Do Antidepressants Always have side effects?

[BigBlueLamp]

Im depressed, I know it, the GP has confirmed it. Some days are really dark, I put on a smiley face for the family but inside I'm numb.
I've shared with my best friend who has been my rock.
I'm currently off work which I'm not sure is a good idea as I'm just sat doing nothing with too much to think about.
Anyway I'm going back to GP next week and she wants me to think about antidepressants
I am scared stiff of them if I'm honest, all I hear is terrible side effects making people feel worse and them taking weeks to work .
Please can anyone share their antidepressants stories with me, good and bad.
Thankyou

I had awful side effects with fluoxetine. Jittery and couldn't sleep. I didn't give them that long though to see if that settled down.

On mirtazipene now and don't have any side effects at all. Other than they help me sleep which is an intended side effect.

I'm on mirtazapine. I can't take anything else due to another medication I'm on. It's a bit pants as I have put weight on and had to buy a whole load of new clothes since being on mirtazapine. It works though and I'm having less meltdowns.

Also, is there a best time to take them? working or evening?

Take before bed so that you can sleep through the worst of the effects (if you get any, not everyone does).

Any medication can have side effects, even anti histamines or painkillers, and different anti depressants have different side effects. Also, it depends on how the individual reacts to the medicine. The same drug may have listed side effects that include insomnia, sleeping too much, loss of appetite and increased appetite. It’s just something they have to record if enough patients report it. As you know, depression itself has an impact on sleep and appetite.

You’ve tried not taking medication for your depression. It doesn’t seem to be working for you. Try it. If it doesn’t seem to help after 4 weeks or so then go back to your GP.

I had no side effects on escitalopram, brand name Lexapro - it was before the generic version came out.

Depends on the drug. Some are better in the morning, some in the evening.

I've been given loads of different antidepressants and had horrendous side effects with all of them. I wouldn't touch them now, I just live through it.

I took escitalopram for a few years and it was life changing. I think the best way to describe it is to say that my depression stems from poor self esteem and after a few weeks of taking the drugs, I suddenly had a strong feeling of self worth and confidence in myself. I was able to make new friends, successfully study and date. They got me through my early twenties when I was floundering and unable to progress.
I only stopped taking them because of the impact on my sex drive, which has never fully recovered. I found I had a narrower range of emotions too which didn’t really bother me but I have heard a lot of other people describe it as a negative.
In retrospect, what I really needed was some good, intensive therapy that addressed the underlying cause of my depression years before I became so unwell.
What do you think has caused your depression?

Lack of Libido doesn't bother me, it's the fact that some people have to keep trying different ones before anything works. I don't think I've got the fight in me.
Really not keen on counselling, I.dont know what's caused the darkness. I had a bereavement 2.5 years ago but I don't think it's that. Just feel so dark and numb and can't find the joy in anything. I snap at people too as I can't be bothered to be cheerful

dd has been fine on fluoxetine and sertraline

though tbh her life was so shit (and so dangerous due to suicidal impulses) a few side effects might well have been a reasonable trade-off

If the tablets don’t help then you haven’t lost anything but if they do help you have an awful lot to gain. You’re not finding any joy in life. Even your concerns - some people have to keep trying different ones before anything works. I don't think I've got the fight in me.’ - speak volumes.

Unfortunately, there's no way of saying whether you will or won't. Some people have awful side effects with everything they try, whereas others try one, it's perfect, and transforms their life.

ADs often take a few goes to get right, as the science isn't entirely understood as to why some people respond better to some than others.

But you owe it to yourself to try.

I am sitting here telling myself the same thing - because I know everything I've typed above, and still haven't done anything about my own depression.

No tablet is the same for everyone.
Speak to your gp about what may best suit you. You might try a few before you find one that works for you.
Side effects don’t always have to be nasty and you aren’t guaranteed to get them. Sometimes it’s weighing up possible side effects and how it may help you.
Citalopram wasn’t a good fit for me, sertraline was for a while but stopped working. I’m in mitazapine at the moment which has really helped my appetite and sleep.
As for when to take again speak to your gp but also listen to your body. If they make you sleepy take at night, if they give you insomnia take in the morning.
Therapy has really helped me rationalise my thoughts. I still don’t really know a cause but I can see through the darkness and the nothingness.

Good luck op

All medications can have potential side effects. It's difficult to know exactly how someone can tolerate a medication until they actually try one. So yes, some people have to try a few before finding one that works the best for them.

It does sound as if you're struggling at the moment though without them. It may be that even a side effect may be preferable to how you're feeling at the moment.

I've been on citalopram for a while. I had side effects at first for a few weeks - nausea, lack of libido - but then they went away and it's totally brill now except for very vivid dreams, which I actually quite enjoy.

I had a really weird experience with sertraline.

I was put on them just over 2 years ago and they worked just fine, helped me and I came off then after about 8 months.

I recently needed to go on them again, and this time they elevated my resting heart rate to 120bpm; I stopped taking them and am waiting to see the GP.

Don't understand how the same tablet, at the same dose could cause such different side effects this time around.

I'm on citalopram. I feel exhausted for the first few weeks, and again when they increased my dosage recently. That levels off though. My libido hasn't been affected but annoyingly I rarely orgasm anymore, it's like the build up is still there then it's like a faulty firework. I also have vivid dreams like a previous poster. The positives do massively outweigh the negatives for me.

I have been on citalopram for years
When you first start taken them it is hard but they really help me.
Definitely take at night as they can make you sleepy

I'm on a low dose of sertraline for anxiety, have been for about 5 years, and the side effects only lasted for a couple of weeks. I know a lot of people who have used sertraline or citalopram and none of them have suffered long lasting side effects.

Op, give them a try. Think about how you're feeling now, the darkness and lethargy and fear. Most side effects tend to be quite low key, a bit of an upset tummy or headaches. Surely that would be better than the awful depression?

Sure, some people have worse side effects, like with any drug, in which case you stop taking them and reevaluate. But chances are you'll be fine and they'll really help.

I vividly remember about 3 weeks into taking sertraline, I was in the shower and heard myself singing! Then I noticed a feeling of lightness which I hadn't felt in so long, it was wonderful! It wasn't all uphill from there, they aren't a magic cure and I still struggle with anxiety, but it's not crushing me any more.

Try some medication, honestly you've got nothing to lose.

Thanks everyone, some good and bad points as I thought. I.just need to have a word with myself.
I've got quite a responsible job so can't afford to be sleepy or out of it!

If you can't think of a particular thing causing it, it's possible the ADs are more likely to be helpful as it could be more chemical than circumstantial.

You may well feel side effects to start but they mostly go away after a few weeks.

I felt like you. Left it way too long and then ended up in a huge mess and I wish I'd done it sooner.

I am no doctor I have just tried a lot of meds and seen a lot of people around me try meds and improve fairly quickly in more straight forward situations.

Good luck

I have been on Citalopram for about 5 years. The first three weeks were crap, I slept fine but I was nauseous alot and could not stop yawning and they were sore yawns. The yawning is a rare side effect. I could cope with the nausea by taking crystallised ginger. After 3/4 weeks they started working. They really helped my anxiety.

I think you’ll be aware if you’re experiencing any side effects and so able to work around them. Though I did see a rare one listed on some medication that involved erections lasting over 4 hours. That could be hard to work around.