What anti-depressant has worked for you? I'm really struggling

[Rolypops]

My life has been really stressful for months and I am now in the throes of a full mental health crisis and it's gotten to the point where I think medication might be my only option. I've had a long history of anxiety and depression and I've always been put on various SSRIS but immediately stop them the moment I feel better and really none of them have ever made a huge dent. I'm hugely anxious and scared about side effects too which always makes taking medicine difficult.

For anyone with depression and anxiety (my anxiety probably being the biggest problem). What anti-depressant have you taken and has it worked?

Citalopram.

Although HRT helped as well - how old are you?

Fluoxetine works well for me. My daughter liked Mirtazapine because it has an anti-emetic component and she has a sickness phobia.

I am 35 (nearly 36) and showing lots of signs of peri-menopause. Does HRT help to stabilise your mood?

I’ve tried several. I struggled with SSRI side effects and weaning off them. My GP suggested trying Lofepramine which is a tricyclic. It did make me dizzy as I stood up for a while but it helped me feel more stable.
I’ve now been diagnosed with ADHD. I’m now medicated for that my anxiety and low mood has massively improved and I don’t need antidepressants any more.
💐I hope you find something that helps you.

Fluoxetine has been a god send for me with perimenopausal anxiety.

I had no idea about Mirtazapine being an anti emetic. To be honest that is probably the only one that has worked noticeably, but it made me gain so much weight so fast that I've never really been able to shift. If it wasn't for that I'd be considering taking it again as it really helped with my sleep too.

Lofepramine is working fairly well for me at the moment. I’ve been on mirtazipine, citalopram, escitalapram and various others at times and all have helped to varying degrees but this is the one that has had the least side effects for the moment. I’ve got quite bad anxiety, depression and ocd.

Yes, it did.
I am off it at the moment as it made my brain fog worse.
I'm almost at the point of starting to come off the ADs too, but I started on them about 6 years ago and it was a game changer at the time.

Took about 4 weeks to get used to. I am on 10mg. Can still cry / have an orgasm. Some people say they flatten you out and they did a bit to start with but it was such a relief from the crippling depression

Sertraline 10mg which was a bloody amazing one until it stopped my bladder working. Then went on and am still on Mirtazapine. Im now three stone heavier but it does shift with exercise and calorie counting. Just makes you bloody starving.

Yes I think I have ADD, and menopause made it so much worse!

Citalopram, absolutely changed my life.

Oddly I've never tried citalopram even though it seems to be the most prescribed one. If you don't mind me asking what are the side effects like such as weight gain/sexual dysfunction? More than anything I can't take anything that will interfere with my sleep as I am a severe insomniac and constantly exhausted

Sertraline has been life changing for me. I put it off for years until things got so bad I had no other choice and I wish I'd done it years ago. I was worried about the side effects but it has been a god send.

Same here with citalopram

Trazodone. Life saving for me and helps me sleep too

I take Mirtazapine, as I have found that it is the only antidepressant that doesn't have awful side effects. It is good for anxiety and helps me to sleep. Some say it makes them crave sweet things and put weight on, but I'm fat anyway so that's not a problem.

Citalopram works for me. Venlafaxine was pretty effective too.

I had it to take it at night because it made me so sleepy. It might help.

120mg Duloxetine has been my lifesaver for a long time now after Venlafaxine stopped working
When I say long time I mean decades

Trazadone.

Another one saying trazodone. I've tried about 10 different meds and various different combinations and this one is the best I've ever found by far. It helps my sleep hugely too and it made a huge difference within a matter of weeks. The only problem is that it has a short half life so if I occasionally forget to take it, I start to feel pretty bad by the end of the following day.

Sertraline I have more anxiety/ agitation Vs full on depression.

Duloxetine. I switched to it after mirtazapine which was the first that worked but I struggled with the side effects. Duloxetine has been brilliant and I don't mind if I have to stay on it forever, it's worth it.