Ssri And Snri, Need Help!

[Gemma]

Hello everyone. Anyone taking SSRI or SNRI, can you please advise if it helped you with brain fog and concentration.

My POTs symptoms are much less then before, but still experience some bad brain fog and concentration problems, fatigue is much less. Not that much of lightheadness and BP is more stable now. I am curently taking no drugs at all except zyrtec. I am going back to school and this concetration and brain fog problems with interfere with my studying. Its a full time program with 5 classes per semester and I can not take less because of the way the program is constructed.

Please let me know if SSRI or maybe SNRI, or something like Amytriptyline helped you with these symptoms.

Thanks you all.

[looneymom]

Hi Gemma

The only thing I know about is zoloft. This really does help Tyler. Even now I still see the effects, however, they are stronger in the evening time. He takes this at 6:30 pm but I may try and split the dosage up again. I love the evening time because I at least get to see a smile and sometimes a laugh like last night. So it does help him. I'm hopeing that when things settle down in his system I will see more of this in the mornings. When he first started taking it his concentration was good and memory was really good. Brain fog was much less. Since his fatigue and pain levels are up in the morning, it's hard to tell if he is getting this same affect.

[Becia]

I had a horrible time on Paxil and celexa, both Ssri. It made me sicker, to the point i ended up in the hospital because of them. As for brain fog, I had it during those times, and still do. The last hospital stay they wanted me to try Zoloft, but I decided against it as it's Ssri, and I'm honestly scared of getting iller. I can't take what I've got going, I didn't want to make it worse.

[dkd]

Honestly, because everyone is so different, the only real way to know how it will affect you is to try it.

I tried Lexapro and it made me worse. It intensified my symptoms a lot. My primary care then gave me samples of Cymbalta to try and I haven't tried it yet. I keep waiting for a day when I can just stay home and not have to go anywhere to see how it affects me, but it seems I can't find a day that I just have nothing to do.

[Gemma]

Thanks all for replies. I am honestly also really scared to try it because afraid that it could elevate my symptoms. If i didnt need to go back to school now I would not take it. But i need something to help me concentrate and take away the brain fog.

[Chaos]

My POTS neuro was suggesting trying a low dose of Adderall at my last appt when I was complaining of brain fog and cognitive issues. It seems to be helpful for some patients with these complaints. Has your doc suggested trying that?

I use Wellbutrin (bupropion) which affects dopamine/norepi and it definitely helps my POTS symptoms but not sure how much it's helping this cognitive stuff. It's also been shown to be a strong TNF-alpha inhibitor (at least in mice studies). Maybe my symptoms would be worse without it? Not going to stop it to find out as I've done that before and had massive POTS flare.

[goawaypots!]

I have not tried an SSRI or SNRI but Adderall and Provigil helped me with the symptoms you listed above and were recommended by my pots doctor. The Adderall also has an added benefit of increasing blood pressure if you have low blood pressure. I hope you find something that helps.

[Gemma]

Thanks for your advice. No, my doctor didnt advise adderall for it, just told me to go on paxil or zoloft. But i read that SSRIs can cause more memory problems and stuff.

[Gemma]

I just checked and one of the doctors prescribed Ritalin for me before, he said it will help me with fatigue. However, I never took it because was afraid of the black box warning for this drug. I still have a prescription.

[blueskies]

The ssri and snri meds I have tried did not agree with me. I did try one last type a couple of years ago, called Valdoxen in Australia -- it was relatively new then. It has melatonin in it, if I remember correctly. It gave me the most wonderful sleep. But was a migraine trigger. If I wasn't a chronic migraineur I would have stayed on it for the sleep effect.

blue

[krystal]

couldn't tolerate them. I had really crazy symptoms on celexa and effexor. High bpm, derealization, insomnia, ect It was also hard to come off them.

[corina]

I've been on ritalin to help me stay awake during the day (suspected narcolepsy no official diagnose). Other than staying awake it helped a lot with brain fog! I couldn't tolerate it at first (headaches) but succeeded when I re-tried.

[Gemma]

Hi Corina. Thanks for the reply. Can I ask, did it give you anxiety, the ritalin. I was thinking if it is a stimulant can it give anxiety. And also, it says online that it is addictive can you share your experience. And another question, can it be taking as needed or has to be taken every day. I was on xanax for 7 months and felt horrible on it and when got off had really bad withdrawals for 3 months, so now I am afraid of meds that are addictive.

Another thing that scared me was a black box label on it saying that it can cause sudden heart attack, that scares me a lot. But then I think how do they give it to kids with ADHD with that risk.

[corina]

Gemma, it didn't give me anxiety at all, it was as if I could think much clearer! I didn't experience any addiction but I know there are concerns re that, I think your doctor can answer that question better than I can. S/he can also fill you in on taking it when needed I don't have any experience with that. I haven't heard of that black box warning and think again this can best be answered by your doctor! Good luck on deciding what to do!

[Mermaid]

I've been on Venlafaxine, an SNRI (Effexor XR in US), since last October until a couple of weeks ago. I did think that i was lucky to have little brain fog but since coming off I have been having real trouble and so thinking it may have been helping. I may go back on it since I need to concentrate (work from home part time).

I didn't experience side effects - I was taking it in case it helped with erythromelalgia symptoms.

Coming off it has not been easy for me (anxiety and mood issues).

I was told that at doses below 150 mg it acts on serotonin only and not norepinephrine. I was a lot below 150.

(I came off it because I had a high positive ANA and the doctor said he's seen this happen with Venlafaxine. Not sure he's right and so am retaking the ANA without this drug to see.)

[Gemma]

Hi barb10. I was on xanax for 7 months and had elevated ANA test 3 times. I just got retested few weeks ago after being off xanax for 7 months and it was negative. So who knows maybe meds are related to ANA showing positive.

[Mermaid]

Thanks Gemma, I'm being retested next week so will find out. Interesting you have had same experience. I'm being retested as it wasn't a borderline high, a significant high positive.

Hope whatever you decide re SNRI/SSRIS works out for you.

[Gemma]

Hi again, my ANA first one was boarderline like 1:160, second one was 1:320, but just recent one showed negative.

[Mermaid]

Mine was 1:400, maybe next one will be fine. Weirdly I'm not sure whether I want it to be normal or abnormal. Abnormal means some sort of possible answer. Strange feelings to have.

Thanks for your reply Gemma and apologies for taking your thread off topic.

[Gemma]

I felt the same. When I saw an abnormal result, I felt like finally I know what is going on with me. But then when I met with Rheumatologist, she said that she can not give me Lupus diagnosed because I do not meet certain criteria for Lupus. Even though I felt like I definetly have it. But then I started thinking about it and having Lupus is not a great thing to have either. My aunt has it and its not fun. By the way my aunt is diagnosed with Lupus, and when she is in flare her ANA is high, but then when she feels not so bad it goes down. She has it for like past 10 years and her ANA changes all the time, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. So, i dont know what the doctors base their decision on. But my aunt has very bad joint pains when she is in flare, even high doses of pain medicine does not help.

Let me know what your test will show and what will be doctors suggestions. Did they test you for something else besides ANA, like RA, and other diseases. I was tested for a lot, but only my ANA shows positive.

Good luck with your results.

[blueskies]

Hi Barb10

I was diagnosed with erythromelalgia at the same time as I was diagnosed with pots. 2006. I was hoping you could tell me about anything that has helped your erythro? I follow a diet low in salicylates, amines and glutamates, preservatives, flavourings, additives etc. It did seem to help with my erythro until about 3 years ago when symptoms starting getting worse. Lately, I've cut out sugar and other things I have thought might be making symptoms worse. I've seen no improvement but figure it will be healthier to stay off sugar anyway. I haven't really tried any meds for it because I'm supersensitive to meds -- at least one of the ones I'm currently taking could be causing trouble but it helps with chronic migraine and without it I have almost daily servere migraine pain.

