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Abnormal response to SSRIs in autism
- Thread starter vergil96
- Start date
For myself, the change it made seemed pretty simple at first, it mucked up my sleep patterns. For more than 40 years I went to bed at 10:00 pm every night and woke up at 6:00 am. There were exceptions of course, but they were rare.
An idiot doctor told me to take escatalorpram. Within a few days of taking it I had a strange buzzy feeling in my head and I was unable to concentrate or hyperfocus on anything any more.
Within a few weeks of taking escotalorpram I was only sleeping for 2 to 3 hours at a time. Falling asleep quickly and easily as I always had but waking up again just a few hours later. This meant I was constantly tired, grumpy and miserable. It also meant that I had to start sleeping 3 times a day in order to get enough sleep and that meant that all of my other routines went out the window.
I only took them for 3 months, but it took another 3 months after that for the funny buzzing feeling in my head to go away. 2 years later I'm still really struggling to establish a regular sleep pattern again. I'm lucky if I can sleep sort of regular hours 3 nights in a row, then I'll have another night where I just can't sleep at all.
Losing all my routines like that and having my self control taken away sent me in to depression that was very difficult to climb back out of. 3 months of taking that pill has so far cost me more than 2 years of my life and I'm still not back where I should be.
An idiot doctor told me to take escatalorpram. Within a few days of taking it I had a strange buzzy feeling in my head and I was unable to concentrate or hyperfocus on anything any more.
Within a few weeks of taking escotalorpram I was only sleeping for 2 to 3 hours at a time. Falling asleep quickly and easily as I always had but waking up again just a few hours later. This meant I was constantly tired, grumpy and miserable. It also meant that I had to start sleeping 3 times a day in order to get enough sleep and that meant that all of my other routines went out the window.
I only took them for 3 months, but it took another 3 months after that for the funny buzzing feeling in my head to go away. 2 years later I'm still really struggling to establish a regular sleep pattern again. I'm lucky if I can sleep sort of regular hours 3 nights in a row, then I'll have another night where I just can't sleep at all.
Losing all my routines like that and having my self control taken away sent me in to depression that was very difficult to climb back out of. 3 months of taking that pill has so far cost me more than 2 years of my life and I'm still not back where I should be.
I think one of the problems that can occur is that it can be difficult to tell exactly what is causing the symptoms of anxiety and depression in some people. An SSRI will only treat low serotonin levels.
It is my understanding that humans can experience the symptoms of anxiety and depression for different reasons and it is not always increasing serotonin absorption that is the answer. In this case, if more serotonin is not needed, an SSRI could have an adverse or abnormal affect as compared to someone who simply has low serotonin levels.
But I think it is common across all neurotypes to have differing reactions to SSRIs. It’s complicated medicine once we start messing around with the brain.
I was put on prozac for years and only when I took things into my own hands, and stopped taking them, did I realise how utterly awful they were for me.
Just before the covid situation came about, I was put on Risperdone, which is a calming medicine for anger in autism spectrum and actually did work. But, I hate chemical meds and came off them. However, I am hoping to be put back on them.
Just before the covid situation came about, I was put on Risperdone, which is a calming medicine for anger in autism spectrum and actually did work. But, I hate chemical meds and came off them. However, I am hoping to be put back on them.
lovely_darlingprettybaby
Well-Known Member
Do you mean antidepressants?
Because I think antidepressants can be helpful but prefer natural medicines and remedies.
I do not think antipsychotics are helpful or adhd meds to be honest.
Really any of those drugs may not be the best for an autistic because they are hypersensitive to side effects and often have toxic chemicals.
But trying an antidepressant when desperate well you could try it if desperate enough
I have been on them before and the reasons I did not find them helpful is because they had to put me on 2 which is because I think I am a cheerful person and not easily depressed and even when depressed in my mood am so cheerful that I always find a way to keep going because it is just you know pain and low feelings and well you can still be happy and cheerful at moments despite those feelings and I can function.
And they can make ur tummy sensitive so you definitely need to eat.
But they can lift ur overall mood a bit.
Because I think antidepressants can be helpful but prefer natural medicines and remedies.
I do not think antipsychotics are helpful or adhd meds to be honest.
Really any of those drugs may not be the best for an autistic because they are hypersensitive to side effects and often have toxic chemicals.
But trying an antidepressant when desperate well you could try it if desperate enough
I have been on them before and the reasons I did not find them helpful is because they had to put me on 2 which is because I think I am a cheerful person and not easily depressed and even when depressed in my mood am so cheerful that I always find a way to keep going because it is just you know pain and low feelings and well you can still be happy and cheerful at moments despite those feelings and I can function.
And they can make ur tummy sensitive so you definitely need to eat.
But they can lift ur overall mood a bit.
I was taking the max dose of generic Zoloft for about 5 years.
I had to take it, otherwise I could not work.
I worked, then slept, constantly, while off work.
I also didn't care about anything, at all.
