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NewQuestions
post May 12 2007, 02:46 PM
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I suffer from depression and anxiety. I was on 200 mg of zoloft for 8 years. Then, it started making me lethargic, tired, confused... It still helped with the anxiety but the side effects became to much. So I started taking Lexapro and weaned off zoloft. It took a year and was very difficult. Once I was on the lexapro alone (20mg), I felt this "heaviness" and lethargy (though differrent from before), so I moved down to 10 mg of Lexapro. The heaviness and lethargy went away but the anxiety came back. I was also low on energy and confused--classic SSRI withdrawal symptoms. So, then I tried a series of other meds all of which did not work:

Prozac: started off great, gave me energy and clarity but after 3 or 4 weeks it made me very depressed--it was definitely the med that made me depressed, almost suicidal... I was on a very small dose too... could not shake it until 4 weeks after stopping the med i.e. when it was completely out of the system

Cymbalta: again started off great, gave me energy, but then the energy became anxiety

Buspar: made me anxious

Effexor: made me depressed and nauseous

Remeron: relaxed me but over time stopped working and seems now to make me more depressed now

All the while I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro. I have also tried going back on Zoloft. It elevated my mood but made me jittery. Then I tried a TCA and it made me jittery and anxious.

I even tried to go back up on the Lexapro and it started making me jittery and anxious. Before Lexapro worked but made me feel "heavy," now it makes me anxious... I DON'T GET IT!

What am I supposed to do? It seems that these meds have stopped working! Has my brain chemistry changed from being on zoloft for so long? Nothing works? Is this normal? Has this happened to other people?
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rattman
post May 12 2007, 07:51 PM
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Yes............. I hear your pain!

I was off and on ZOloft for 12 years -- (up to as high as 200mg) and it seemed to poop out -- I switch to Celexa for 3 more years but it never worked as well as Zoloft did.

After about 14-15 years on meds I finally just quit. For me the Celexa and Zoloft I thought were causing me panic attacks, but I think they were just happening in addition to depression.

I also tried all the other AD's you did without success and with about the same side effects -- only one I didn't try that you did is Remeron -- my Dr. wouldn't prescribe it because he said I probably would be too tired to function at work.

In addition to what you tried I also tried Paxil -- it worked well on the anxiety - but not on the depression, and had bad sexual side effects.

After being off AD's for 1.5 years, my doctor put me on Wellbutrin (I was having stress related stomach problems) -- it is a TOUGH one to start especially if you take it for anxiety -- first 3 weeks you can be more anxious -- and it can take up to 8 weeks to work. (IT took 7 weeks for me). It works VERY well on my anxiety and fairly well on my depression -- but I was getting an occasional panic attack so he added Zoloft to it (50mg) to help with that and I think it is helping.

That may be an option for you -- Wellbutrin - 300mg/day is what you usually work up to -- I'm at 350/day and 50mg Zoloft and doing well -- I may increase the Zoloft to 100mg in a month just to see if it makes me closer to feeling 'normal'.

Hope that helps and keep us posted!

John

This post has been edited by rattman: May 12 2007, 07:52 PM
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misscat
post May 12 2007, 09:19 PM
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I can definately relate to this...I have been on and off AD's for over 15 years. The last(and current one) is prozac but it seems to have stopped working after 3 years. Right now I am on a 20mg dose which isnt even touching the depression I am having. I am looking into another med change or at least a dosage change. I have never been on Lexapro or Celexa but I think I have tried all the others. Either alone or in some combination with neurontin or depakote.. Remeron was the absolute worst for me, horrible weight gain and extreme drowsiness..even when I took it at night I was drowsy most of the day...it got rid of the depression but I was a zombie even on the lowest dose. Effexor did not agree with me either..it worked for a short time but I went through terrible withdrawal when my doc tried to wean me off onto another AD. Same thing with Paxil, which made me hypomanic on higher doses. Wellbutrin worked well for a while as did Serzone but Serzone is not being prescribed anymore due to incidence of liver damage. The tricyclics like Elavil did nothing for me and I dont even think they are prescribed much anymore. I was prescribed an MAO inhibitor and it seemed to work the best but the dietary restrictions were difficult. At one point I even considered ECT because nothing was working but I didnt go through with it. I had more than one pdoc say that I had treatment resistant depression, whcih I kind of figured judging by all the meds I had been on. I hope everything works out for you..just remember you're not alone..

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Sheepwoman
post May 13 2007, 10:41 AM
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The only AD's I've been on are Elavil, Prozac Zoloft and Imipramine. Elavil worked, but I felt drugged most of the time. Prozac workrd for about 14 years and then pooped out. I'm currently on 150mg of Zoloft and 200mg of Imipramine. So far this combination is working fairly well. Have you tried any of the tricyclics? They were really popular in the 70s and 80s and the pdocs appear to be using them again. You may want to ask your pdoc about these if you're not having luck with the SSRI's.
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NewQuestions
post May 13 2007, 11:53 AM
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How long will you guys try a new drug/dosage? I have been moving up on Lexapro from 10 to 20 mg over the past month and for the last 2 or 3 weeks it has increased my anxiety/jitteriness. Do I stay the course or give up?
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rattman
post May 13 2007, 12:51 PM
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You should contact your doctor to ask him first -- but personally if my anxiety increased over 2-3 weeks consistently, I'd tell my doctor I want to go back to 10mg if that worked, or try something different.

From my experience generally side effects lessen over time -- not get worse.

QUOTE(NewQuestions @ May 13 2007, 09:53 AM) *
How long will you guys try a new drug/dosage? I have been moving up on Lexapro from 10 to 20 mg over the past month and for the last 2 or 3 weeks it has increased my anxiety/jitteriness. Do I stay the course or give up?
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