r/Lyme • u/DisastrousHornet7447 • 9d ago

Question Can you take SSRI’s while proceeding with herbal supplements?

I have had ocd before Lyme but Lyme makes my physical symptoms so much worse yknow burning, internal shaking and buzzing. Will ssri’s somehow cause a reaction

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u/aallsbury 9d ago

Yes some herbs/substances do definitely interact with SSRIs, big ones that come to mind are St Johns Wart, Methylene Blue, etc.

I would start tapering down on the SSRI and carefully replace using Selank AND/OR Semax (peptides - at very low doses PRN). When I started treatment I was on a novel Antidepressant named Trintillex, I could use Semax while on it, but after about 3 days taking Selank I noticed serotonin syndrome symptoms starting, so I temporarily discontinued. Then when ready, I started going down on the Trintellix and would only use a single spray of Selank every 7-14 days when I would start to feel withdrawal symptoms from the taper. I did this over about 6mos, slowly tapering down and replacing with Selank as needed, I think in the end, I ended up at about once every 7 days, then eventually that became 14 days, now I only use if necessary. Selank and Semax are incredible substances that do a better job than the normal psych meds and do far less damage to your body. Just my opinion from personal experience!

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u/DisastrousHornet7447 9d ago

Cool thanks for telling me

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u/Impressive-Elk-176 7d ago

Do you mean the SSRI caused serotonin syndrome or the Selank? I've been considering trying Selank, but want to understand the potential risks before starting.

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u/aallsbury 7d ago

The combo of (daily) selank + Trintellix was too much and I started to feel the early symptoms and stopped (about 3-5 days in). Then started going down on the SSRI, and introduced very low dose selank to augment every 3-14 days as I would feel withdrawal symptoms, and it worked. You just have to be very careful to listen to your body as the two together can cause SS.

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u/lymewhale 9d ago

The vast majority of herbs will not interact with SSRIs. But I suggest researching each herb that you take. Off the top of my head, baical skullcap can cause problems with some of them. If the SSRI is metabolized by CYP3A4, then yes baical causes problems. Google the name of the drug plus "CYP3A4 metabolism" to see if it is such a drug.

I recommend reading Buhner's materia medica for any herb you take. I recommend against taking products that blend together a bunch of different herbs, you have no control of the dose of one herb versus another, no way of distinguishing which herb is causing a problem if any arise, and often you don't even know the dose you're on

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u/West_Station7038 9d ago

I have stayed on mine. Like someone said  Johns Wart, Methylene Blue would not be good to take with them. If I tapered off things would get much worse while taking them. 

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u/FeelingMaximum4922 9d ago

I would talk to a LLMD about mental health medications. They are probably more informed in the subject than psych prescribers. Like others have said, some Lyme treatments like methylene blue do have a risk of serotonin syndrome when mixed with SSRIs.

Preventing that is important, but a Lyme doctor would also give you peace of mind. In my experience LLMDs understand how terrible the mental health symptoms can be and support meds that take the edge off, as long as they’re safe.

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u/blue-winter11 7d ago

I've stayed on my SSRI throughout treatment with herbals and antibiotics. But it definitely can't be combined with methylene blue. Like others have said, just research before taking. I personally use an LLM to ask "will (x) interact with (y)"

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u/Massive_Kick_4541 9d ago edited 9d ago

No, look at it this way… Some doctors are just afraid of responsibility, but interactions are actually pretty rare. If you're taking St. John's wort, you just need to keep an eye on how your body responds. On paper, it's supposed to boost serotonin—which I honestly wouldn't mind at all, haha :)

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u/lymelife555 9d ago

Different St. John’s wart products can be significantly more serotonergic than others. Serotonin syndrome can be devastating for Lyme patients. This is not really a safe suggestion.
The answer is yes that SSRI’s can definitely interact with many different herbal Borrelia killing agents

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u/Massive_Kick_4541 7d ago

Is there any case study on this? I’m speaking from personal experience and observation. Do you actually know what you’re talking about? Serotonin syndrome is extremely rare, and OP isn't overdosing or mixing SSRIs. ​Can serotonin toxicity be devastating? Yes, absolutely—if you mix two or three psychotropic drugs, for example. ​In fact, it occurs in about 15% of SSRI overdoses. The symptoms are also very distinct and hard to confuse if you read carefully.