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A little advice for a newbie please

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 1/23/2019 9:07 PM (GMT 0)
I have entered into the new world of SSRIs. My Dr gave me a script for Zoloft very small dose to increase in 2 weeks. Three weeks into it I had to stop. I developed horrible teeth clinching while on it. I'm a clincher to begin with but this med escalated the problem 10 fold. I cracked a tooth below the gum line and it abscessed, sending me to the dentist on Friday. The infection continued over the weekend while on antibiotics, visited the dentist again on Monday morning. He changed the antibiotics to something very strong, as the infection was now in my eye socket. He said if the swelling wasn't down some in 24 hours I would have to go to the ER and have IV antibiotics. Fast forward, I had the tooth pulled and the swelling is down. YAY!!

I did like the Zoloft, in the short time I was on it. I noticed all my hot flashes were completely gone. The flashes came back right after the dentist visit. After years of hot flashes, thinking they were hormonal and have then disappear is amazing. The first 2 weeks I was sleeping really well. My Dr. also wants me to do Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), I'm not to sure about this.

Are there any SSRIs that do not cause you to clinch your teeth? If you do EMDR will SSRIs be unnecessary?

Thank you for reading. TIA.
Posted 1/23/2019 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
First, holy crap, I'm sorry about your tooth! What an ordeal that must have been.

Second, yes, people can respond very differently to different drugs in the SSRI family. There's a very good chance that others will not worsen the clenching. I recommend working with a psychopharmacologist, if possible, since they are the most knowledgeable about psych meds. But having a side effect from Zoloft isn't indicative of what your side effects would be to Lexapro, Celexa, Paxil, etc. They all affect people differently, which is why it's so common for people to try multiple meds before finding one that helps or is tolerable. There are also herbs and other things people try instead.

EMDR is a relatively easy and effective therapy, especially for PTSD and trauma, but people do find it useful for anxiety as well (which I assume is your issue since this is the anxiety forum). Many people find that EMDR is all they need, and it works fairly fast compared to other types of therapy, and with no risk of side effects. I've known people who see all the results they are looking for in only a few sessions. Definitely worth a try. Many other types of therapy also help tremendously with anxiety without the use of drugs. For many people, therapy is more effective than medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy might be the most common, but there are lots of approaches that might resonate with you.

Good luck!
Sara (Lyme, ME, etc.)
Posted 1/24/2019 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
try one of the gentle ssri next like celexa of paxil. I would avoid Prozac. as it gives energy like crazy. not what a teeth grinder needs. is the ssri to stop your teeth grinding?l
Posted 1/24/2019 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the replies Sara and super. It's really appreciated!
I have a follow up appointment with my doc next week, maybe I will take her up on the recommendation of EMDR. So strange how drugs from the same class can have different side effects in the same person. I hope I'm one of the people that therapy is beneficial for instead of meds. Today is not a great day. I woke up in a panic and started clinching my teeth and can't stop moving (pacing). I really need to get outside that always helps, but it's raining today and the ground is cover with snow.

Super the SSRI is not specifically for clinching, I have PTSD from a very, very long time that just recently emerged. I will ask my doc about Celexa and Paxil. Why is Prozac bad?

Thank you again for your responses.
Posted 1/24/2019 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

Sorry to hear about your tooth but glad you have it sorted now and things are improving.

Medication can be hard to find the right fit and can take a while to find one that works well for you I take Prozac and have found it to be very effective but it is a very activating SSRI so I agree with the above that you should speak with your doctor about Celexa.

A combination of medication and therapy is I think is the best route to recovery.

