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