When I retired, I quit using it. Quitting was horrendous, as if all the things the meds had been holding back were determined to make up for lost time.
I will never touch anything like that, ever again. But if I had to go to work again, I'd probably have to.
I don't know if this is typical of people who are ASD, but it is what happened to me.
I had to take it, otherwise I could not work.
I worked, then slept, constantly, while off work.
I also didn't care about anything, at all.
When I retired, I quit using it. Quitting was horrendous, as if all the things the meds had been holding back were determined to make up for lost time.
I will never touch anything like that, ever again. But if I had to go to work again, I'd probably have to.
I don't know if this is typical of people who are ASD, but it is what happened to me.
I was given low dose Zoloft as a migraine preventative several years ago. On the 5th day, it stopped making me sleepy, and I felt like I had had way too much coffee and had just been running around the block.....all while I was just sitting quietly at my desk. My doctor took me off of it immediately. She said I likely had serotonin syndrome, which can be deadly if you keep taking the SSRI. It can happen in people who already have enough serotonin, when they take SSRIs. So, it is important to pay attention to and report side effects, right away, to your doctor.
I absolutely hate SSRIs. They've done me nothing but harm as far as I can see. I am diagnosed with Bipolar and SSRIs are known to adversely affect people with this condition.
I have experienced the excessive energy like @MC1Rcat described. I stopped sleeping almost completely when first prescribed Prozac. I felt bursting with energy and at times euphoric. I was so naive I thought I was just feeling better and feeling "happy" but in reality, I was feeling really unwell.
Like @Outdated I was given (despite my reservations) an SSRI similar to ecitalopram, known as citalopram and to begin with it was like I had had fresh batteries installed. I thought "oh it's working" then I couldn't sleep. What little sleep I did have was erratic. Then after maybe 5 months I had a total break down.
Not wanting to accept that SSRIs simply would not work for me, a psychiatrist put me on Sertraline. Things went from bad to worse rapidly. I couldn't focus on anything any more. My sleep was totally random and perhaps every 3 months a tsunami of anxiety, paranoia and suicidality would hit me.
Eventually I had to decide to take matters into my own hands and quit taking them. Things improved quite rapidly as I was no longer being pushed into a crisis state, but I've still not recovered and neither has my sleep. I've mostly recovered to the point I was before I was put on Sertraline which is getting on for 4 years ago.
My psychiatrist threw a bratty tantrum when I stopped taking the SSRIs. I definitely do not regret quitting them though.
Just for full clarity, I'm not diagnosed as ASD, I'm intending to discuss my feelings that should be assessed as soon as I get the opportunity to talk to the relevant people, but things certainly move slowly with the NHS.
It is interesting though that others here have reported similar experiences with SSRIs. I have read a couple of articles that say there's a link between ASD and Bipolar, I'm not saying anyone is Bipolar of course, just that there appears to be some level of comorbidity.
I do feel that I likely have both and that perhaps some ASD traits may look a little like bipolar symptoms, particularly when SSRIs are thrown in the mix.
This is just my opinion, but I think SSRIs are the most evil substances on the planet!
I have experienced the excessive energy like @MC1Rcat described. I stopped sleeping almost completely when first prescribed Prozac. I felt bursting with energy and at times euphoric. I was so naive I thought I was just feeling better and feeling "happy" but in reality, I was feeling really unwell.
Like @Outdated I was given (despite my reservations) an SSRI similar to ecitalopram, known as citalopram and to begin with it was like I had had fresh batteries installed. I thought "oh it's working" then I couldn't sleep. What little sleep I did have was erratic. Then after maybe 5 months I had a total break down.
Not wanting to accept that SSRIs simply would not work for me, a psychiatrist put me on Sertraline. Things went from bad to worse rapidly. I couldn't focus on anything any more. My sleep was totally random and perhaps every 3 months a tsunami of anxiety, paranoia and suicidality would hit me.
Eventually I had to decide to take matters into my own hands and quit taking them. Things improved quite rapidly as I was no longer being pushed into a crisis state, but I've still not recovered and neither has my sleep. I've mostly recovered to the point I was before I was put on Sertraline which is getting on for 4 years ago.
My psychiatrist threw a bratty tantrum when I stopped taking the SSRIs. I definitely do not regret quitting them though.
Just for full clarity, I'm not diagnosed as ASD, I'm intending to discuss my feelings that should be assessed as soon as I get the opportunity to talk to the relevant people, but things certainly move slowly with the NHS.
It is interesting though that others here have reported similar experiences with SSRIs. I have read a couple of articles that say there's a link between ASD and Bipolar, I'm not saying anyone is Bipolar of course, just that there appears to be some level of comorbidity.
I do feel that I likely have both and that perhaps some ASD traits may look a little like bipolar symptoms, particularly when SSRIs are thrown in the mix.
This is just my opinion, but I think SSRIs are the most evil substances on the planet!
