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Anyone here on SSRI's (antidepressants)?
- Thread starter lamina
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I'm currently going through one of my holistic (non drug) phases but I have been on them all - which one do you want to know about?
Most all of them have "sexual" side effects like inability to reach climax, decreased labido, erection problems for males...I can only attest to the first two, thankfully.
They all gave me somewhat of a "in the fog" kind of feel - didn't like that.
Which one are you going to be taking?
Most all of them have "sexual" side effects like inability to reach climax, decreased labido, erection problems for males...I can only attest to the first two, thankfully.
They all gave me somewhat of a "in the fog" kind of feel - didn't like that.
Which one are you going to be taking?
I've never been on antidepressants, but my mother was for some time. Luckily, she got past her issues and today is doing just fine. 
Celexa (40 mg). First time I took it- it was like the best drug ever. Now I don't feel any difference.
I'm currently on 150mg of Effexor daily. It was a fog on the first few days, but now I don't have any real side effects. If I miss as dose, however, I dream all night and wake up in a fog. You don't want to miss a dose.
Issues with erection sometimes. But, overall things are ok.
BTW a few years ago I was diagnosed has having been depressed since my pre-teen years. I'm now 43. It takes more than the meds to help, but it's a good start.
Issues with erection sometimes. But, overall things are ok.
BTW a few years ago I was diagnosed has having been depressed since my pre-teen years. I'm now 43. It takes more than the meds to help, but it's a good start.
iSaint said:
150 mg- is that some kind of mega-dose- or are the doses different for different types of pill? I thought 40mg was a lot.
iGary said:
Not that either of those problems are good to have, but at least you missed out on #3 iGary.
Sorry to hear that you are not so lucky iSaint.
100mg daily of Zoloft here. I started about two months ago and it's been AWESOME! I feel so much better and my wife has noticed BIG TIME. For the past week or so I have had VIVID dreams (no nightmares) and briefly wake up numerous time throughout the night. It's still worth it.
I used Effexor XR for about 7 months. There was a 37.5 mg initial dose for 7 days. From there, I took the 75 mg dose every day.
I had two weeks of hell where my emotions were pushed so hard I thought that I would beat someone, so I stayed inside. After that, I had one week of euphoria--nothing bothered me. The next 6+ months dwindled down from there. I never felt really good but I didn't feel really bad until the end and I was feeling worse with it than I did before I started.
I didn't take it, but apparently Paxil wears down after a while, too.
Lorazepam is a small pill that keeps you out of touch with reality but it was only good in a quick instance.
I had two weeks of hell where my emotions were pushed so hard I thought that I would beat someone, so I stayed inside. After that, I had one week of euphoria--nothing bothered me. The next 6+ months dwindled down from there. I never felt really good but I didn't feel really bad until the end and I was feeling worse with it than I did before I started.
I didn't take it, but apparently Paxil wears down after a while, too.
Lorazepam is a small pill that keeps you out of touch with reality but it was only good in a quick instance.
bousozoku said:
I know quite a few people who felt great for a month or so and then things aren't much better than they started out.
celebrian23 said:
I would suspect so. I would think that the drug companies would make something that lasted longer without upping the dosage.
I'm somewhat resistant to meds anyway. The only thing that was consistent with the Effexor was that I was constantly sleepy.
Wow. I had no idea about the ED issues associated with many antidepressants.
Not to be glib, but how ironic, as those issues would make me depressed.
Lamina - since I remember your recent thread about your break-up, is this subject in response to how you are feeling these days ( in response to recent events)? Because w/o knowing the particulars, I wouldn't encourage a pharmaceutical solution except as a last resort. I would probably encourage therapy or some similar route first.
While there are no doubt many who have benefited considerably from various antidepressants, I have personally known many people that have been damaged by taking these same drugs. Be wary. I can't remember how old you said you were, but in many cases, if you are a teenager, some of these drugs may react differently than if you were an older adult. If you are dead-set on a pharmaceutical route, then talk with you doctor (or better, several).
Good luck finding answers.
Not to be glib, but how ironic, as those issues would make me depressed.
Lamina - since I remember your recent thread about your break-up, is this subject in response to how you are feeling these days ( in response to recent events)? Because w/o knowing the particulars, I wouldn't encourage a pharmaceutical solution except as a last resort. I would probably encourage therapy or some similar route first.
While there are no doubt many who have benefited considerably from various antidepressants, I have personally known many people that have been damaged by taking these same drugs. Be wary. I can't remember how old you said you were, but in many cases, if you are a teenager, some of these drugs may react differently than if you were an older adult. If you are dead-set on a pharmaceutical route, then talk with you doctor (or better, several).
Good luck finding answers.
I was on 20mg Citalopram to begin with (back in October) but they did sweet F.A. I was switched to 75mg Dosulepin (a tri-cyclic) that was quickly upped to 150mg but as of yesterday I'm being weened off those and in 2 weeks start on Paroxetine. The Dosulepin no longer works.
The citalopram cut my 2-3 hours sleep a night, that I was getting at the time,down to 1-2.
