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Anti-depressants and memory/concentration
About 4 years ago I was going through a tough time - a breakup of a 4 year relationship. Until that point, I was not a real emotional type of person. I had a demanding job and was going through the breakup. I found myself going through crying fits - VERY out of the norm for me. For the first time in my life started to ask myself if there was something wrong with me. I went to see my family doctor about the situation. I was "diagnosed" with depression and put on Wellbutrin and Lexapro.
Within 6 months, I began experiencing a high level of confusion, lack of concentration, lack of memory, lack of coordination and . . . what I can best describe as dizziness? I also experienced a lack of motivation and periods of "zoning out" as well as uncontrolled muscular movements (whole arm, hand, foot or leg).
As I began to notice these conditions, I went back to the doc who said these are not common side effects of the medications. Stated it must be some other physical issue. We did all the blood tests TWICE (came back ok), an MRI and an EEG - looking for issues in the brain (no fault found there either). I was sent to a psychiatrist - two visits with him resulted in the conclusion that it was NOT a psychiatric issue. I was sent to a specialist to evaluate cognitive ability - I was said to be all good. ALL of these tests say I am fine - but I KNOW for a fact that I am NOT fine. I MAY meet "the norm" for the average person on all tests but there has to be something that is not normal for ME. Of course we never took any of these tests OF ME when I was well. We have only taken tests of me when I am not well and then compaired the results to that of other people. In the end we did end up changing the meds - as I recall, I was then on Provigil for a short time and then Cymbalta. I was on Cymbalta for a couple years but went off of that about 9 months ago and have NOT BEEN ON ANY anti-depressants since.
I decided to go off ALL anti-depressants because the ONLY effect I got from any I took was the side effects - everything from MASSIVE night sweats, to a TOTAL elimination of my sex drive AND all of the previously mentioned issues relate to cognitive ability. Did any of these meds help with the original issues of sadness related to the breakup? WHO KNOWS? I was so distracted with all the "new problems" once on the medications, the sadness / moodiness was actually LESS of a concern for me. Trying to keep my job of 12 years became much more important - even though I LOST THAT JOB because I could no longer perform the job which required multi-tasking ability which I simply no longer had. Additionally, it is hard to tell if the meds helped with my original concern - for the fact that you have to wait through the "ramp up" period - maybe I would have just rebounded on my own within the 6 months and not had any of these crazy side effects.
Fast forward to today. I have been off all meds for 9 months and have been HOPING my cognitive ability will get back to what it once was. That has not happened. Confusion, lack of memory, lack of ability to prioritize and follow through are all really big issues for me to this day - although BETTER than three years ago. I have been in and out of the doctor’s office more times in the last 4 years than I had ever been to the doctor in the previous 30 years of my life - all to no avail. I have lost my job, I have gone bankrupt, I have ended up living with family and currently have no job - no income - no insurance. I can't even play the game anymore - even if I wanted to.
The way I see it, there are two possible situations - #1 I had a MAJOR mental melt down 4 years ago and the fact that the timing was exact, on the dot when I happened to start taking anti-depressants was nothing more than a coincidence OR #2 the anti-depressants CAUSED all these issues. I am not 100% sure which it is but I can honestly say that if I had known then what I now know about anti-depressants, I would have NEVER started down that road. I believe they have ruined my life. The ironic thing is, if there was ever a point in my life I SHOUILD be depressed, anxious and having crying fits, it now but I'm not(!?).
Question is, does ANYONE out there know what the correction is for what either Wellbutrin or Lexapro (or the combination) has done to me? Will I ever get back to "normal"? Can anyone help?
Sincerely,
Confused
Within 6 months, I began experiencing a high level of confusion, lack of concentration, lack of memory, lack of coordination and . . . what I can best describe as dizziness? I also experienced a lack of motivation and periods of "zoning out" as well as uncontrolled muscular movements (whole arm, hand, foot or leg).