I'm taking a low dose of Zoloft. When I first went on it, it had no effect... it took about 6 months before I stabilized. I don't have any side effects, except brain zaps when I forget to take it. I also take a very small dose of Remeron to help me sleep. If I don't take that, I find it very hard to get to sleep.
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Ah yes, the wonderful world of brain zaps. I started getting those in 2017. It felt like someone had just degaussed my brain! Very weird sensation. I looked it up on Google and found out people described it as "Brain Zaps". I told my doctor about it and when I mentioned "brain zaps" they looked at me as if I'd just grown another head!
RemyZee
Well-Known Member
I was prescribed Prozac for several years and had to withdraw from it when I moved to a new town and had to wait for weeks to get a new psychiatrist. I will say withdrawing from the drug, especially suddenly, is excruciating. I has the zaps, the body tingles, the exhaustion and hurling and stomach upsets. It just shows how powerful these drugs are and the effects. I do still take them because I just don't have the gumption right now to deal with a long withdrawal period.
In England and Wales there is the NHS "right to choose" scheme and for ASD assessments you can choose to be assessed by one of the private organisations that the NHS has commissioned. They generally have much shorter wait times - weeks or months, not years. It's an NHS assessment, paid for by the NHS, but the assessment itself is performed by a private organisation.
For example this is where I got my assessment done... others are available...
https://psychiatry-uk.com/right-to-choose-asd/
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So from what I've gathered from this thread... it's not that there is more likelihood of experiencing effects of excess serotonin? I've read that people with ASD have higher blood levels of serotonin - which scientist and doctors don't really know what it means for the brain, as it serotonin doesn't pass the brain-blood barrier. I've read about the notion that people with autism are more prone to experience an excess of serotonin from the meds. It seems to me from this thread that maybe the concern is more about side effects being amplified by sensory sensitivity / the brain being hard to tune. I personally have this issue with many medications that side effects, often uncommon ones, or common but with 100x force, hit me very hard - everything down to antibiotics, so that results in a religious approach to diet and lifestyle for me. It's also the only long term solution that I can tolerate.
There are subtle differences everywhere in the way different drugs work on me, far beyond just sensitivity. The two times that I've had to have surgery under a general anaesthetic I have woken up again way too early. No, I didn't wake up during surgery but did wake up in the holding room they put you in immediately after surgery, before they return you to your room. That's not a very pleasant place.
Speed and other amphetamines don't give me any sort of buzz or stone, they just make me sober and put me in a bad mood. Smoking dope doesn't make me go quiet and antisocial. Alcohol livens me up and brings out my creative side. Codeine based pain killers have zero noticeable effect on me, I used to believe Panadol were just plain chalk tablets relying on the placebo effect to help people along.
I'm not too flash at looking after myself lifestyle-wise and my diet is rubbish but for the most part I simply don't bother with any drugs except for weed and alcohol, I know what effects they have on me and for the most part they're beneficial. I never ask for pain killers because they simply have no effect and adding chalk to your digestive system is no good for your liver and kidneys.
I have a collection of very old fashioned bush remedies for most common ailments and I learned to live with pain.
Do you know why? I guess this was some sort of genetic test? I'm curious as if there's a test that could reveal a genetic cause for my reaction to SSRIs I'd be keen to be tested for it. At the very least it would prevent anyone trying to push me to take them in the future.
agateboy
not too sure what's going on
Yes it is a genetic test. It was just a simple mouth swab my physciatrist did. Took about two weeks to get back, I believe they are relatively inexpensive without insurance as well.
It covers a wide range of medications as well. It's like a four page list.
I don't think I have that uncommon reactions, personally. I haven't tried weed or anything like that, I can drink a lot of alcohol and not get drunk, but I'm not a small person and there seems to be ethnicity at play, so there's that. Coffee and cigarettes - normal.
Paracetamol doesn't have much effect on me either, isn't it just a weak medication? It has the most effect on reducing fever, ibuprofen is best for inflammation, ketonal for pain.
SSRIs work fine for me in reducing depression, but they do nothing for anxiety and cause me overstimulation if I take them too long / as long as it is generally proposed and in recommended doses, because I don't feel aversion to overstimulating activities and environments and it gives me memory and concentration problems. In addition to feeling like a zombie with no feelings and not zest for life - doing things, seeing people, obviously.
I have large and uncommon issues with hormonal medications... but imo the issue lies in my hormonal makeup itself and how uncommon it is, I'm being a lab rat.
I have had this issue only with escitalopram and it made me feel jittery and gave me OCD, it made me feel a bit too happy, but not severely, the agitation was the worst. The OCD was that when I was feeling anxious, I couldn't stop and think before engaging in the compulsive behaviour. No issues like that with sertraline or prozac tho.
I have heard that issues with SSRIs are common for people who have bipolar disorder, but this is where my knowledge ends.
Thanks for mentioning this, especially so the company name. I had a very interesting read and now I'm wondering if this sort of service wouldn't be useful in Australia too. I'll make some suggestions and see if anyone picks up on it.
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