Anxiety / depression meds

[danowat]

Just need a bit of guidance here, long story short, I was put on Mitazapine for my PTSD, taken off them due to weight gain and put of Fluxotine, which gave me terrible side affects, taken off Fluxotine and put back on Mitazapine, which again gave me weight gain, so was taken off them again and put on Duloxotine, which are now giving me side affects again, not as severe as Fluxotine, but bad enough.

Anyone had a similar experiance with meds?, did you push through the side effects and come out the other side better?, so do I just try and push through the side affects?, or do I see about stopping meds altogether as it seems that I don't react well to them

Any thoughts?

 

[zychi]

You should talk to your doctor.

PTSD isnt something to mess with. No one on the internet can tell you what to take

 

[aerie]

Talk to your doctor, keep trying different combinations and doses until something works right for you. Sometimes you get it right away, sometimes it'll take awhile, try to push through the side effects if they're not too awful, at least through the adjustment phase. It is all worth it once you get something that works and you'll be glad you did.

 

[danowat]

You should talk to your doctor.

PTSD isnt something to mess with. No one on the internet can tell you what to take

Click to shrink...

I am, tomorrow, but just wanted to get some idea for when I talk to them, to be honest, I am losing faith in them, it feels like a bit hit and hope at the moment.

 

[Deleted member 888]

My ex was once on Mitazapine for PTSD and it made her blow up like a balloon. Serious weight gain.

As for general side effects they can often take 4~6 weeks to pass in SSRIs. Best to talk to your GP though, not an internet forum where some can't wash their penises lol.

 

[SolidChamp]

I'm taking Valdoxan. A tablet and a half at night before bed. That's like hitting a fucking switch; I know as soon as I pop that I'll be out in minutes. So I always hold off unti l start to feel naturally tired because I like being up at night to watch stuff or play games.

I take Flupine as a backup in the event of a breakdown.

But man, I've been crazy fucking lethargic as a result. I can barely make it through the day. I drink 3-5 cups of coffee and still feel tired. I'm ready for bed by 8:30, which sucks because I have a two year old to tend to and make sure he makes his bedtime.

I'm taking vitamins and what have you, B complex and all that, but I just feel so awful. I'm achy everywhere. My legs feel like they're made of lead.

But all of this is better than the alternative. Something's gotta give eventually.

 

[danowat]

As for general side effects they can often take 4~6 weeks to pass in SSRIs. Best to talk to your GP though, not an internet forum where some can't wash their penises lol.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I get that, I was just after other people experiences (yeah, I know it can vary a lot) in leui of seeing the GP tomorrow, getting any help for things like this seems to be very difficult..........

 

[Heath V]

I would speak to your doctor, a video game forum is not the way to go. With that being said I got off them they did nothing for me and the side effects were absolutely horrendous. Whatever you do taper off them, do not go cold turkey it was one of the worst experiences of my life.

 

[Deleted member 888]

Yeah, I get that, I was just after other people experiences (yeah, I know it can vary a lot) in leui of seeing the GP tomorrow, getting any help for things like this seems to be very difficult..........

Click to shrink...

With side effects ymmv with the range of drugs on offer, unfortunately it's just a case of trying under the guidance of a GP until something works for you. The general rule of thumb is expect a few weeks of side effects until your body gets used to the chemical arrival of a new substance in your brain.

My anecdotal experience around Mitazapine was really bad, but that might not be the case for someone else.

 

[pronk]

Just need a bit of guidance here, long story short, I was put on Mitazapine for my PTSD, taken off them due to weight gain and put of Fluxotine, which gave me terrible side affects, taken off Fluxotine and put back on Mitazapine, which again gave me weight gain, so was taken off them again and put on Duloxotine, which are now giving me side affects again, not as severe as Fluxotine, but bad enough.

Anyone had a similar experiance with meds?, did you push through the side effects and come out the other side better?, so do I just try and push through the side affects?, or do I see about stopping meds altogether as it seems that I don't react well to them

Any thoughts?

Click to shrink...

What kind of side effects? You might have to try a few different ones to find something that works for you. Also as someone else mentioned it takes a while to settle down so the side effects will be worst when you first start taking it I think.

