Do antidepressants work? What’s your experience?

[Verity35]

I’m seriously considering taking meds. Please see my thread in my anxiety for more context. Not sure how to add links but I’ll try:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3950808-How-to-get-over-feeling-nervous

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3950808-How-to-get-over-feeling-nervous

You might get on better with a longer half life once as sertraline can be a bit like that - I had that too. Maybe try another such as fluoxetine perhaps, or St Johns wort can be gentle.

I've not used them myself, but my sister had depression and had a terrible time with them. She'd start one, be hopeful it was working, start getting side effects that made her worse, get prescribed something else. This went on for years. None of them worked, and in the end she took her own life. So I have no faith in them at all.

@MostTacticalNameChange

I'm on fluoxetine. Tried a few others but this suits me. No side effects.

It is excellent - means I can deal with things without overreacting, overthinking and obsessing. Maybe made me a little bit numb but I don't find that a bad thing as I was so high strung before I had constant knots in my stomach.

My doctor has asked about cutting the dose or stopping them but I don't want to yet. He said I might be kicking the can down the road but I don't really agree - there is no underlying issue I could solve to fix this - I was just born an overly sensitive, anxious, unhappy person who prefers life medicated!

I feel exactly the same way. Its a joy to be yourself but without the angst.

@RedSheep73 OMG, that’s terrible so sorry for your loss.

@Orangeblossom78 I am considering taking at johns wort and I’m looking into natural alternatives.

I took them years ago when I divorced - I couldn't stop crying. At first they made me feel awful, lots of side effects and it took 2 weeks to settle. Once they had settled, they did help. However, they didn't make me feel "happier", they sort of froze my emotions so that I didn't cry all the time. I also felt very tired all the time....however, I couldn't have done without the help at the time.

When I came off them I did it very slowly as I'd read about side effects of reducing amounts, so I carefully "shaved off" more and more tablet as the weeks went by and reduced it that way, so had no effects coming off them.

I can't take anything from the Citalapram/Sertraline family of drugs. They have a soporific effect on me, and I need a 2-hour sleep in the afternoon just to get through the day.

I'd also advocate for ADs. I've only ever taken citalopram but I've had them for a nervous breakdown, for post natal depression and also general depression and anxiety. I'm currently on 20mgs per day.

Pps who mention the settling in period not being nice are right. You'll need to accept that for maybe 4-6 weeks you may well feel worse than you do now but it's all part of the medication finding its way to getting the chemical balance right and it will come good.

I also say to people not to expect to wake up after that 4 week period wanting to swing from the chandeliers shouting about how great life is. They've never had that impact on me, it's way more subtle. You still have shit days but your reaction to them changes. Rather than can catastrophising or letting your mood spiral, you're just more easily able to say Oh that was a shit day, tomorrow "might" be better.

I was very anti-ADs - ended up having to take them because I became so mentally unwell. They gave me a leg up to get out of my suicidal thoughts, out of a terrible relationship and change the deeper issues at play.

I took them for 2 years and they saved my life. I had bad side effects going on them and weaned off slowly.

I would have no concerns about using them again if need be, but I think the key is to use them as one of many strategies when you are struggling.

Really sorry to hear you had such a bad experience, OP.

@waytheleaveswork

I was very anti-ADs - ended up having to take them because I became so mentally unwell. They gave me a leg up to get out of my suicidal thoughts, out of a terrible relationship and change the deeper issues at play.

I took them for 2 years and they saved my life. I had bad side effects going on them and weaned off slowly.

I would have no concerns about using them again if need be, but I think the key is to use them as one of many strategies when you are struggling.

Wholeheartedly agree with using them as one of many other strategies! They are no wonder cure, but they certainly can help you get there.

I've been prescribed ADs by my doctors on 5 occasions over my life, having suffered with depression & what I now know to be anxiety, however I always felt it should be up to me to 'solve' and I didn't want to 'rely on medication'... I thought to myself I should be enough to beat it alone, and was scared of the pills, so never actually got the script filled instead chickening out every time.

Unsurprisingly, I was wrong. Things hit my rock bottom a few years back and so I figured perhaps the docs might have been right after all. Thus I agreed to try them but only in conjunction with therapy (psychotherapy as I've never really gotten along with CBT) and frankly I've never looked back. I started on 10mg of Citalopram daily for a few weeks before moving to 20mg. At the same time I decided to get a dog, and quite frankly I'm unable to credit any one element with my recovery. It was all of them working together and a brilliant NHS IAPT therapist to guide me through for 10 weeks.

Re side effects, no weight gain (though the new regime of dog walking might helped with that!), but I definitely felt foggy & disconnected for the first 3 days or so when changing dosages. Honestly, hitting my rock bottom was the best thing for me, as it really motivated me to make that change. The ADs don't change me, or fix anything externally, but they help make me a little more resilient and right now, I don't want to change it. Why rock the boat that has taken me so many years to get sailing true?

Best of luck in your MH journey though, whatever you decide.

I can explain why I'm saying the following but it can take some time to find the best one that works for you so try and persevere. They all take time, sometimes 3-6 weeks, before they reach full effect so don't judge too quickly. When you feel better, it can be because they are working so don't suddenly stop taking them. Don't stop taking them suddenly anyway as some need to be reduced in particular ways. The don't make you a bad or weak person for taking them and, for some people, they are can be successfully on Ads for a long time/rest of their life. For others, they can help get over a temporary period of difficulty. In effect, they can be a treatment for an imbalance, like insulin for a diabetic or thyroxine-replacement for hypothyroxine, nothing more. Good luck.

Yes some can be more sedating (mirtazapine for example) or stimulating (possibly fluoxetine although some find it makes them sleepy) we are all different as well which adds to it too. I think things have changed over time and there are some new ones- agomelatine and escitalopram (which I have not tried)

In Germany, St Johns wort is prescribed, strangely in France it is banned, I am unsure why as it seems safe (but you can't take it along with some medication so need to take care with that)

www.cochrane.org/CD000448/DEPRESSN_st.-johns-wort-for-treating-depression.

I'm three weeks in on citalopram for depression/anxiety. Making a huge difference to my outlook on life and my temper with the kids etc, I'll stay on it as long as I can. Lockdown hasn't helped at all but I've always struggled with low mood and motivation, now I feel normal!

If anything my appetite is somewhat reduced. As pp has said, I'm more motivated to eat well and have much much better self esteem- I'm a confident 37 yr old rather than comparing myself to 20 yr old models!