Depression and medication.

LegacyUser

Hi,

Basically I wanted to ask whether any f you had ever had bad experiences taking anti-depressants.

I have been feeling pretty down for some time now, and when I discussed it with my previous GP (in more detail) he suggested antidepressants. At the time I said I would think about it, but was actually pretty much against it from the start since I have heard a lot of horror stories around (people becoming more suicidal, getting addicted, feeling numb and the like). So do you have any advice? Any good or bad experiences?

Thanks.

My own experience is that it took trial and error to find an anti depressant that made a significant difference in my illness. There was one that I found more effective in treating my depression, but was unwilling to put up with some of the side effects. Of course the medication I take now does have some side effects, it was a matter of which ones I personally found easier to tolerate. I have never had any severe reactions to any of the five medications I took, and I have no physical withdrawl symptoms if I forget to take my pill. Some antidepressants certainly caused physical withdrawl, though I never experienced addiction like you would get with nicotine or alcohol, and tapering the dose slowly meant I could come off any of them without a problem.

I have heard horror stories, but most of them are just complaints from people who that certain drug didn't suit - like I will say "this antidepressant was hell, it made me feel this and this", whereas my friend has been on it years and it works great for him. There were two people I knew who went batsh*t insane on their anti depressants, for one there was no alternative, he just couldn't take them, for the other a simple change of medication and he was back to his own self again.

Personally I'd prefer to do without the mild side effects of my medication, but coming off them would be so unwise I wont even consider it. I have had depression most of my life and simply cannot overcome it without antidepressants. For the most part of people I know anti depressants have made a very positive difference in their treatment.

That's my side of the story... obviously I'm pro medication for those who need it! The decision will ultimately be yours. Hope you get more replies from other's experiences to help you weigh it up.

LegacyUser

I'm curious, what kind of side effects did you get? I just want to know what to expect, really.

Thanks for your reply!

With my current medication the only side effects were increased appetite (which was great cause I was underweight), drowsiness (which was great too cause I didn't sleep well) but the one I found most difficult was extreme fatigue... oddly upping the dose has got rid of the food cravings, the sedative effect and the fatigue, but I've been constipated just about all the time since Christmas! (TMI maybe but you did ask!) It's a mild discomfort to live with compared to what I'm like OFF them.


The ones I changed from, then back onto, then off again caused me to have a dry mouth 24/7. I just could not drink enough liquids to stop the incredible thirst, I'd nearly make myself ill with the amount of water I drank.... some friends said this side effect doesn't bother them at all, I just can't handle it, I hate it. I also found that they decreased my appetite, which was a terrible thing for me because I plain just don't like eating much.... it's like I have no natural appetite of my own. Even though they probably made a better impact on my illness, I just wont go with the dry mouth again, couldn't stand it.

Remember there are common and less common side effects with all these medications, I've never had any severe side effect, although I seem to only get the rare (albeit not serious) side effects. They work differently in everyone. And like with my medication, different doses work differently sometimes.

All in all none of the side effects I experienced are anything more than just a bit of mild bother. Like I said before, I am definitely pro medication, but on that person's own basis.... doesn't suit everyone. Obviously your doctor would be the one to discuss your worries about side effects with, there are so many different anti depressants on the market.

CluelessGirl

dramadrama wrote: »

Hi,

Basically I wanted to ask whether any f you had ever had bad experiences taking anti-depressants.

I have been feeling pretty down for some time now, and when I discussed it with my previous GP (in more detail) he suggested antidepressants. At the time I said I would think about it, but was actually pretty much against it from the start since I have heard a lot of horror stories around (people becoming more suicidal, getting addicted, feeling numb and the like). So do you have any advice? Any good or bad experiences?

Thanks.

Hi OP,

Maybe you should go and see a counsellor first before you start to take anti-d's just to try and get an insight into why you maybe feeling the way you are.

From my experience GP's hand out prescriptions for anti-d's far too easily.

I went on them and I regretted it as they can really screw with your mind.....I was having nightmares etc......(just my experience!)

I came off them and started counselling instead.....I haven't looked back since.

I would say see a counsellor first and see what progress you may make there and then if your still feeling down then try a low dose of anti-d's.

Hope this may help.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

I went to my GP a number of years ago because I was feeling very down. She referred me to a psychiatrist. At the time I didn't really know the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist I assumed that this doctor would listen to me and try to get to the root of my problem. Instead she asked me a few basic questions about my background and how I was feeling generally then gave me a simple form on depression - one that you would typically see online or on the back of a pamphlet. She basically made the decision to put me on anti-depressants because I ticked more than 3 boxes on this form. I don't have any serious mental illness I was lonely more than anything else and I was reluctant to start on them but she told me that I should give myself a break and try these and that they would help get me back on my feet. Looking back I feel like she was a drug pusher because my instincts were not to take them but she somehow made me feel that my instincts were wrong.

