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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zzzz7 on August 26, 2009, at 21:24:59
I posted this last December:
From 1997 to 2006 I was on large amounts of SRI drugs. At various points, I was on 400mg clomipramine with 100mg Luvox, 110mg Prozac, 100mg Prozac and 400mg ProVigil, and the like.
in 2006 I entered a deep depression after a sporting injury that caused me to go from a high level of physical activity to none at all for several months. To get out of it, I pushed serotonin levels even higher than I had before. I assumed that drugs were pooping out on me. I even added small amounts of 5HTP. All of this seemed to make things even worse. I backed way off when I developed signs of serotonin syndrome. As I backed off, I felt better. The lower I went, the better I felt. I went down to 1mg Lexapro for a while. I felt better, but still slightly depressed. Then, all the way down to two sand-sized grains of Lexapro. Finally relief. I experimented some more by going off SRIs altogether (in this case Lexapro). The depression came back. So, apparently I'm hyper-sensitive to serotonin (and the same turns out to be case for DA; I found this out by decreasing doses of amatadine to lower serotonin levels when I had taken too much of the SRI).
The problem is that something like exercising will increase DA levels such that I get depressed. One grain too much on Lexapro, I get depressed. I sit on this knife's edge between DA and 5HT, and it's tough not to fall off one side.
_____I've been able to take 7.5mg of Remeron (though 15mg makes me depressed). It helps somewhat, which is better than nothing.
I stopped exercising and felt a little better, but when I don't exercise my reactive hypoglycemia becomes bad. So I'm exercising again. I feel better immediately after exercising and get depressed three hours later. (I wish I knew what was going on with my hormone/neurotransmitter levels!)
But overall I still see little hope of getting better anytime soon. I really can't take anything (except the Remeron) without crashing into a deep depression.
Posted by Phillipa on August 27, 2009, at 0:03:35
In reply to Strange Shift in Serotonin tolerances--update, posted by zzzz7 on August 26, 2009, at 21:24:59
You remind me of me. Excercise a boost then crash and hurt and tired. Can only handle low dose of luvox and decreasing amounts of benzos. I feel it's hormone and thyroid related. Phillipa
Posted by zzzz7 on August 27, 2009, at 8:24:49
In reply to Re: Strange Shift in Serotonin tolerances--update » zzzz7, posted by Phillipa on August 27, 2009, at 0:03:35
I thought it might be thyroid-related, but thyroid and TSH are all right in the middle of the scale.
I think that some chemical shoots up at ~3 hours after exercising. I'm not sure what it is.
Posted by linkadge on August 27, 2009, at 17:52:33
In reply to Strange Shift in Serotonin tolerances--update, posted by zzzz7 on August 26, 2009, at 21:24:59
The effects of exercise on brain chemistry are way too complicated to really know whats going on. It has been shown to effect many neurotransmitter systems, neuromodulators, neuropeptides etc.
Linkadge
Posted by zzzz7 on September 2, 2009, at 11:36:56
In reply to Re: Strange Shift in Serotonin tolerances--update, posted by linkadge on August 27, 2009, at 17:52:33
True. I'm still trying to see what's going on by adding small amounts of drugs whose mechanisms we understand.
This is the end of the thread.
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