[tobias7]

Hello - I am new to this forum and would greatly appreciate your input.

I have a history of panic attack disorder and what the psychiatrist I was seeing called "melancholia", or a mild but constant level of depression. I have been on Klonopin for several years, and have been incredibly grateful that it has been successful in eliminating my panic attacks, which were quite severe.

My question is about the SSRIs that I have been taking over a period of several years, with the Klonopin, and with 100 mg. of Trazodone at night, to help me sleep. I must have tried every SSRI out there, starting with Prozac, and ending with Lexapro. None of them were effective...but they WERE effective in causing me to gain weight to the point of being obese for the first time in my life. I know that the weight gain was from the SSRIs, because my eating habits, which are excellent because I have severe hypoglycemia (which contributed to the panic attacks) did not change while I was on the antidepressants, nor did my exercise habits.

So my first question is - I have heard that there are new antidepressants being used...do any of these new meds not affect weight gain?

The second question is about SSRI withdrawal...the last SSRI I was using was Lexapro, and about four months ago I weaned myself off of it, very methodically, cutting the pills in half and withdrawing very slowly. I had one or two days of feeling mildly agitated, but all in all, I felt I got off the Lexapro successfully.

Now, four months later, still not taking any antidepressants (but still on the Trazadone, cut down to 50 mg at night) - I find myself with the worst depression I have ever had. Although I am still functioning with activities of daily living, so it is not a classic "clinical" depression, I find myself with incredibly dark thoughts, fears for the future, despairing thoughts, and I can't seem to control the constant crying. I am not suicidal, but life, needlless to say, is NOT fun. So I am wondering if there can be a "delayed reaction" to coming off SSRIs...and if I am going through it now, even though I did not when I first came off of the Lexapro... how long can I expect this to last...and should I go back on a different SSRI?

I should add that I am also 55 years old and soon will reach one year without having had a menstrual period. so menopause may have to do with this depression...but I'm not sure...

Thanks for any advice or suggestions...

Janet