Hibee
Posted 1/25/2019 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
Prozac is the strongest of the ssri type drugs and as hibee says is VERY activating. its also very effective at depression and other symptoms but you better have something to do physically at least while getting used to it. when I was taking it I felt I could take on the world all by myself every day. not for a teeth grinder to be sure. I take celexa now and its so gentle -you don't even know you are taking a drug but it stopped all my anxiety and mild depression. however we all react different to these meds even they are in the same class as you pointed out. sometimes its trial and error-others you have success first time out. important thing is persisting till you find relief-in what ever way gets results for you. best of luck
Posted 1/27/2019 3:15 AM (GMT 0)
I can't really speak to ADs impacting tooth grinding. That said I took Prozac and now Cymbalta and am a serious tooth grinder. At 57, due to grinding I have 8 crowns (molars) and a dental implant due to a cracked tooth.

A couple of years ago I discovered a mouth guard called an NTI. It's similar to a mouth guard except it is much smaller and actually keeps your upper and lower teeth from making contact. There are some concerns with it impacting one's bite so most dentists only want one to use periodically to 'break' the clenching habit.

I could not live without mine. Decades ago, my dentist's advice was to take 4 advil x 4 times a day to help with the clenching pain. I'd be dead now if I took that much advil!

Google NTI and you should get a better idea as to what it is. Hope this helps.
Posted 2/1/2019 8:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info Blackbird. WOW, you've had a lot of dental work. I only have 4 cracked teeth (well, 3 now) and 1 crown. I'm not too sure about putting anything in my mouth. I also have arthritis on both sides and a dead bone in the right joint. Really afraid of my bite changing in any way. It will create greater problems.
Posted 2/5/2019 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,
This is my 1st post here. I have been a part of the ulcerative colitis forum. I am 57, and have been on celexa for over 15 years. Recently, i decided to taper from 40mg down to 30mg, and the anxiety is creeping back. At the same time I tapered Asacol, the UC med I use, which then followed by a major flare of colitis and anxiety.

The depression began in my early teens after an abusive espisode when i was 9 or 10. I used food to cope.Later, I developed major eating disorders. I also chewed packs of gum, and ground my teeth. I have had at least 6 root canals and several teeth pulled. I only have 6 original teeth left, and several crowns.

Due to added stress in my life lately, and probably reducing my Celexa dosage, I can't shake the anxiety in my throat and chest. Deep breathing helps some. I wonder if I should go back up to 40mg of Celexa. I started out at 20, went up twice to 40mg which helped for several years.

After 6 weeks "in the fog", dry throat, etc, to begin with, I had a few bothersome side effects. Never cried the first year and have had some hair loss. I have a very bad memory that seems to be getting worse. Don't know if my meds cause this or not.

I should have started a new post, sorry if I am off topic. But if any of you have experienced what I have, please share.
Posted 2/5/2019 6:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sassy and welcome!

How long has it been since you've discussed your mental health goals with your doctor? Do you see your GP for this plan...or do you see a psychiatrist?

Given that you have the physical co-morbid issue with UC...which can trigger/be triggered by anxiety...

..,I would recommend seeking a P-doc who can confer with your gastro doc...and come up with the best well rounded treatment plan for you...both physically and mentally.

Post with us anytime! Be sure to see our Resources at the top of the main page too for great self help material for managing anxiety. Keep talking with us. We understand, care and support is key!


Scaredy Cat
Posted 2/5/2019 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Scaredy Cat, thanks i will hang around here too. You give a lot of support.

I just saw my G.P. doc about my depression/anxiety last week and told him to "never allow me to go down or off my meds." Lol He said it was up to me, but said I could stay on it for life. No harm. But I had read that once you reach your 50s you should not exceed 20 or 25 gms of celexa. I wanted to find out if it made me forgetful, or if I lowered the dose if my libido would rise, as I have 0 to none.

I did see a councillor 15 years ago, and it helped. So maybe I should revisit that.
Posted 2/5/2019 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
ihavnt found any spacyness from celexa but I am on 0nly 10mg. no libido issue either -not like Zoloft did to me. I tried going med free and made it 3 yrs but no way am I ever going off again. its not worth the risk . as long as celexa works and is gentle on me -its my med till it stops working
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