As I began to notice these conditions, I went back to the doc who said these are not common side effects of the medications. Stated it must be some other physical issue. We did all the blood tests TWICE (came back ok), an MRI and an EEG - looking for issues in the brain (no fault found there either). I was sent to a psychiatrist - two visits with him resulted in the conclusion that it was NOT a psychiatric issue. I was sent to a specialist to evaluate cognitive ability - I was said to be all good. ALL of these tests say I am fine - but I KNOW for a fact that I am NOT fine. I MAY meet "the norm" for the average person on all tests but there has to be something that is not normal for ME. Of course we never took any of these tests OF ME when I was well. We have only taken tests of me when I am not well and then compaired the results to that of other people. In the end we did end up changing the meds - as I recall, I was then on Provigil for a short time and then Cymbalta. I was on Cymbalta for a couple years but went off of that about 9 months ago and have NOT BEEN ON ANY anti-depressants since.
I decided to go off ALL anti-depressants because the ONLY effect I got from any I took was the side effects - everything from MASSIVE night sweats, to a TOTAL elimination of my sex drive AND all of the previously mentioned issues relate to cognitive ability. Did any of these meds help with the original issues of sadness related to the breakup? WHO KNOWS? I was so distracted with all the "new problems" once on the medications, the sadness / moodiness was actually LESS of a concern for me. Trying to keep my job of 12 years became much more important - even though I LOST THAT JOB because I could no longer perform the job which required multi-tasking ability which I simply no longer had. Additionally, it is hard to tell if the meds helped with my original concern - for the fact that you have to wait through the "ramp up" period - maybe I would have just rebounded on my own within the 6 months and not had any of these crazy side effects.
Fast forward to today. I have been off all meds for 9 months and have been HOPING my cognitive ability will get back to what it once was. That has not happened. Confusion, lack of memory, lack of ability to prioritize and follow through are all really big issues for me to this day - although BETTER than three years ago. I have been in and out of the doctor’s office more times in the last 4 years than I had ever been to the doctor in the previous 30 years of my life - all to no avail. I have lost my job, I have gone bankrupt, I have ended up living with family and currently have no job - no income - no insurance. I can't even play the game anymore - even if I wanted to.
The way I see it, there are two possible situations - #1 I had a MAJOR mental melt down 4 years ago and the fact that the timing was exact, on the dot when I happened to start taking anti-depressants was nothing more than a coincidence OR #2 the anti-depressants CAUSED all these issues. I am not 100% sure which it is but I can honestly say that if I had known then what I now know about anti-depressants, I would have NEVER started down that road. I believe they have ruined my life. The ironic thing is, if there was ever a point in my life I SHOUILD be depressed, anxious and having crying fits, it now but I'm not(!?).
Question is, does ANYONE out there know what the correction is for what either Wellbutrin or Lexapro (or the combination) has done to me? Will I ever get back to "normal"? Can anyone help?
Sincerely,
Confused
I sorry to hear what happened to you and it would be very tough to know what caused your mental memory problems. I was on effexor and it killed my sex drive and helped end a relationship and made my mind fuzzy. I'm glad I off of it as I know it made me slower and now only take a small dose of welbutrin. I was off everything for a while but needed extra help with stopping smoking. all the best
OK . . .so one FOR Effexor and one AGAINST. Well, guess it just goes to show - there are no consistent answers in this world of mental issues - what works for one, harms the next - PRETTY COOL HUH?
As far as sex drive concerns, well, I have not had a sex drive for 4 years now - even now that I have been off all meds for 9 months. This is something I did not mention in my original post - MAINLY because I could really care less about sex right now - I just wish I could get my mental power back (it is GONE - I am NOT who I once was).
I supose it is a related element to the whole picture - maybe the lack of sex drive is linked to the other issues I am having. I KNOW the lack of sex drive is TOTALLY out of the norm for me as well (along with all other issues previously outlined in my original post). All my life I was 100% driven in all respects (including sex) but now . . .not so much. Prior to 4 years ago, I was sexually active daily - regardless if I was IN a relationship or not. Now . . .my sexual activity sits at ONCE in the last year & probably 10 times in the last 4 years . . . and I really don't seem to care (!?). Needless to say, I am NOT in a relationship right now and I really don't care about that either (!?)
As far as sex drive concerns, well, I have not had a sex drive for 4 years now - even now that I have been off all meds for 9 months. This is something I did not mention in my original post - MAINLY because I could really care less about sex right now - I just wish I could get my mental power back (it is GONE - I am NOT who I once was).
