Posted by chujoe on June 11, 2010, at 11:21:04
In reply to Re: Why SSRI's may be AS BAD for the brain as XTC » Brainbeard, posted by Conundrum on June 11, 2010, at 10:10:07
>>Here I am 7 years after taking and SSRI with permanent changes including anhedonia, poor concentration, poor memory, change in libido, joint pain, and bad dreams.<<
I'm not doubting your experience, but I don't think you can make a very strong case for the SSRI leading necessarily to the conditions & symptoms you describe. As a counter example, ten years ago I had a manic episode with very high levels of anxiety, intrusive thinking, and other frightening symptoms. I was treated with an SSRI and recovered. After a couple of years I discontinued the drug and went along happily for another seven years of so, until, last summer, I had another episode of crazy anxiety and depression. I was put on an SSRI, which was only partly effective, so I switched to an SNRI, which has worked very well.
Now, it's possible of course that the SSRI damaged my brain in some way and perhaps even contributed to the second episode, but it's very difficult to make that case because of the long period of normal functioning. (I also had symptoms long before I ever tried an SSRI.) And maybe I am damaging my brain now, but I'm not willing to go back to the way I felt last summer.
Do SSRIs only damage some people's brains? What is the nature of the damage? Is all change in brain anatomy & function to be considered damage? Our brains change in response to many things -- food, psychological stress, learning, drugs, environmental factors, etc. Do SSRIs have a particularly dangerous effect on the brain? Can you be certain you wouldn't have the symptoms you have now if you had not taken an SSRI?
Conundrum, I'm not trying to be confrontational, nor do I believe psych drugs are a panacea; but I think blanket statements about whole classes of drugs are very hard to support, either logically, or on the basis of clinical evidence.
poster:chujoe
thread:948962
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100604/msgs/950682.html