Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Causes Drowsiness And Fatigue After Having Antidepressants?
Question: Quit antidepressants (pristiq 50 mg) 2 months ago because they were making me sleepy all the time, 2 months later I'm still fatigued- not as bad, but more then usual- advice? All blood work is normal and I was on antidepressants for about 5 months total.
Brief Answer:
Use of nonsedating antidepressant to be considered
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I went through your query and can understand your concern. Your getting fatigued can be one of the symptoms of depression itself rather than anything else.
I can understand that you had to quit Pristiq due to sedation. But since you are still feeling fatigued even after two months, it is highly unlikely that pristiq was the cause, Being excessively tired is one of the cardinal symptoms of depression.
I would recommend that you should consider restarting another anti-depressant which is non sedating in nature. Bupropion would be a good option for the same. You can discuss regarding the same with your psychiatrist.
I do hope that I was able to answer your query. Please let me know if you have any further queries.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Use of nonsedating antidepressant to be considered
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I went through your query and can understand your concern. Your getting fatigued can be one of the symptoms of depression itself rather than anything else.
I can understand that you had to quit Pristiq due to sedation. But since you are still feeling fatigued even after two months, it is highly unlikely that pristiq was the cause, Being excessively tired is one of the cardinal symptoms of depression.
I would recommend that you should consider restarting another anti-depressant which is non sedating in nature. Bupropion would be a good option for the same. You can discuss regarding the same with your psychiatrist.
I do hope that I was able to answer your query. Please let me know if you have any further queries.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
You don't think it was the antidepressant that made me tired? I really feel like it was because the fatigue happened while taking them it was so bad I couldn't stay awake more then a few hours, but sense stopping them each month gets better & better, I'm now to the point where I can go all day without napping- I'm just wondering is there anything else I can or should take to help?
Brief Answer:
Please see details below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for following up. Being tired in your case was an effect of depression and the side effect of pristiq both. Pristiq is Desvenlafaxine which has sedation as one of the side effects. But its already 2 months since you stopped prsitiq. So the current tiredness is difficult to be explained by prsitiq itself.
What I suggested was that since pristiq made you more sleepy and tired, it makes better sense to change to a drug which is non sedating as well as effective for depression as well. Bupropion would be an effective option for that. It will help you combat depression as well as won't the side effect that you are concerned about.
Another option would be to add a stimulant drug like modafinil which helps in becoming active. That would be my second choice in your case.
I do hope that answers your doubt. Please feel free to ask any further queries that you may have. I will be glad to help.
In case you don't have any further queries, please close the discussion and rate the answer.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Please see details below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for following up. Being tired in your case was an effect of depression and the side effect of pristiq both. Pristiq is Desvenlafaxine which has sedation as one of the side effects. But its already 2 months since you stopped prsitiq. So the current tiredness is difficult to be explained by prsitiq itself.
What I suggested was that since pristiq made you more sleepy and tired, it makes better sense to change to a drug which is non sedating as well as effective for depression as well. Bupropion would be an effective option for that. It will help you combat depression as well as won't the side effect that you are concerned about.
Another option would be to add a stimulant drug like modafinil which helps in becoming active. That would be my second choice in your case.
I do hope that answers your doubt. Please feel free to ask any further queries that you may have. I will be glad to help.
In case you don't have any further queries, please close the discussion and rate the answer.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I have one last question- I've had blood work done and checked my thyroid and I've even had a colonoscopy and endoscopy with biopsies because of stomach issues (I was recently diagnosed with celiacs) I am not depressed. I have no idea really why I was put on antidepressants in the first place- bit I have heard that lots of fatigue could be a sign of underlying cancer. Even though I have had all of these tests done and all come back negative- do u think this could be the case? Or do u think it is more so something along the lines of a vitamin defficiency or something along those lines?
Brief Answer:
Please see details below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for following up again. Regarding you being diagnosed with depression, I would like to know if you have ever consulted a psychiatrist. If not, you should really consider consulting one regarding proper diagnosis of your condition.
Cancer may lead to fatigue but there must be something else associated. As you have mentioned, your blood investigations have turned out to be normal, and even your colonoscopy and endoscopy returned negative results, I don't think there is a likelihood of cancer in your case.
Vitamin deficiency too can lead to increased tiredness. I imagine that you must have got your complete blood counts done and since they are normal, there is little chance than you have got any vitamin deficiency. In case you doubt, vitamin B12, folate levels and vitamin D levels can be done for reassurance.
You must have been put on anti-depressants as all your investigations have turned out normal and in absence of any other medical condition, depression seems the most plausible reason. The best way out is to seek a psychiatric consultation and accordingly start anti-depressants as seemed appropriate.
I do hope I was able to clear your doubts. Please let me know if I can be of any further help. I will be glad to do so.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Please see details below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for following up again. Regarding you being diagnosed with depression, I would like to know if you have ever consulted a psychiatrist. If not, you should really consider consulting one regarding proper diagnosis of your condition.
Cancer may lead to fatigue but there must be something else associated. As you have mentioned, your blood investigations have turned out to be normal, and even your colonoscopy and endoscopy returned negative results, I don't think there is a likelihood of cancer in your case.
Vitamin deficiency too can lead to increased tiredness. I imagine that you must have got your complete blood counts done and since they are normal, there is little chance than you have got any vitamin deficiency. In case you doubt, vitamin B12, folate levels and vitamin D levels can be done for reassurance.
You must have been put on anti-depressants as all your investigations have turned out normal and in absence of any other medical condition, depression seems the most plausible reason. The best way out is to seek a psychiatric consultation and accordingly start anti-depressants as seemed appropriate.
I do hope I was able to clear your doubts. Please let me know if I can be of any further help. I will be glad to do so.
Best wishes,
Dr. Sunil Gupta
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
