u/Earthling_333

I have been on Prozac (20 mg) for a few months and it’s honestly helped a lot. It keeps me from bottoming out with depression.

But I’ve noticed my sense of smell is crazy heightened now, like pregnancy-level sensitive 😂

It’s a mix of good and bad, but things like taxi air fresheners or “car smell” make me feel like I’m going to puke right away.

Out of curiosity, anyone else experience this?

Edit >> This is what I found out:

When serotonin levels are altered like with an SSRI, it changes how certain neurons communicate. Some brain regions tied to sensory processing, like the olfactory system, become more sensitive. Essentially, one’s brain might filter less or amplify those signals, so things like smells might feel more intense.

A recent post has me wondering who else might be in the same boat.

Yesterday I was around people from 9:30 am until 7:30 pm, and even after 9 hours of sleep I woke up feeling completely drained, like a hangover (I don’t drink). I ended up cancelling plans today because I just didn’t have it in me.

What confuses me is that I’m not shy or socially anxious. I actually enjoy people, and I’m very active. I can hike for hours and climb a whole ass mountain and feel great the next day. But socializing, even when it’s fun, wipes me out.

I do have ADHD, so I’ve wondered if that plays a role, like my brain just burns through energy faster and needs more recovery time.

The bigger thing for me is how much alone time I seem to need. I feel best when I have a lot of space to myself, and I start to feel drained pretty quickly if I don’t get that.

That’s where relationships get tricky. Even when I really truly like someone, I can’t keep up with the level of communication or time together they want. I end up needing more space than feels “normal,” and it makes relationships feel unsustainable.

At this point, I’ve sworn off romantic relationships because of my need for so much alone time. I’m genuinely happiest this way, but it also makes me wonder if this is just how I’m wired or if something’s off. I am happy single, so maybe I should stop questioning if something is off and just embrace it!

Curious if anyone else relates, especially the needing a lot of space part.