Do Aspies React Much More Strongly to Antidepressants?

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Wow, it gave you panic attacks? I used to get those after my depression set it but before I got on Effexor; nothing severe, just high startle reflexes. As for my blood pressure, it went down by 10--15 mmHg from the drug.

I guess every aspie is different. I'm just shocked how different.

I’ve been on various antidepressants throughout the years... only one gave me the most happiest feeling I’ve probably ever felt and that lasted one day. Bupropion which is used for smoking cessation too. But it also made me feel overly panicked and out of it too. Depersonalisation. I stopped the last course I was on last year (Citalopram) because I developed extreme apathy. I don’t think I’ll need antidepressants anymore because I think those feeling were caused by not being myself for years because of masking. I don’t have a diagnosis but I’m 99.9% sure in myself and my research that I’m on the spectrum.

So yes I do think sensitivity with medication is an issue. The best medication that helps the most, that I don’t have to take regularly is Propranolol for anxiety. In particular to an event or activity that I may want to do but in the past have mentally battled through. With tiring result on my body and mind.

Effexor here too. I have to take massive doses to get any relief though. I'm on 300 mg per day. If I miss a dose, oh boy do I ever feel it.

I tried everything from Anafranil to Zoloft for major depressive disorder and was running out of options that didn't have terrible side effects. Effexor seemed to help a little bit, which was more of a response than I had to anything else. So we just cranked up the dose a little at a time until it helped a lot. This turned out to be quite large: double the typical maximum dose, and at the threshold of what is safe and what is too much.

I tried weaning off it by doing a very slow taper. That was disastrous. There are some meds I have been able to stop (no more benzodiazepines, yay!) This isn't one of them.