Another bad reaction? What gives???

[Charity]

What a bummer, seriously. I endured the miserable SSRI discontinuation period, thinking that it was all for a good purpose. I started on the Anafranil at a very low dose, 25 mg/day, just as advised by my doc. The plan was to increase the dose by another 25 mg every few days until we reached around 200 or so. No such luck! I bumped it up to 50 on Wednesday, and Thursday it hit me HARD. My head started to hurt soooo bad, and I started to throw up. I kept right on doing so for hours, long after there was anything left to actually come up. (Is there anything nastier than the dry heaves?) I was so weak, and it seemed like every muscle in my body was shaking and trembling like crazy. And the sweating!! Ohhh man, that was intense. I spent quite a bit of time lounging on the bathroom floor, and a puddle actually formed around me and my drenched clothes. It was unbelieveable to me that a human could sweat so much.

I finally managed to get to sleep around one a.m., and when I woke around ten on Christmas day, everything was gone except a lingering weakness and lack of appetite.

The only time I can ever remember feeling like that was the time I tried switching to Effexor. The experience was pretty much identical.

WHAT CAUSES THIS??? Do I just happen to have bad reactions to different kinds of drugs? It's so frustrating to try something, all hopeful that this one will be the help I'm looking for, only to find myself unable to continue with it AND in absolute misery for several hours. What's going on?? Has anyone else had these experiences??

 

[white page]

Hi Charity ,
How awful for you to have this reaction to medication , there must be a common molucule to which you are allergic . I don't know more beyond this supposition , have you talked to you Doctor about this , he would be able to answer your questions , if this had been a first time occurance , then it may have been caused by an interreaction with other meds or even some foods .

Maybe more knowledgeable members could help you more than I can .
have you stopped your medication since this happened ?
take care

 

[Retired]

WHAT CAUSES THIS???

Charity,

The medications you are asking about, namely SSRI, SNRI (such as Effexor) and tricyclic antidepressants (eg. Anafranil) all target, in a variety of ways, neurotransmitter chemical receptor in the brain.

They target these neurochemical receptors because it is thought these are the neurochemicals in our brain responsible for the illness of depression.

The principal targeted neurochemicals are serotonin and norepinephrine, and sometimes dopamine; however there may be some stimulation of other neurochemical receptors, namely dopaminergic, muscarinic and histaminergic receptors.

The latter group of neurochemicals are thought to be responsible for the kinds of adverse effects you are experiencing.

In some cases these adverse side effects diminish with time as the brain chemistry acclimates itself to the new chemical balance.

Has your doctor provided you with any instructions about dealing with possible side effects or do you have a way to communicate with your prescribing doctor to report the way it's going?

 

[Charity]

No, I haven't taken any more since that happened-- and I'm absolutely not going to, either. Side effects are one thing, but this...
I can deal with side effects. For example, every time I start an SSRI after having been off them for awhile, I experience constant, terrible heartburn and slight nausea for the first week or two. It's uncomfortable but not intolerable, and it always goes away as my body adjusts. I can deal with stuff like that. This, though? Honestly, I can't think of anything that could be worth it. The night of Christmas Eve, while all this was happening, I distinctly remember thinking that even death would be an acceptable outcome, just so the horrible feelings would stop-- even though I ordinarily have a morbid fear of dying and the afterlife. It simply isn't a worthwhile tradeoff for me.
I have an appointment with my regular doctor on Monday, and I do plan to tell him exactly what happened AND my feelings on the subject. I think I'm just going to tell him that I'll go back onto an SSRI if he and my psychologist agree that it's wise, but that I'm not willing to do any more experimenting for awhile. I know there may be something out there that could be more finely-tuned to my particular needs, but I just don't feel up to taking the risk of another episode like that one. I have enough trouble on my "good" days!!

Thanks for the kind words and advice, by the way. I still feel incredibly lucky to have found this forum, just to have a place to discuss these sorts of things with people who understand. ((((hugs))))

 

[Retired]

Charity,

Explan to your doctor on Monday exactly the side effects you experienced. That way s/he will better understand your reaction to the meds you took.

I know there may be something out there that could be more finely-tuned to my particular needs

The fact is, with anti depressant medications, there is no "one fix for all" or a specific med for a particular patient profile.

Unless you or perhaps a family member may have had a successful medication history with a particular med, you and your doctor will need patience and time to find the right compound and dosage for your personal brain chemistry.

Don't be surprised if it takes a few changes in medications, and or dosages to find what works for you...It's just the nature of this kind of therapy.

Sometimes, your doctor might refer you to a specialist, like a psyco pharmacologist, if your system has trouble responding to a few different medications, or to control adverse effects.

I understand the difficulty you experienced and it's no fun going through the severe side effects you had. The good news is with your patience and cooperation in reporting back to your doctor, there is a chance the right med can be found.

Please continue keeping us up to date on your progress.

 

[white page]

Charity ,I'm happy to hear that you already have an appointment on monday .

I have an appointment with my regular doctor on Monday,

TSOW explained things so well . here's hoping that you get the right meds for you in the future .
best wishes

 

[Charity]

Thanks, guys. I'll keep you posted as time goes on.

 

[NicNak]

I hope you feel better Charity. I am so sorry you had that kind of reaction. It sounds very awful.

I am glad your going to see your doctor again.

Wishing you all the best :support: