Restarting an SSRI years after IT pooped out
Posted , 4 users are following.
11 years ago I successfully used Lexapro for 4 years until it 'pooped out' on me (a few months after a switch to the generic version). I was then put on paroxetine which was successful at 15mg for 7 years until that just 'pooped out' on me (couldn't tolerate the side effects of a dose higher than 15mg). Have been on mirtazapine for the last couple my months and having an awful experience on it —my anxiety is so much worse. Physchiatrists next thought is to try lamotrigine (which he's had work with anxiety and depression before, but after this mirtazapine experience I'm terrified of trying something new. OR returning me to the Lexapro (which worked so well when it did) . I just want to know if it will work a second time around after poop out (which was 7 years ago) ? Anyone had luck with that?
0 likes, 7 replies
karen60759 Guest
Posted
hi catherine, i've read many times of people successfully reusing the same ssri, though im currently in a similar position, have been trying a few different meds since my prozac pooped out and currently on escitalopram and mirt together, felt great when for the first few weeks but now my symptoms are back, just going to keep taking them as it has taken months for meds to settle for me in the past, and the mirt has allowed me to sleep and taken away nausea i was having due to menopause...are you still taking the mirt or have you come off it?
Guest karen60759
Posted
Hi Karen, thanks for your response. I'm still on Mirtazapine (last night just decreased from 45mg to 30mg under guidance from my physchiatrist). I (like you) take a while to settle into meds so trying to hang in there and not knee jerk react and say "this one is terrible" because it may still just be settling down? And I don't want to have to go back to square one!
But I am contemplating the switch back to Lexapro if this doesn't work out. When you say you've read that many people have gone back onto an ssri, was it after they'd purposely taken themselves off it OR after it had previously stopped working for them in previous years?
Guest karen60759
Posted
P. S How long have you been on es-citilapram and Mirtazapine?
matts4912 Guest
Posted
Catherine,
The answer is that no-one can tell you for sure. Only trying will give you the answer. Without getting too technical, when you stop a drug like this that alters brain chemistry, it has to regrow the various odds and sods in the brain that were blocked (thus defunked) whilst you were on the drug. Sometimes the brain grows more to cope with the production of the various chemicals it needs to restore what the pills were doing. In this scenario, the same pill/dose will no longer be as effective. However, if it returned the status quo as it was, then they should work if they did before.
But given that the brain is forever changing, this may have changed further since you stopped the drug. So as nice as it is to hear others who have found success returning to it as you would like, do not give yourself more stress through false hope.
For what it is worth, I would say to give it a try as the longer the period since you last took them, the longer the brain has changed from it "withdrawal" state and thus is more open to not "remembering" the previous drug. But again, this is purely conjecture. Only time will tell you.
Wishing you all the best.
Matt
Guest matts4912
Posted
Thanks Matt. I appreciate your honesty. I guess I just was hoping to see that in some people it may have worked (i.e that there wasn't ZERO hope, in which case I wouldn't try it... already had a tough 2 months in a new med (Mirtazapine) and don't want to jump from something that's not working into something else that's not working. I know, I know, it's trial and error lol.
You're very knowledgeable so can I pick your brain further. I went straight from the Lexapro to Paroxetine (when the Lexapro pooped out) . And then straight from to Paroxetine to Mirtazapine (when the Paroxetine pooped out after 7 years). I completely understand what you're saying about brain chemicals readjusting and resettling... the lexapro and paroxetine work in the same way don't they, so those chemicals won't have been able to 'reset' will they. Do you count the Mirtazapine as the same given its different class and action on neurotransmitters?
guest34727 Guest
Posted
Hi there, I'm just curious if you went back on the lexapro, my story is very similar to yours.
guest34727 Guest
Posted
Hi there, I'm just curious if you went back on the lexapro, my story is very similar to yours.