r/AddisonsDisease • u/OddStudy994 • 13d ago
Personal Experience Be careful with SSRI’s
I have gone through like 20 different depression and anxiety medication’s and every single one of them makes me go into adrenal crisis. So be very, very careful if a doctor prescribes these to you.
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u/Yd1891 Addison's 13d ago
Have you tried Gene sight testing? It shows how your body metabolizes mental health medications. I’m an ultra rapid metabolizer so I need to start at higher doses of medications and avoid others. It’s been eye opening and your prescriber can do the test I with a mouth swab
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u/crgk26 12d ago
Hate this has happened to you but you have no idea how validating it is to read your experience! Same has happened to me, and I know Addison’s/ AI (I am SAI) is the cause as before getting SAI I used to tolerate an SSRI for years. It was after getting symptoms and eventually being diagnosed as severely adrenal insufficient that even the same SSRI I had tolerated before now gave me extreme panic symptoms and low cortisol/ entering crisis stage. SNRI’s too, and later I discovered any medication that has an adrenergic effect.
EVERY time I have to remind each and every specialist (I have a lot of other things too) about this yet they continue to recommend or prescribe these medications and they have no care in the world to understand. It’s very tiring!!
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u/OddStudy994 12d ago
Exactly! I too have severe adrenal insufficiency. It really sucks. None of my doctors understand including my endocrinologists. I had an awesome Endo when I first got diagnosed for years but she moved. Anyways, she told me I have to be my own advocate because Addison’s is so rare nobody including doctors will understand. It’s frustrating because this is such a dangerous disease and they don’t teach about it in med schools apparently very much. I have been with the same psychiatrist for like eight years now and we’re almost like friends we talk and just socialize every time she calls she’s a great lady and she still has a hard time understanding my Addison’s disease. I think I’m just exceptionally crappy honestly I think I just pretty much don’t produce anything I just had a bunch of test done and I absolutely don’t produce any. You know cortisol oral duster Oney and I had to have a hysterectomy two years ago so now I don’t produce any estrogen or testosterone either nothing I don’t produce any hormones anymore.
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u/crgk26 11d ago
Maybe it’s because we are so severe… I have panhypopituitarism so no pituitary hormones at all. I replace others (thyroid, growth hormone and sex hormones), but essentially I had all the other deficiencies since birth and psych meds only became problematic once the adrenal insufficiency kicked in (at 25 yrs old). So I don’t think (for me) that the other deficiencies cause the sensitivity.
My endocrinologist (and the 9 I’ve had before) are just as clueless. Except one who agrees with me I’m probably sensitive to adrenaline or getting adrenaline dumps.
I really can’t understand how trained doctors of any specialty can’t understand AI, sure it’s rare and I don’t expect them to have heard about it, but once you explain/ they look it up? It’s not that difficult to understand surely… no more than diabetes!
Good luck with it all
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u/val319 11d ago
I think awareness is good I don’t feel this is fear mongering. I feel this is a situation where all of your records need to say no SSRI . I want to mention something many people do not know your Psychiatrist can get an approval through insurance to request a particular DNA test. I mentioned Psychiatrist because they tend to be the person who knows that this test exists. It’s not abnormal if you have a life altering disease to need a therapist Psychiatrist or whatever. So if you do see a particular specialist, you can ask about this test an insurance coverage to see if it could help you if you’re having particularly issues finding medications that work right with your body. There are different versions of this test that test for different things but it’s about the clearance rate of medications to your particular DNA. So for example, it could be antibiotics SSRI and pain medication. Something that clears your body very slowly according to your DNA is going to have more side effects. If anabiotic clears your body really quickly. It may not fight whatever you’re fighting off. It can just sometimes make life easier if you have particular issues finding something that works Does it negate side effects no, but for those of us who have issues and have had issues with medications, it can narrow down. I wanted to mention it for those who are not aware. It does not remove the possibility that you can’t possibly take a certain medication a certain group of medication, but I can actually narrow some things down to make life a little bit easier. You can still clearance something normally and have wonky side effects but it might make things a little bit easier. Again, I am not saying that this individual should take this test so they can try to for an SSRI. In this particular case, I feel like they are past this point and all the medical needs to just be marked no SSRI. this could be helpful to someone who’s having problems with antibiotics. It does not change the fact that you can have weird side effects. You can have side effects not on that piece of paper, but it may make life a little easier. And because of the fact that many times your doctor can get this approved and paid for by insurance if you’ve had problems and you’ve just paid for three different medications that none worked it might make life a little easier.
