To still be very unsure about SSRIs and to ask for your experiences

[Elle7rose]

Just that really!

I have several, quite severe Psychiatric conditions (luckily none of them 'Psychotic' disorders) and have had a long history of therapy but I've never taken an SSRI for long enough for it to help.

I tried a very low dose of Fluoxetine for a very short time but didn't feel well on it. I'm really put off by the side-effects and by concerns that SSRIs probably just make everything worse!

I thought it might be interesting to see a poll. Have you found SSRIs helpful?
YABU- Yes I have found them helpful.

YANBU No, they are/were not helpful

I've been taking venlafaxine (actually an SSNRI) for over a year, and I find it good for treating severe anxiety and depression. I couldn't cope with fluoxetine and sertraline though, so it is definitely trial and error finding the one that suits you. I still get side effects with venlafaxine (nausea, dry mouth, teeth clenching at night, vivid dreams), but all of these I can live with and they're not as bad as at the start. I agree with PPs that you need to give SSRIs 6-8 weeks to really work well, and also for you to get used to some of the side effects.

Elle, in that case it won't have to be SSRIs. Something like olanzapine or gab ape tin might work well. Have a chat with your doctor.

That should be gabapentin!

I had to try various antidepressants to find one that helped.

Citalopram and Escitalopram had absolutely no effect on me either way.

I was prescribed various other mood stabilisers and anti-d’s which had dreadful effects - Venlafaxine, Valproate and Quetiapine all made me feel much, much worse.

Fluoxetine has been a game changer, though. I felt more anxious for about 2 weeks, then gradually better. I’ve been taking it for 6 years now (20mg daily) and I wouldn’t be without it. For me, it takes the dark edge off my depressive nature. Has also massively helped with severe PMT.

I also take propropanol as and when for anxiety.

i have BPD, major depressive disorder, anxiety and OCD. i take mirtazapine and a new one called vortioxetine. i’m also on a lot of quetiapine, and it’s all complicated by arthritis and a fucked thyroid so i also take thyroid meds and have a permanent opiate patch for pain.

i’m a firm believer in medication. i have sadly grown gigantically fat as a side effect of all these meds plus low mobility, but on my good days i consider fat and alive trumps thin and dead.

you can always have med reviews if you feel something isn’t help8ng. i’ve had a pretty brutal 2 years going from effexor to sertraline to this new vortioxetine. i’m pretty sure the new one is bottoming out on me so back to the psych i go.

if you’re unwell, try treatment. if it makes you feel worse then stop or change it. you deserve a chance at a quiet(er) life, after all. my OCD is a lot better now i’ve split from a chaotic partner and live alone. being able to control my own environment has been hugely helpful.

Citalopram worked amazingly well for me. I have anxiety, not depression. For the first time in my life, I wasn't obsessing about every little thing that could go wrong in my life. It didn't take the edge off my positive emotions, only the negative ones, amazingly. I came off it due to TTC and haven't gone back on as I'm BF. (I haven't decided yet whether I'm going back on or not. I'm coping ok at the moment.)

However... my sister who is also on it has started to behave a bit strangely in recent years. Taking risks, doing reckless things, behaving selfishly. Of course, this behaviour may have nothing to do with the medication! No way of knowing.