To ask if antidepressants changed your life?

[Fortheweekend]

For better or for worse?
I’m sorry as I know this type of question has been done to death but I’m at my wits end.
I have anxiety, I have overwhelming digestive issues which control my day to day living (Have had endless tests and confirmed as IBS by several gastroenterologists and told anxiety will make this worse).
My anxiety isn’t helped by the fact that I look after my mum who suffers from Alzheimer’s so I know the next few years will become even more stressful and anxiety ridden.
However I am petrified of going on antidepressants. I worry they will exacerbate my already awful gut issues, I worry they will make my aura migraines worse, I worry I’ll end up zombie like and tired all day, I worry they will make me gain weight (I have huge issues with fear of putting on weight) and I really worry they will put me at even more risk of getting dementia. I you can see, I worry and overthink ALOT!
But living with anxiety day to day is like walking through each day in concrete boots whilst dragging a ton of ball and chains with me.
My husband doesn’t help by saying that once on them I will probably never get off them (yet he has zero experience of antidepressants!).
Can anyone give me an insight as to what it is like living life on antidepressants? Good, bad, side effects? Anything!

They did at the time. I had postnatal depression/anxiety, having never suffered with my mental health before.

They, along with cbt, changed my life, and my family's life. I took them for a round a year.

Yes definitely. I tried fighting it for years i constantly felt like I was juggling and I couldn't keep it up.
The first 5 weeks are tough until they are in your system symptoms similar to IBS and you'll feel really hungry.
I've always been slim i put on 7lb in a month once they settled i felt great I got out walking sprung back in shape.

I tried many Sertraline are the best by miles.

I started taking sertraline 5 weeks ago. My anxiety and depression led me to burn out. The anxiety gave me IBS symptoms, eczema and headaches among other things. The first three weeks of medication were up and down but none of the side effects have lasted. My stomach problems and other symptoms are much better. I feel I now have space in my head to think more objectively and work through my personal difficulties.

I think I'd probably be dead or in jail if it weren't for antidepressants.

Depression happens for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes the reason isn't environmental or behavioural, but physical. If you don't make enough of the right neurotransmitter then you can feel depressed, even if everything else in your life is good.

Thank you @SweatyBetty20 and I'm so sorry for your loss too. It's a very difficult time but I'm surrounded by love which helps so much.

Changed my life - for the better. I felt similar to you before hand. Really didn’t want to consider them. I now think ‘why in earth did I take so long’.

I’ve not taken them for 4 years now. So you won’t necessarily be in them forever. Don’t worry about that. Worry about how you are now.

Another here who has found them positively life changing. I also suffer anxiety and IBS. At one point it became debilitating and I couldn't leave the house without taking 4 imodium first. Propranalol really helped that side of things (a beta blocker which stops the physical symptoms of anxiety) and sertraline has changed my life completely. It did give me a bad tummy for around 2 weeks, other than that no side effects. Its just lifted that black cloud over my head and let me feel happiness again. They don't fix all your problems but more allow you to deal with your problems from a completely different headspace. Nothing zombie inducing about them, that's a myth! I feel very stable and calm and wont be stopping them unless advised by GP. I cant stress enough how lucky we are to have access to these medications and the impact it will have on your life. Bite the bullet and do it!! If you don't get on with them there are other meds to try and you can always stop them completely. But absolutely do try them.

I’ve collected the Citalopram today and will try them on my annual leave over Christmas. I do hope I find the strength to try them as I really am so apprehensive about them but I know I do need to at least try this avenue as it’s the only one I haven’t tried long term. It really is the potential side effects which are scaring me but I know that’s the anxiety talking!

Like you, I resisted for a long time. I started taking sertraline a few months ago. I was really tired for the first month abs had dreadful diarrhoea and occasional vomiting. I almost came off them but collected my second prescription. This was for the same dose of sertraline but from a different manufacturer. My stomach has been absolutely fine on these!

I definitely feel more in control and more like the old me. Perhaps I am slightly numb to the ‘bad stuff’ but that’s no bad thing in my position, and I suspect in yours too!

I take fluoxatine and it changed my life. Honestly, best decision I ever made (health wise). It levels out my depression and doesn't change my appetite, or make me drowsy. It's perfect, and you can breast feed and be pregnant whilst taking it! However, it does change the taste of your milk, some babies don't like it.

Just to say Mirtazapine can be super sedating. I took it and benefitted form it hugely when at university but when I tried it in my twenties gained weight and didn’t tolerate it well at all. I’m on Sertraline and it helps hugely. You may get side effects for a few weeks so id really give your body a few weeks to get used to them to see if the side effects settle.

movinggoalposts I love the idea of being slightly numb to the bad stuff. I am an emotional sponge to bad stuff, I only have to see a little old man crossing the road on his own and I feel sad and weepy ffs!

This is my dream to happen.

@CounsellorTroi spot on!

I take sertraline every day. I love it. I was destroyed by PND and anxiety, and am so much better.

If sertraline doesn’t work for you there are loads of others- do it and don’t look back. Try CBT too, but AD’s are brilliant.

Whichever one you’re prescribed, give it a few weeks before you decide as they can (sometimes) make you a bit wobbly at first. Aside from always taking sertraline with water to avoid heartburn, I don’t think I’ve experienced any ill effects as yet.

They changed mine and by extension my family's. I became more patient and less shouty in addition to stopping the horrible intrusive thoughts and crying at the drop of a hat.

Just try them.

I didn’t even consider it for years, but 50mg sertraline stops me dropping into despair.

I have inflammatory digestive issues and it’s been fine (other than a bit of nausea the first couple weeks, but lots of people get that.) They don’t seem to impact my physical health or personality other than that.

I have no idea if I’ll be ever come off them, I might if life gets steadier, but right now they are really helpful.