[desperado]

I cannot cry (hardly @ all) while on meds. It is extremely frustrating. I feel a great emotional need to cry, but physically, I cannot. I attribute this inability to shed tears to the meds, b/c I could cry before I was on prozac. Also, I always, always become numb to tears while on meds vs. no/less meds. I don't understand. I really need to get the tears out; I feel as if I have an ocean of tears inside me.

I don't know if I already made this same post a while ago; my memory, too, is very bad since I began the prozac.

Anyone have the same experience (re: inability to cry)? I honestly cried so much more when I was a lot more depressed.....I just don't understand it.

[OliviaC]

When I took Prozac 20mg, I couldn't cry either.

[Zen888]

I am in the same boat...feel sad......cannot cry...

[darkeyes]

Years ago when I had been prescribed many different AD's in the SSRI group, I too, lacked emotion, and missed having them. After coming off meds in that category, I was able to feel my emotions once again.
Lamictal, anti seizure med also used for Bipolar and migraines, too, has been good, and it doesn't rob me of feelings, if a good cry comes on it gets to flow, even can once again, enjoy tear jerker movies.
Talk to your doc, maybe you can be switched to a different med.
I wish you lots of luck with this.

[Juliana]

I can relate to your frustration, desperado. Having a good cry is very cathartic and not being able to cry feels horrible sometimes.

I very rarely cry -- whether I'm on medication or not. It's something I wish I could do. When I get depressed, I don't cry at all. I don't feel much of anything other than pain and chaos when I'm depressed, and I don't express any emotions (my emotions are so blunted when I'm depressed). I'm actually more likely to be able to cry once in a while when I'm taking medication -- because it lifts me out of my depression.

I actually cried a few times when I was taking Celexa. Now I'm on Lexapro and I actually cried during an episode of Cold Case the other night. LOL. They were playing "I Wanna Know What Love Is" by Foreigner and the next thing I knew there were tears running down my face. It felt very good.

I hope you're able to get to the bottom of this -- perhaps work with your doc on finding a medication that works better for you. Crying is healthy and it's obviously causing you stress and worry because that release has been taken from you. I wish you the best. Keep us posted.

[Maven]

You should definitely tell your doctor. Crying can really relieve those stressful feelings.

[boopsie73]

i know exactly how you feel des. just earlier today i really felt like i needed to cry. i can feel it all building up in me but when i want to cry and let it out, it's like i'm running into a brick wall.

yes it really bothered me too. it is why i decided to get off meds.I decided all they were was another way to numb and i didn't want that.

[lauren_helene]

I couldn't either on Prozac until Wellbutrin was added then I couldn't stop. I've stopped Wellbutrin that was causing me more problems...

[desperado]

Thank you for all of your replies, everyone.

DE: Are there bad side effects w/ Lamictal? Is it just for bipolar? Is there a lot of weight gain as a side effect?

Juliana: How do you find Lexipro? Is it a good anti-dep? Side effects?

My heart goes out to all of you who are in the same boat. Being able to cry is very important.

It comes down to a trade-off: prozac helps me in some ways, but not in others. Actually, any SSRI's didn't really allow me to cry..........will weigh the suggested options.

Thanks again.

Des

[Juliana]

I had the same experience with Wellbutrin. I couldn't stop crying and it threw me into a huge black hole and gave me horrible thoughts. That was nasty stuff for me. I felt better when I stopped taking it -- went back to just feeling kind of blah.

[Talulah]

HI des......I'm on lexapro...........love it.

I cry less often (probably due to the depression being a bit lifted) but still can cry. So that's been nice. It took a bit of time to get the dosage right for me. Once we reached the right dose though, the effects were unmistakable and immediate. My T says its like a light switch, on or off....not a lot of middle ground. You either have the right dosage or you don't. I take 20mg once per day.

Side effects for me were pretty mild:
-Diarreah (gross, sorry, for 3 weeks)
That's gone now....
-Decreased appetite, still decreased
-Bit of sweets cravings
-Sleeplessness (still have, but take sleep aid)

Nothing else.....no stomach upset or anything......

[Juliana]

I'm on Lexapro too (10mg). It's working better for me than anything else has. I'm getting the sleeplessness too, so my doc has me taking Clonazepam before bed. Other than that, it's great. The first couple of weeks -- stomach stuff -- were unpleasant, but all the physical side effects got better. I'm so glad I found something that works well for me.

I haven't cried while I've been on it, but I hardly ever cry when I'm unmedicated, so it's not unusual.

[desperado]

Hi Juliana & Tal,

Oh, that is great that you guys have found a med that works for you! Good for you.

Actually, ironically enough, only a few days after my original post here, I have been crying my eyes out tonight. So I guess I CAN cry on prozac..........at least sometimes.......yay.

Thanks for your replies.

p.s.: I'm on Clonazepam, too. Cheers!

Des

[darkeyes]

Sorry I'm a little late on this, but I have not seen Lamictal cause any weight gain, or fatigue, I think it's a great med, it is not only used for Bipolar, it is an anti-seizure med. used for epilepsy and migraines. It may even be used for other stuff. It's like a multi-purpose kind of med. of what I've heard/read. My regular dose was 200mgs daily, and now I'm down to 150mgs, which my pdoc told me anything lower would no longer be therapeutic, so my lowest therapeutic dose is now the 150mg.
As long as your pdoc titrates you up in the proper increments (mgs) I do not think you will notice any negative effects, but meds can effect people differently so I'm only sharing my own experience with this med.
Once I had started with Lamictal I no longer needed any anti-depressants, besides the SSRI's no longer worked for me, I experienced SSRI "poop out" which is not an unusal occurance when those kind of AD's are used over a length of time and/or that is really not the type of med. the person needed or needs.
It is always in the person's best interest to be evaluated by a pdoc if any psychiatric type med is needed, many GP's are getting overly involved with writing prescriptions for AD's and other type meds used for many different kinds of mental disorders and are really not as qualified as a pdoc, who's expertise is treating mental disorders/traumas,etc.
Like one wouldn't go to a dentist for their heart condition,a diabetic wouldn't go to an orthepedic doc to treat and follow the diabetic's condition and insulin meds.
So it is important to go to the right kind of doctor for the
particular disorder and/or illness.
Lots of luck with this.

[Juliana]

You've been crying your eyes out? I hope it feels good. Let it all out, baby. It's cathartic.

[desperado]

Hey dark eyes, no worries re: tardiness.....

Thanks, your post was quite informative & encouraging. I appreciate it.

Take care.

Des

[desperado]

Hi Juliana,

Yep. Last night was major water works....dunno what came over me. Actually, ok, yeah, I do, but it was a small miracle that I was able to cry so much. It was great.

Tonight I had a smaller cry, too. Boy, although hard, it feels good to release emotions this way instead of being furious at the world.

Btw, is that your real pic (your avatar)? You look a lot like Avril Lavigne, if you don't mind me saying so.

And thank you for your nice post.

[Juliana]

Crying is a great release. I wish I could do it more often.

My avatar is a pic of me. Thanks for saying I look like Avril Lavigne. She is a very pretty girl. It must just be the pic, though. I don't think I look anything like her in real life. She has such a lovely delicate face. I, on the other hand, have chipmunk cheeks.

[desperado]

Hi Juliana,

Yes, it is, isn't it. I wish we could both do it more often.

Re: your avatar. You're very pretty. I cannot see those cheeks you talk about.

TC.