Q:  Voices & Antidepressants

since march,2003 i have been diagnosed with ocd,panic disorder,bpd,and major depressive disorder with psychosis,all by different docs.i am currently taking 40mg prozac,15mg zyprexa,and 1mg xanax.my panic disorder and ocd have gotten much better,but the voices i am hearing have not gotten any better.can these voices be caused by bpd or do i have something else like schizophrenia,i never heard any voices until i started an anti-depressant.

Dear Charles --
Your last sentence suggests you have a suspicion about the antidepressant playing a role in this. Since bipolar disorder clearly can be associated with auditory hallucinations ("voices"); and since antidepressants clearly can be associated with triggering manic-side symptoms in bipolar disorder -- it seems possible your suspicion is correct. However, don't stop the antidepressant on your own. It needs to be slowly tapered down if you're going to try treatment without it, and this needs to be done with your doctor's guidance. For some more information on how to treat ocd and panic using psychotherapy so you don't have to rely so much on the antidepressant, here are two brief summaries: panic and ocd .
 

Dr. Phelps

Published December, 2003