Anti-Depressant Question

LegacyUser

Hi,

I've only been on anti-depressants for about a month or so(Lustral 50mg a day) but I've had my dose lowered today because I've been having trouble sleeping,they were working okay besides that,they seemed to just numb my emotions which was way better then how I'd been feeling before I started on them(crying for no reason,feeling worthless etc)just wondering would my psychiatrist be able to try me out on another anti-depressant if the lower dose of Lustral isnt effective over the next week?

Not looking for medical advice or anything,just wondering if anybody has ever been in a similar situation.

nesf

The only person who can answer that is your psychiatrist. Beyond that, yes it's not unusual to be trialed on another antidepressant if the first one doesn't work out.

auntyweeze

GreenGiant86 wrote: »

Hi,

I've only been on anti-depressants for about a month or so(Lustral 50mg a day) but I've had my dose lowered today because I've been having trouble sleeping,they were working okay besides that,they seemed to just numb my emotions which was way better then how I'd been feeling before I started on them(crying for no reason,feeling worthless etc)just wondering would my psychiatrist be able to try me out on another anti-depressant if the lower dose of Lustral isnt effective over the next week?

Not looking for medical advice or anything,just wondering if anybody has ever been in a similar situation.

hello
i myself have been on anti depressants about 5 weeks now (lexapro 15mg). and in the last 2 weeks i too have had trouble sleeping.
im coming in from work having dinner and by 7pm im asleep but then wake up at llike 4am.
ive tried everything to stay awake longer like taking tablets at different times and excercising more/less but nothing seems to work.
im back to my gp next week for 6week check up on the medication.
glad to hear someone else with the same problem.
thought i was going mad

LegacyUser

Thanks for the reply

Have tried taking my tablet at different times too and also staying in the gym until I'm knackered but I still cant sleep well or at all sometimes(like last night)

Took 25mg today instead of my usual 50mg so hopefully that will do something and I'll get some sleep!

Just really worried that I'll start to feel really down again cause of the reduced dose,because I felt alright(emotionally numb)on the 50mg except for the no sleep/bad sleep.Worried too that my Doctor will take me off anti-depressants altogether if the reduced dose doesnt work.

auntyweeze

GreenGiant86 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply

Have tried taking my tablet at different times too and also staying in the gym until I'm knackered but I still cant sleep well or at all sometimes(like last night)

Took 25mg today instead of my usual 50mg so hopefully that will do something and I'll get some sleep!

Just really worried that I'll start to feel really down again cause of the reduced dose,because I felt alright(emotionally numb)on the 50mg except for the no sleep/bad sleep.Worried too that my Doctor will take me off anti-depressants altogether if the reduced dose doesnt work.

im like that too, i went to bed at 11:30 last night and im awake since 4am

i tried lowering my dosage too but felt lowsy went back to being aggitated and cranky and anxious, so im obviously not ready yet to ween off them dont know why i even tried it only on them a couple of weeks.

Eph1958

Hi, it's been a few years since I was on Lustral but found them pretty good. A few things though;
1) it takes several weeks for your system to stabilise to the correct dose.
2)I found they helped my sleep a lot after I made some changes to my sleep habits eg NO daytime naps (not even for a minute), no caffeine after 6pm, and no late evening exercise. It made me feel physically tired but my mind was just racing for hours afterwards, probably from all the endorphins.
Best of luck.

Princess Peach

I'm on Lexapro and I had terrible sleeping problems for the first couple of months. I did a bit of searching online and found out that other found it was because they were taking theirs at night. So I switched to taking mine to first thing in the morning and it pretty much solved the problem.

LegacyUser

My sleeping seems to be settling down thank god,have gotten 6 hours+ each uninterupted over the last 2 nights,only thing is I'm starting to feel pretty down again,probably because of the reduced dose,I'm seeing my psych next week anyways so I'll see what he thinks about putting me back on 50mg or trying something else out.

Eph1958

Wouldn't mind a few uninterrupted hours sleep meself nowadays..... best of luck with the doc.

Princess Peach

I forgot to take mine this morning, probably cause I didn't get out of bed today. So I wasn't thinking and took it just now. I'll be awake in a few hours.

dfoley76

I think you need to go back to your doctor PrincessPeach. The medication you're on at the moment doesn't seem to be agreeing with you, you need point this out or it will be assumed that you are doing well on it. I've been tried on various anti-depressants over the years, and I didn't react well to some. Lexapro kept me awake and I had heart palpitations with it. I have anxiety attacks when things aren't right, so those symptoms scared the life out of me.

The only advice I can give you is to keep going back to your doctor till the right anti-depressant is found for you. Whats right for you mightn't be right for the next person, it really is trial and error. I'm sure it will come right for you, but you need to tell your doctor it's not for you, keeping you awake etc. As a result of dodging my doctor, a disorder I have went unnoticed and I regret it.

Princess Peach

Oh sorry I'm fine on my Lexapro. I usually take it first thing in the morning, I just forgot today. That was just me having a bit of a moan. I haven't been sleeping well lately, but I don't think its because of my meds.

dfoley76

I'm sorry to hear it, I've been down this road. I have felt like I was losing the plot from lack of sleep at times. All I can offer is experience on this, and for me, it meant I was put on a combination of anti-depressants and a sleeping tablet. I wasn't able to deal with every day life and I had to go to the doctor because lack of sleep was making me feel more and more depressed. I was prescribed Stilnoct to help me sleep, and it works for me.


Greengiant, please do the same and go to your doctor. Lack of sleep caught up with me big time, and effected my entire life. Mental health should never be ignored.

Princess Peach

The only caffeine I have is in tea, and I only had one cup at lunch! I just need my brain to be quite for a while. I get this from time to time, sleeping patterns change all the time!

foxinsox

Anti-depressants can take up to 8 weeks to be effective...

There are side-effects, one of the most common one is sleep pattern disturbances.

You should talk to your doctor before adjusting your dosage, you should not adjust it yourself.

Some people may need to change the type of anti depressant if one does not work. Different anti depressant medication can work on different people, each individual case is unique.

You shoud talk to your doctor if you do not feel that your medication is right for you.

Best of luck

Konata

^ foxinsox put it perfectly.

Do NOT worry about your doctor taking you off anti depressants entirely just because they aren't working for you - they will try another brand, then another, then another... until you find one that works. Unfortunately, one tablet doesn't work the same for everyone so sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to find one that suits your body and your needs.

Give the Lustral a chance though - a month isn't quite enough to ensure it's working yet. It usually takes 6-8 weeks for the effects to fully be seen - and for the side effects to even out a bit. But again, don't worry. Your doctor will help you if it really doesn't suit.

From my own experience I started off on Prozac but was taken off it after 6 weeks due to terrible insomnia and agitation. I started on 50mg Lustral which was increased to 100mg after 2 months and to 150mg nearly 6 months later. I haven't experienced any bad side effects from Lustral but I'm not sure it's entirely working either. I've been on the 150mg for about a month now so I'll give it another few weeks to see if there is any difference and then I may have to change meds again. Yes, it sucks but I've learned that these things take time - just don't be afraid to speak up if you don't think the meds suit you Good luck!