SSRI makes me numb?
I've been prescribed an SSRI for several years now (Lexapro) and while it has certainly helped me with my depression issues, I feel like it also makes me somewhat numb to things that I would otherwise have emotions about. I'm wondering if anyone else has this experience? I'm considering consulting my doctor about weaning off of the SSRI in a safe way, to see if I can manage my depression with therapy and other non-medical techniques and hopefully regain some of my personality. I can't help but feel that perhaps this medication, while helping me in some ways, has robbed me of who I truly am at the core. I would appreciate any feedback from others who have experienced anything like this with an SSRI.
Hi, @adventurousWalker8840!
I'm not a professional. I'm familiar with taking with various SSRI throughout my depression recovery, and currently I'm also taking escitalopramum (of which is made Lexapro). I'm taking it for 6 months and I haven't experienced numbness while being on it. However, this feeling happened for me every time when my brain was adjusting to the new med.
It seems to me that Lexapro may ceased to affect you, letting the depression slip in. Numbness is a fairly often symptom of this disorder. And feeling of being robbed of a former personality points to that.
Sometimes the meds just simply stop working for us - I had that with sertralinum which cease to doing any good for me after some years of taking. Changing it for the different antidepressant can make wonders and help you with "being you" once again. But of course it's only your decision if you want to continue the treatment.
I think the smartest solution is to talk with your doctor about changing the med or coming off of it altogether. The sooner the better, because you deserve to fully experience your life.
Keep us posted. Best wishes, lovely!
@Celaeno thank you so much for your kind response. I had not even thought of how perhaps the medication isn't working anymore and these feelings of emotional numbness could actually be the depression creeping back in. That is something worth considering for sure. I will speak with my doctor and update you when I have some resolution. You have helped motivate me to take care of this as soon as possible. It seems I've been putting this off and focusing on keeping my job and caring for my child and dealing with the day to day of life and let the needs of myself come last.
@adventurousWalker8840m, I'm so glad that I could be of help to you. From my own experience I know that sometimes I'm so caught up into the turmoil of my thoughts and daily experiences that I don't have a needed distance to analyze my moods and behaviour. However every time I reach out to this community, I can always rely on the support and insight of others. I think that's especially important to seek support when having depression - this disorder deceives us and tricks our brain ^^;
I'm happy that you feel more motivated now. You really deserve the best self-care as soon as possible. I'd love to hear more from you, lovely. Lots of hugs!
That's pretty much been my experience with SSRIs so far. While I was untreated, my mood was mostly some variation of negative of course, but it was a wide range of emotions. For me, so far, while Lexapro and Zoloft both brought my moods "up," the range of emotion was incredibly narrow and short-lived.
Like where I was basically cynical before, I am mostly apathetic instead. It's no longer "There's no point, it'll all be wasted effort if it doesn't just blow up in your face," sure, but I'm not sure the "Meh, whatever. Maybe I'll get around to it." is any better.
If my untreated depression was like being trapped in a small room full of 8000 radios all tuned to different things and cranked to 11, the SSRIs I've taken so far have dropped the volume to 2, turned off about 7500 of them, tuned half the remaining to static and half to bad elevator music.
I was on the first antidepressant for a year figuring that was the tradeoff, but apparently that's not supposed to be the case. It's been other side effects that have made me give up on on med\cocktail or another, but the detached, blunted emotions have been a running theme so far. So much so that I thought it was just me until my first SSRI swap - I felt great during that period where the first one was leaving my system but the new one hadn't built up yet, so I know I can be something other than Oscar the Grouch or Eeyore.
Blah blah blah, I ramble. ITs late, I have no idea if I make sense anymore, but I hope I at least made you feel like it's not just you.