Anyway, I was so reluctant that she gave me a very low dose. The only side effects I can remember was feeling really hungry and then having something small to eat and then not wanting any more. Wasn't a big deal but I always had a healthy appetite and I didn't like feeling that way. Whether real or imagined I did feel more stable as in I didn't feel so up and down all the time - but that was only a subtle feeling. So when I went back to see her I was expecting counselling - she had told me that she did CBT - but she spent about 20mins with me, talked about increasing the dose, and she didn't seem to know a thing about me even though she had taken notes. So the fact that she didn't even bother to look over her notes before I went in didn't give me much faith in her judgement of me and I began to question it. I kept taking them anyway for maybe 3 months and then one day I went in for another appointment with her. I was in her waiting room looking through some magazines and I saw an article that said if you go to someone who only gives you drugs and doesn't analyse or counsel you - run a mile! This was in her waiting room! So I told her I wasn't happy with the service she was providing told her how annoyed I was that she didn't remember anything about me from one appointment to the next. She said 'well, we're all doing our best'. I was disgusted, how much was I paying her to do her lousy best, if thats the best she could do she shouldn't be in that job. The funny thing is it felt good to stand up for myself and I actually began to feel better about myself. I gradually came off the anti-d's and didn't notice much difference in myself. (like I said it was a low dose)Needless to say I didn't go back to her.

So I guess thats my long winded way of repeating what the previous poster said - Doctors are too willing to give out drugs these days. I know not all doctors are the same and I know some people absolutely need drugs but I think its just the easy option for doctors when someone comes in saying they feel down.

I have found acupuncture very helpful in controlling my emotions, it balances me out. Also, I have found TAT - a therapy which you can do yourself and is based on acupuncture - helpful also. Tapas Acupressure Technique - look it up online there are practitioners you can go to to show you how to do it. It tells you how to do it online but I think - for me anyway - I'm glad I went to someone to learn how to do it, plus you can talk to the practitioner about your problems as well.

Best of luck to you

Freiheit

A great group where you can talk about this is Grow, www.grow.ie I'd recommend a Counsellor first, there may be a specific reason why your down and Counsellor might be able to help. You can always try anti-depressants if this fails.

Novella

I tried a few different anti-depressants before I finally settled on the one that I am prescribed currently. On one, I did become suicidal so yeah, that can happen. It is suggested that you tell someone close to you that you're going on medication so that they can keep an eye on you and watch for changes in your behaviour.

At the moment I'm on Lustral 100mg and the side effects I have experienced are a disinterest in sex, difficulty achieving orgasm and nosebleeds. Sexual disfunction is actually really common amongst those who take anti-d's. I lowered my dose to 50mg, and then stopped taking 'em for a week to see if my libido returned and it did.

Obviously you shouldn't do things like change the dose yourself.

As for becoming addicted, I do find I have a huge drop in mood if I stop taking my medication but if I gradually decreased the dosage over time, and then took them on alternating days etc., it's not so bad.

You kinda just have to decide if the benefits outweigh the side effects and things. I'd say if you don't really need to take anti-depressants, then don't but if you're in a place that you cannot get out of alone, if your mood is constantly low, then maybe they are a good idea.

LegacyUser

OP here.

Thanks for the replies, you have been very helpful! I guess it really is a matter of trying and seeing what's best for you, but it's a relief to know that some people have had quite a good experience with the drugs too, so it's not all bad. I was also wondering whether you can drink when you are on the anti-depressants?

About counselling: I have been thinking of going to a counsellor for a while, but I guess I don't have much faith in it personally (I'm not sure why, I just think I might work on some people but not others) and I think that it would take a long time for it to show its effects, so you might be going to therapy for months (just 'giving it a chance') before realising that it's not for you, looking for another councellor, trying again... Also, it's quite expensive.

I will check out the TAT therapy online now, to see what that's about too.

Novella

dramadrama wrote: »

OP here.

Thanks for the replies, you have been very helpful! I guess it really is a matter of trying and seeing what's best for you, but it's a relief to know that some people have had quite a good experience with the drugs too, so it's not all bad. I was also wondering whether you can drink when you are on the anti-depressants?

About counselling: I have been thinking of going to a counsellor for a while, but I guess I don't have much faith in it personally (I'm not sure why, I just think I might work on some people but not others) and I think that it would take a long time for it to show its effects, so you might be going to therapy for months (just 'giving it a chance') before realising that it's not for you, looking for another councellor, trying again... Also, it's quite expensive.

I will check out the TAT therapy online now, to see what that's about too.

All of the anti-d's I have been on said not to mix with alcohol. Tbh, alcohol is a depressant anyway so if you're feeling down it's probably just best that you avoid it in general.

token56

For the time I was on anti-depressants they really didn't do any good for me. The only thing they did was give me headaches and slow down my mind in a way I didn't desire and just made things worse. But I dont blame the medication itself I'd blame being given them too willy nilly so to say. Anti-depressants do a lot of good for a lot of people but it really is down to an individual as to whether they will do anything for you or not.However I just think they are given out far to easily by GP's as a fix quick when other treatments might be more effective. But I think this is all down to the standard of mental healthcare in this country, which I've a major problem with, but this topic is not really the place for a big rant on it. OP, I'd say get a second opinion before making the decision and if possible see a qualified mental health care specialist.

LegacyUser

I went on Lexapro 10mg (the smallest medical dose) a few months ago and I have to say it was one of the best decisions I ever made. It took a few weeks to work but I'm feeling great now.

The side effects are pretty small, at the moment I can start chewing my cheek in my sleep as though I was on speed or something but that's about it. Sex drive was a bit lower for a while but it came back after a couple of months.