Exhaustion without anti depressants ?

[tootyfruitypickle]

I went on ADs just over a year ago as I had a bit of a crisis , couldn’t stop crying etc

Then last summer I watched that Panorama about anti depressants and came off them , sensibly and slowly over 2/3 months. It was very hard as each drop down I had awful nausea. My mood seemed ok though. I was clear of them by end Sept.

Quite quickly though my long term exhaustion came back. I have been exhausted now after cancer treatment for about 15 years. I wasn’t at all tired when on the pills.

and now for about a fortnight I’ve been so tired I can barely function (and wfh and my job is not demanding). I feel in a kind of fog and like I can hardly move or do anything. I was swimming almost daily but now can’t make myself go very often.

I think I’m going to go back on them and assume it’s for life. The only side effect they had was to kill my libido but I’m single so who cares!

Does this sound like depression? I’m most interested in the impact on my long term fatigue though - I’d take them for this effect alone. has anyone else found that they are so much less exhausted on ADs?

Feel a bit annoyed I came off them but I guess it was worth trying .

I’d be interested to hear others experiences re exhaustion and fog while off them. Also irritability - I absolutely hate my work colleagues when I’m not on ADs!

Interesting but I actually feel completely drained when on them. It’s really bothering me. But like you I don’t want to go back to being irritable all the time. They really stabilise my mood. So watching with interest.

Yes that’s what confused me. But actually, I’ve just been reading and I think I have chronic fatigue after cancer treatment - and some ADs are prescribed for CF.

I went on it before as I was so anxious, but I’m not anxious now, I am just so so so tired and so sad - oh and I hate everyone.

I just found a packet left over so am restarting tomorrow . And I will never ever come off again.

It’s interesting as I hadn’t really thought about the fatigue until the ADs took it away. And now it’s back it’s absolutely crushing me.

@ilovetomatoes maybe a different AD would be better ?

It would be best to consult with a GP. 2-3 months isn’t coming off them slowly. I was advised to reduce by the smallest possible amount and stay on that for weeks before stepping down.
I did slowly wean off after many many months. Did fine for ages before starting to suffer again. I’m now on a different AD and no intention of coming off it. I’m so much better!

What was it about the Panorama programme made you want to come off them?

I've been using the Flow Neuroscience headset for depression. It is a cranial stimulation device for depression that claims to have just as good if not better results than medication and no side effects. It is expensive though. My depressive lifted in 4 weeks and hasn't come back. There's a Facebook group where you can read about people's experiences with it and sometimes there are second hand devices as well. Just a thought if you want to avoid medication.

@Wolfiefan I followed the protocol , I was on 20mg and essentially came down less than half the dose each time for 2 weeks and I used the liquid for the smal doses . The fatigue was there before the ADs, I’ve not been able to go out of an evening for 15 years. I just accepted it as I had cancer and it seemed a small price to pay for surviving. But then I was fine when on them. So then I thought the exhaustion was due to anxiety. But I’m def not anxious now so I think the exhaustion is something separate and if these pills treat it I’m very lucky .

@Notcookie i was scared by how hard the prog showed it was to come off. And it was hard, i was very very nauseous for a lot of the time. So I won’t be doing that again. I don’t want to feel like this again either. I’ve had one of those days when you lie on the floor and just cry.

Also the news is really getting to me. I’ve realised that’s really a sign that my mental health is dropping .

It can take months and months after stopping antidepressants entirely for your brain chemistry to normalize. It's very normal to feel teary or down and think it's a recurrence of depression when actually it's withdrawal from the drugs. I'm not sure about the fatigue. I can't comment on that really but it's within the realms of possibility.

Wait, are you saying the only reason you came off of them is because of the panorama documentary? Because if they were working for you it seems a bit odd to come off of them.

That was definitely not the protocol I was given. I had to reduce by the smallest amount and only reduce more once my mood had been fine for some weeks.

OP, how old are you, is it possible you’re entering menopause as well? HRT might be another option…

I’m 50. Yes def menopausal. I can’t take Hrr due to the cancer I had.

i’ve taken 10mg this morning and got a new prescription. I’m going to stay on it until I’m at least post menopausal but I’ve had the exhaustion much longer than that - since I had cancer - so I’m just seeing this as a treatment for that.

thank you for all the replies xx

I wasn’t given any advice. I’ve never actually spoken to a GP! I found the protocol on the royal college of psychiatrists website . Next time though I will come off much more slowly , thanks for the info.

When I was on them I redecorated the entirety of the downstairs of my house while working ft! I can barely get myself to the shops atm!

Good luck with it. I'm about to restart ADs after two years without. But really struggling at the moment and the usual self care is not really helping!

Some types of antidepressants, I'm thinking here specifically of the tricyclic ADs, like amitriptyline, can be used to help manage fatigue. I had suspected chronic fatigue syndrome (don't think it was that - I think I was just exhausted and stressed) about 20 years ago and was put on 1 small dose before bed to help with sleep. It was something to do with how the brain cycles through sleep. So it's certainly possible that they could help you with fatigue if there are underlying issues. Ultimately, you know your body best and you need to be able to function and be well and healthy, so if they're working, they're working.

I’m taking citalopram. I have found a research paper which cites it as a treatment for chronic fatigue. I’m going to try just the 10mg for a month or so and see if it’s enough, as I’m not as bad as last time - I think I’ve caught it earlier, and hopefully it will allow me to restart exercise and all the things that help lift my mood.
@bluejelly hope you feel better soon. It’s so frustrating isn’t it.

If you feel up to it, watch Georgia Ede on youtube talk about the link between diet and mental health. I found it very informative.