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Thread: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Posts
    1,348

    Re: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?

    You can try a different (very different) type of CBT, last pages of the thread words.

    In most people 2mg of valium long term is acceptable and won't form dependence, I did 5mg for a year once and 2 for a year and found no dependence. And I'm supper sensitive.

    Medication does work for bipolar.

    tussi you don't need medication for agoraphobia there is a simple cognitive cure.

  2. #12

    Re: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?

    First, let me say that I'm not anti-CBT. I know CBT works for a lot of people. However, it has not worked for me.

    (I've seen several psychologists on and off over a period of about 15 years now, and I have continued to slowly deteriorate, not get better. At one point I did CBT for about 1-2 years on a weekly basis, but it ultimately didn't work. Any gains were short-lived).

    Two recent studies of CBT show it clearly doesn't work for everyone:

    Approximately 1/3 of patients continued to experience meaningful residual problems.
    Gloster AT, et al. Behav Res Ther. 2013;51(12):830-9.

    Psychological therapy services need to recognise that anxiety disorders tend to follow a chronic course and that good outcomes with CBT over the short term are no guarantee of good outcomes over the longer term.
    Durham RC, et al. Health Technol Assess. 2005;9(42):1-174

    I haven't quite given up on psychology. I'm trying psychodynamic psychotherapy with a new psychologist now, which is something I haven't done before.

    But given my experience with therapy so far, I'm doubtful that it will work. I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I am one of those people who will need medication for life. I just can't find a drug that works.

    (Benzos did work, and I got maybe six months of benefit out of them, but now I'm tolerant, and that's really shit. I don't want to increase my diazepam dosage beyond 15 mg, because I suspect tolerance will just develop again, and I could easily see myself taking massive doses of benzos and ending up with a horrible problem).

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Posts
    479

    Re: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?

    Hi
    I too am super sensitive to meds. And over the last 30 years tried a couple of ads which gave me such horrific side effects. I now can take paracetamol immodium and more recently propanalol for panic and only in utter desperation!
    I had been prescribed Valium 2-4 mg as required. But through fear of addiction, didn't take any until the last few years.
    my panic got worse until I was Agaraphobic. I had help from an occupational therapist who tentatively took me out and about on planned exposure therapy. It worked. It was VERY scary. I neededn4mg Valium to help me take th first steps. And to practic e by myself. When I became confident in traveling a certain distance, I practiced without Valium.
    Then I moved on to the next, further from home challenge. Which of course meant Valium.
    So in affect I was taking 4mg Valium twice a week. For two years.

    I thought I was taking small doses, and not very day, so I would not become affected.Wrong.
    I started having major panic attacks weekly for no reason. I also had terrible bouts of IBS diarrhoea. The crunch came when other people noticed that I had a hand tremor!!!
    I googled the trmor and it was a symptom of Valium tolerance withdrawal!!
    Next stage was dependence.
    I was so scared.

    I stopped Valium on 24 Feb 2015.
    I th n developed extreme shoulder and nck pain. I couldn't turn my neck. Had to turn my whole body.
    Went to the doc, who said it was NOT Valium withdrawal...just stress....
    But she gave me propanalol which did help me. But I guess not y if you've low blood pressure.

    What I would like to stress about Valium is
    ONE DOSE OF VALIUM TAKES 8 DAYS
    TO BE ABLE ELIMINATED FROM THE BODY

    So I was taking 4mg twice a week, so I was never without it in my system.
    Even though it was a SMALL amount, and not daily dose, my body was never without it!!!

    It was the only drug that helped me, and did not have side effects for me.
    And now I only have propanalol, which is not as good.

    May I also say. I have heard of people who so not develop tolerance/addiction and also people who very quickly do to Valium. So it is for each person to make their own educated guess...under the supervision of their doc

  4. #14

    Re: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?

