SSRI intolerance

[Heli100]

Hello there

I am desperately in need of being on an antidepressant for my depression and anxiety. The trouble is that I just can’t tolerate the side effects of getting on them. Each one I have tried has literally put me in bed due to how awful they made me feel. Luckily I am now retired, but I have responsibilities and a dog to look after.

The latest one I tried is Escitalopram (Lexapro or Cipralex). My GP allowed me to have the liquid form to allow for a very low starting dose I slowly got up to 3 drops over a three week period which is only 3mg but by day 20 I felt like it was going to kill me.

I was extremely nauseous, dizzy, had no strength or energy and my heart was pounding. I am now weaning myself off of them, but still have the nausea and dizziness.

Has this happened to anyone else out there and if so, was there any sort of medication that you could tolerate?

I have just ordered a pack of St John’s Wort, hoping that will calm me down, without bad side effects.

Thank you for reading this.

[BlueAgave]

So sorry it's been a difficult journey for you. Unfortunately it's a big trial and error when it comes to medications. We are all so different and experience different side effects to individual meds. It's great that at least your doctor is working with you. Have you tried any anti anxiety medication just to help with the anxiety for now?

Non medication things you can do is deep breathing exercises, meditation, physical exercise, limit caffeine and sugar, etc...

I hope you find relief soon. I can relate when meds aren't working and you feel out of control. Remember these are just bad feelings, but they won't hurt you. Sending you peace.

[Heli100 in reply to BlueAgave]

Thank you for your reply and understanding.

My GP gave me some Diazepam 2mg, which do work for a few hours, but I am soon back to square one and am very conscious that they are addictive.

My over riding anxiety symptom is dizziness, which stops me walking very far with my dog. I would like to go to a yoga class, but at the moment I’m too anxious and afraid that I will have a panic attack.

I don’t have caffeinated drinks at all, very little alcohol, but I am addicted to sugar, in all of its forms. I have wondered if this is contributing to the anxiety and have been trying to cut down on sweet treats, it’s so hard though.

Thanks once again

[BlueAgave in reply to Heli100]

Sugar is so addictive, but so good. I have the same problem!

[MayDay3 in reply to BlueAgave]

I'm addicted to junk food and eat my feelings more than I should

[Heli100 in reply to MayDay3]

Me too and while I’m eating the family bar of chocolate I feel relaxed and content, then comes the sugar rush and heightened anxiety! 🙂

[MayDay3 in reply to Heli100]

Yep. Same.

[optimismrus]

BlueAgave put it perfectly. And I'm sending you strength and courage to keep on trying. We need to quiet our mind to move forward. Best wishes 🥰

[MayDay3]

Hi Heli100,

I am so sorry to hear about your troubles with medications.

I was on SSRI's for a few years when I was younger (like 15 years back) and I had similar issues. In 2012 I saw a Psychopharmacologist and she put me on Bupropion and it worked very well for me. It works by inhibiting the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. So it is different from SSRI's.

It does list a bunch of side effects but for me the side effects only lasted a week (I basically had awful nausea for a week and then I realized if I take the pills with a snack or some food I didn't get nausea) and then no more side effects.

I am obviously not a doctor just sharing the details because we had similar experiences with SSRI so maybe we have similar body types.

I hope this helps.

[Agora1]

Hi iHeli100, Not enough of a good thing can make you feel miserable.

It's about your doctor finding the right SSRI for you plus the right dosage.

Starting low but slowly increasing therapeutic dosage is the way. The time

of day can make a difference as well. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for our brain

to adjust to the medication and our starting to feel better.

The only med that is fast acting are your benzos unfortunately. The right SSRI

may take a little longer to see the difference but so worth the wait.

Life is Good xx

[MassamanCurry]

It is trial and error but I suggest you find another doctor who has more knowledge of meds like this and for your specific issue. A psychiatrist would be better.

