What anti-depressants are less likely to cause dry eyes?

[Vicki In Oregon]

I was thinking Wellbutrin but do recall a patient saying they caused her dry eye problems. I know we respond differently to medications but if somehting has an ingredient in it known to cause problems naturally I dont want to take it. Already I have had set backs with the Sjorgens diagnosis and then having used a drop with BAK for weeks but not knowing it. Every set back gets me down. According to the article below tricylides cause dry eyes but of the rest, some it says are drying to the mouth and cause red itchy eyes making me wonder if that means they can cause dry eyes too. If someone is taking something that helps them or something that that has made their situation worse, I would apprecaite knowing. I have some Trazadone at home which I used just a couple times along with Lexotan (like Valium I think) but the nurse I saw said it was drying. It does not specifically say it is drying online. And on this web site below it only lists Serzone which I guess is in the same family. Thank you.

https://www.healthatoz.com/healthato..._meds_type.jsp

[YGB]

Vicki - I have been on Prozac 20 mg for the last 8 weeks and have not noticed any negative effect on my dry eyes (of course maybe it's holding them back from getting better ). My psychiatrist says that dry eye effect is not common with Prozac, but then again she does not see many patients that begin with severe dry eyes.

It seems like there is always a push by the medical community to go with the latest, most exotic sounding anti-depressant. Maybe they know something about these drugs that makes them uniquely better than older drugs. However, per my therapist, Prozac has been on the market for a very long time and has a very good clinical track record.

Just my 2 cents from what I have heard. Of course, if you choose to listen to anything I say, please also consult with your MD.

[green eyes2]

Hi Vicki,

My husband is a pharmacist and I asked him about this. He said that a common side effect of ALL antidepressants, which includes Wellbutrin, is dryness. The newest class of antidepressants have less severe side effects than the older tricyclic ones, though.

[YGB]

I should note that per my research, I found that Prozac is not a tricyclic SSDI. Also, while some of the newer SSDI's can claim that they have less side effects, this quite possibly could be in part because they have not been on the market long enough to document all of its true side effects. Clinical studies pre-drug release only go but so far. I am not saying that all new SSDI's are worse than the older ones like Prozac. All I'm saying is that one should peel the onion a little further since newere does not necessarily mean better (even if marketed that way).

Again, this is just my personal opinion based on my experience including some undocumented side-effects on my wife when she took Lexipro (sp?) for awhile.

[brd888]

Prozac

I have been using Prozac 20mg for almost four years. I have only had dry eye for 1 year. Without any underlying cause I propose that Prozac has little contribution to dry eye. The Prozac information leaflet does not list dry eye but does list dry mouth in side effects.

I also have been using a beta-blocker (Propranolol) for five and a half years (when required, not as a daily medication). I was using more due to other anxieties preceeding dry eye onset last year. However, after not using any for over 10 weeks I have no tangible difference with the DES condition. BTW Beta blockers are used to quell palpitations in depressed people.

Regards.

[katy]

St. John's wort

Has anyone tried St. John's wort?

I read a few studies/articles that it is as effective as a chemical antidepressant with almost no side effects.

Maybe it's worth trying..

[Rojzen]

St. John's wort - still need to be alert

I have tried St. John's wort from time to time, using only the pharmaceutical grade produced in Germany (brand name Kira). It has sometimes helped my mood, but has not been as effective as other supplements, for me, such as Lithium Aspartate. Please be aware that St. John's wort can cause hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light, and that it is advisable to avoid significant sun exposure when you are taking this herb. Herbs are medicines, of course, and so it is not surprising that they have side effects and produce sensitivities, in the same way as do many pharmaceuticals.

Katy: Have you read anything about Lithium Aspartate as a mood aide? There is lots of writing about this marvelous mineral, if you Google it. . .Dr. Jonathan Wright, in particular, has studied its use clinically, and published some good findings regarding it.

And I am liking the thread developed this week, here, on the tricyclics Doxepin and Amitriptyline. These two medicines are truly remarkable, with Doxepin actually being approved not only for mood and sleep disorder therapy, but for pain relief AND for reduction of itching (for which it may be used topically or orally). . .Amazing substances, in my view. . .