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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Spriggy on February 23, 2005, at 16:52:42
Well if you followed my experience, you have a little idea where I have been coming from.
had bad reaction to Wellbutrin - no sleeping, no eating, etc.
Went to Lexapro and had even worse reaction- about 2 weeks into it become "manic" and almost psychotic. Severely depressed and suicidal for the first time in my life.
So I weaned off (not slowly enough) and had just as hard a time off the meds as I did on them.I ended up in the hospital in Olympia and had a psych evaluation.
I spent 4 days there. Saw one of the "top" psychiatrists in our state who concluded that I had:1) Akathasia from the Lexapro. He recommended I never take any other SSRI. Says becuase I also experienced akathasia on Compazine once (an anti nausea med) I have a sensitive central nervous system.
2) He declared I do not have any type of mental disorder, nor bipolar despite my family history. He thinks I may have "anxiety" issues but would not be willing to call it a disorder since i've only had a few panic attacks in my life.
3) He wants me on .25 Klonopin twice a day for one month to basically try and "calm" or sedate my central nervous system.
4) I am on Restirol for sleep at night. It knocks me out and does the job.
SO I am no longer jumping out of my skin or having the horrible racing thoughts. I am no longer uncomfortable and feeling like my insides are going to burst..But here I am left with this depression; hopelessness, emptiness, dark pit feeling. Will this eventually subside once my central nervous system is back on track?
His only suggestion was that if the depression continues to try something like Cymbalta or Neurontin but to stay clear of SSRI"s and Wellbutrin.
I'm still kind of confused by all this. This Klonopin keeps me calm but I am SOOOOOOOOOOO tired I can't function as a mom, wife, etc.. It is 2:50 in the afternoon and I am just waking up! My husband had to get my kids' off to school and such (which he gladly does- he's an awesome man).
This depression is just kicking my butt right now. I want to feel ALIVE again.
I'm scared about the Cymbalta becuase I am so med sensitive so I don't know what to do.
Any thoughts?
Posted by Phillipa on February 23, 2005, at 18:13:22
In reply to Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 23, 2005, at 16:52:42
Well, if you can get some samples, try what some of the other Posters are doing. Open the capsules, and just try a few granules to see. Just don't chew them as they are meant to dissolve in the intestine. Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by Glydin on February 23, 2005, at 18:54:15
In reply to Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 23, 2005, at 16:52:42
While my take on my disorder (thankfully, my doc shares my understanding) is not the usual way of thinking ---- when I'm having a difficult time with depressive symptoms, my anxiety is ill controlled. My toxic anxiey is ALWAYS the catalyst. Once my anxiety symptoms are well contolled, I'm back to feeling and functioning well.
Posted by Glydin on February 23, 2005, at 18:58:24
In reply to Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 23, 2005, at 16:52:42
Given your intolerance to SSRI's. It's a SNRI targeting Serotonin and Norepi.
Posted by Glydin on February 23, 2005, at 19:02:31
In reply to Why Cymbalta? » Spriggy, posted by Glydin on February 23, 2005, at 18:58:24
> Given your intolerance to SSRI's. It's a SNRI targeting Serotonin and Norepi.
Guess I meant SSNRI
Posted by Phillipa on February 23, 2005, at 19:54:56
In reply to Correction, posted by Glydin on February 23, 2005, at 19:02:31
I always have a hard time remembering that one too! Fondly, Phillipa
Posted by anastasia56 on February 23, 2005, at 22:03:14
In reply to Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 23, 2005, at 16:52:42
phillipa's idea of opening the capsule and 'testing the waters' dosage-wise sounds like a good idea for you. i take cymbalta and like it 85% of the time (which is pretty good for me). good luck!
Posted by Minnie-Haha on February 24, 2005, at 11:15:07
In reply to Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 23, 2005, at 16:52:42
If anxiety is your major problem and you think that it kicks off your depression, why not give the Klonopin 2-3 weeks and see if it helps on its own? Someone here said that benzos can be sedating and make you feel more depressed the first 2-3 weeks and then those symptoms usually lift. (I think that's interesting. I never took a regular dose long enough to get past the daytime fogginess and funky mood.) If THAT doesn't help, then maybe your depression is settled in enough that it needs treatment on its own? In which case, start the Cymbalta at the lowest available dose, 20mg, and see what happens from there. Give it a week or two and if it doesn't help, go up to 40mg, maxing at 60mg if necessary. It took me almost 4 weeks at 60mg to feel like I'd really turned a corner on my depression/anxiety. (I'm now on 40mg because my BP went up. So far, so good.)
