears off, so I gave up on that. I'm beginning to think that the Fluoxetine is the culprit. It's supposed to help my depression but I really don't feel that great on it. I think it's making me worse.

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?

Posted by Zana on April 20, 2009, at 16:18:23

In reply to Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness? » sac, posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 20, 2009, at 15:07:58

Fluoxetine made me a little sleepy during the day and apathy is one of it's main side effects. I take Provigil, which makes me a little anxious and does have a nasty crash but I take it with gabapentin which really smooths it out.
Good luck figuring it all out. Sounds like a hard place to be right now.

Zana

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness? » Zana

Posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 21, 2009, at 13:34:24

In reply to Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?, posted by Zana on April 20, 2009, at 16:18:23

Ooops I missed this post, Zana. Thank you for validating my experience (as my psychiatrist looks at me as though a little gremlin were speaking when I tell him I can't take the apathy and the sleepiness). Sounds like you have a good mix going w/the provigil and gabapentin. I would like to try some new things.

> Fluoxetine made me a little sleepy during the day and apathy is one of it's main side effects. I take Provigil, which makes me a little anxious and does have a nasty crash but I take it with gabapentin which really smooths it out.
> Good luck figuring it all out. Sounds like a hard place to be right now.
>
> Zana

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?

Posted by Zyprexa on April 23, 2009, at 10:41:47

In reply to Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness? » sac, posted by Amelia_in_StPaul on April 20, 2009, at 15:07:58

Abilify robbed me of sleep which caused me to be very tired all the time. It is stimulating. Might work for you.

 

Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?

Posted by desolationrower on April 24, 2009, at 16:34:08

In reply to Re: No fluoxetine = reduction in sleepiness?, posted by Zyprexa on April 23, 2009, at 10:41:47

ssris made me foggy and unable to think. the highest dose i went to was 225mg venlafaxine ((which isn't really enough to do much NA r blockade) and it made me narcoleptic, i couldn't stay awake more than maybe 4 hours at a time.

abilify made me not tired, and not foggy, but just sort of removed any verve. i just laid on the ground, kind of like how a rock just lies somewhere. it isn't tired or something, just why would it move?

-d/r


This is the end of the thread.


Show another thread

URL of post in thread:


Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ


[dr. bob] 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.