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Why do strong SRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) often cause / induce apathy, indifference and laziness? Maybe not in everyone, but it's one of the most common complaints. I regularly read about it on the internet. I myself was affected by it. My questions would be: 1.) What causes it? 2.) Were you affected? 3.) Did you successfully get rid of these specific side effects? If so, how so? 4.) Further comments regarding that "phenomenon"?

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Hello, I'm on Trintellix/Brintellix (Vortioxetine) 15mg and Valdoxan (Agomelatine) 25mg. I've got a history of being very sensitive to side effects and have tried a ridiculous number of medications. Currently I'm having sexual problems which have the potential to ruin my life and my beautiful relationship. The conflict I'm going through is of course that depression can ruin my life also so I'm very very torn. Does anybody have any idea which is more likely to be causing the numbness in my clitoris out of Brintellix and Valdoxan? I'm willing to put up with side effects within reason, but not this. To me, it would be like eating without taste. Any insights would be much appreciated. I do discuss all of this with my doctor but I feel as if I'm not being taken seriously.

Hi all - Recently met with my pdoc, and am titrating up on Lamictal to replace the Seroquel XR which stabilized me but causes some weight gain and too much sedation for my liking; those side effects aside, Seroquel XR has been life saving. Question is this: I have tried Lamictal once before without any noticeable side effects besides a benign rash. This time around, I am noticing numbness and tingling in my fingers. Is this a known side effect? Have you all experienced this? I've heard tingling can be a good thing because it generally points to the Lamictal being effective...not sure if this is true though.

I don't know what my official diagnosis/es are, because I've been to so many psychiatrists, psychologists, and admitted 3 times to the psych ward, and I always get a different diagnosis every time. Bipolar 2, Bipolar NOS, OCD, adhd, aspergers, etc. but my gut feeling is that I have aspergers. From when I was a toddler to when I was like 8 I had a big imagination, like I could get by without any toys or anything, because I never liked them. I used to just sit alone and think. I never had many friends, and that didn't bug me. I was in my own world, but I still was able to function, but I was extremely socially awkward. I did ok in school, but as I got older it got harder and harder to focus, and when I was 10 I hit puberty, precocious puberty is a symptom of aspergers. By the time I was 12 I just changed... almost instantly. My voice went from an annoying 12 year old prepubescent voice to a monotone deep voice. I just, lost all enthusiasm in everything, and people could tell I was changing just by my voice. My social anxiety lessened, and my maturity just skyrocketed. I'm not being an egomaniac, but when I talked to teachers or parents they were stunned. They always told me how I look, sound, and act like an adult. Except something was missing. I had no empathy towards anyone, even though thats a common aspergers trait that I already had, but I mean, I just felt like I had no soul. At 13 I got into drugs, first xanax, which was like a lifesaver, it made me feel at peace, like everything in the world was just calm, I didn't even know what true emotions felt like until I started self medicating with adderall. That just changed me again, but in a positive way. It didn't make me high, it just made me able to connect with other people, and it made me interested in life, and motivated. For the first time I felt what it was like to be normal.. I know there is no such thing as normal but I mean, I felt like everyone else felt. I wasn't disconnected anymore. I kept self medicating with both drugs when I was 13, but right around when I turned 14 my parents found out, and the loss of emotions completely sent me into a pit. I don't even know what depression feels like, if its being sad, or just not being happy. Well I just felt dead. I started to abuse DXM (a dissociative drug) because I needed something to help me. That just sent me down a terrible path. Eventually I recovered from the constant dissociation, and began to use benzodiazepines and stimulants occasionally. At this point I still was unmotivated, strung out and frustrated, and still monotone voiced. I also felt empty, like I was in purgatory. It's like looking at myself do things automatically, but this only happened sometimes. I think thats what depersonalization is. At 15 or 16 I became addicted to benzedrex, an over the counter stimulant that is almost identical to meth. That gave me a little bit of clarity, but it also made me hallucinate, which got me interested in using drugs recreationally. I'm still addicted to that benzedrex stuff, even after a few years. I tried an intensive outpatient rehab place, didn't work because I felt no empathy, plus I didn't even want to change. eventually I quit going. I had a 4 day benzedrex binge and I am so psychotic and dissociated, even though my last dose was yesterday. And even seroquel won't help the psychosis, xanax won't help the anxiety/emptiness, I tried everything. All my meds, they won't work. I'm at such a loss right now.

Hello all, I found this place via Google...looks like a good place to dump my crap. I'm a 36 year old male, recovering alcoholic/everything drug user (speed, crack, coke, acid, pot, inhalants, salvia, pills, mushrooms, to name a few). I have near 7 years sober, and I've been off and on Effexor a couple times the last 7 years. I went on for about a year from 2006 to 2007, got off for a couple years..went back on in 20010 for a little over 2 years. I quit Effexor in Feb of this year because I'd been feeling very fuzzy brained, numbed out, spacey & overall retarded. I could feel myself grasping for words..feeling disconnected, stupid and very far from myself (whatever that is).. Well, 6 months later and I still feel like I have dain bramage. I plan on seeing my dr. next week, and am leery of getting on another pill, but I wonder if the Effexor just quit working? I spoke to a doctor I know, who is also in recovery, and he said it could be anything from thyroid to a brain tumor, or depression. I knew I'd fail, but I took a stupid online depression quiz and it says I'm very much severely depressed. I'm depressed because of this retarded head feeling! I exercise about 5 times a week, eat pretty good, smoke cigarettes, and drink alot of caffeine. I currently take allopurinol for gout, and omeprozole for my stomach. If anyone has anything to suggest, please let me know... By the way, hi. *edit, i don't mean to be insensitive with the use of "retarded" - just the best descriptive word I can muster at this point in time...