    I am a new poster and new to the forum but I wanted to let you know that you are not alone. I too cannot tolerate SSRIs and get horrible side effects from even the lowest dose. I have tried zoloft, lexapro, and amitriptyline. I did ok on the ami for a while and weaned off. But the anxiety and panic came back with a vengeance. I tried to go back on it but couldn't tolerate it at even the lowest dose of 2.5 mg. I recently tried lexapro and my doc knows I am hypersensitive. She started me on 1mg of the liquid suspension (typical starting dose is 5mg) and by day 3 I was having massive panic/adrenaline attacks, flushing, anxiety, etc. With zoloft I got weird vision trailing and hyper.

    I too have adrenal issues that are tied to anxiety. Horrible BP spikes and heart palpitations and tachycardia, that seemingly comes out of nowhere. I am in the process of getting tested for an adrenal tumor.

    I have a low dose prescription for the beta blocker sectral/acebutolol to take. But the starting dose is 200mg which is too high for me. I actually take half to a quarter of that. Helps with lowering the HR and BP but not with the mental anxiety.

    I am hypersensitive to everything. It sucks.

    Anyway, what I just started trying with some success is a supplement called l-theanine. Have you tried it yet? It affects me similar to a light benzo and takes the edge off for daily use. I have my ativan and acebutolol for those hellish bad days but I have found that 50-100 mg of L-Theanine seems to really help. Normal starting dose is 200mg.

    You can order it online without a prescription and I actually got mine at the local pharmacy in the vitamin section.

    I can relate to your post bc I am in a similar position. The SSRIs are like tpeture for me.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Posts
    1,348

    Re: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?

    I have to ask, not because I'm going to argue CBT when it turns out most of the time what is being called CBT is either coping skills or exposure. CBT is a five step program designed to realign thought patterns. Both exposure and coping skills are minor parts of it, not all of it.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Posts
    767

    Re: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?

    You could give the supplement lithium orotate a try. The capsules contain around 5mg of elemental lithium each - I take 20mg a day (4 capsules) and it seemed to kick in after around a week. I was taking 10mg a day last year and felt myself get better - though I assumed I was getting used to the fluoxetine I had restarted - then of course I weaned off it and my anxiety/panic/agitation returned - though only now did I realise it may have been kept in check by the lithium.

    The dosages from the OTC preparations are far lower than those prescribed to people with bipolar - so have fewer side effects. It works by helping to dampen down noradrenaline and glutamate in certain areas of the brain - both 'activating' neurotransmitters that can cause agitation, panic etc.
    __________________
    Today's mood rating - calculation in progress.

  7. #17

    Re: What do you do when you can't tolerate antidepressants?



    Hi there,

    I see an excellent psychiatrist with four doctoral degree: psychiatry, clinical psychology, a doctoral in pharmacy, and from left field dentistry. I have PTSD resulting from childhood trauma; I'm 55-years-old and I began having PTSD symptoms 28 years ago. I tried every type of antidepressant over the years that exists and each one caused terrible panic attacks, no matter how low the beginning dose. My shrink told me that 20% of people with PTSD and other anxiety/panic disorders (but especially PTSD) cannot tolerate any type of antidepressant; thank God that finally, a shrink understood and did not try forcing me to take yet another panic-inducing antidepressant. I will NEVER try another antidepressant no matter what. My anxiety from PTSD is extremely hard to deal with when I have depression. I take alprazolam (1mg 2 X per day) with (1, 3mg Xanax ER at bedtime) for sleep. If my anxiety is over the top, then I have to add Trazadone to sleep. You must get enough sleep; this is the most important step of all in dealing with anxiety/panic disorders. I also have ADD; I discovered this several years ago when I went back to school to complete a master's degree. I learned by accident that when I am depressed, my ADD med makes me feel much better. I am not a doctor or a psychiatrist, but I am determined to survive PTSD and deal with my depression, though I cannot take antidepressants of any type. I never needed to increase my doses of the benzodiazepines in 7 years and have no side-effects from the ADD med; this regimen works for me. ADD meds are amphetamines, but for some reason they do not cause me to have panic attacks. This is my regimen and it has worked well for more than 8 years with no adverse reactions, side-effects, or other health issues.

    Good Luck!

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