Expert: Libby Bonner - 5/24/2007

Question
Hi,

I've been taking prozac for depression and OCD for 6 of the last 7 years and it's gone great. However I now think the medicine is pooping out.

I've never in my life had anything like a manic experience.

I've recently read that ssri poop out can be a sign of non-mania bipolar.

I've also read that responding too quickly to an SSRI can also be a sign of non-mania bipolar. I don't remember very clearly, but I think I remember responding quickly (within 7-10 days) to prozac when I first started taking it 7 years ago.

Any thoughts/suggestions? I really don't want to have bipolar because I understand the treatment is much worse and you can't drink at all.

Thanks a lot.
Cheers  

Answer
Medicine poop-out is a commonplace w/ psychiatric meds.  You have been fortunate to have an extraordinarily long good run w/ Prozac.

I have not heard the things you have about SSRI poop-out/response and bipolar.   Some of it may have come about from actual fact that undiagnosed bipolars who have only ever shown depression can become manic when given anti-depressants, esp if they are of the bipolar type to have a lot of mania, or equal mania and depression.

Don't go on w/ a pooped-out med!  Doc will likely just change the med.  Apparently you have true depression [because Prozac worked so well.]