WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR SSRI INDUCED APATHY? 
Ask The Doctor Dr. Leland Heller Biological Unhappiness 
WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR SSRI INDUCED APATHY? 
Question: Dear Doctor Heller, I found your web site to be very informative as I am currently undergoing psychological treatment. I am being treated for panic/anxiety co-morbid with low/moderate depression. I am on 50 mg of Zoloft for the past 2 weeks. The panic/anxiety has subsided substantially and to a certain extent depression. My biggest issues are lack of motivation and/or persistence to stay on top of things, general enjoyment in life other than highly stimulating things such as sex, and staying focused. I was treated for anxiety/panic about a year ago with Lexapro but it also left me “apathetic” so I came off it. Slowly but surely, the same problems began again: loss of interest, anxiety, etc. I want to work on getting the best possible treatment. Zoloft is great with my anxiety/panic and the “sorrows and guilt of depression” but I struggle with a lot of tiredness that SSRI’s seem to contribute to and it’s not energizing me enough to actually do things. Do you suggest I take the Effexor approach or sticking to the Zoloft and adding Wellbutrin? Or any other suggestions? Thank you. Dr. Heller’s Answer: SSRI’s can cause a neurotransmitter imbalance with dopamine and noradrenaline which creates “the blahs.” This can include apathy, lack of interest in life, etc. The addition of Wellbutrin (buproprion) usually solves this problem. My patients generally take it for a month, and then resume it when “the blahs” return. 
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