erikainorlando Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 Just wanted to ask. I started taking prozac in April...initially it helped with some of my POTS symptoms and also seemed to help emotionally. I only take 10 mg. My EP said to start taking 20mg. I tried but I was crying alot then...so I cut back. But I really still feel like I fly off the handle faster than usual and i don't like it. I thought prozac was to even us out....?? I also started taking the pyridostigmine...I felt very irritable this morning. i just kept biting my tongue, trying not to say too much! Has anyone noticed this....perhaps i am irritable as I don't ever feel well either...but it feels more like a chemical thing. I also take bb's....have been taking them since January but haven't noticed irritabiltiy with them....Thanks!Erika Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gertie Posted June 29, 2009 Report Share Posted June 29, 2009 I don't think my irritability issues are from med's since I only take them as needed but sometimes I do have a short fuse. One of my first symptoms of dysautonomia was I would get angry at things for no apparent reason. I was so sick & passing out, migraines etc that I couldn't take the stress of anything. I have thought of taking AD to see if they would make me calmer & be able to handle stress. Maybe the reason you are irritable just feel bad. Are you in pain? Hope you get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizbiz Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Like alicia, I too dont think my irritability is from the meds. I think for me, it's a mixture of being angry at being sick, feeling like I am not in control of anything anymore, losing my independence and not enough blood getting to my brain for me to think properly and logically. Again, like alicia said, I think the stress of being sick has made me not be able to handle everything else as well as I used to.It is like something just changed inside of me when I became sick, and I feel like I have become an angry person. I seem to lose my temper very quikly and dont seem to have patience anymore. Since becoming sick I dont sleep well anymore, and I really think that that has a lot to do with it. Sleep deprivation can make even a healthy person go crazy!I think it is hard to be happy when you are feeling unwell most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 I get postural grumpiness - just ask my wife... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Remember WE are dealing with that whole fight or flight response!I think all those brain chemicals can stimulate agression/irritation just as easily as panic. When I was at my worst, POTS-wise, I would snap at everyone. I don't think it is the medication, I think it is just another facet of our "fascinating" medical condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurehope Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Not being a psychologist or a psychiatrist, take my comments with a grain of salt.Yes, I absolutely believe medications can alter mood. When my mother began beta blockers, she became depressed enough to need hospitalization. They switched her medication. Irritability is also a manifestation of mood. I would guess that a medication can cause this.I know for me that taking raniditine (Zantac) for GERD makes me irritable. I'm am aware of that effect on me, but I do continue to take it because after many years of trial and error with meds, it definitely helps me.The only way to know for sure is to stop a med and see if you are less irritable. You must speak to your doctor before doing this, but tell him why you want to experiment.Also, IMO, having a decreased blood flow to the brain when upright can contribute to irritability, not to mention feeling poorly much of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bizbiz Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Oh yeah - firewatchers post just reminded me of one more thing...I cant speak for everyone, but I know that when the results of my TTT came back my adrenaline levels were REALLY high. I think from memory that high adrenaline can make people angry / aggresive. I'm not saying that adrenaline is the culprit in your case, but that all it takes is one hormone / chemical to be a little (or a lot in my case) out of balance and you could get these sorts of symptoms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 the 'conundrum' of idiopathic orthostatic intolerance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikainorlando Posted July 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Thanks everyone! In fact it just seems to help to voice that I am irritable. I feel a little better today... I will just keep an eye on it and talk with my doctor. It may just well be the combination of the adrenaline stuff...and how badly I feel most of the time. Also...easily overstimulated...does this make sense to anyone....does anyone else ever get this? Erika Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Oh yeah - overstimulation is a common experience in POTS. Not all Potsies get it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzygirl Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 I would have to say yes i think meds contribute. that with the combination of pots in of itself. I know for me clonidine certainly does affect my mood on some days. I get very snappy after taking it... But also if i get really fatigued and symptomatic and im somewhere where i can NOT lay down.. i also get crabby. the heat.. different things affect it.. but yes i just wanted to agree with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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