What are side effects of ADs??

[niceglasses]

Am 'giving in' to what a think is a terrible depression which is draining me and my kids I think. Have had it on and off since 1st of my 3 born almost 6 yrs ago. Have made appt at docs. Will take ADs or do anything just to feel better. What will they say? What are the side effects of Ads??? Despo to feel a bit better

By all means, take the ADs. Talk to your GP about your fears. There are the serotonin uptake inhibitors (SRIs such as Prozac) which are very effective & have few or no side effects. Depression is the absolute worst! Please don't refuse meds because you're worried about side-effects! There are so many ADs on the market & one of them is bound to be right for you. Best of luck! xx

Hi. Sorry you feel so down, I know what it's like. Everybody's experience of AD's is different. Plus some AD's will agree, some won't.

I have felt depressed since my DD's birth 4 years ago. I have a 1 year old DS too. I have tried Citralopram for panic disorder, this is also for depression, I hated it. It made me feel worse. I had night sweats, nightmares, hallucinations and panicked more than ever, but I didn't really give them a chance as I stopped taking them after only a few.

Try Reflexology, Reiki, Yoga, Meditation, and more importantly excercise regularly and eat as healthily as possible. Excercise releases some chemical from the brain which gives you that feel good feeling. If all else fails See your GP, who will undoubtedly dish out some AD's.

In my experience of taking sertraline, intial side effects were feeling sick (this improved once I started taking them in the evening instead of the morning). I then had about two weeks where I didn't feel any better, but then started feeling better in myself and from then on the path has been onwards and upwards .

Sorry you're feeling like this - seeing the GP for treatment is a really positive step though.

The side-effects depend on (a) the particular drug and (b) the person taking it. Not everyone gets the same side-effects.

I was on Citalopram for about a year. For the first couple of weeks I had a few side effects (nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, night-sweats, wooly-headedness, loss of appetite etc) but then settled down well. I had two long-term side-effects - one was an intolerance to sunlight, t other was a feeling of having an electric shock in my head every time I turned it. That's apparently an unusual side-effect with Citalopram though.

Other common side-effects are a dry mouth, headaches and shakiness. They are usually short term and disappear after the first week or two.

Some people experience more extreme reactions to some ads, and they can actually feel more depressed, more anxious, or start having panic attacks. Again, these aren't common and can soon be solved by being prescribed a different form of ad.

The SSRIs are more easily tolerated than some of the older forms of ads, and the side-effects are generally reckoned to be fewer and shorter-lasting.

Thanks girls - yes am deffo going to GPs as really sick of the effect I'm having on my kids. I was particularly worried about weight gain as being a bit overweight is getting me down as well.........seems maybe this isn't one tho??

One of the side effects can be changes in appetite - it can go either way. So you might find your appetite increases, but then again you might not.

Chances are even if your appetite increases it would only be a short-term thing anyway. And a couple of pounds weight gain is nothing if taking the ads means you start to feel better.

Ok bit the bullet and went to docs - embarrasingly cried non stop etc. She prescribed fluoxetine hydrochloride. Anyone know anything about it? Thanks in advance.

niceglasses I took it for many years and it saved my life.

The black cloud lifted and I became myself all over again. I had forgotten how much fun it was to be me.

I had NO side effects at all but would happily have put up with all my hair falling out or my skin turning green to getr rid of that terrible dark despair. (these are not recognised side effects by the way!)

I really hope it work for you.
best of luck . Depression is a killer.
xx

It's the generic name for prozac which you probably know already

Hi niceglasses. I'm going through the same experiences as you at the moment. Sobbed my heart out at GPs on Monday. ( Saw you on my thread I think) Have been hiding my depression for 5 years . I've wound myself up no end reading about ADs and their side effects on various websites. MN is definately the place to find the honest answers and get the greatest support and love. I'm back to the GP in 4 weeks, will see then but feel I need ADs, also on waiting list for counselling. You're not alone - there is lots of support here xx

I hadn't realised it was Prozac. I will deffo take it as do feel awful and anything has to be better. Megalegs, odd we should be doing the same thing at the same time!! I think that is what made my mind up after really years I think - I'm sick of not feeling like myself. I struggled cos somewhere I thought it was a failure to take ADs.

niceglasses you are not a failure any more than a diabetic who takes insulin is a failure.

Start taking the drugs and look forward to feeling like your old self again soon.
Let us know how you get on.

This is a subject very dear to my heart.

niceglasses, I had untreated depression for 10 years. It went away by itself in the end, but boy do I wish that I had taken ADs to get my life back earlier. At the time, I saw it as a dreadful failure to seek help, like you. In fact, I think that reluctance to seek treatment was definitely a symptom of being depressed!
Hope you feel better soon.