Anyone taking anti-depressants?
Anyone taking anti-depressants?
- Thread starterRiptide X
- Start date
Rip,
This topic will probably get moved to off topic, but I don't know.
I do know that one of the effects of SA is often clinical depression. How could we not be depressed?
Anyway, I absolutely require them at this time to just maintain. I take the maximum dose of Effexor there is and I still deal at times with deep depression, mostly when I consider what the SA did. But it's better than it was.
Zolft and Effexor (as well as Prozac, Celexa, Paxel, and some others) are in the family of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI'S). PM me if you want to know about that in more detail. Or go to WedMD and lookup SSRI's, using the long name above.
Most, if not all, anti-depressants, take approximately 4-6 weeks to fully kick in. And doctors may raise the dose if necessary.
You will find out you are far from alone in this!
Peace,
Marc
This topic will probably get moved to off topic, but I don't know.
I do know that one of the effects of SA is often clinical depression. How could we not be depressed?
Anyway, I absolutely require them at this time to just maintain. I take the maximum dose of Effexor there is and I still deal at times with deep depression, mostly when I consider what the SA did. But it's better than it was.
Zolft and Effexor (as well as Prozac, Celexa, Paxel, and some others) are in the family of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI'S). PM me if you want to know about that in more detail. Or go to WedMD and lookup SSRI's, using the long name above.
Most, if not all, anti-depressants, take approximately 4-6 weeks to fully kick in. And doctors may raise the dose if necessary.
You will find out you are far from alone in this!
Peace,
Marc
Mike Church
Registrant
I take 75 mg of Effexor and 75mg of Welbutrin
MrDon
Registrant
I took Zoloft fort several years and if I remember correctly, they had to get me to 100mg before it did much for me. It did take at least 4 weeks though before I really felt it.
For me at the time, Zoloft was a gift of life. I was trying to find ways to kill myself and it really helped turn my life around. Of course the side effects weren't fun at all (i.e. sexual, constipation and stomach problems). But overall, zoloft helped save my life.
Don
For me at the time, Zoloft was a gift of life. I was trying to find ways to kill myself and it really helped turn my life around. Of course the side effects weren't fun at all (i.e. sexual, constipation and stomach problems). But overall, zoloft helped save my life.
Don
I resisted taking anti-depressant medications for many years. And as a result, I suffered from chronic depression for many years. The effects of the depression were so much a part of my life, that it seemed to me to be the 'normal' way to live.
It was only after suffering a severe trauma and being totally overwhelmed by the worsening depression that I was forced to finally give in, seek some professional advice and begin anti-depressant meds.
It is the best thing that I could have done, because I really believe it has saved my life.
That was three years ago. I still take a lot of anti-depressants: 200 mgs. of Zoloft daily, 450 mgs of Effexor per day; and 4 mgs of Gabitril every evening. I have put up with all the various side effects because I simply could not function without them.
After my exposure to the terrorism in New York on 9/11/01 and then being diagnosed with Hep C, I began the interferon treatment for the hepatitis, which caused extreme depression.
I thought about killing myself every day. I have been under psychiatric care and attending therapy, both group and individual since.
I would really like to start to come off of the medications. I will of course only do this under the doctor's orders.
I guess the one piece of experience I would share is that I feel the medications work best in conjunction with some type of therapeutic treatment.
I wish I didn't have to take the drugs; I wish that I could start to wean myself from them; but I trust my psychiatrist and my therapist and we talk about those possibilities often.
I feel there may be a tendency to begin to become somewhat less active when taking anti-depressant meds. By that I mean, that people I know who have started taking the meds, have sometimes begun to do less work on their own in therapy or elsewhere. And begin to depend too much of the drugs.
But that's just my perception. I prefer to remain very involved in my recovery, and for me that means an involvement in my medication and other therapy.
Thanks,
It was only after suffering a severe trauma and being totally overwhelmed by the worsening depression that I was forced to finally give in, seek some professional advice and begin anti-depressant meds.
It is the best thing that I could have done, because I really believe it has saved my life.
That was three years ago. I still take a lot of anti-depressants: 200 mgs. of Zoloft daily, 450 mgs of Effexor per day; and 4 mgs of Gabitril every evening. I have put up with all the various side effects because I simply could not function without them.
After my exposure to the terrorism in New York on 9/11/01 and then being diagnosed with Hep C, I began the interferon treatment for the hepatitis, which caused extreme depression.
I thought about killing myself every day. I have been under psychiatric care and attending therapy, both group and individual since.
I would really like to start to come off of the medications. I will of course only do this under the doctor's orders.
I guess the one piece of experience I would share is that I feel the medications work best in conjunction with some type of therapeutic treatment.
I wish I didn't have to take the drugs; I wish that I could start to wean myself from them; but I trust my psychiatrist and my therapist and we talk about those possibilities often.
I feel there may be a tendency to begin to become somewhat less active when taking anti-depressant meds. By that I mean, that people I know who have started taking the meds, have sometimes begun to do less work on their own in therapy or elsewhere. And begin to depend too much of the drugs.
But that's just my perception. I prefer to remain very involved in my recovery, and for me that means an involvement in my medication and other therapy.
Thanks,
I have been on several antidepressants, it took while to find out what work for me. I think I was on Zoloft for less then a week, it made me horribly sick and I couldn't eat without throwing everything up. I ended up with Effexor 300mg a day and Wellbutrin 300mg a day. But now I am off the Wellbutrin, only on the Effexor and Geodon. I think they are wonderful treatments. I was very resistent to medicine, but I know that they have helped to save my life, and allow me to take it back some. I wish you good luck.
leosha
leosha
blueelectron9
Registrant
I took Zoloft for awhile. It wiped out my sex drive and made me very flat emotionally. I didn't like it.
