I didn't mean to imply that all SSRI's are bad. Infact I was placed back on the Zoloft and a low dose of Xanax after the Paroxetine made me so ill, and saw stabalization of all anxiety and depression within three weeks back on my meds.
I take these medications because I have clinical depression and anxiety disorder and had been dx with this condition 15 years ago. I was already on disability for this years prior to this neurological attack. I am thinking that the incorect way the meds were switched without a taper, or the Paroxetine itself was responsible for my rapid illness of return of severe depression/anxiety. Before this switch, I had not had any depression for 10 years and changing my meds was only because that doctor didn't want me on the Xanax.
For peope like me who definately do have a pre-existing depression/anxiety disorder, SSRI's are beneficial. But, I agree that if you don't have one of these conditions, SSRI's should be avoided if possible.
My problem was that the earlier doctors( ER doctors) assumed that the sudden vision loss and neurological dysfunction, was of a physiciatric nature, I am sure because of my history of anxiety. They totally dismissed the clear neurological symptoms and immediately blamed my anxiety. This prooved to be a mistake, once the visual field defect and the brain lesions were found.
Problem was this was eight months after the attack. Was it discrimination? YOU BET IT WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just because a person has a pre-existing depression/anxiety disorder, does not mean that they can't get sick physically. Problem was, I was trusting the doctors to figure this out, and they were not interested in believing that this was for real.
Just wanted to clarify that I am not against SSRI's for people who need them( like me), but they should be researched and not taken lightly for possible side effects.
~Santana~
No, they haven't put me on a another one- I haven't been back to see my neuro since then. The reason why i was on it was for the neuro pain in my legs and the tingling in my hands and feet. He chose that one becuase HE believe that i had hidden depression as well. I think I will refuse any more SSRI, and simply ask for more testing and other methods of treatment.... simply plopping my on an antidepressant and whishing me out the door won't work this time!!
~Sunnytoday~
They didn't take me off of the Paroxetine, I stopped taking it when my vision suddenly started getting distorted. The stupid doctor who abruptly switched the meds said that it was unheard of after six weeks on that med, and actually tried to raise the dose from 30mg to 40mg.
There was no way I was taking any more of that med. The bad thing was that me stopping the Paroxetine suddenly made me even sicker, because now there was three meds that I was having a withdrawal from. The Zoloft, the Xanax and the Paroxetine. But the doctor not listening to my complaints of vision distortion left me no choice in my mind, and to be honest, at that time, I didn't know any better.
Paroxetine has a bad profile for vision side effects, but I wasn't aware how bad this medication was until I had been on it for six weeks. I had no visual symptoms before the sudden onset in the store that day, and it hit me like a tornado, and within one week I couldn't make out my own face in the mirror. Also the photophobia( light sensitivity) was so severe that I had to stay in the complete dark for weeks. Flashing and flickering lights and everything looked lit up like it was glistening.
I think it caused the ON to set up, since ON is on the side effects list. I don't know if it caused the brain lesions or not, and the way it looks neither do my doctors, or else they are just not saying!!
Did they put you on another SSRI?
~Santana
I only took that Cymbalta two days, and that was two weeks ago tomorrow. Hmm.... i can't really tell if that was what had triggered it.... although it had never happened until I took that second dose of that medicine. Weird!!!
I'm glad that your vision is improving, only it's too bad that it took so long for them to take you off that medicine!
~Sunnytoday~
Oh yeah! Now I remember this. You know it might be a side effect of the Cymbalta. I don't know if you remember , but Six weeks after being jerked off of the Zoloft that I had been on for 14 years and abruptly switched to Paroxetine the next day without any taper, My vision went haywire and that was the start of this whole mess with me!
I as much as anyone can really believe that SSRI's can have these kinds of effects!!! Did you discontinue the Cymbalta? If so how long have you been off of it? I have had a couple of my eye doctors make the comment that the farther away from the Paroxetine I get, the more my vision may improve. It's been two years!!!! I don't know if I am buying into this idea that it takes this long to get over side effects. Unless, it has done all of this damage to my vision and brain. None of my doctors are willing to put those boots on and say that!!
They say it has never been documented in the litature, but then turn right around and talk about the medication and switch of the SSRI's as a possible trigger!!!! Everything except for the brain lesion has been documented by the drug company from the clinical trials of Paroxetine. But it does list Meningitis, Optic Neuritis, peripheral neuritis, myalgia ect..., so who's can really say if it can cause brain lesions?????????????
~Santana~
Welll.... if you remember my bout with that silly Cymbalta about two weeks ago.... it dilated my eyes for two days and they weren't light responsive. HOWEVER- my neuro's nurse said that the meds couldn't have done that, something else must have.
I'm beginning to slightly believe her, as they are quite a bit more dilated than a normal person's eyes still today, but they do respon to light NOW and are dilated equally, and seem to be worse some times than others- but yes, it has been going on for almost two weeks.
My eye doc couldn't say why but that he was concerned, and my neuro is Dr. DWI and of course, he just had the nurse call be back two weeks ago with the same old, (just deal with it).
I hope that someone gets this thing figure out someday, until then I shall just continue to smile and ask questions....
~Sunnytoday~
Did the Optho tell you why your eyes have been dialated this long? A week and a half is a long time to have dialated eyes. Did they become dialated after an eye exam with dialation or did they just get that way spontaneously?
I am no expert, but I have read a lot on eye conditions and having dialated eyes is not normal, as far as I know!! Did you ask him what could be causing this? Did he give you any possible explaination for this. Having even one dialated eye let alone both eyes can be a symptom of something needing medical attention. Have you told your neuro about this? What does he say? Sorry for all the questions, but this has me a little concerned for you. I have been going through a lot of vision issues for two years and don't understand what could be going on here!!
~Santana~
wow, sorry about the terrible spelling today, i really did try to correct all my errors.
~Sunnytoday~