What's your worst antidepressant experience?
Question:
'Cause I'm really sick of this lie that these medications are safe. It's not safe, but maybe it's worth it when you're that desperate, who knows, but stop lying!!
Answers:
I went into a major depression a few years back and was prescribed a new (then it was new anyway) medication called Cymbalta. First of all, it did absolutely nothing for my depression, in fact it made it even worse! I didn't want to get out of bed at all while taking that stuff; never mind getting up at noon or 1pm. I was very irritable on it and isolated myself from family and friends. I went to my regular medical doctor for a checkup and he noticed that something was wrong as well. He took my blood pressure and it was higher than it had ever been in my life. I do have hypertension in my family (but I never had it myself) so I really didn't think much of it at the time and he told me to just keep an eye on it. I kept going back to the psych dr. to tell him that something wasn't working with this medication and he kept telling me to give it more time to kick in. Finally after being on it almost three months, I got taken off of it and switched to Effexor. After about a week on the Effexor, my mood was improved and I was able to start functioning and living again. When I went back to my medical doctor for another checkup, he was amazed to see my blood pressure had come down significantly and asked me if my meds have changed on the psych end. I told him about the Cymbalta and he told me that one of the (I believe more rare) side effects can be high bp.
The truth===NOT all antidepressants are right for everyone!! Also, you DO need a doctor that will listen to you. Going to my doctor (who is no longer my doctor now) was like going through the drive through at McDonalds. You were in and out in less than five minutes!! He didn't talk to you but rather just pulled out the prescription pad to refil your prescriptions. I was waiting for him to offer me a hamburger and order of fries on my next visit rather than pills...
However unfortunate it is, to find the right one for you is little more than trial and error method. Therefore, do not give up hope and do what you can to help yourself while you are on the meds.
The kids next door (15/16 yr olds) were blasting their music so loudly I couldnt even talk on the phone. I lost it!
I went round and banged on the door but they couldnt hear me. I banged the door so hard I burst the sin on my knuckles.
I was raging like I have never been like before in my entire life. I went into my kitchen, picked up the biggest wooden handle object I could. Went back round and used the handle to bang on tthe door. The kids came to the window and shouted she's got a knife! I hadn't realised it was a meat cleaver I had picked up from my knife block.
So there was me small petite female banging the crap out of this door with a meat cleaver, I turned round and there was the police. I dropped the knife instantly of course.
I ended up being charged. After all the reports the court asked were in, the judge did say that she didn't believe this is normal behaviour and due to my depression and the strength of the tablets I was on she understood the tablets would make me numb to such emotions and sometimes irrational thought.
I promptly weaned myself of the damn things and learnt new coping strategies for life's obstacles. I don't think they are safe. And those who prescribe them nowadays just don't care, last time I was down and went to see my doc he filled out a presciption for a tablet I had never been on and an amount I am not allowed at one time (3months supply as I too have tried to take my own life), he hadn't read my file or anything, just here and go away attitude!
I had went through every drug there is so I have several side effects. Soroquel made me sick to my stomach. Prozac well that was one that nearly pushed me over the edge. Wellbutrin made me feel nervouse. Zoloft made me feel loopy and I could not concentrate. But the worst was litium it made me feel like a zombie. I finally got a good doctor who actually listened to me and put me on Lamictal and I have had no side effects. But it took 6 weeks to increase the dose to the right levels. All medications have thier problems and until they can figure out how the persons body will be effected by them its all trial and error. Just do not give up on treatment. Make sure you get a doctor who is one to listen well.
There's a reason you need a prescription to get these medications. You need to be monitored closely when you start them because there are so many possible side effects. That doesn't make the medications bad, though. They work wonders for some people. I'd probably be dead without the ones I'm on now. I had some fun getting to these, though.
Lexapro was the first med I tried and it exacerbated everything I was experiencing intensely. I was so anxious I could hardly leave my dorm room and when I did I shook the entire time and could hardly breathe. On top of that I figured out a far more effective method of S.I. and pretty much became obsessed. This was after only 9 days on the med, too.
Effexor wasn't that bad, but it was certainly interesting. It made me very spacy to the point where I'd almost get lost driving home, and I trembled any time we increased my dose, and it killed my appetite so I lost about 20 pounds.
My doctor determined that SSRIs and SNRIs just don't work for me. Wellbutrin works great for me, but it totally messes with some people. Nobody who knows these meds advertises that they're safe, but they definitely can be very beneficial when you find the right one.
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