SSRI fuzziness?

[BeeGee]

I hesitate to ask this question because I know that the right answer is "it's different for everyone"... but I'd like to hear others' experiences.

I've just started my first SSRI and I'm on day 6.  I started on half dose for the first two days and had some mild nausea, but by day 3 that was fine.  Since day 4 (full dose) I've had some significant mental "fuzziness" - hard to concentrate, difficult to process what I'm reading, feeling like information is not sticking in my head.

Has anyone else also experienced this, and if so how long did it take for it to settle down?

I'm trying to study for exams next week and thinking I may need to drop back to half dose until exams are over so I can think straight, but if it's likely to settle in a day or two I might persevere.  I'm not at any risk without meds so a dose reduction would be no problem.

[geoff]

dear BeeGee, I've been taking a SSRI antidepressant for about 17-20 years, but I was desperate I needed something for depression, and yes you're right '"it's different for everyone', but taking this aside I would give it another few days, by then it should have settled done.

It interests me when you say ' I'm not at any risk without meds so a dose reduction would be no problem', because they can be used for not only depression but also for anxiety, OCD and panic, so I am just curious.

Exam time brings back so many memories and thank god they're all over for me.

Hope you can reply back to us. Geoff.

[BeeGee]

Thanks Geoff.  I'm not at risk in the sense that I don't suffer from suicidal thoughts and my life has been stable enough prior to treatment - it was just joyless and empty.  I suffer from chronic dysthymia with episodes of MDD.  Of course I'm keen for that to change, but the bigger priority just now is getting through these exams.  Once second semester starts the pressure will be less and I can have another go on full dose.

Having slept on it overnight I've decided I will drop to half dose. I just can't afford to not be able to prepare properly for exams - I have much to do and little time, with three exams next week starting Monday morning and another in the following week. I've survived somehow for the last 30+ years undiagnosed so I guess another week and a half isn't going to make much difference!

[White_Rose]

Hello BeeGee

Yes I have had a similar experience.  My head felt as though there was a swarm of bees in there a couple of hours after I took the medication.  The doctor described it as electrical feelings.  Also in the nape of the neck.  Lack of concentration and general fuzziness.

I put up with it for many weeks until it became obvious I was not going to adjust to it.  Having already trialled a large number of ADs it was getting to be a problem.  Eventually the psychiatrist gave me an additional AD to counteract the side effects.  Unfortunately I cannot remember the type of AD. 

The pharmacist was concerned when he saw the combination as apparently it is not generally recommended to mix the two types.  I asked the psych about it and he said the second AD counteracted the serotonin 2.  Makes no sense to me but I am not a pharmacist and when I repeated it to the pharmacist he said "Ah yes".

I actually stopped taking the SSRI but by then I had taken enough to make withdrawal a problem and ended up getting a half dose to help.

The outcome was that I took both ADs for a long time, generally without problems once the second AD kicked in.  Have a chat with your doctor.

Also talk about dropping to half dose temporarily.  The second AD took a few weeks to kick in.

LING