If you take antidepressants did you suffer from many side effects in the beginning?

[StandingOnaCornerInWinslowArizona]

I feel that I have no choice right now but to take antidepressants.

I have suffered from anxiety, ocd, panic disorder, phobias, depression and a generalised poor mental health since a very young age.

I have a significant fear of medication and will go out of my way not to take meds for various health issues as I am so super sensitive that I feel so many side effects even from off the shelf meds and that triggers off more anxiety/panic/phobias etc. It goes without saying that it's a bloody nightmare feeling this way.

I have exhausted all my other options, spent a small fortune on counselling, CBT, EMDR, hypnosis etc.

I have limped along with my mental health getting worse each year but now, at 53 I am deep in perimenopause (tried HRT but I have endometriosis and it made the pain worse) and I have been helping to care for my mum who is now in advanced dementia. I am just not coping with anything in my life right now.

I have a GP appointment this week and I am going to have to ask for antidepressants but I am so concerned about side effects, in particular an exacerbation of my existing IBS/digestive issues which currently controls my life. I have suffered with IBS for half of my life and had it under control with years of finding the right foods which suited me, following a low fodmap diet, avoiding trigger foods/drinks, exercising and relaxation techniques etc but none of these are touching it now that I am struggling with the grief of watching my mum slowly dying from such a horrible disease.

I know we all react differently to medication but can you tell me the side effects you had whilst your body adjusted to the meds? I acknowledge that I do have health phobias etc but the thought of an exacerbation of my gut issues especially diarrhoea and nausea (I now suffer from nausea every day) and headaches or just feeling off will spiral my anxiety - I just know it will.

I did look on the mental health section on here and see some people really struggle with awful nausea, upset tummy and headaches to the point they give up. This is my biggest fear with antidepressants, how do you get on with your day to day life when struggling with these side effects?

What has been your experience? I am desperate to feel better and feel the only way I am going to be able to carry on helping my dad with my poor mum is to take some kind of medication (my sister is on Sertraline and seems to be coping better than I am).

Fluoxitine here, it made me feel sick, but only for a week or so till I was used to it then no side effects. It has helped me

I have been on a huge variety of mental health meds over the years and only once had a side effect which was from fluoxetine when it was upped to the very highest dose (60mg). The side effect I experienced was mild jaw clenching and when I dropped the dose back down to 40mg it stopped.

It is understandable to worry when you read about others having side effects but reality is that for every one person telling you about awful problems there will be 99 saying nothing because they haven’t experienced an issue.

I could have written your post! I too have suffered from extreme anxiety and OCD for as long as I’ve been alive. It’s exhausting. I would love to be able to start medication but I’m just too terrified to. It’s a vicious cycle.

That's good to know. I have been offered Fluoxetine in the past. I know it really helps my anxious rescue dog lol!

Thanks, that is reassuring. My main worry is experiencing side effects which may make my life even worse than it already is, I don't think that I could tolerate that.

I really feel for you and sorry you are struggling too.

It's bad enough struggling with these issues as it is but I find the anxiety from medication (which could potentially help) makes life so difficult.

It is such a vicious cycle that I just can not break atm.

I hope things go well for you, good luck with your recovery.

Terrible nausea for a week and then nothing else. Push through the side effects. They can be life changing.

I’m sorry to hear you are going through so much. I also felt queasy on fluxoutine. Not as bad as morning sickness though. Hope you find something to help get you through this.

I truly hope so, I long to be able to start enjoying life again.

Mild nausea for a couple of weeks but at no point did I actually feel like I was going to be sick, if that makes sense, and it didn’t affect my digestion or give me any gut issues or anything like that.

That's really good to know, thank you.

I’m on sertraline. It was a life saver, no lie. However the side effects for the first two - three weeks were brutal - also no lie, and it’s probably why some people just can’t stick with it. So it’s a tricky one - I was already off sick from work when I went on it, thank god, and I managed to get through the side effects. It was totally worth it - that’s all I can say really - I have my life back thanks to it.

This is exactly how I felt too on Citalopram for about 2 weeks. But I'm so pleased I stuck with it, I honestly don't think I would be alive if I hadn't of tried medication.
I also had dizzy spells, so was put on a lower dose, the dizziness has gone, but I do notice that I sometimes get anxious. So when I feel ready I'm going to ask to maybe swap to Sertraline. I'm a bit worried about the process though!

Editing to add: I also found that my anxiety improved loads within a few days - definitely a placebo affect, but felt like a huge weight had been taken off my shoulders. I really wish I'd taken meds sooner

I was on Sertraline 50 mg and suffered with IBS. I'd also lost a parent and struggled with menopause. No adverse symptoms and it made such a difference to my then poor mental health.

Mirtazapine here, and it saved my life. From day one I felt great. No anxiety, no depression and actually slept.

I was a bit groggy for few days but now I don't have any effects at all. Take it at 10.15 pm and I'm sound asleep by 11. It's not a common one but boy it's fab.

Would it be worth you considering an atypical antidepressant, like mirtazapine, which has few or no, start up effects? Ssris can be extremely activating, whereas mirtazapine is far more calming.

Amitriptyline and it messed with my sex drive and how I felt afterwards so much.
mirtazipine destroyed my metabolism and I’ve pretty much been fat ever since. I’ve never craved sugar like that it was awful.
seroxat made me suicidal. I might have spelled it wrong.
just taking beta blockers for anxiety seems safest for me

See, this is what puts me off, I am just not strong enough mentally and physically right now to go through anything like that, even for just a week or two.

That is good to know. Can I ask if your IBS was constipation or diarrhoea dominant? I am more IBS-D and from everything I read about SSRI's they can exacerbate IBS-D which does worry me a lot.

My mum was on Mirtazapine for quite some time, it worked really well for her too.

I have been advised not to take Amitriptyline due to the dementia risk. My sister was on it for 20 years and it has messed with her heart rhythm so TCA's are definitely not something I want to try.

I have been offered propranolol in the past but never took up the offer. Can I ask how this med makes you feel? I have heard it is good for easing the physical side of things.