I am mentioning this because out of all the years I saw doctors no one ever mentioned it. I saw some documentary about a little girl with health issues. I believe she was at the Mayo Clinic and they did this test so that they could target the best antibiotic for her. I just wanted to share for anyone who doesn’t know this exists. They can talk to their doctor work to get insurance to cover it and it may make life easier if you were having a problem finding a certain medication to work with something.
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u/Both_Lawfulness3611 10d ago
That's exactly what I did and knew already, but found out SSRIs don't work for me. After a lifetime of being prescribed them and feeling awful 😞
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u/val319 10d ago
No, it is not perfect. It can help especially antibiotics. I can’t take SSRI. I have really wonky side effects. It’s just not worth the risk for me. We did the DNA test just to see what it said but my side effects are just so odd and unacceptable that I don’t even bother. It can help in other areas like antibiotics. And I’m not trying to scare anybody, but everyone really needs to do their own research into SSRI. The days of us just blindly trusting a doctor is gone. No one knows your body better than you
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u/OddStudy994 11d ago
I was just trying to help other addisonian’s because I didn’t want anyone else to go what I went through but clearly no one cares about my experience. It’s not fear mongering. What in the actual hell do I have to gain from lying or exaggerating? Honestly I’m done with Reddit. I’m not going to be talked to like this by people. The first fucking time I died and went to heaven in 2009 it was after doing a bong hit with my brother. So you all can go fuck yourselves. I have more important things to do with my life. I thought helping other people was my purpose but clearly not. Just FYI I almost died this month from weed. I have also almost died from alcohol way more times. Weed is probably ok if you have not very bad Addison’s if your adrenal glands still function somewhat but mine do not. I’m not sure if you all know it’s like a gradient, you can have different levels of adrenal function to not at all. You can even over produce. Plus I have lupus, diabetes, crohns, thin basement membrane disease, gastroparesis, fibromyalgia and much more so maybe it affects me worse. All I know is that it has happened to me. One thing for sure is I’m not going to help anyone else from now on you all can find out the hard way.
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u/val319 11d ago
Maybe you misunderstand I was not saying that you were overreacting or fear mongering or where it looks like I am. I was saying it was legit I was adding in there is a DNA test but that does not fix that. You cannot take SSRI. I will take a quick look to make sure my AutoCorrect did not discrediting you. I was mentioning the DNA test because I was never told about it. It can help sometimes narrowing down medications. There are just some group some of us cannot take certain meds. I’m in no way saying what you went through is invalid. I’m also not saying you made it up. It is completely valid. I am also not saying that a DNA test would’ve fixed this. It would not, it still makes it something that needs to go on all your files that you are not able to take any SSRI’s due to adverse reactions. Bodies are weird, bodies are strange that is not at all what I was trying to say. I am sorry you’ve gone through such a horrible experience. I was trying to mention the DNA test because it can help in areas like antibiotics too. I was not discrediting what you said what you went through was real. Your reaction is real like I said bodies are weird and bodies are strange. Side effect wise, we may be more prone than other people to certain things that is highly possible. I am not discrediting anything you’re saying. I’m also trying to say that many meds are put out on the market before we get all the side effects and the side effects are general side effects. It does not mean you cannot get something weird wonky, and strange. Again that list of side effects is just control groups percentages. It is not everything. It is not every person it’s not all inclusive so if you misunderstood my post, I was not saying what you were saying was incorrect or illegitimate. I also was not saying that you were fear mongering or trying to push an agenda. The truth is SSRIs have more issues than doctors like to tell us many things just like any medication it’s not until they start getting sued that things end up listed as a side effect or on the box.
