Posted by Chaston on April 11, 2001, at 8:06:32
Classic SSRIs have really helped me with depression and anxiety since I first started taking Paxil almost 8 years ago. Three years ago, though, I started having some problems with flushing, and shortly after was diagnosed as severely hypothyroid (Hashimoto's disease); I began taking synthroid each AM (now Levoxyl 0.1375 mg). Not long afterward, I started having very uncomfortable "hot flashes" (feel feverish, like my head is burning, sometimes face head sweats, but not whole body) on the Paxil, though there may be no connection with the thyroid.
My Pdoc was afraid it might be the dreaded serotonin syndrome, so we tried Wellbutrin, then Effexor for awhile, but I got a bit hostile on those so we went back to an SSRI, Celexa. After Celexa built up, more hot flashes. Now, I'm male, so I was pretty sure it wasn't menopause, and I tapered off the Celexa. Eventually, the hot flashes went away, but I got really depressed again, and another Pdoc put me on Zoloft. When I started having the hot flashes again, he added clonidine (Catapres), an alpha blocker, at 0.05 mg/day (subclinical dose). That helped a lot with the hot flashes, but as I slowly ramp up the dosage of Zoloft, the hot flashes are back. Very uncomfortable, especially as the weather will soon be quite hot here.
(To complete the picture, I also take Azulfidine and Celebrex, and recently Depakote and neurontin--too many pills!)
So, finally, my questions: has anyone else had a problem with "hot flashes" and SSRIs? Do any of you psychopharmacological sleuths out there have any suggestions that I can take to my doctor? Your input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Chaston
poster:Chaston
thread:59404
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010411/msgs/59404.html