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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by vic80 on March 20, 2010, at 6:16:03
Ok I am back again...
Downed my lex today to 15mg to see if it'd make me mentally sharper. Guess one day is too short a window to see any noticable change.Today morning after 1 hour of taking 15mg lex felt a good mood.... but was utterly uninterested in anything.....suddenly felt a sense of futility which made me morbid... then after a couple of minutes felt brain numb... tired and sleepy....unable to concentrate without getting absolutely tired... utterly spaced out and lost.
Past few weeks I tend to lose interest in things in just about a few seconds...any strong reaction seems to fade away in a few minutes which is unlike myself. Cannot think straight.... keep having songs repeating in my head... keep having words/conversations repeating in my head.... unable to plan.... feel zoned out.... withdrawn... when talking to someone zone out within a few minutes.... have flashes of old memories ....
worse stuff: constantly thinking that I am thinking.... constant self awareness - plus the worst bit is that I have little or nothing to think of....this last one is the most annoying and distressing.... makes me have some thought loops that keep on and on.... manifest in repetitive behaviour - googling for the same things again and again.... at the end of the day feel utterly disgusted...
when I am calm feel uneasy... as though some dark-uneasy feeling has been artificially camouflaged.Lex was prescribed 9 weeks ago for anxiety and depression - I guess mainly anxiety... depression appreared only secondary....
The first time I felt thoughtless/emotionless was 5 weeks ago - perhaps the combo of a 9 day old remeron 15mg and lex 10mg caused it.... cold turkeyed on both in a single day.... 6 days later was put back on 10mg lex. Then 2 weeks ago 10-->15mg, 4 days ago 15--->20 mg Lex.
My doc seems to just want to wait for the lex to "show full effect"... Lunesta 0.5 mg (4 days old) helps me sleep but wonder if it is the one slowing me down this badly.
I do not know if what I have is 'thought paucity' or poverty - can make decent conversations... but everything is with a sense of awareness - nothing feels spontaenous anymore... feel like in a stupid daze.... like I am caught up in my head.... this seems to have exacerbate my hopeless feelings.
I need to restart my life.... and I need to feel motivated and enthused by things - 'inspired' i guess... and the current state of lull is not what I needWonder if this is something to do with less dopamine, or is it excess serotonin.... just dont get it...
Or am i just being an escapist....
Posted by Brainbeard on March 20, 2010, at 10:21:14
In reply to Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by vic80 on March 20, 2010, at 6:16:03
Hm, I'm on Lexapro myself, have just upped to 10mg (yeah, I started low) and am having a bad day.
I recognize the endless internal radio loops, I used to have that while starting on Luvox (fluvoxamine) too, and I had it while on 25mg of both Zoloft (sertraline), imipramine and amitriptyline.
I do think that the 'looping' will cease eventually, but unfortunately the numbness seems to be a major long-term side-effect of practically any SSRI for a lot of people, and Lexapro may be one of the worst - there is talk of emotional flatness on Lexapro all over the web.
You could ride it out a little longer and see if the side-effects become more tolerable over time, giving you a disadvantage/benefit ratio you can work with - or not.
You could also try or suggest augmenting the Lexapro with something more inspiring. I myself am trying adding amitriptyline, imipramine and clomipramine, and I'm thinking of adding low dose flupenthixol, a typical antipsychotic that seems to have pro-dopaminergic properties in low doses.
Good luck on your roller coaster ride. ;)
Posted by Phillipa on March 20, 2010, at 12:34:51
In reply to Re: Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by Brainbeard on March 20, 2010, at 10:21:14
Makes me wonder if any of them truly work. But still reading that original prozac old book and it seems that low doses of prozac do work and allow people to become more assertive and feel better about themselves. Phillipa
Posted by Brainbeard on March 20, 2010, at 13:37:05
In reply to Re: Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by Phillipa on March 20, 2010, at 12:34:51
> Makes me wonder if any of them truly work. But still reading that original prozac old book and it seems that low doses of prozac do work and allow people to become more assertive and feel better about themselves. Phillipa
Well, they truly work, but their effects are not always desirable.
Posted by conundrum on March 20, 2010, at 17:49:07
In reply to Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by vic80 on March 20, 2010, at 6:16:03
How bad was your anxiety before you started drugs? Did you ever try cognitive therapy? The reason I'm asking is that if it wasn't so bad you may be better off without them. Blanking out all feelings isn't a good way to handle them when they get out of control.
Posted by conundrum on March 20, 2010, at 17:52:28
In reply to Re: Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by Phillipa on March 20, 2010, at 12:34:51
2.5 mgs of prozac makes me motivated. I'd like to try that with tricyclic since seems to be too strongly serotonergic.
Low dose prozac is serotonergic, adrenergic, and dopaminergic which brings us back to.... MAO-Is and Tricyclics!!!
Posted by SLS on March 20, 2010, at 19:21:54
In reply to Re: Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by Brainbeard on March 20, 2010, at 10:21:14
Adding Geodon 40-80mg to Lexapro might be an interesting alternative. It is sometimes activating, and produces antidepressant-like effects.
- Scott
Posted by Brainbeard on March 22, 2010, at 4:25:28
In reply to Re: Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by SLS on March 20, 2010, at 19:21:54
> Adding Geodon 40-80mg to Lexapro might be an interesting alternative. It is sometimes activating, and produces antidepressant-like effects.
>
>
> - ScottI've tried adding 5-40mg of Geodon to Zoloft, but somewhat surprisingly Geodon made my mood very flat. I guess the D2-antagonism hit me harder than I would have thought.
Posted by SLS on March 22, 2010, at 6:42:55
In reply to Re: Lexapro and obsessive/dull/few thoughts, posted by Brainbeard on March 22, 2010, at 4:25:28
> > Adding Geodon 40-80mg to Lexapro might be an interesting alternative. It is sometimes activating, and produces antidepressant-like effects.
> >
> >
> > - Scott
>
> I've tried adding 5-40mg of Geodon to Zoloft, but somewhat surprisingly Geodon made my mood very flat. I guess the D2-antagonism hit me harder than I would have thought.Geodon didn't flatten my affect, but it did disturb cognition. It made me feel spacey and dumb.
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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