[Heli100 in reply to MassamanCurry]

I did ask my GP about seeing a psychiatrist, but we decided to try a different antidepressant first. I think that the waiting time to see one, here in the UK is very long, but may enquire again about this. Thanks

[MassamanCurry in reply to Heli100]

Sorry, I obviously missed the part about you being in the UK.

[Animaltherapy]

Maybe try ashwagandha?

[Heli100 in reply to Animaltherapy]

Unfortunately that didn’t work for me. I have also tried CBD oil and lion’s mane tincture and the next thing I’m going to try is St John’s Wort.

Thanks for the suggestion though

[Animaltherapy in reply to Heli100]

How about transcranial magnetic stimulation?

[Heli100 in reply to Animaltherapy]

I have never heard of this and will research it now.

Have you tried it, or do you know people who have?

[Animaltherapy in reply to Heli100]

My friend is a psychiatrist and has had a lot of success with it.

[samsinger23]

Ask your primary care physician or psychiatrist to administer the Genesight test to you. The test involves scraping the inside of your mouth to obtain cells that are sent to a special lab. The lab will send a report to you and/or your provider recommending a list of mental health meds that will work best for you based on your specific body chemistry. The test will help the provider to prescribe medication that are least likely to cause side effects for you. You may go to the Genesight website to find providers in your area who can administer the test. The Genesight lab accepts commercial insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare as payment. The Genesight company also offers programs that will pay for your testing if you need assistance. ---S. Martin

[Heli100 in reply to samsinger23]

Thank you so much for this information. I’m in the UK, but will look for a company who do it here. Sounds very interesting and a much better way to try a medication, without having to go through the painful side effects.

[samsinger23 in reply to Heli100]

I want you to feel better and enjoy your life. I know that finding the right medication is often time-consuming, confusing, and unpleasant because it normally involves trial and error which is unpleasant for the patient. The Genesight test is designed to take the guesswork out of prescribing medication which will help the patient to feel better fast, with limited side effects. ---S. Martin

[Heli100 in reply to samsinger23]

Thank you, you’re very kind.

My problem with the side effects is that even though I try to push on through, they eventually become so debilitating before any positive effects can be achieved and I literally end up bedridden and have to rely on friends to walk my dog and get my shopping.

So this method of trying it by pharmacogenomics takes away all of the unpleasantness and guess work. I’m really interested in this.

[Nothing_but_books]

Be VERY careful about self-medicating while the antidepressants are still in your body. Check with your pharmacist how long that is.

It's not unusual when you start one of these drugs to have those reactions at the start. You've got to try to wait it out unless things get too bad.

Are you working with a psychiatrist? You'll get a lot more help there than with a GP.

[Heli100 in reply to Nothing_but_books]

Thank you.

I am going to wait for a few weeks of being on nothing before I try the SJW.

I think that seeing a psychiatrist would benefit me enormously and will have. word with my GP again about this.

[Nothing_but_books in reply to Heli100]

Meanwhile, keep a written record of the most troubling side effects of the meds you've taken. Let the doctor know you are looking for one that doesn't have that side effect.

[bethelbee]

Have you considered alternative treatment other than meds? I was on antidepressants for decades until a few years ago. The last few I tried either didn't work or gave me intolerable side effects . Luckily my therapist recommended TMS, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. It was a game changer and life saver for me. It's a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to a part of the brain to reduce/eliminate depression. Treatment is typically 5x wk for 6-7 weeks with each session about 20 minutes. It's a big time commitment but well worth it if it works. I've had 3 rounds; the positive results of the first two each lasted 6 months and the 3rd is still working after 3 years. Obviously as with any treatment results vary. Talk to your doctor about it. I'll be glad to answer any questions. BTW, I'm in my late 60's..

[Heli100 in reply to bethelbee]

Thank you for your recommendation of TMS. Someone else has mentioned this and I am researching where in the UK provides this type of treatment and how much it might cost.

[bethelbee in reply to Heli100]

I hope you can find a clinic or center near you to check it out! Here in the states most insurance covers it. My Medicare totally covered mine.