I supose it is a related element to the whole picture - maybe the lack of sex drive is linked to the other issues I am having. I KNOW the lack of sex drive is TOTALLY out of the norm for me as well (along with all other issues previously outlined in my original post). All my life I was 100% driven in all respects (including sex) but now . . .not so much. Prior to 4 years ago, I was sexually active daily - regardless if I was IN a relationship or not. Now . . .my sexual activity sits at ONCE in the last year & probably 10 times in the last 4 years . . . and I really don't seem to care (!?). Needless to say, I am NOT in a relationship right now and I really don't care about that either (!?)
Your complaints sound awfully familiar.
Regardless of my specific situation, I too began wondering if my Lexapro had the effects you describe. I can't say our situations are the same, but something you said hit me like a brick:
"#1 I had a MAJOR mental melt down 4 years ago and the fact that the timing was exact, on the dot when I happened to start taking anti-depressants was nothing more than a coincidence OR #2 the anti-depressants CAUSED all these issues."
I took this drug, though, because it DID ease my temper and irratability and I really needed to do that with a situation I was in.
I have a good indicator of my ability to multi-task and handle mental challenges, and I DEFINITELY noticed a decrease in these abilities.
I am not convinced that medication is a long-term answer for ANY non life threatining mental challenge. I have now reached the point where I would rather live my life feeling 'abnormal' than risk the problems associated with meds.
Regardless of my specific situation, I too began wondering if my Lexapro had the effects you describe. I can't say our situations are the same, but something you said hit me like a brick:
"#1 I had a MAJOR mental melt down 4 years ago and the fact that the timing was exact, on the dot when I happened to start taking anti-depressants was nothing more than a coincidence OR #2 the anti-depressants CAUSED all these issues."
I took this drug, though, because it DID ease my temper and irratability and I really needed to do that with a situation I was in.
I have a good indicator of my ability to multi-task and handle mental challenges, and I DEFINITELY noticed a decrease in these abilities.
I am not convinced that medication is a long-term answer for ANY non life threatining mental challenge. I have now reached the point where I would rather live my life feeling 'abnormal' than risk the problems associated with meds.
You said, "I am not convinced that medication is a long-term answer for ANY non life threatining mental challenge. I have now reached the point where I would rather live my life feeling 'abnormal' than risk the problems associated with meds".
You may have gathered from my post that I reached this point about 9 months ago - well, actually before that but 9 months ago was when I DID go off the meds. The MAIN reason I did that was because I REALLY REALLY wanted to get back to how I could function before I started taking them.
Additionally, I started wondering what the long term side effects of these meds are. I don't think anyone knows the answer to that question and they probably will not know for another 20+ years. I find it ironic that the health care industry will tell you that anything "in excess" is bad but then tell you to take these pills EVERY DAY for the rest of your life. The reason they feel this is a good idea is because they claim they will improve your "quality of life". I, for one, did not find ANY improvement to the quality of MY life - in fact, I found a significant reduction in MANY MANY ways.
In business (of any kind), the general goal is to create customers for life which insures continuous revenue and stable profits. *I* would venture to say that the drug companies have solidified a way to meet this objective - and everyone in on board. The first thing I was told when I was given my first pills was that you will have to be on these meds for a about a year before we will "really know" if they are right for you - then we may have to try something else . . .and do that for a year and so on and so on and so on. It seems like a throwback to the days of "take two of these and call me in the morning" only it's a MUCH longer timeframe.
In the meantime, we are paying (either out of pocket or through insurance) $200.00 a month to a drug company that is in NO WAY held responsible for a positive outcome. For what?!? So they can run TV ads urging us to "consult with your physician to find out if XYZ PROUCT could be right for you"?!?! We wonder why it is so expensive to get health insurance. DUH!
I have pretty extensive experience in the AUTOMOTIVE industry as it relates to insurance companies. The way they do it in that industry, if what the "professionals" do to fix a car does not fix the car, the insurance company DOES NOT PAY for it - not the parts, not the labor fees - not even the rental car used during the time it took for that "repair".
I also have extensive experience in the REAL ESTATE industry. This is an industry that is driven by RESULTS. If that deal does not CLOSE, you don't get paid AT ALL - even if it's not your fault - no matter how much time and money you spent putting the deal together . . .you get ZIPO.