I currently take 40 mg of Celexa, along with 4 mg of Risperdal and 0.5 mg of Klonopin (2x per day). I also take 200 mg of Provigil. It's hard for me to reach orgasm during sex and my sex drive is lowered, but it works great, especially with the Provigil.
Best,
Scotty
I currently take 40 mg of Celexa, along with 4 mg of Risperdal and 0.5 mg of Klonopin (2x per day). I also take 200 mg of Provigil. It's hard for me to reach orgasm during sex and my sex drive is lowered, but it works great, especially with the Provigil.
Best,
Scotty
i was given zoloft too. it has helped but it is kind of subtle for me.
i still get depressed but am a hell of a lot better with it than without it.
i started with 50's, and then now 2 100's a day.
i believe in my doctor, so i am following his suggestions. it also included counselling of which i have been doing for about six months now.
both help me and have helped. this web site has helped too.
still not "cured" but i am in process. i am a hell of a lot better than i was 6 or 7 months ago. now i only have "shitty parts" of days, not whole days or weeks, or weekends.
good luck and try to be patient for the stuff to kind of start working. if it doesn't help, request something else. we deserve it.
guy
i still get depressed but am a hell of a lot better with it than without it.
i started with 50's, and then now 2 100's a day.
i believe in my doctor, so i am following his suggestions. it also included counselling of which i have been doing for about six months now.
both help me and have helped. this web site has helped too.
still not "cured" but i am in process. i am a hell of a lot better than i was 6 or 7 months ago. now i only have "shitty parts" of days, not whole days or weeks, or weekends.
good luck and try to be patient for the stuff to kind of start working. if it doesn't help, request something else. we deserve it.
guy
Bill_1965
Registrant
I was on Serzone, it helped with the depression. It's side effects are less and sexual side effects are about the lowest of all the ADs. Big downside is my BC/BS didn't cover it (unless nothing else worked) and it was very expensive. Since then the generic version has come out.
I am now taking Lamictal which is more for the PTSD and has some AD properties. It is also used to treat Bi-polar disorder. It was originally a med for seizures. This is also an expensive med not available in generic version. Luckily my BC/BS does cover this one.
I am now taking Lamictal which is more for the PTSD and has some AD properties. It is also used to treat Bi-polar disorder. It was originally a med for seizures. This is also an expensive med not available in generic version. Luckily my BC/BS does cover this one.
Most seem to take 4-6 weeks from my readings (find a psychiatric drug handbook at your library, xcheck the side/effects, it:s fun). My antiD is 1960:s med that came to me from Gen. Pract. doctor years ago to cure my CFS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, NOT depression (Now that I:ve broken the Abuse Silence, we all really know where the Chronic fatigue came from/geez!!!). Didn:t even know it:s antiD properties until I read in the Library! They don:t prescribe it for the Psych purposes anymore since you can OD easy on it (plus it has psychotropic effects which I have not yet tried out these last 10 years). Amytriptylene (Elavil) 50m before bed and I no longer have had major headaches after waking up...I thought it was merely some sleep medicine. I took Paxil for awhile too (50mg, up from minimum 30), but it only took care of major triggers, not the hourly smaller triggers/hmmm still wondering what to do and if I should go back to Effexor or ....? Good luck, this is a balancing act I kind of hate, so I hobble along with what I KNOW works and at least Elavil produces results - even then I doubled my prescription up from 25 to 50 the first week (the drug store printout said this was OK, consult your doc). I myself hesitate to go in deeper than a single antiD, but don:t hesitate doing just one, it helps! Good luck/experimenting!!!
i take zoloft, and it has helped. strangely, i didnt start taking it for depression. i started taking it to deal with premature ejaculation after reading a study where they were having good results treating PE w/ anitdepressants. on the plus side, within a couple of weeks my mind became less frantic, more calm. it has helped control my fits of anger and rage. i have to go up to 100mg to see the sexual effects i want, but i felt emotional effects at 50mg. i really think it has helped me.
Thanks all for taking time to answer.
Actually as far as side effects go, when i first started to take it, I just could not perform if you know what I mean...but now I have no problem in fact I can last a really long time, and my sex drive has gone up in fact.
I have been at 100 mg for 2 weeks now. I really have not seen a huge difference in fact nothing that I noticed. My wife has siad she noticed I am more calm but not sure. I am going back to doc in 2 weeks so will see what happens by then.
Forgot to add the other good thing I have noticed and really dont know if has to do with medicine making me drwosy or just more calm..but I am sleeping much better, I dont wake up 6-7 times a night and can fall asleep lot easier..in fact in a way it makes me more tired..but that ok.
Actually as far as side effects go, when i first started to take it, I just could not perform if you know what I mean...but now I have no problem in fact I can last a really long time, and my sex drive has gone up in fact.
I have been at 100 mg for 2 weeks now. I really have not seen a huge difference in fact nothing that I noticed. My wife has siad she noticed I am more calm but not sure. I am going back to doc in 2 weeks so will see what happens by then.
Forgot to add the other good thing I have noticed and really dont know if has to do with medicine making me drwosy or just more calm..but I am sleeping much better, I dont wake up 6-7 times a night and can fall asleep lot easier..in fact in a way it makes me more tired..but that ok.
