Hi There

I want to wish everyone on here happy holidays and hope and healing to start, though I am having a rough time right now.

In the last few months I've lost 3 family members very close to me. I also had my work. comp. insurance company take an adversarial position in my case and that has gotten very stressful (people following me and video taping me among other things). Before this all started I began trying a hormone replacement therapy based on testing specific to TBI. I began to have a bad reaction to the therapy in the middle of all of this and had to stop it.

Now I am having a fallout from all of this stress, and I am experiencing things I haven't experienced since early on in my recovery. I'm an emotional mess, I'm nervous all the time and having panic attacks. My dizziness is really bad and I'm just exhausted all the time. I feel like I was making really good progress before all this and now I'm finding it hard to do even minor things throughout the day.

Some in my family want me to go on an SSRI to try and help. I am a bit reluctant, though I am unsure of what to do at this point.

Have you experienced something like this? How do you get through it when it is this bad? Will I get back to where I was before? I appreciate your help and support.

The holidays can be a big added stress to our struggles. Add a Work Comp struggles and emotional stress and you have a perfect storm.

I was on an SSRI (Paroxetine) for 14 years, got off it for 6 months then needed Celexa for 6 months during a high stress period. I prefer to be off them but sometimes, you have to do what gets you through the week. I'm doing well with 5-HTP and L-Theanine instead of the Celexa but that is just me.

SSRI's take 2 weeks of uncomfortable time and more weeks before they really take effect. I was in dire straights so my doc prescribed a month of Zyprexa (olanzapine) to get me through until the Celexa took effect. It also helped me gain back some weight I lost from stress.

Other than the normal side-effects, SSRI's can take a while to get off. I spent 3 months tapering.

Yep, I was in same boat 10 years ago.....I hope you have a good WC lawyer! You will need it the games they play with us....

as for SSRI's, I made everyone happy and took them for maybe 4 years?...I was a walking zombie. The wife loved it, she could just yell and say anything hurtful to me....I would just sit there and take it....I do take 5HTP and it works well for me....

Seeing mine was the first of a new year, they tried there damnedest to say I was out partying new years and I took some mind altering drug( no really its in the depo's)...
I have lost everything including my family.....

I was followed and harassed for 8 years, I am happy that part is over so I can deal with my day to day problems from my TBI....

Please PM me if you have any questions....Im not big on talking about things like this of forums publicly.....even tho my case ended over a year ago....

Thanks Mark and Dav

What does 5HTP help with? I have problems with racing and somewhat obsessive thoughts that make me anxious and depressed. Would it help with that?

How much would I start with?

Thanks.

5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. If you have inadequate levels of either, it can help. SSRI's increase serotonin levels. 5-HTP naturally makes more serotonin available. I take 100 mgs each morning. Some need more. I started with 50 mgs and increased to 100 mgs. I have not tried more because I feel better with 100 mgs.

One needs to increase dose slowly to avoid taking too much. One of the first symptoms of too much is excessive sweating. Google serotonin syndrome to understand the signs and symptoms. I spent 14 years at the lower end of serotonin syndrome from 60 mgs of paroxetine. I would sweat with the slightest effort.

I had severe problems with racing and obsessive thoughts that I called looping. It resolves that annoyance.

It's worth a try. It is affordable, too. I get mine from Vitacost.com but many pharmacies and even OTC drug departments have it in the vitamins section.

May I ask why this is the case?

I've always wanted to try an SSRI, but if they are so great, why isn't everyone lauding them?

I read so many testimonials that say SSRIs have helped yet cessation still resulted.

I don't understand your comments.

"I've always wanted to try an SSRI, but if they are so great, why isn't everyone lauding them?"

Nobody is saying they are great in my observation. They can be a necessary evil.

"I read so many testimonials that say SSRIs have helped yet cessation still resulted."

Do you mean, Why did people stopped taking them ?


SSRI's have some unpleasant side-effects. Sexual dysfunction, weight gain, a flat affect, nausea, sweating, tremors, jaw clinching, and more. Not everybody experiences every side effect.

For some, they can get them past a difficult time. They take a few weeks to become effective. The first week or two can be miserable and even counter to the desired effect.

I guess "necessary evil" is my point.
That phrase sheds the medication in a negative light, regardless of outcome.

All medications have side affects. Do SSRIs inherently have more side affects, thus the negative connotation?

If someone is have serious problems with suicide ideations or other destructive thinking or cannot function, the side-effects are of a minor consequence. But, if the need is minor and can be treated by other means, the necessity of SSRI's is less.

Plenty of medications have minor side-effects that are easy to tolerate. SSRI's are not in that group. Many meds are studied for reasons for discontinuation. Psychotropic meds have higher rates of discontinuation.

Necessary evil does not mean they are evil. It is just a term just like having a tooth cavity filled is a necessary evil. People don't like them but put up with the discomfort.

As I said, I spent 14 years on max dose paroxetine, discontinued for 6 months, experienced a traumatic event and started Celexa and discontinued after 6 months. I've been SSRI free for 2 1/2 years. 5-HTP and L-Theanine serve me well instead.

Why do you think an SSRI would help ? What have you done to resolve the symptom that an SSRI may treat ?