Dear all,

I just replied to a previous thread which was entitled "anyone recognize these symptoms?" The writer's wife was having an immediate neurological reaction to antidepressants. I decided to repeat what I had written with this more specific title, hoping to have more people weigh in.

I know statins and antibiotics are known neurotoxins for some people, but I believe antidepressants are so for me. This is written with the full understanding that many antidepressants are prescribed for neuropathic pain, and can be extremely helpful for depression as well.

Yet, I am hoping to see if other are having paradoxical reactions, and better still, whether anyone might have an explanation for this.

To briefly summarize my story -- I had severe Parkinsonism last year because of an over-the-top antidepressant cocktail (my psychiatrist had added a high dose of Paxil to a pre-existing high dose of Effexor). I had been on medication for ten years. I am 61, and have a long history of depression, but was symptom-free from 1997-2005. Thought I had licked it!

I was also extremely high-performing all my life. Because of severe depression as well as the reaction to meds described below, I am on leave from my job.

Soon after my "cocktail" was upped (I also was taking Trazadone, and propanalol, and klonopin for anxiety and high blood pressure), I began to have Parkinsons-like symptoms. Severe trembling, ataxia, confusion, loss of balance... etc.

Had MRI's, the whole bit -- no one suspected the drugs. I then developed allergic reactions to the meds and lethal levels of high blood pressure. I was told to go off cold-turkey (my throat was swelling with each dose). This advice was given by a subbing GP (it was over the Thansgkving holiday last year); it was very bad. I had abrupt withdrawal syndrome and almost died (very erratic heart coupled with 260/180 blood pressure).

I recovered from that over the course of several months. Parkinsonism disappeared. Depression was also gone! Yet it took months to get my blood pressure down, and I was virtually bed-ridden. I began to recover in February -- worked at home and went to the gym.

Then suddenly last April I was hit with the most profound depression of my life along with a slew of dysautonomic symptoms. Severe GERD, neuropathies in my hands and feet, hair loss, dry skin and eyes, insomnia, heart palpitations -- 23 symptoms in all (wrote them up!). I have read that some people with neuropathies and other dysautonomic symptoms from chemo also have a "lag time" after they are done with treatment. I think this happened in my case.

I began my doctor hunt: I had a negative EMG two months ago and just two weeks ago, two positive skin biopsies for small fiber neuropathy. Worst symptom by far now is fatigue -- I cannot work at all, and up until very recently, basically spent my time in bed totally fatigued and trying to fight the depression. I went into therapy and did not take any medications. I have a great psychiatrist who is also a neurologist, as well as a psychologist. I also hooked up with neurologists.

Yet, because this depression is the worst in my life, two months ago I gradually went on 15 mg. of mirtazipine, and more recently 10 mg. of nortripyline (just doubled it this week). I am being supervised.

Depression is lifting and I am far less anxious. Yet my neuropathic pain and similar symptoms are now far worse. They increase each day! Docs feel this cannot be happening, for these meds are used for neuropathic pain, and there is virtually nothing in the literature about this.

I also recently saw a very esteemed dsyautonomia specialist here in NYC -- and he felt my symptoms could be the result of over-medication and abrupt withdrawal of antidepressants, but the types of drugs I am on, at their low dose levels, cannot be affecting me now.

I don't know what to do at this point. I feel so caught: I simply cannot risk my life with this depression, yet I am virtually crippled with fatigue and my neuropathic symptoms.

I know there are some antidepressants that are anticonvulsants -- lactamil (sp?) is one. I wonder if they would be more suitable to try?

I am pursuing this -- looking for literature. I noted that all of these meds do list neuropathy as a potential side effect -- just very rare I guess. This site might be a way to find out how rare.

I would love to hear from anyone who had a similar experience and/or is coping with major depressive disorder while dealing with sensory and autonomic neuropathy.

I am becoming more and more convinced that depression is a complex neurological disorder. I am concerned that the sort of one-size treatment with anti-depressants might be causing or worsening other neurological conditions for some people.

I wish we all had a greater understanding of how these medications work!

Thanks so much,

Sylvie