 

[danowat]

What kind of side effects? You might have to try a few different ones to find something that works for you. Also as someone else mentioned it takes a while to settle down so the side effects will be worst when you first start taking it I think.

Click to shrink...

(Much) worsened anxiety, shaking, dark thoughts etc.

Less severe is headaches and dry mouth, but I could live with that.

 

[Windrunner]

I am on fluoxetine but I think the methylphenidate I am on helps counter-act weight gain. I find the two of them work together pretty well for all sorts of reasons. Hope you find something that works for you!

 

[mac]

Was there a drug where the side effects seemed less severe?

I am, tomorrow, but just wanted to get some idea for when I talk to them, to be honest, I am losing faith in them, it feels like a bit hit and hope at the moment.

Click to shrink...

It's like that with those drugs. Side effects are supposed to go away but it does take time. How long are the durations with your medications?

 

[danowat]

It's like that with those drugs. Side effects are supposed to go away but it does take time. How long are the durations with your medications?

Click to shrink...

I got just over a week into Fluxotene, but the side effects were so severe it basically made me have a breakdown, and had to be signed off work for two weeks while it worked out of my system.

I am again, a week into Duloxotine, and while not as severe as Fluxotene, I am struggling to work.

Was there a drug where the side effects seemed less severe?

Click to shrink...

Mitazapine has no side effects except weight gain, which I can't really live with.

 

[Windrunner]

The first month or two of SSRIs is always pretty rough sadly. You just have to ride it out.

 

[danowat]

The first month or two of SSRIs is always pretty rough sadly. You just have to ride it out.

Click to shrink...

That's what I was worried about, I can't really afford a month or two off work while the side effects subside.

 

[Deleted member 29939]

Took 50mg of Zoloft for a couple of weeks once. It was a fucking nightmare. I felt dead inside.

Threw the meds in the trash.

 

[Windrunner]

That's what I was worried about, I can't really afford a month or two off work while the side effects subside.

Click to shrink...

If it's any consolation, it gets easier. It took me 4 tries at SSRIs for it to stick and that 4th time was comparatively a walk in the park compared to the other times.

 

[mac]

Sorry OP. Finding the right brain pills is a trip.

Took 50mg of Zoloft for a couple of weeks once. It was a fucking nightmare. I felt dead inside.

Threw the meds in the trash.

Click to shrink...

Sounds like you used them wrongly

 

[UnholyChocolate]

I'm on some anti depressants, they have fucked my ability to sleep and made it even worse, and lowered my libido, and made everything feel distant. Other than that they aren't too bad

 

[yogurt]

Took 50mg of Zoloft for a couple of weeks once. It was a fucking nightmare. I felt dead inside.

Threw the meds in the trash.

Click to shrink...

Cool, Zoloft also didn't work for me. But other medications saved my life. Please don't generalize your one experience to discount the value of psychiatric medication.

OP: Unfortunately, it often takes trial and error to find medications that work for you. The best thing you can do is keep track of everything you've taken and are taking and how it has affected you. That way, if you move from one doc to another, they don't end up pushing the same solutions on you. It can also help you get to the bottom of what, exactly, you need treatment for. Journaling and therapy helped me get more clarity on what I needed medication to treat, beyond just "I feel like shit." There are things medication can treat (existential anxiety, in my case) and others they cannot (a lack of a sense of meaning in my life). But the relief they offer from symptoms can help clear the way for you to work toward sustainable solutions for what ails you in the long term, whether through therapy, meditation, journaling, or any other type of reflection.

 

[Deleted member 29939]

I didn't mean to sugest you should avoid meds. I just happened to have a bad reaction the only time I took it. Really bad

It does save lives for sure.

 

[Lulu]

It's been about 6 weeks since I started Prozac after having a really bad panic attack fueled by invasive/dark thoughts and general anxiety. It was a rough first two weeks for sure but now I feel pretty much back to normal. Somewhere around week 4 I woke up and just felt significantly better after slowly building up to it. Everything still isn't perfect but my progress week by week is noticeable. As said, these things take time and it'll usually get worse the first few weeks but it does get better.