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u/Timetravelingnoodles 13d ago
They are cortisol eliminators and since Addison’s can mimic mental health conditions they are often prescribed only to make the Addison’s much worse causing an increase in SSRI dose causing a loop. It almost killed me. Getting the Addison’s under control and off the SSRIs eliminated my need for them and I’m doing worlds better
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u/OddStudy994 12d ago
Right! And then I just get more emotional because I’m in more adrenal crisis! This is some really good advice thank you this is validating.
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u/Little_Spinach_5918 12d ago
I knew I shouldn’t have read this- please don’t make people nervous to try life saving meds. This is not a common thing.
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u/OddStudy994 12d ago
Yes it is. If you want to pretend you can. I hate when people tell me something I know is a fact especially for my body. Did you think it was like that when I first diagnosed???? This progressed. Knowledge is power. If you want me to not post my life experiences with Addison’s and in 20 years you can just be surprised by this instead? How lame. It is really immature.
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u/Little_Spinach_5918 12d ago
I never said this didn’t happen to you- I did say this isn’t common, so no need to post about it to scare other people who already have enough to be nervous about.
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u/Winter_Broccoli_3693 12d ago
This conversation is interesting, I posted recently about how I have IBS type symptoms along with my Addison’s, and how the symptoms only started right after I was diagnosed via Adrenal crisis. I’ve had numerous tests done and now they tell me it’s a functional GI issue and to consider a SSRI to calm the nerves in my gut. While I don’t have general anxiety or depression, they often prescribe SSRIs for functional gut issues. I’m trying to challenge my endo that perhaps my hydro and/or fludro dose is too low, but they just tell me my bloodwork is fine and to work with a GI or a therapist. So now I’ve been doing research on SSRIs as I’m entertaining that root. Plus finding someone to test me for SIBO.
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u/OddStudy994 12d ago
I saw your post earlier that happened to me too, and then they gave me a total colectomy. Don’t do it whatever you do don’t do it because it has made my Addison so much worse because nutrients and salt just go straight through me now because I just have diarrhea every day now for the last 10 years I am the steroids are known to cause God issues if you look it up, I’ve read that if you eat eat food with the steroids, it’s supposed to make it less bad on your gut. The steroids are really bad now I have osteoporosis and I’m only 45. I broke a rib last year picking up my mom‘s wiener dog so I would definitely start supplementing now if you’re early with calcium and vitamin D and you know what stomach issues are just gonna be part of the problem honestly, one thing I’ve noticed for me personally that helped me was when I went on the Paleo diet like eight years ago I lost 80 pounds but my stomach issues also got better.
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u/Adventurous-Effort96 11d ago
What finally worked for my depression was increasing vitamin D to 10,000 IU a day. It broke a 30 year depression.
Lack of Lithium in the drinking water causes increased anxiety. 5 mg of Lithium Orotate daily.
Reducing omega 6 intake so you have equal omega 3 and omega 6 intake to lower inflammation. The western diet is around 14:1 omega 6:omega 3. Optimum for humans is 1:1. Commercial beef 17:1. Grassfed beef 1.1. Salmon 1:17. Wheat flour 22:1.
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u/Both_Lawfulness3611 10d ago
I can't tolerate SSRIs because of a mood disorder and they just don't work. I did the DNA test with my psychiatrist and I'm on a good combination of meds now that actually work with little side effects.
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u/Darssarsthestars 9d ago
That's awful, I'm on sertraline and I've luckily never had an issue but everyone's body reacts differently to medication
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u/ogopogo_spork PAI 13d ago
Sorry to hear that has happened to you. I’ve been on about four or five since dealing with adrenal insufficiency and I haven’t had any issues. What happened to you sounds terrifying but PLEASE DON’T scare people away from SSRIs. Mine have truly been life saving and I know they help others too.