Sufferer Ptsd Caused By Adverse Drug Reaction Or Drug Damage ?

[Roses]

Hello everyone. I would like your opinion and I apologise for the lenght of this post.

I have suffered with social anxiety for about 6 years. Following a house move and loss of job in June this year I went to my gp as my anxiety flared up again, I had a couple of mild panick attacks whilst queuing in a shop and one before a job interview but was content and looking forward to the future.

I had been on citalopram in the past for about 2 and a half years. I stopped it around 2 years a go as I had my anxiety under control and was very happy. My gp prescribed me citalopram again in June this year. It made me sweat excessessivly, vomit, dioreah, tremor, racing thoughts, vile images in my head, burning head sensations, hallucinations, vivid dreams, insomnia and extreme paranoia to the point I thought I had killed my husband and dog, became scared of knifes and I thought I was a danger to everyone a few days after starting it.

The GPS unfortunately thought it was just anxiety and kept me on the drug for 5 weeks and added lorazepam and quetiapine to the mix. I was in fact suffering from toxic effects of the drug which can happen to about 1% of people.

My life hasn't been the same since. I still get loud racing thoughts/auditory hallucinations, my emotions beside sadness and anger have gone and I have very high suicidal ideation because I don't even feel 10% of the person I was. Everyday is hell. I have tinitus and constantly eye floaters, and burning sensations in my head, vivid dreams and I no longer have panick attacks, and don't have homicidal thoughts or paranoia now I'm off the drug but it's been 4 months since I stopped.

I went to see a top neurologist and she said I had serotonin toxicity (I had bloods done while on the citalopram and had hypokalemia, low vit D, elevated white and red blood cells and abnormal bleeding) she said due to the side effects of the citalopram i now have severe ptsd.

I personally think I'm left with side effects of the drugs that may well be permenent. I am obviously traumatised by what happened but I think the drug has altered my brain to be this way as little has changed really. Any thoughts ?

 

[RARA]

Hang on

 

[RARA]

Well being on psychotropics for 16 years I see my own nightmare side effects as permanent since I am still going to take the meds. I don't care anymore about a cure. I just leave that up to the big guy and tryyyy to go on every day with so much crap in my head I dunno how the hell I get outta bed. Unhelpful post I know...but it is inevitable no????

 

[Roses]

I should mention I'm yet to see a psychiatrist, the neurologist is arranging this but she said it's unlikely I will be able to take an ssri again and I'm having an mri next week. I am having talk therapy and joined another site for people affected by psychotropics. I never new they could be so dangerous I just don't know how anyone can live this way.

 

[EveHarrington]

Do you have other major trauma in your past? The diagnostic manual states that PTSD can't be a result of drug use alone. (Adverse experiences from drug use causes something else.) :hug:

 

[Roses]

That's what I thought but gps and professionals won't believe a legal prescription drug can do this damage to someone. I was sexuallu abused as a child between 8 and 10 by my grandmothers partner and then raped at 16. I believe this led to anxiety which started at 21 but I wouldn't say ptsd as I never had any symptons of ptsd before this drug reaction.

 

[Silver.]

It seems that the abuse in your childhood would have caused the PTSD, and then the medication problems brought it out. PTSD can sit dormant for a very long time with no symptoms (years and years even)
I am so sorry you are going through all of this, but glad you found this site. There are a lot of great posts and people here that can help you on your healing path. You are already doing good things for yourself, you should be proud of that. :hug:

 

[joeylittle]

Seratonin syndrome isn't typically active once treatment has occurred. Although it can take up to several weeks for the last bits of the culprit drug to metabolize out, once it's gone, it's gone.

The trauma you experienced when you were younger is more likely to be the root cause of your PTSD. And, it's not at all unheard of to go for years without any symptoms, and then be under significant stress and have PTSD show up.

The fact that you're experiencing such overt symptoms long past when you would have re-balanced your seratonin, really lends credence to this not being a result of the toxicity.

I'm assuming your neurologist went over this with you, but are you taking any homeopathics right now? It's really important that you not be ingesting anything that could be destabilizing to your seratonin.

I'm really sorry - it sounds like you've been through an incredibly tough time. Welcome.

 

[hodge]

Of course we can't diagnose you, but I agree that PTSD can come out decades after the trauma(s). My last trauma occurred at age 30, but I was generally fine until about age 42. Then all hell broke loose. You are not alone.

I'm very glad you're in therapy and will see a psychiatrist soon. Hang in there.

 

[sun seeker]

The trauma you experienced when you were younger is more likely to be the root cause of your PTSD. And, it's not at all unheard of to go for years without any symptoms, and then be under significant stress and have PTSD show up.

Yep.

Look up "delayed onset PTSD." It's not at all uncommon.

 

[EveHarrington]

Agreed! Delayed onset PTSD is fairly common amongst those with PTSD. I have it myself. It's possible for trauma to lay dormant until a future stressor comes along and bam! you have full blown symptoms. :hug:

 

[hodge]

Yep, as my T put it, everyone has a breaking point.