If you decide to just try the benzos first, be PREPARED to feel groggy and maybe even a little depressed for 2-3 weeks. Expect it and ride with it. Ask your family and friends to be supportive. I think if you expect side effects, they're much easier to manage. Be kind to yourself during this period. But if you're depression becomes very dark, or if it doesn't lift in 2-3 weeks, try an antidepressant. That would be my advice.
Posted by Spriggy on February 24, 2005, at 12:34:31
In reply to Re: Just got out of the hospital, posted by Minnie-Haha on February 24, 2005, at 11:15:07
Thanks Mini Hana,
I think I'll follow your advice. I'll try just the Klonopin for the next 2-3 weeks. If the depression is still as deep and dark, I'll to talk to dr. about Cymbalta.I want you all to know that I think you are wonderful people. I really wouldn't have known where to turn or what to do if not for you all.
In a very short time, you feel like part of my family.
I thank you and I pray for you every day!
Posted by ed_uk on February 24, 2005, at 12:45:42
In reply to Re: Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 24, 2005, at 12:34:31
Hi Spriggy!
>If the depression is still as deep and dark, I'll to talk to dr. about Cymbalta.
I hope your depression improves soon, I expect that it will :-)
I'd be very cautious about Cymbalta. You could easily react to Cymbalta in the same way that you reacted to Lexapro.
Ed.
Posted by Spriggy on February 24, 2005, at 12:56:19
In reply to Re: Just got out of the hospital » Spriggy, posted by ed_uk on February 24, 2005, at 12:45:42
That's exactly what I'm afraid of. The pdoc told my central nervous system was very sensitive. He also mentioned neurontin but what in the world would that be for?My dad is on that stuff for diabetic neuropathy.
Posted by Minnie-Haha on February 24, 2005, at 14:11:05
In reply to Re: Just got out of the hospital, posted by Spriggy on February 24, 2005, at 12:34:31
No problem. Just remember to talk to someone right away during the 2-3 week startup period if your depression is more than you can manage. Tell someone what you're doing, so that they can help you to monitor yourself. Then, if you decide you need an AD after all, go slow and expect side effects from that, too. The hardest part for me has always been being patient when starting/stopping therapy, cause I've yet to try anything that helped really quickly (less than two weeks) for long-term problems. (Though benzos have helped with anxiety/sleep when necessary.)
I can't remember from your other posts: Are you getting psychotherapy? If not, I recommend that, too. People get a better response when they mix meds with talk therapy than with meds alone. (This board helps somewhat, but face-to-face is even better.) Sometimes that process takes time to get going too, as you find the right therapist and build a good relationship with her/him.
Finally, have you used the "Babbleometer" tool on this (Dr. Bob's) web site to monitor your moods? It really helps me to keep track of whether I'm feeling better, worse, or the same. (When you're deep-down in it, it's hard to tell, isn't it?) I use the CES-D and have a reminder sent monthly.
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/watch/
Posted by Minnie-Haha on February 24, 2005, at 14:20:24
In reply to Re: Just got out of the hospital » Spriggy, posted by ed_uk on February 24, 2005, at 12:45:42
> I'd be very cautious about Cymbalta. You could easily react to Cymbalta in the same way that you reacted to Lexapro.
If you have a bad reaction to Cymbalta, too, I'd seek a second opinion on whether or not you might be bipolar or BP2. If you are, you probably shouldn't take ADs without a mood stabilizer. (Some take Neurontin as an MS, which I think your doc suggested as an option to Cymbalta?) My BP2 DX came after I became hypomanic on Zoloft, though in recent years I've wondered if an anxiety disorder might have been a better DX. These two can be hard to sort out, I think, and of course, they can be "comorbid" too. Here is a good link on the subject.
This is the end of the thread.
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