SSRIs and Depersonalisation

3363 Views 16 Replies 8 Participants Last post by James_80, Mar 1, 2019

Chunky1232

Discussion Starter · Feb 8, 2019

Hi all,

I'm writing cause I'm very curious about SSRI's and depersonalisation. I am curious as I have recently experienced 3 months of moderate to severe depersonalisation due to taking an SSRI (fluoxetine/Prozac). I won't go into to details about the story, but it was a series of mistakes made by doctors failing to listen and understand that got me into that situation. Thankfully since stopping the medication the symptoms have been dissipating over the last month. Obviously, DP was a million times worse than the initial anxiety that was having and was not worth the DP to cure. I am very glad that the DP is going away slowly but this whole experience has left me quite scared of SSRIs. I have used them in the past and they helped to cope with the anxiety and stop it limiting my life. I would like to take an SSRI or some other medication for anxiety, but I never want to go back to that place again (depersonalisation) and not be able to get out. I have read several stories of people on here that claim an SSRI caused their DP and it never went away. So, my question is, is this a reasonable fear?

I can find no scientific literature on SSRI's causing permanent DP and the other medications that cause DP such as Minocyline, the symptoms resolve themselves slowly on cessation of the medication, as in my case. I want to understand what people are experiencing when they claim that the SSRI caused their DP? Is this actually a real thing? SSRIs have been on the market since the 1980s and millions of prescriptions are written each year and there is no published evidence that they are linked to permanent depersonalisation. If anyone who has any insight/personal experience or knows anything I could read that might help me understand this, it would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone know about other medications causing DP could they please let me know.

Thanks

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bintuae

· #9 · Feb 20, 2019 (Edited by Moderator)

Yes, this happens in rare occasions. Some people get it as a WITHDRAWAL symptom from psychiatric meds, and some get it WHILE or BECAUSE of taking the meds. I've been on psychiatric meds including SSRIs for 6 yrs and when I came off of them, I experienced very intense dp/dr.

I tried Lamictal and it lessened my dp a bit, however SSRIs/SNRIs intensified it this second time around even though they help with my anxiety issues! Without meds, my dp gets less but my anxiety becomes unbearable together with mood and cognitive problems. This indicates to me that it's not the anxiety causing dp (in my case). You should consider yourself lucky.

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bintuae

· #14 · Feb 25, 2019

Chunky1232 said:
What do you mean when you while or because? Obviously it is a side a effect of the medication that is well documented. When you say because of... what do you mean?

Also did you start to experience DP for the first time when you came off your SSRI?

By 'while', I meant it's a side effect and it goes away once quitting the offending drug. By 'because', I meant as in those drugs being the trigger. The side effect doesn't abate with ceased use.

Yes, the first time I ever experienced dp was when I came off of them. I thought if I go back on them, it'll go away. I was wrong. What about you?

I'm on an antidepressant still (Pristiq). I'm feeling dissociated and numb, but what can I do? Without it, I'm totally dysfunctional a nervous wreck.

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bintuae

· #15 · Feb 25, 2019

eddy1886 said:
My own personal theory on people developing DP as a result of an SSRI is that maybe they stopped it too quick without proper supervision...When it comes to stopping any psychiatric medicine it needs to be a slow professionally supervised process.....

Just look what happens to addicts when they try to withdraw from illicit drugs cold turkey...Not exactly a nice experience huh ?

(Disclaimer) ....Thats just my own theory though....Dont quote me on this....

Not necessarily. DP is one of PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) symptoms. The only difference quitting too quick or too slow makes, is the severity of these symptoms. I don't recommend people to follow pdoc's tapering protocol as it's still too quick of a taper (less than a month).

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