Posted by brussell on December 22, 2003, at 16:23:54
In reply to Re: When are meds justified? emotional flatness, posted by Donna Louise on December 22, 2003, at 14:09:37
Hello Sip,
The emotional flatness that you describe IS a very common effect of the SSRIs. As you may have seen from other posts, plenty of people find being less emotionally reactive a blessing.
For the short time I was on Lexapro I also couldn't cry, which I found quite disturbing. I also couldn't feel or visualize strong emotions, or make progress in my fiction or poetic work. I would literally look at my own work, be impressed, yet unable to imagine how I wrote it.
You definitely sound like you have suffered from "real" depression and need and deserve treatment. I'm glad you are getting relief from the Lexapro, and it's possible that the emotional flatness will get better with time. If it doesn't (and, like me, you don't like being emotionally flat) I have a few suggestions.
I agree with the poster who suggested Prozac. Prozac works very well as an AD for many and for me did not cause nearly as much loss in emotional reactivity.
Of the many antidepressants I've tried, I know of two that do not cause emotional numbing. The first is Welbutrin, which you can take with an SSRI like Lexapro or Prozac. Psychiatrists often use Welbutrin to counteract the sexual side effects of the SSRI; it might also help with the emotional flatness.
You might want to consider Welbutrin by itself. It tends to be an physically and emotionally energizing drug, and I liked it a great deal. Unfortunately its AD effects were not strong enough for my depression. It might be perfect for you, though.
The other AD that does not cause emotional flatness is Parnate, the MAOI (and possibly Nardil as well). This is what I take now.
poster:brussell
thread:289528
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031219/msgs/292471.html