To be afraid of antidepressants? Advice needed for GP tomorrow

[MoiraRoseIsMyQueen]

So I have health anxiety, which has steadily been getting worse since I had my first baby. My latest thing is that I’ve convinced myself I’ve got bowel cancer. If the kids get even the slightest sniffle I go off the deep end. I have tried various CBT/meditation/talking therapies previously, and although they’ve helped in some ways - I’m able to be totally rational in recognising that I’m being ridiculous - I’m still anxious. Honestly, I’m exhausted by myself, and for the first time ever I’m considering whether medication might be an option.

But, I’m a bit scared - although I’ve read lots of positives, I’ve also seen/heard as many stories of antidepressants making people feel numb/emotionally blunted. I am incredibly susceptible to drug side effects in general (one cocodamol and I’m dribbling on the sofa) so I’m concerned that they might not be the answer for me. Can anyone share any experiences or tips that might be helpful when I go and chat with my GP tomorrow? Thanks loves 🙏

I take antidepressants- they don’t numb me at all but are really helpful keeping me from spiralling into the constant feeling of dread and anxiety. They are not magic and I do sometimes have an episode but it’s fairly well controlled by the medication. It can take a while to find one that works for you and they generally take around 6-8 weeks to be fully effective so don’t give up if you don’t feel better immediately.

I have taken fluroxetine a couple of times and had no problems with it. It didn't make me feel numb, it just lifted my lows up a little and made life far easier to manage. I only stayed on it for 6-9 months each time and then slowly came off it. If you are really struggling I think it's worth getting help for a while.

I tried sertraline for anxiety and I am allergic to it, I took one tablet and couldn't eat or sleep for 3 days. If you get prescribed Sertraline I suggest breaking the tablet in half for your first dose to see how you react, I didn't do this.

I suggest telling the GP you react strongly to medicines and ask them to prescribe you the lowest possible dose to start because you can always increase it.

Wishing you well. x

I really hope your GP appointment goes well.

All I can give you is another positive story. I've taken sertraline twice, once for six months and once for 4 months. Both times it gave me an incredible mental break from what I was struggling very seriously with. I came off it both times with barely a flicker of an issue. The second time in particular it got me through to the point where I could benefit from therapy.

Your anxiety doesn't want you to get better, it wants to take over more of your life. Please talk to your GP, I hope you feel better soon.

I have health anxiety too and tried setraline. It started me bleeding and as I'm menopausal this was a bad sign. I had to wait 7 months during the pandemic for a scan to dismiss cancer. I was anxious the whole time.
Im scared to try anything else as i dont want to risk that happening again

I'm on antidepressants and for me they've really helped, they reduce my anxiety to levels where I can function and talking therapies were able to help.

Be aware that stories on the internet aren't a true reflection of the liklihood of side effects - people who have side effects / a negative experience are much more likely to write than people who have no / minor side effects. If everything is going well for you why would you seek out a forum / website and write. So there is a real bias there.

Also keep in mind that every medicine has side effects, even ones like paracetamol. Most side effects are minor and short lived. But if you do have side effects and they dont settle, remember you can ask to change medication (there's lots of different anti-depressants out there) or come off them.

You also have to balance the possibility of any side effects against how you would be without any medication. A medicine isn't prescribed if the side effects outweigh any good that, that medicine could achieve.

I hope your apt goes well tomorrow and you're able to have a good chat with your GP. And whatever you decide re medication is the right decision for you.

I would write any questions you have down on a peice of paper before the appointment.

I took them for a year when I had such severe anxiety I could barely leave the house. They saved me! It gave me time to become calm and rational again. I got my confidence back.
That was 25 years ago and although I have some anxiety it’s never been that bad. I wouldn’t hesitate to take them again for a short time or forever.

I've been prescribed sertraline, only read or heard about the negative side effects so am too afraid to start it...tho I definitely need some help right now. CBT didn't work at all for me

I genuinely think they saved my life

If you start and get any side effects that concern you then call to speak to the gp

I’ve never felt numb or blunted on antidepressants. I’ve just felt less anxious!