I find it ironic that mechanics and realtors get very little respect while doctors get as much if not more than any other professional. So, why is it then that drug companies and doctors are not held to the same high standards that even your mechanic is? OH . . .thats RIGHT . . .I forgot . . .because they are only "practicing" and we have to be "patient".
What do you think YOUR doctor would do if he/she took their car to a shop to get the brakes done and when they got it back, they squeaked? Do ya think they would pay to have it done again? What about if while this job was being done, the guy damaged a lug nut? Do you think the doctor would pay to correct the damages done by that professional during the requested job - even if the brakes were otherwise done perfectly?
HHHHMMMMMM
You may have gathered from my post that I reached this point about 9 months ago - well, actually before that but 9 months ago was when I DID go off the meds. The MAIN reason I did that was because I REALLY REALLY wanted to get back to how I could function before I started taking them.
Additionally, I started wondering what the long term side effects of these meds are. I don't think anyone knows the answer to that question and they probably will not know for another 20+ years. I find it ironic that the health care industry will tell you that anything "in excess" is bad but then tell you to take these pills EVERY DAY for the rest of your life. The reason they feel this is a good idea is because they claim they will improve your "quality of life". I, for one, did not find ANY improvement to the quality of MY life - in fact, I found a significant reduction in MANY MANY ways.
In business (of any kind), the general goal is to create customers for life which insures continuous revenue and stable profits. *I* would venture to say that the drug companies have solidified a way to meet this objective - and everyone in on board. The first thing I was told when I was given my first pills was that you will have to be on these meds for a about a year before we will "really know" if they are right for you - then we may have to try something else . . .and do that for a year and so on and so on and so on. It seems like a throwback to the days of "take two of these and call me in the morning" only it's a MUCH longer timeframe.
In the meantime, we are paying (either out of pocket or through insurance) $200.00 a month to a drug company that is in NO WAY held responsible for a positive outcome. For what?!? So they can run TV ads urging us to "consult with your physician to find out if XYZ PROUCT could be right for you"?!?! We wonder why it is so expensive to get health insurance. DUH!
I have pretty extensive experience in the AUTOMOTIVE industry as it relates to insurance companies. The way they do it in that industry, if what the "professionals" do to fix a car does not fix the car, the insurance company DOES NOT PAY for it - not the parts, not the labor fees - not even the rental car used during the time it took for that "repair".
I also have extensive experience in the REAL ESTATE industry. This is an industry that is driven by RESULTS. If that deal does not CLOSE, you don't get paid AT ALL - even if it's not your fault - no matter how much time and money you spent putting the deal together . . .you get ZIPO.
I find it ironic that mechanics and realtors get very little respect while doctors get as much if not more than any other professional. So, why is it then that drug companies and doctors are not held to the same high standards that even your mechanic is? OH . . .thats RIGHT . . .I forgot . . .because they are only "practicing" and we have to be "patient".
What do you think YOUR doctor would do if he/she took their car to a shop to get the brakes done and when they got it back, they squeaked? Do ya think they would pay to have it done again? What about if while this job was being done, the guy damaged a lug nut? Do you think the doctor would pay to correct the damages done by that professional during the requested job - even if the brakes were otherwise done perfectly?
HHHHMMMMMM
Just a note on Cymbalta ... I'm a massage therapist and have pretty much quit because of it. If I touch a person that is taking it I feel like passing out and lose my mind - I am no longer myself, and am drained. It can take at least a day to get over it. And thats just from contact to their skin. I am sensitive, but know because of that, that it is a SERIOUS energy altering substance. Godspeed to anyone that ingests it!!
What I do to overcome that and other ill effects of things (like antibiotics and heparin that I on for an infection from the job) is detox my liver!!!! I cut out almost all fat (oils, nuts, seeds, meats, and dairy) and eat plenty of green vegetables, wheatgrass juice - macrobiotic eating. Eventually, things rebalance and strengthen.
What I do to overcome that and other ill effects of things (like antibiotics and heparin that I on for an infection from the job) is detox my liver!!!! I cut out almost all fat (oils, nuts, seeds, meats, and dairy) and eat plenty of green vegetables, wheatgrass juice - macrobiotic eating. Eventually, things rebalance and strengthen.
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