SSRI question

[hey ya'll]

Hi guys! I'm new here and I'm so happy to have found this group!

I have been suffering with MC for 3 years now and my GI just suggested that it could be the Lexapro that I have been taken for 15 years. Does that make sense that I would have been fine on Lexapro for 12 years and just had trouble the last 3 years? Anyway, I tried weaning off Lexapro and had a few days or non-stop and unexplained crying so I went back to my full dose. The dr is suggesting Buspar as an alternative - anybody tried that? I've seen your suggestions about using magnesium for anxiety, but my magnesium level is 1.9 and I think that's in a normal range?

I would appreciate any thoughts or help from you all! Thank you so much!

[Gabes-Apg]

I am not able to assist regarding the suggested replacement med

I will say, yes, you can be ok on the med for a few years and then bam due to a combo of things the immune system reaches a tipping point and the reactions happen.
this is a common thing for many people here. there is no one thing that caused the MC to happen, there was a combo of things that lead the immune system to the tipping point.

regarding the magnesium result - our research and learnings is that mainstream testing is not accurate indicator of 'true magnesium' levels in the body/cell

Vit D3 and magnesium are very key to help with anxiety / depression etc
other aspects that can help are aligned with the low inflammation approach to life with MC that can help with anxiety,
healthy eating (whole foods etc),
avoid inflammatory items such as alcohol,
yoga, meditation, relaxing activities, deep breathing exercises , time outdoors during the day
good sleep habits, (limit blue screen before bed, do magnesium soak before bed to relax for good sleep etc)

[tex]

I agree with Gabes and your doctor, that your MC was very likely caused by long-term use of an SSRI. You're obviously basing your magnesium level on a serum test (blood test) result. That test is worthless for assessing magnesium levels outside of the emergency department, because the body automatically maintained serum magnesium levels in a narrowly controlled range that's considered to be normal. Because you replenish your magnesium with every meal during the day, your serum blood test results are only likely to turn negative during the wee hours of the morning. For that test to show negative results after a meal, your diet would have to be chronically low in magnesium, and you would be at risk of cardiovascular issues.

Doctors have traditionally ordered the wrong blood test for decades, and consequently, they're never able to diagnose a magnesium deficiency. The correct test to order is the red blood cell (RBC) magnesium test. It's also a blood test, but it measures magnesium levels in red blood cells, not serum. Therefore, it provides at least a decent estimate of magnesium reserves. There are more accurate tests available, but virtually no one uses them, because they are more expensive, and have to be done at certain labs.

The safest anti-anxiety/anti-depression medication is buproprion (Wellbutrin). But it seems to be less effective than the more popular medications more commonly prescribed. Published medical research shows that magnesium can be used to treat anxiety and depression. Doctors don't prescribe it, because it does require a prescription, and it's too cheap anyway, for their buddies in the pharmaceutical industry to make huge profits selling it. Weaning off an SSRI is usually tough, but it can be done, with patients and perseverance. Most patients must stop using it, if they hope to ever be able to control their MC. Like Gabes, I know nothing about BuSpar.

I hope this helps

Tex

[hey ya'll]

Hi Gabes and Tex,

Thank you both for these very helpful responses. I appreciate the explanation of the misleading results in measuring serum magnesium levels. And thank you for the encouragement re coming of the Lexapro. I will try weaning again, slower this time, while trying to increase Magnesium intake. I know I've read that magnesium vitamins can cause more stomach upset so I will start with soaks and lotions first, right??

I'm so happy to have found this group and value your experience and knowledge so much!

[tex]

To much, or the wrong kind of oral magnesium supplement can cause diarrhea for some of us while we're still recovering, so yes, lotions and soaks are a way to get around that risk.

Tex

[dps231]

Hi hey ya'll, how are you doing with the withdrawal? I'm very interested about the MC evolution for members on SSRI.

By the way, Tex, why do you consider Wellbutrin the safest? I'm just curious about the working mechanisims of the immune system, not thinking about taking any drug.
I wonder why PPI and SSRI are the number one culpirits for drug induced MC. Is it for the inhibitor role? Is it the target cells location?
Why benzodiazepines, for example, are not rejected by the body? Do you have theories about this? I'd be glad to hear them.

[tex]

I consider Wellbutrin to be the safest choice because it tends to cause fewer adverse side effects than other drugs in that category, and our experiences seem to bear that out. I've never researched the reasons why certain drugs cause colitis, but just looking at the way PPIs work suggests that they are likely to cause problems. They interfere with normal digestion by destroying stomach acidity, and without adequate stomach acidity, not only is digestion compromised, but any pathogens that are ingested get a free pass into the intestines where they can start infectious colonies. And compromised digestion, means that a lot of food will pass into the colon either undigested, or partially digested, which is another invitation for opportunistic bacteria that feed on decaying food.

Tex

[hey ya'll]

Hi! I am officially fully off Lexapro, with no alternative medication! I slowly weaned over three months and would have 1 or 2 rough days at each decrease and then go back to feeling pretty normal. And I feel pretty good now emotionally and don't feel like I need to find an alternative. I have continued using the magnesium oil off and on. As far as the stomach issues, I am better, but not great. The frequency of D has decreased significantly, but my digestive system is still not normal. Hence, I have started a restricted diet in earnest this week to try to get fully healthy.

[dps231]

wow, that sounds good, it encourages me.
I'm glad you are improving. And despite being so soon you've already noticed digestive improve, that's awesome!

I suspect that, in my case, antidepressant withdrawal has been so resistant (even I tried several times during this years) because of underlying magnesium in addition to b6,b9 deficiencies caused by mthfr polymorphism.