Can antidepressants exacerbate psychosis in sz?

I wonder sometimes if I had serotonin syndrome because I took 100mg Zoloft… It’s potentially fatal… I hardly remember a thing, and it really scares me.

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well, one doc told me an AD added, makes the AP work better.

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To me it works great. I think serotonin syndrome is very rare. I read about it too. It can be fatal.

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There is only 100% serotonin transporter function a SSRI can inhibit. It takes more than that to reach a life-threatening condition. So, dangerous serotonin syndrome doesn’t happen with just Zoloft, even in very high doses.

If you’re interested in serotonin toxicity, I recommend the writings of Ken Gillman.

-Albert.

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Hello Albert,

So serotonin toxicity happens when it is too low?

I know some new APs and new anti-depressants actually act as agonist of some serotonin receptors. The most recent and absolutely positive medicine finding already applied to some anti-deppressants and some new APs is the antagozination of alpha nicotinic-colinergic receptors. It decreases negative symptons and is capable of getting rid of akathisia. That is the new thing. I already have a new AD to discuss with my pdoc which utilizes this mechanism.

My Pdoc prescribed wellbutrin as it is less likely to cause problems with bipolar and does not affect serotonin.

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wellbutrin already utilizes this relatively new feature of being antagonist of alpha nicotinic-cholinergic receptors. and it is not a serotonine reuptake inhibitor. it is actually a dopamine-norepinephrin reuptake inhbitor. interesting. glad it is working for you

My second pdoc added Venlafaxine(antidepressant) to my Olanzapine(antipsychotic) and said they would work well together. Side effects aside they did. I’m no longer on either though now. I quit Venlafaxine because my depression lifted and I quit olanzapine because of the side effects, but I was on both for over a decade.

There is a phenomenon known as “The paradoxical effect” where a medication can act in the opposite way it is suppose to. That is something to keep in mind when trying meds. Just because it works the way it should for most people, it may do the opposite in some people. That means taking an AD may help people with psychosis (it did for me) but could make it worse for you if you’re experiencing the paradoxical effect. I’ve never taken Zoloft thought so I haven’t researched it, it may be an AD that makes psychosis worse.

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Antidepressants can worsen psychotic disorders like schizophrenia and especially bipolar disorder.
I keep telling you @anon25873142

Be very careful when considering adding an antidepressant to your regimen.

It’s highly doubtful that you suffered with serotonin syndrome.

Highly doubtful

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well, depends upon what we share, but yeah, I’ve always thought she’s fine.
just a little erratic.

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vanlafaxine is a serotonin-nonephinephry reuptake inhibitor. so it has an adrenergetic role. interesting. i took olanzapine for 15 years. i had a lot of akhatisia and weight gain, also pointy indicator finger.

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I was on 40mg of Olanzapine and 75mg of Venlafaxine for over a decade.

My side effects were major weight gain, diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides. I was in really bad shape, my doctor measured my gut and said because it was so big it was stressing my heart, and there is a history of heart attacks on my fathers side of the family. My A1Cs were in the 8-9 range for years. I was in bad shape. I started by reducing my dosage of olanzapine, and my health did improve a little, but not enough, when I got down to 10mg I became sick again, that is when I made the switch to Lurasidone which has worked out well psychosis wise. I’m a healthy weight now, my cholesterol and triglycerides are normal, and my last A1C was 6.1 which is a prediabetic level, so that has greatly improved too.

However Lurasidone gave me akathisia so I am now on Trazodone for that, but the Trazodone works perfectly and I have no side effects from that.

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When I was a teen I took Paxil and it didn’t do much … Neither did it cause psychosis… But maybe the sza wasn’t there at that point…

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Paxil was the first psych med I tried too. It didn’t do anything either. But when I quit I got brain zaps. That is the basis of my username on this website. I chose Headspark because paxil was my first psych med and made it feel like electricity shooting through my brain.

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I remember Paxil. my parents didn’t do anything like that when I was a teen, or young woman.
do you think some young mothers need to be on that after giving birth, post pardeum.

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Paxil was the first med I was put on as a teen, and it made me suicidal. I od’d on it. It also made me lose weight, but was known for causing weight gain. Sounds like what @Headspark said about paradoxical side effects.

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I can’t take a high dose of Lexapro because it makes me have manic highs. It is my anti depressant.

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My parents didn’t do anything like that either. I was 19 and had to seek help myself.

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Unfortunately the last time I checked that was for quitting smoking only in the UK?

The best way to stop smoking is the same way any heavy addiction is treated. You got decrese the quantity of nicotine daily until zero, you can take a big step for example and deal for days with the withdraw symptons which will arrise, if you feel like it is too much, increase a little. Take as best works for you, but keep a steady decreasing dose. it works. The AD medication can help with the withdraw symptons.

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