Posted by crittercuddler on December 26, 2008, at 18:50:23
In reply to Re: SSRI insomnia, restlessness, poor concentration, posted by crittercuddler on December 18, 2008, at 18:39:59
I should mention....
For those who are familiar with my other threads and how I can't tolerate an SSRI at all anymore, I have to say that I forgot to mention this important bit of info....
I was able to tolerate Lexapro for a month when I took it with Gabapentin. I didn't have any of the problems that I have with activation, insomnia, restlessness, muscle jerking. It was a mini-miracle. So, I guess you are wondering why I stopped it? Well, my depression was not improving after one month. I am aware that OCD symptoms take longer to respond and respond at higher doses, but depression I would think should have been getting better by that point. I took 10mg for 3 weeks and then 15mg for one week. I think depression should have responded to that dose. All it really seemed to do was take the edge off my suicidal desires.
I feared staying on it too long and having to wean off of it so I only gave it a month. I have weaned off of it before after just 2 weeks and had withdrawal symptoms which weren't nice. But, at four weeks, knowing this, I still quit cold turkey. Big mistake. Duh.
I often wonder if I should have stuck it out. It has been the most success I have had in 3 years of trying to tolerate an anti-depressant. I tried the Gabapentin along with Zoloft this fall to see if I could replicate the results and I could not. I was activated despite the Gabapentin.
If I take Gabapentin alone I feel drunk, blank, and out of it. That would be with a 300mg dose. If I take it with an anti-depressant that feeling goes away.
I don't want to take Gabapentin though because it works on GABA. That is another reason why I stopped the Lexapro/Gabapentin combo. I am scared/hesitant to take anything that has an effect on GABA afte my benzo experience. I know Gabapentin works differently, but still.
The good news was that I stopped the Gabapentin for a week before stopping the Lexapro and I did fine, no activation.
This was in July, which was my first month benzo free. (I completed my taper June 15)
poster:crittercuddler
thread:868434
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081223/msgs/870922.html