I had the first one too, but it increased my libido. Very frustrating, so I'm really looking forward to going back to SSRIs
The citalopram cut my 2-3 hours sleep a night, that I was getting at the time,down to 1-2.
iGary said:
I had the first one too, but it increased my libido. Very frustrating, so I'm really looking forward to going back to SSRIs
commonpeople said:
Not sure about that. Perhaps one of our doctor types (eva, you out there?) could clarify. I do know it's more of a time-release med.
It's not as bad as it sounds. More likely to be because I'm over 40!!!
While not an SSRI but still used as an antidepressant, cymbalta didn't kill my sex drive the way that zoloft did.
that's ativan, right? that stuff works great for insomnia, i didn't feel as ...slow as i did with ambien.bousozoku said:
blackfox said:
I am currently in therapy for that reason, and yesterday my therapist and I went through a checklist and she diagnosed me as 'seriously depressed' and told me to see my doctor about it. Being a psyc major myself, I am pretty aware of the side-effects of antidepressants, and definitely will use drugs as only a last resort. What she is worried about is this depression turning long-term.
The problem is, sometimes I'll be almost manic -(EDIT: I shouldn't say manic... I'd call it... contently happy) toally happy without a care in the world. I can think about anything I want without it bothering me, and other times (especially in the morning) I am totally depressed and feel hopeless. My mind will race with ugly thoughts and I can't control it.
I really don't like the idea of a prescription for me being upset. If I were to go the drug route, I would have a long talk with my doctor and another doctor just for a second opinion. I think the talk therapy is helping, but I can only get in once per week and every day I feel like I am just dragging myself through.
Thanks for your input.
Edit #2: Being in the current situation I am (breakup with girlfriend), I would really like to retain function of my manhood. I have a friend on citalopram who has been quite successful with it, but I will ask him about his weiner woes, if any.
Hopefully this doesn't piss too many people off but I thought I had to share:
Not a big fan of pharmaceuticals at all. They totally f**k with your system and we (general we) only know so very little about the effects. So much money is made from them that you really have to question the objectivity of the manufacturers. Now some are obviously life saving and amazing, where others fall more into a grey area.
That said, clearly drugs can dramatically aid in, as well as play a good role in, "turning someone around" and getting them feeling better. Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of the therapy stops at the pharmacy.
Magic bullet that cure that cure everything, forget about doing anything else, just take the pill and you're golden!!!! Yeah, right.
As morbid as it is, this headline really made me laugh:
Not a big fan of pharmaceuticals at all. They totally f**k with your system and we (general we) only know so very little about the effects. So much money is made from them that you really have to question the objectivity of the manufacturers. Now some are obviously life saving and amazing, where others fall more into a grey area.
That said, clearly drugs can dramatically aid in, as well as play a good role in, "turning someone around" and getting them feeling better. Unfortunately, it seems like a lot of the therapy stops at the pharmacy.
Magic bullet that cure that cure everything, forget about doing anything else, just take the pill and you're golden!!!! Yeah, right.
As morbid as it is, this headline really made me laugh:
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neocell said:
I'm not a big fan either, but I think it is more detrimental to discourage people from getting help for a real problem (it takes so much to get a depressed person to get out of bed, much less seek help).
That said, there are people that really just need to suck it up and get on with things (I have had several friends given antidepressants for events like a divorce
), but there are people that stand real benefit from these drugs. The jury is still out on whether I am better off with or without them...
lamina said:
I have episodes of mania all the time, my doctors aren't that concerned about then. I am though!!!
I go back in a month so I'll be mentioning them once again!
EDIT: Neocell - Drugs aren't the magic bullet but I can safely say that without them I wouldn't be here.
I agree with you. Maybe I wasn't as clear as I wanted to be. I was trying to say that as an initial starting point antidepressant drugs can be good, but continual treatment without deeper "sole searching", getting to meat of the problem and actually trying to fix the cause, not just the symptom, is not good at all, and a lot of times leads to people feeling worse than before they started.iGary said:I'm not a big fan either, but I think it is more detrimental to discourage people from getting help for a real problem (it takes so much to get a depressed person to get out of bed, much less seek help).
That said, there are people that really just need to suck it up and get on with things (I have had several friends given antidepressants for events like a divorce
The jury is still out on whether I am better off with or without them...
Weight gain, loss of sexual desire, plus a whole list of others, not to mentioned the apparent increase in suicidal tendencies, at least for the elderly, doesn't seem to be the best side-effects for treating depression.
Antidepressants can very well be good for treating the symptoms, briefly, but the cause should really be ascertained and corrected. Hopefully, pharmaceuticals can aid in resolving the cause, but my impression is that both patients and doctors seem to use it as more of a "cure".
could be wrong but it's what I currently think
I imagine you're not alone. I didn't want to sound like I was completely against them, it's just they need to used appropriately.bartelby said:
Glad they're working for you
I've never taken any kind of medication for anything related to depression, but I'm fairly sure I was clinically depressed about 10 years ago. There's a genetic history in my family.
Just out of interest, would any of you on the antidepressants link your depression with past use of recreational drugs? That seems to have a major effect on mental health in general, from my limited knowledge of the subject.
Just out of interest, would any of you on the antidepressants link your depression with past use of recreational drugs? That seems to have a major effect on mental health in general, from my limited knowledge of the subject.
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