 

[New Fang]

I believe it's always best to try and avoid meds if possible. As the OP is experiencing they often turn into a merry go round of new problems, and often times they don't even cure the problem they were originally prescribed for in the first place. It is possible to learn how anxiety/OCD/PTSD work, etc, and through exposure therapy overcome these things. Unfortunately for the large majority of doctors the first course of action is meds, just because it's easy, and patients love the "quick fix" they offer, but it's rarely that simple.

So see a therapist, talk through things as much as possible, learn coping techniques, and when you've exhausted all other options or someone's life is in danger, then consider medications.

 

[danowat]

So see a therapist, talk through things as much as possible, learn coping techniques, and when you've exhausted all other options or someone's life is in danger, then consider medications.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I should have put this bit in the opening post..........

I was prescribed meds after I was suffering negative affects from the CBT I was having, the therapist was the one who suggest I stop the CBT and see my GP about some medication, I have since been prescribed EMDR, of which I have my first bout of next Monday.

 

[New Fang]

Yeah, I should have put this bit in the opening post..........

I was prescribed meds after I was suffering negative affects from the CBT I was having, the therapist was the one who suggest I stop the CBT and see my GP about some medication, I have since been prescribed EMDR, of which I have my first bout of next Monday.

Click to shrink...

How long did the CBT go on? Sometimes things can feel a bit worse before they get better.

With my anxiety/OCD I felt worse when I initially tried to confront things in therapy. You're forced to focus on these thoughts and feelings, and it's scary. But once I turned the corner, and got a good understanding of how things worked, I felt a lot better.

I would also be very open to finding a new therapist. They are NOT all equal. I've encountered some that seemed clueless, and others who seem like magicians.

 

[danowat]

How long did the CBT go on? Sometimes things can feel a bit worse before they get better.

With my anxiety/OCD I felt worse when I initially tried to confront things in therapy. You're forced to focus on these thoughts and feelings, and it's scary. But once I turned the corner, and got a good understanding of how things worked, I felt a lot better.

I would also be very open to finding a new therapist. They are NOT all equal. I've encountered some that seemed clueless, and others who seem like magicians.

Click to shrink...

6 weeks off the top of my head, the EMDR is with a new therapist, so I'll see how that goes, but in the meantime I do need to do something about the meds.

There is also a disconnect between NHS GP's and private therapists, the therapist won't prescribe meds, only a GP, and they have very different outlooks, so it can be a bit of a go between.

 

[New Fang]

6 weeks off the top of my head, the EMDR is with a new therapist, so I'll see how that goes, but in the meantime I do need to do something about the meds.

There is also a disconnect between NHS GP's and private therapists, the therapist won't prescribe meds, only a GP, and they have very different outlooks, so it can be a bit of a go between.

Click to shrink...

Give that new therapy a go. It may be a breakthrough for you.

Regarding meds. Ultimately you are in control your body. No one can make you do anything. Don't forget that. If you feel like you are a danger to yourself or others, you should look at meds right now. If you feel like you can cope for now, give therapy a good shot, and consider meds down the road.

 

[Sub Level]

Took 50mg of Zoloft for a couple of weeks once. It was a fucking nightmare. I felt dead inside.

Threw the meds in the trash.

Click to shrink...

I take the same medication and dosage. The side effects disappeared and the benefits kicked in a month after starting it.

I'm happier than I have ever been in my adult life. I even still get boners and shit lmao

With meds you really gotta stick with the program for 4-6 weeks. Its a lot like going into an ER with a chopped off arm and the receptionist telling you the doctor will be with you in a month, but its just how they work.

 

[danowat]

Give that new therapy a go. It may be a breakthrough for you.

Regarding meds. Ultimately you are in control your body. No one can make you do anything. Don't forget that. If you feel like you are a danger to yourself or others, you should look at meds right now. If you feel like you can cope for now, give therapy a good shot, and consider meds down the road.

Click to shrink...

I feel like I should stop, it wasn't a picnic before I started meds, and I did like the way I slept on Mitazpine, but what I am experiencing now is worse, and half of me thinks that weeks of side effects might not be worth going through.

