Posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2004, at 15:13:53
In reply to Re: Apathy and SSRIs, posted by theo on December 5, 2004, at 11:23:04
Hi theo,
I used to take paroxetine 40mg/day. I took it for a couple of years- the drowsiness and apathy increased with time. After being SSRI-free for about 6 months the apathy had lessened but I developed OCD. I started citalopram and increased the dose until it was effective. I now take 60mg/day. If I reduce the dose I feel a bit less apathetic but more anxious. Apathy is less distressing than OCD/anxiety but causes problems in its own right. In some cases, the long term consequences of amotivation can be worse than the long term consequences of anxiety.
Other people have also reported that SSRI-apathy can take a long time to wear off after discontinuation. Perhaps some of the drug-induced changes in the brain are quite persistent.
Regards,
Ed.
poster:ed_uk
thread:424595
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041201/msgs/424829.html