Mostly I shower frequently as I can in slightly warm water which helps to cool me down, and sit in front of a cool fan. Basically that's all I do to treat it and it limits what I can do, what I wear etc. Just wondering if you have any suggestions?

blue

[Mermaid]

Hi blue,

I wish I did have suggestions, more like I can say what hasn't helped.

Propranolol hasn't - I seem to have Raynaulds type symptoms too and this drug makes this worse.

Venlafaxine - ( see comments in this post) not sure about this one, thinking about it, things do seem a little worse since I stopped.

I haven't noticed any relation of symptoms to food. Alcohol starts a flare immediately which I am not happy about. I really enjoyed a glass of red wine. I can sometimes have drink in the daytime, as I type it I know that sounds awful!

Periods of inactivity also seem not good for me. I can guarantee that if I try and lie down and relax in evenings things start to happen. Hard to get balance right as too much time standing starts things too.

Compression socks definitely help. I am thinking of getting some compression for the arms in the summer so I can type for longer and do house work etc. I wouldn't wear them out but then I won't be out in the sun anyway sadly.

I've been lurking on an erythromelalgia forum but haven't joined yet. People with this really seem to suffer and I'm easily scared at the moment and anxious about progression. I haven't picked up any tips from my lurking there. I really don't want to have these flares, they are uncomfortable and painful but not enough for me to try gabapentin etc again. Another thing is for me that the flares seem to trigger some sort of anxiety, panic type symptoms too. I know that it's the symptoms first not the other way around.

I think erythromelalgia sort of needs a post of its own somehow. My doctor said a subset of pots patients have it but it doesn't seem to feature too much in discussions. Really I think it's just an extreme of autonomic dysfunction in some way?

I'm not giving up looking for answers yet or am willing to put this down to EDS, will keep looking and will keep you posted.

Best wishes to you

Barbara

[Mermaid]

Hi Gemma

Your question/comment:

Did they test you for something else besides ANA, like RA, and other diseases. I was tested for a lot, but only my ANA shows positive.

Answer from me:

I think the ANA was for autoimmune diseases in general including RA, but I don't have the rheumatoid factor. I agree, LUPUS is horrible, I already knew I didn't have that because I'd had another specific test for it called double stranded DNA.

It's tricky because in the UK we don't always know what we've been tested for. At one point I was I hospital for 2 weeks and they did a lot of blood work, no idea what it was and the info is not shared.

I have high thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies too, no idea if of significance but shows an autoimmune process. Thyroid TSH is in range. Do they test in US for thyroid too?

Barbara

[blueskies]

Thank you, Barbara.

We do have things in common certainly. I just joined an erythromelalgia forum and people have been very welcoming but have yet to respond to most welcomes. I have to get my act together as people there have been very welcoming. But like you, I'm anxious about being a member. I've put if off. Because some people sound like they are living lives of extreme pain constantly. I, too, fear progression.

The flares trigger anxiety and panic for me too. I know the anxiety/panic is part of the erythro just like it's part of pots. I can tell as I have the same old symptoms of erythro and know them well through repeated episodes but STILL I get panicky and anxious.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me.

Oh, about the drink in the daytime. I just laughed. It doesn't sound awful. Just like you are wanting to enjoy life. I love a glass of red. My last glass of red I drank (the last alcohol form of alcholol I drank) was 18 years ago. And if I could occasionally have one in the daytime I certainly would.

blue

[Gemma]

Hi Barbara. Yes they test thyroid here as well. I also had lots of thyroid test done. I don't have it handy right now, but will write you later what tests I had done.

Can you provide more info about what kind of test is a double stranded DNA test for Lupus. What is the name of it. I wonder if I had it done.

About meds triggering high ANA, is also true. I asked my rheumatologist about it, and she said some meds can trigger it, but also said that xanax med that I was on does not trigger it. But then I med a nurse at my local lab where I do my blood work and she said she developed Lupus from long term use of Knolopin and her doctor said she needs to get off the med. She even started developing a butterfly rash on her face.