Posted by tarheelex on April 8, 2008, at 11:18:32
As a frequent reader of this forum I want to thank everyone in advance for their intelligent responses to my question:
Has anyone currently or having taken SSRIs experienced a problem with herpes?
I took Zoloft for 7 years for mild OCD until about 2 years ago when I decided to taper off. It was difficult but I ultimately succeeded only to wind up with a severe gastrointestinal infection that progressed to a now long-standing IBS-D. Docs think that the combined effect of the Zoloft withdrawal or 7 years of serotonergic action in the small intestine (where 90% of your serotonin receptors are) once removed + the infection led to the now chronic IBS-D. Anyway, early on in the gastro-infection I somehow contracted herpes - condoms do not protect 100% of the time people!
The chronic diarhhea from the IBS-D ultimately led to major depression for which I was treated with low dose tricyclics (mainly doxepin) moderately successfully. The diarrhea improved but the depression did not at the low doses and high doses made me fat and ornery.
I decided to go back to the SSRIs as my IBS-D continues to improve every week and while they work for depression each one I have tried (Celexa, Cymbalta, Paxil) to this point immediately leads to a re-activation of the herpes virus symptoms.
My questions are:
1. Anyone have any idea why this might be so with the SSRIs?
2. Anyone have any experience with this and if I wait it out a month or two perhaps the body will re-adjust? Thus far when I see an outbreak I freak and stop the offending SSRI.
I am absolutely 100% sure though about the causul link, when I stop the offending SSRI, the herpes dissapears within days. Sorry for the semi-graphic description. I am tired of hiding from this issue and would appreciate some support from anyone who may have dealt with this. Depression is a serious illness, herpes is not. But, the latter does not help the former.
poster:tarheelex
thread:822195
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080330/msgs/822195.html