I was wondering if anyone has had reactions to SSRI's at very low doses. The first SSRI I tried was effexor at 37.5 mg. I felt weird and scary physical sensations, and thought I was going to pass out. I had to lay down with my feet elevated for about a half an hour. Then, my pupils were dilated all day. Nearly 48 hours, assuming the medication was out of my system, I took my trusty sumatriptan 100mg for a migraine. I also assumed the migraine might've been caused by the drop in serotonin after the SSRI wore off. I don't know if the effexor made my receptors extra sensitive though, but again I felt these cold and tingly physical sensations, with nausea, and dizziness. I laid down on my back with my feet elevated again, to avoid passing out. This was all because I took one dose of effexor 48 hours before my sumatriptan which I have been taking as needed for 2 years with minimal side effects, or at least side effects that I can handle.

I couldn't go back to the doctor because of some issue with their office and my insurance, which happens to be medicaid. I had to wait about a month to see a doctor. I explained what happened, and he seemed annoyed because I guess you are just supposed to swallow your pills like a good girl, and not be concerned over scary side effects. I looked up serotonin syndrome, and the symptoms are similar to what I experienced. Anyway, he prescribed lexapro 10mg, and told me to cut it in half. Well, my gut told me to cut it in quarters, but I ended up cutting in eighths just to be safe. The side effect from taking an eighth of 10mg lexapro were drowsiness, and feeling sort of numb, and like I was sleeping while awake. I didn't take it the next day, and gave up on SSRI's for a couple weeks. Then, I thought, I'll try an even smaller dose. I would shave a tiny sliver off the pill, and take a micro dose of loose powder. I didn't have any side effects, but did start feeling better. Not sure if it was placebo, but there was a difference. Then, my period rolls around, along with the migraines that accompany that drop in hormones, so I stopped taking the lexapro for a few days, so I could safely take the sumatriptan. After my period, I resumed the micro doses of lexapro. I am slowly increasing the amount I take, but not sure if it's having an opposite effect, and making me feel more depressed.
I can't tell the doctor all of this because he will think it is all in my head, and there is no possible way that such a tiny amount of SSRI can have any effect. I haven't had good luck with doctors over the past few years I have had medicaid either. I don't know what it is, or maybe I'm too meek, and don't demand they listen to me, or maybe they don't really listen to anyone.
I have been reading about the cytochrome p450 enzyme group, and wondering if I have none or very little of the enzyme that metabolizes certain drugs. I highly doubt that medicaid would pay for that test, and if I asked a doctor, they might laugh.
I am wondering if anyone is intolerant to SSRI's and possibly some other meds too. For example, when I had my wisdom teeth pulled, they gave me vicodin. When I got home, I took one pill, and a few minutes later, I fell on my bed, and didn't wake up for hours. I know it is supposed to make you sleep, but it was like someone flipped a switch in my head, and I was out. If I wasn't near my bed, I probably would've just fallen on the floor. After that I just dealt with the pain.

[*Laurie*]

Hi, Some people are very sensitive to medication.

[Moose72]

I fell on the floor like you described after taking my first trazodone. Good thing I had pillows on the floor.

[-jimi-]

Doctors can be really dumb. They are the same with me. They always claim what they prescribe is a really low dosage and I end up almost passing out or something and I have cut pills into tiny crumbs. Recently I accidentally "overdosed" me on a spec of Seroquel that because I had cut them and put them in the same box as my other split pill had become attached to another pill. I bounced into the wall basically and got a huge bruise. My doctor still thinks I should try that med because it "works". In killing me maybe?

Were not all copies of each other. If docs don't know this they could start working a job where you're meant to not be flexible at all, they could inspect airplane parts maybe? Their approach seems better in that kind of career.