It's not as bad as the Fluxotene (was in a really, really bad place then, considered ending it a few times), I couldnt go through that again, and it worries me that I'll get like that again, but it's still bad enough to affect my day to day life in a way that makes it difficult to continue working.

I take the same medication and dosage. The side effects disappeared and the benefits kicked in a month after starting it.

I'm happier than I have ever been in my adult life. I even still get boners and shit lmao

With meds you really gotta stick with the program for 4-6 weeks. Its a lot like going into an ER with a chopped off arm and the receptionist telling you the doctor will be with you in a month, but its just how they work.

Click to shrink...

I just don't know if I can handle the side effects for 4-6 weeks without falling to bits.

 

[ghostemoji]

My advice would be to have this conversation mostly with your doctor. Don't change anything you're doing without your doctor knowing and advising, and make sure you report everything else that you take regularly to your doctor (vitamins, supplements, ANYTHING; under-reporting of supplements is a big deal as a lot have active ingredients that can react poorly with medication). Also, it would probably be worthwhile to talk to someone at your job and explain to them that your doctor has prescribed you medication that can have various side effects and ask that they be understanding of that, you shouldn't have to be too specific.

If you want to quit your medication, do it under the supervision of your doctor. Talk through your concerns right now with your doctor as well.

I'm sure this has been hammered home a lot in this thread already, but I just wanted to say it again.

 

[Anth0ny]

I started taking some new shit, gained like 20 pounds in a month. It fucking sucks... but my mood is dramatically improved, so I'll take it.

 

[danowat]

My advice would be to have this conversation mostly with your doctor. Don't change anything you're doing without your doctor knowing and advising, and make sure you report everything else that you take regularly to your doctor (vitamins, supplements, ANYTHING; under-reporting of supplements is a big deal as a lot have active ingredients that can react poorly with medication). Also, it would probably be worthwhile to talk to someone at your job and explain to them that your doctor has prescribed you medication that can have various side effects and ask that they be understanding of that, you shouldn't have to be too specific.

If you want to quit your medication, do it under the supervision of your doctor. Talk through your concerns right now with your doctor as well.

I'm sure this has been hammered home a lot in this thread already, but I just wanted to say it again.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, thanks, understood.

Work already know as I had to take two weeks off when the Fluxotene span me out, and I am now working a 4 day week to try and see if that has a positive affect on my mental state.

I started taking some new shit, gained like 20 pounds in a month. It fucking sucks... but my mood is dramatically improved, so I'll take it.

Click to shrink...

I wouldn't mind too much if I didn't have history with weight, I lost about 10 stone in 2006-2008, after a heart attack scare, and T2 Diabetes, so putting any weight on is an issue for both me, and my GP.

 

[remiri]

Ask your doctor about Genetic Testing. There are tests you can take to determine what drugs are absorbed well in your body, and what ones aren't. As long as you have decent insurance they will pay for most of it, and it will save you a ton of issues.

If a medication is poorly absorbed, you would have to take more than the recommended dose to get any effect from it, and the side-effects would be worse as a result.

 

[PatMan]

Get a script for Adderall. Hard to be depressed when you are on stimulants

 

[danowat]

Ask your doctor about Genetic Testing. There are tests you can take to determine what drugs are absorbed well in your body, and what ones aren't. As long as you have decent insurance they will pay for most of it, and it will save you a ton of issues.

If a medication is poorly absorbed, you would have to take more than the recommended dose to get any effect from it, and the side-effects would be worse as a result.

Click to shrink...

We don't have insurance in the UK, we have this weird hybrid nationalised / privatised health system, especially when it comes to mental health.

 

[remiri]

Get a script for Adderall. Hard to be depressed when you are on stimulants

Click to shrink...

Depression is caused by parts of the brain's receptors being blocked, like a closed valve. I hope you are joking, because getting on a stimulant will not solve any problem with depression or anxiety and can (re: will) make anxiety much worse.

EDIT: CLINICAL Depression is what I meant. You can wake up one day and feel depressed, and not have it be a clinical thing.

