Have any members developed peripheral neuropathy from taking prozac or celexa. I have peripheral neuropathy--idiopathic. Two years ago I started prozac for depression/anxiety and I began to have burning sensations on my feet and forearms almost immediately. I was on prozac for 4 days, then stopped because of the burning. I went back to my GP and he had no idea what was causing the burning. I then started celexa. The burning continued and spread from my feet to my shins and up my arms and down my back--- all in about 2 months. I stopped celexa after 8 weeks. I would like to know if any forum members developed PN while on prozac or celexa? Both prozac and celexa list neuropathy as an "infrequent" side-effects. I have been off these meds for 20 months but the burning continues. Am I a statistical anomaly?

Hello, Herco...

Both of those drugs increase serotonin in the synapse of nerves.
Increasing serotonin can cause tingling burning side effects in some people...especially those who already have elevated
serotonin levels.

Serotonin is a biogenic amine, and your body can be making it too excessively. There are tests for this, and I'd recommend you get one.

Certain tumors increase serotonin, and a condition called Carcinoid also makes extra.
Histamine also can cause a feeling of burning of the skin.
Try an antihistamine like Benadryl and see if it helps.
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/adult/adam/data/003562.html

Hello Herco, and welcome to NeuroTalk! This is such a nice place with many friendly, helpful, and caring people.

We're so glad you found us!

Here is a link to the Peripheral Neuropathy forum.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum20.html

Thanks for the reply mrsD.
I'll talk with my doctor about the serotonin test. Could mirtazapine cause a burning sensation? I've been on it since 9/07. Parathesia is a listed possible side effect for mirtazapine but I'm not sure if that includes burning sensations. Also, the clinical pharmacology info states that mirtazapine is a "potent antagonist of histamine receptors". I don't know what this means but could it cause burning?

Welcome...


I hope it's not permanent and it don't get any worse. PN is tough to deal with.

I found that pain patterns do change, so hang in there.

I've experienced burning from medication. The medication one time burned my fingers. I experienced the burning sensation on my fingers when I touched them. I don't think it has happened more than once though. When I used to get injections it would feel like fire! They were very painful and now I have marks on my arms and stomach from them...red lines like supposedly burst blood vessels. I also still sometimes experience burning sensations in my brain from the medication. You win some you loose some. You can't have everything. I look at it as the karmic body being purified. I used a protective amulet and that helped with the medication. It was never a question of just taking the pill for sure. There was always something around it...fear. I think its fear. Now I can take the medication and see the difference. Just thought I would share my experience. Worse part is seeing the burning as like burning off the actions of this life and perhaps other lives...supposedly the law of cause and effect asserts that there are certain conditions that give rise to experiences. Like we call them "karmic dispositions." So if you used to meditate a lot, then you will probably want to meditate. If you eat a lot of sugar even, you have a karmic disposition for it. Maybe you did something in the past that caused this cycle. Certainly magic and medicine are not seperate things. A mystery maybe. But we can be definite when it comes to what causes what in theory. But what does that have to do with the fact my legs are burning up, right?

You are taking Remeron now, while you have this side effect?
A quick look at rxlist.com lists
vasodilation
rash
itching
as frequent side effects.

This site gives reported side effects to the FDA for drugs. This is Remeron's: There is a report there of "burning" sensations.
http://patientsville.com/medication/...de_effects.htm

When a person is on a drug, and has long term reactions, it is always advisable to discuss with the doctor stopping the drug (or switch to another) to see if the drug is the causative agent.
You should not do this yourself. You should have medical supervision.

Burning/itching is also a sign of liver malfunctioning. So I hope you are having periodic liver tests?

It is far more likely that you are having adverse reactions to this drug, than that you have Carcinoid syndrome. Any testing while using this drug will be useless and give slanted results.

Thanks again mrsD.
Yes, I am taking 15mg mirtazapine and the burning that started 7/10/09, two hours after starting prozac, continues. One of the reasons I am reaching out for web help is because doctors have not been helpful when it comes to looking at medications as a cause of the burning. Several doctors told me to simply ignore the burning or said they have no idea what is going on. This went on for months--while the burning spread and became more intense. One day I saw an ad for WebMD on tv and used the site. I typed in my symptoms and PN turned up. Then I went back to my GP and he referred me to a neurologist. A thorough neurological workup (their description) turned up idiopathic neuropathy and I was sent on my way with a gabapentin prescription in hand. This thorough exam did not include a thyroid test: months later I had this test done and am now being treated for a hypothyroid condition. I turned to the web to see if others have started to burn while on these meds. You have given me new info to look at. Thanks

great composition on the wonders of modern medicine, huh.... I can tell you've been around the block... and that karma thing could be as good a rhyme and reason as anything else...

