[James_80]

I have tried a few of these now and am confused about my reaction to them. Can anyone shine a light on what might be happening? Very small doses seem to adversely affect me. I've tried almost all the ssris and can't tolerate them mainly because they cause me extreme insomnia. Even the more supposedly sedating ones like Paroxetine cause me very severe insomnia, at a low dose of 10mg. I've been on Paroxetine 10mg for nearly 4 weeks now and the insomnia is so debilitating that the doctor has told me to come off it. Is this insomnia a sign that the medication is actually activating my brain and bringing me out of a deep depression or is it a sign that I don't need an antidepressant at all? Fluoxetine, Venlaxafine and Sertraline all have the same effects on me - really bad insomnia and agitation that doesn't pass even after many weeks and months on them. I didn't have this effect on Citalopram but that drug just made me emotionless and sluggish (after a good while of being on it - 3 months). I've tried Mirtazipine and had adverse side effects to that. I don't want to try antipsychotics. After trying these drugs, my GP is saying I shouldn't be on anything as nothing agrees with me. However, I haven't tried any of the older antidepressants so am confused about this. In general, I would say I have a moderate depression and severe anxiety with DP. I definitely need to be on something.

 

[Psyborg]

paroxetine was sedating me very heavily and I slept very long and deep when I was on it . I am surprised that you react this way to paroxetine

you say you dont want to take antipsychotics but I might have a good med for you (even though everybody reacts different to meds of course)

 

[35467]

try one from the SNRI class like duloxetin. Start with 30.mg for a week and go to 60.mg. It has fewer side-effects on me than a SSRI and is more potent than a SSRI.

 

[eddy1886]

Its simple....Everybody reacts to meds in different ways...Some cant tolerate them...Others can...Some get zero results...Some get great results...

Its all total trial and error with meds for DP (as well as other types of mental health conditions)

If you think you need to be on something and Anti Depressants do nothing or make you worse try a LOW dose Atypical Anti Psychotic....Of course you probably dont want to take an Atypical simply because of the title....The name itself scares people off them...

An Atypical gave me my life back (Low Dose)

If a low dose does nothing within a couple of weeks drop it.....DO NOT use high doses of AntiPsychotics to treat anxiety and DP etc.....High doses are exclusively for Schizophrenia, Bi Polar,Psychosis etc etc......High doses will just turn you into a zombie....

Low dose Atypicals are regularly prescribed for treatment resistent conditions like DP and acute anxiety etc etc....They are the next port of call when SSRIs fail or cause too many side effect problems.....They also help with sleep issues....

 

[eddy1886]

try one from the SNRI class like duloxetin. Start with 30.mg for a week and go to 60.mg. It has fewer side-effects on me than a SSRI and is more potent than a SSRI.

The OP tried Effexor (Venlefaxine)

 

[eddy1886]

The other thing to try is a combo of low dose SSRI along with a low dose Atypical...

Ive seen this work for a few people including myself....

The two tend to compliment each other for certain people...

In my own case the Atypical does all the hard work as regards panic and anxiety and paranoia and intrusive obsessive thinking...The SSRI acts as a complimentary mood enhancer for my depressive symptoms....

 

[James_80]

Cheers everyone for your replies. Re: antipsychotics. The ones I've tried gave me adverse side effects but maybe I will give them one more try.

 

[James_80]

I just don't understand how almost every SSRI or SNRI I have tried gives me such bad insomnia at low doses. It makes me wonder if I am severely mentally ill and my brain chemicals are completely out of balance

 

[didep]

The other thing to try is a combo of low dose SSRI along with a low dose Atypical...

Ive seen this work for a few people including myself....

The two tend to compliment each other for certain people...

In my own case the Atypical does all the hard work as regards panic and anxiety and paranoia and intrusive obsessive thinking...The SSRI acts as a complimentary mood enhancer for my depressive symptoms....

What medication are you currently taking?

 

[forestx5]

I was on paroxetine and venlafaxine for over a decade each. I have had several horrid episodes of insomnia in conjunction with episodes of major depression.

I did not find these SSRI/SNRIs to aggravate insomnia. Fluoxetine, however, did aggravate the insomnia.

I found Escitalopram (Lexapro) to be the most accommodating SSRI, with no noticeable side effects. I once ended an over 50 day period of insomnia with a dose of Elavil (Amitriptyline0.

I also found a dose of 100mg to 75mg of Seroquel essential to facilitating sleep during an episode of major depression with insomnia.

Ultimately, I found ECT to be the remedy which allows me to be psych med free for almost 2 years, following a period of over 30 years in which I tried most everything available.

I would have another course of ECT before I take another psychiatric medication.

It doesn't bother me that they don't understand why it works. Frankly, they don't understand a lot of things.

 

[eddy1886]

I just don't understand how almost every SSRI or SNRI I have tried gives me such bad insomnia at low doses. It makes me wonder if I am severely mentally ill and my brain chemicals are completely out of balance

Benzos dont relax me at all...They do the opposite....Make me feel horrible, uncomfortable and groggy in fact.....Sleeping pills do the exact same.....Just make me feel nasty and groggy and totally like a zombie the next day....

Go figure....

We all have different types of chemical imbalance going on which is why meds are trial and error......

 

[eddy1886]

What medication are you currently taking?

Low dose Sulpiride/200mg once a day in the morning (Called Dolmatil here in Ireland)........... In conjunction with very low dose Effexor/37.5mg once a day in the morning...

Effexor would be useless to me on its own....Sulpiride does all the hard work...Effexor is just a mini mood enhancer for me.......

Do not confuse Sulpiride with Amisulpiride (They are two different drugs)

Sulpiride as far as I know is not FDA in the USA approved but is very common here in Europe.....