 

[Cranston]

Just need a bit of guidance here, long story short, I was put on Mitazapine for my PTSD, taken off them due to weight gain and put of Fluxotine, which gave me terrible side affects, taken off Fluxotine and put back on Mitazapine, which again gave me weight gain, so was taken off them again and put on Duloxotine, which are now giving me side affects again, not as severe as Fluxotine, but bad enough.

Anyone had a similar experiance with meds?, did you push through the side effects and come out the other side better?, so do I just try and push through the side affects?, or do I see about stopping meds altogether as it seems that I don't react well to them

Any thoughts?

Click to shrink...

Hey OP,

Very similar to yourself.

I've been on 20mg of Citilopram for about four years. I decided to come of them about three months ago (they improved my mood but only in as much as the drugs fundamentally neutered my entire personality – I didn't feel depressed because I didn't feel anything).

Tried weening myself off. Didn't work. Went cold turkey. Sort of working so far.

In no way shape or form do I recommend that and it's very much frowned upon. The only significant side effects I have are incredible nightmares and bouts of extreme irritation.

But I'm back doing stuff and feeling human, rather than a zombie.

 

[protonion]

Last summer I had an anxiety neurosis or something. Dont know if it sounds right in english.

Extreme dizziness, zero appetite, stomach acid build up, horrible sleep. Evey morning I woke up feeling about to faint and my heart was about to explode from high pressure.

My doctor said it is anxiety. I found it hard to accept as nothing bad was happening in my life. Everything was fine. He swore thats the case. He told me that what Im experiencing started developing since I was a kid and now the lid came off.

Anyway he told me to take 20mg citalopram every morning. I did the mistake of reading the internet. I read about loss of libido and feeling like a zombie.

I took them. The first week I had a very minor nausea in the morning. The third week like a miracle I was fine. It felt like an evil cloud disappeared from my head.

I felt so healthy that I understood that even before the event I was not as good as I thought.

Zero side effects except maybe for needing more time to finish...

Next month Im starting cutting the pill for some time until I stop it.

Thats my experience.
Find a good doctor and trust him. Do not change doses or pills.

 

[Deleted member 8463]

If you're struggling to get through the side effects or the meds offered are going in circles I would honestly recommend self medication with hallucinogenics. I'm not joking. Magic mushrooms, LSD or even some MDMA. It's got me through some pretty shite life patches. And there's scientific merit to it too.

 

[danowat]

Find a good doctor and trust him. Do not change doses or pills.

Click to shrink...

This is another issue with the UK health system, it's in a right old mess, you're lucky if you can get a GP's appointment that week, but you want one with the same doctor everytime?, yeah, good luck with that, there is very little continuity unless you're prepared to wait ages.

 

[Jerm411]

I'm on 40mg of Citalopram....at first, it fucked with me but it was just my body adjusting to it IMO.

Now that I've been on it for a little while I feel way better and the meds have helped me a lot, I feel like my old self.

If you feel like you need them it's absolutely worth pushing through the initial phase and seeing it out.

 

[Mystic Vivi]

I am no doctor so take every suggestion I make with the largest grain of salt. I'd look into another therapist and start CBT again. It's clear the previous one was a failure.

Pills will work. 100% will work. But your body and brain will just be acting like the other millions who are on the same pill. It's a great bandaid but what if I said you can wake up cheerful and happy without using the pills at all? (Do realize this option is harder and more time consuming)

Gotta remember that throughout history people never had anti depressants to turn to when their mind got sick. Your mind is sick and in a loop. It's no biggie at all. It's that when it runs for years untreated you eventually get to the point of needing pills to help cope.

Something you can do yourself is keep some paper and write whenever you feel it coming on. Time/location. If you wanted any other suggestions I'm more than willing to help.

Depression sucks. Anxiety sucks. I'll never let it even enter my head again.

 

[Deleted member 29464]

Gotta remember that throughout history people never had anti depressants to turn to when their mind got sick. Your mind is sick and in a loop. It's no biggie at all. It's that when it runs for years untreated you eventually get to the point of needing pills to help cope.

Click to shrink...