Edit: typo

I also took sertraline for a period of around 9 months and it worked wonders. I could have kept taking it but it had resolved my awful anxiety/ruminations to I wanted to see if i could manage without it and I could. I also had no issues weaning off it. The only downside I had was that it did impact on my sleep but I am quite a sensitive sleeper anyway. I am the same with cocodamol so I was apprehensive but it really was a magic pill for me and I wouldn't hesitate to go on it again if I needed to. Good luck

@stripybobblehat
I know, but DS has just stated school and with school runs and rushing to work after I'm worried about sickness, insomnia or increased anxiety when I start them, which I've been told is common.
Sorry to hijack the thread op, I just was hoping you may get some positive experiences

I have been on Sertraline and it didn’t help me at all. The side effects were unpleasant as well. I think it’s a case by case basis and you won’t know until you try them yourself, but the tapering off was not pleasant so it’s not a light decision to make.

I took them on and off for years and they allowed me to function and have a normal life. I’ve now been off them for about a year but prepared to take them again if I need to.

One thing I’d say is you don’t feel numb on them but when I came off them I started to feel things more than before so I guess to an extent they DO numb your emotions slightly. But honestly if you’re chronically depressed or anxious that’s not a bad thing.

What I always say to people who are struggling with their mental health but in the “I don’t want to take pills” mindset is if you’d refuse to take medication for any other illness? Depression and anxiety is as real as diabetes or thyroid problems.

I was similar and reluctant to use medication to manage my anxiety. I was prescribed it in 2015 but didn't want to take it - so did self-help, anxiety courses, then finally 5 years later I realised I couldn't cope anymore and asked for medication alongside CBT and counseling. Lo and behold, it changed my life for the better taking it. Initially it gave me headaches and feelings of nausea, sensitive gut, made me feel a bit numb, then after a week all the side effects stopped and there was nothing... Then, suddenly, after a month I woke up one day and felt like a new person. The weight of my anxiety was gone. It was amazing. I wished I'd done it sooner, but I was too scared of the side effects to do it.

Best of luck OP.

Which one did you take?

Not minimising your experience, but I don't think blanket-advice posts like these are helpful. It's up to a person and their doctor what medication to take or not take. You've had a bad experience with mirtazipine, I've had a really positive one. We don't know who is reading this, what their circumstances are, and how they will react to a medication. I would hate for anyone to feel scared to take prescribed medication because of a post like this.

I tried fluoxetine for post natal anxiety and they did make me feel numb, and very nauseous, which I'm told is a common side effect, so I had to stop them. With hindsight i could have asked for an antisickness tablet, but it didnt occur to me to do so. I was then prescribed pregabalin, which worked brilliantly for me, I felt like me, just calmer, and able to sleep and eat for first time in ages. They can be reluctant to prescribe as it is highly addictive, and have to come off it very slowly, but for me I was in such a bad place that I was prepared to take that risk. I was on it for about 6 months, and then came off it very slowly over 2 months, with no side effects apart from a little bit of difficulty sleeping if I dropped dose too quickly.

After a baby my back went, prescribed cocodamol jakers I was out of it, not great with an infant. Never taken it again.

Fluoxetine, yes nausea for a few hours like morning sickness which lasted a couple of weeks, but the break from anxiety when it kicked in was a miracle. I've needed it after every baby, maybe a hormone, sleep deprived thing. I took it for less than a year, kept forgetting to take it so naturally weaned myself off it.

Citalopram worked miracles for my health anxiety (also linked to my PND). Took me a year to work up the courage to take them and my only regret was not taking them sooner. I felt like a different person within a few weeks.

only real downside for me was weight gain but was a small price to pay at the time. I always took mine before bed which minimised any side effects.

Game changer for me - but took a while finding the one that suited me.

So patience a must and be prepared that it might take time.

Everybody is different as to what suits them - please don’t listen to the ‘don’t try xyz’ or’xyz worked for my anxiety’ . I could name the one that made me manic or the one that saved my sanity , or the one that did absolutely nothing or the one that made me so sleepy I couldn’t function - but it’s irrelevant as what suited / didn’t suit me may be the perfect choice for you.

Work with your Dr or psychiatrist to find the one that suits you and be prepared to start low (dose) and slow (increases).

Some will not suit - some will initially give you side effects - only you can try and find out if they help.

Good luck !

I've been on quite a few different antidepressants over the past 20 years and never really suffered from any side effects, apart from a bit of drowsiness the first day. They saved me!

Sertraline! Started on 25mg for the first few days, then once my side effects eased I upped to 50mg, then stayed on 50mg. I did wean off it really slowly after about a year of no anxiety (shaved the tablets bit by bit) and it didn't give me any side effects as I came off. Sadly my anxiety came back again badly more recently, but same process as before and still on it now for the second time. It has honestly changed my life. I was a walking blob of tension and anxiety before!! I feel so much more relaxed and able to cope with life now.