Thanks for the comment. I have experienced everything you can think of from medication...Its a concept in the world-view of medicine even today that if you don't treat the inner cause you cannot cure the disease. That is why its important to think sometimes why one thing causes something and it doesn't cause another thing. It can't do that really. I personally believe that medication doesn't cure the mind. First, out of all the data in the world, no one has ever proven to be able to control the mind. If anything it is a changing phenomenon and as soon as you observe it you have changed its existence. But self-reflective techniques do get you in touch with your innate nature as well as your ultimate nature. I strongly trust that medicine is in line with spiritual truths, where the mind and body converge. So even though medication doesn't even affect the mind it definitely can influence and cure the body-mind. I think you have to experience this directly, not with only words like these of mine though. Maybe you can have some faith though that it is true. This is funny because I was just thinking about this subject so I will bring it into tune with this post, there are prayers that have been made for centuries and even longer to the "Gods" to send down rain on time and for medication to be effective. I have said time and time again that from the ancient times we should look for examples. In this way, "therapy" actually means serving the gods. You can tell a psychiatrist is doing his job because he is serving the gods. Now thats just some neat info, isn't it?! Of course you have to be very discreet when it comes to referring to these sort of things, but it has been said that emptiness, or the void, is the ultimate God. The nature of your own mind. There was a saying I thought of today, it played to the tune of something like "Everything around me I have created, and oh what a wonder, they should stop and see...despite all of my efforts, the crops are flourishing." It is the main idea that is important.

But that quote I rendered for posterity. Whatever that means. But it has to do with someone who takes everything as if it where his own...I read it in a Buddhist Bioethics paper I believe. The exact quote maybe I will find again.

But if you do take everything as your own it doesn't mean you own it. hehehe

you have to own up to it. Its the very source of moral responsibility. The ancients influenced our culture this way. They said that we have images in our minds that are projecting our reality. These images depend on previous actions without beginning. Supposedly there are three types of sickness...mind sickness, body sickness, and dharma sickness. The last is where you think your reality is the highest above all and nobody else is correct.

Even though I don't think that medication affects a cure, just like the sun rays never touch the earth, I still believe in cause and effect and benefitting others. Sometimes like a particle, sometimes like a wave...

There are a few ways to view reality but it all comes down to understanding that there is no mind. Present moment only. What do I mean by no mind? No one can hurt you unless you let them hurt you...if you have no negative thoughts than you cannot be hurt. There are a few layers to the body and the mind...there are thoughts and then there is the mind.

You don't just block everything out. You actually investigate its nature.

Where does this come from? If you are wise you will see that it comes from your own mind. It is your mental projection. Thus you have the capability of creating the type of reality which you desire by understanding the emptiness of causes and conditions.

There are some things which are already very difficult to change. Like if you have been in a terrible accident it seems like it is impossible for it to improve...for life to get better. But if you see that this is coming from something that you have planted in your mind it makes things workable. You. You are not your injury or your sickness. That is what I mean by no-mind.

So a Doctor who applies no-mind understanding causes and conditions is serving the gods, which in turn fulfills the purpose of the ancient prayers for the crops to grow on time and for medicine to be effective.

These prayers make the karma ripen fast. So you can have miracle drugs and such.

The drugs aren't drugs. IF they were really drugs then they would work for everyone. Alas, they kill or injure one and help another. This proves that medication comes from the mind. It is a science.

It is a science to understand what images are. It is a science to understand where these images come from themselves and to change them. Some people call this turning the mind around. We are used to accepting that medication is medication...that there is a mind, and that there are no mental images. This kind of knowledge has been kept secret from us. But now it is necessary to know for healing. By understanding the word-image in our mind we can heal sickness very effectively and truly fulfill life's demands.

When you first saw the four tires, metal, glass, and little motor parts (maybe) you already knew what they were by word. How is it that you had the mental image in your mind before the object existed. This is what we call emptiness, or the nature of mind.

By applying emptiness to the mental projections you can create your own reality and change reality. It is truly what is behind all of our actions.

This truth may be scary. I think because we are afraid of it all coming true.

But this is the meaning of changing the world, or creating a better world.

This knowledge should be free. Everyone should know about it. But only you are lucky enough I guess.

No matter what your religion or your view this knowledge can help.

It doesn't negate existence and it doesn't eternalize it. by staying away from both extremes it does not stay in the center either.

It is the Pinnacle of highest knowledge learning, tranforming all unfortunate states to happy ones. It is the medicine to cure the ill and dying. It is a harvest that needs no cultivation.

It is based on and closely linked with compassion. By understanding compassion you can come close to understanding this same wisdom.

So that is how the wisdom works. I hope that it made you feel better...put your mind at ease so to speak.

Wisdom is a true jewel we may never loose...
its what ties us together as human beings or gods or animals
untying the knots in the blessing cord may be difficult at first
But don't

They will settle down

This is advice for anyone going through emotional or pschological turmoil.

I wrote a post to someone who said they felt "lost"...with all of these forum "caves" it doesn't suprise me.

I hope this helps to facilitate good communication!