I don't want to come across as a dick but there are people throughout history didn't exactly have the best lives and didn't necessarily cope well with their depression, anxiety, or any other issues they may have had. It's like saying people didn't have medication to turn to for the plague, yeah, but many of them died.

 

[remiri]

Pills will work. 100% will work. But your body and brain will just be acting like the other millions who are on the same pill. It's a great bandaid but what if I said you can wake up cheerful and happy without using the pills at all? (Do realize this option is harder and more time consuming)

Click to shrink...

Please recognize that this option might not just be harder, but impossible. People with clinical depression/anxiety literally have a different brain structure than you. There is a blockage in the receptors of their brain, similar to a clogged artery but for the brain's impulses. No amount of will, change of environment, or 'coping' as you say will help in this scenario.

I grew up with a brother who suffers from schizophrenia and I am married to someone with clinical depression and anxiety. If you can just 'never let it in your head again', then you did not have clinical depression or anxiety, you had a bad day.

 

[Deleted member 8463]

Gotta remember that throughout history people never had anti depressants to turn to when their mind got sick. Your mind is sick and in a loop. It's no biggie at all. It's that when it runs for years untreated you eventually get to the point of needing pills to help cope.

.

Click to shrink...

I'm not sure the comparison of history is particularly helpful. Sure historically people who were depressed weren't necessarily given meds, often they were institutionalised instead. The fear of being locked in an asylum just meant people didn't tell anyone they were depressed. I agree throwing meds at the problem isn't always the best solution, but it's better than essentially saying, chin up.

 

[Flabber]

I hear good things about EMDR.

The thing about meds is that if nothing else they make it easier or even just make it possible for you to take the steps you need to help sort yourself out, like working through EMDR or CBT.

OP, if the meds you've been on don't work I think all you can do is keep going to your doctor and view this as a process towards finding something that does. I was on 30mg of citalopram for over a year and only came off because I moved abroad and have struggled to see a doctor over here. They really helped me.

I'd also suggest that, if it's possible, you look for a new GP. When I was living in the UK (Headingley area of Leeds) I could call up and ask for an appointment with a specific doctor and be guaranteed to see him in under 7 days. At some point they actually assigned all patients a regular GP so unless there was an emergency and you just needed the next available appointment you'd always see the same doctor.

Use this site to see how your GP compares with others in your area to work out whether it's worth switching: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/GP/LocationSearch/4

 

[danowat]

Use this site to see how your GP compares with others in your area to work out whether it's worth switching: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/GP/LocationSearch/4

Click to shrink...

Cheers, mine is right at the top of the list with 98% rating, so it's the best around by far, the issue is they have too many patients and not enough GP's, so it can be a struggle to get in if you need to quickly.

 

[Jeffolation]

Been on over a dozen medications for anxiety and depression for the last fifteen years and the side effects have been atrocious (weight gain, sexual dysfunction, addiction), made more headway in the last three months with therapy/CBT and using CBD oil. I'm starting to get my life back, I wish I had of given up on my pill pushing GP years ago.

 

[yogurt]

I am no doctor so take every suggestion I make with the largest grain of salt. I'd look into another therapist and start CBT again. It's clear the previous one was a failure.

Pills will work. 100% will work. But your body and brain will just be acting like the other millions who are on the same pill. It's a great bandaid but what if I said you can wake up cheerful and happy without using the pills at all? (Do realize this option is harder and more time consuming)

Click to shrink...

I agree that finding a route without medication is a good eventual goal to have, in the same sense that it's a good goal to say "I eventually want to be able to bench press 200lbs". But you can't start right at 200lbs. Medication helps ease symptoms so that bar starts at 50lbs, and you can work your way up.

Also, I vehemently disagree with your incorrect and somewhat insulting notion that everyone taking the same pill has the "same brain". Pills don't replace your personality. The goal of medication, ideally, is to make you feel more yourself. Once I found a medication that worked well for me, my real personality started coming back for the first time in years, no longer drowned out by severe, neverending anxiety. This allowed me to engage with therapy, journaling, and meditating and learn coping mechanisms so that I'm relying less on the medication as the years go on.