Should I give antidepressants another try?

[dippyeggy]

I have been struggling with what started as anxiety for almost 3 years now. I am now really quite depressed as well as anxious.

I tried sertraline 2 years ago and my anxiety levels went through the roof, I was an absolute wreck and couldn't look after myself or my children. I was shaking, agitated and sick, couldn't sleep at all. I stopped taking them after 5 days.

Similar experience with fluoxetine.

I feel like I am stressed and anxious because of my circumstances. My son has lots of issues and I am finally beginning the process of an asd assessment for him. This is a massive stress to me and I don't see how medication can change that.

My family keep saying I should try a different antidepressant but I am terrified I will end up how I was before.

Is it worth the risk?

Fluoxitine made me so ill. Try citalopram, took a couple of weeks to kick in but helped me function while I put my life back together. Remember to work on you though, there's no real cure and people like us will get it again and again if we don't keep it in check X

I have been on pregabalin for nerve pain. I also suffer with anxiety. I felt amazing in the pregabalin! I have recently come off it and had a wobble but can cope. You don't need to take anything for ever just help yourself out through the tough times. Ask your gp about pregabalin or similar for anxiety.

I was on fluoxetine a few years ago. It did help me function for a while but yes then the anxiety levels did rise on it. Everyone is different and there is no magic solution.

Good luck and remember nothing is as bad as it seems

I had a very similar reaction to sertraline though I stuck with it for nearly a month hoping it would improve. It didn't. I felt truly awful like I was in a constant, low level anxiety attack.

Have you considered Amitriptyline? It's an older AD but I found it very good at subduing the awful anxiety and you really sleep very well on it, like a log. You will feel a bit groggy for the first few days but after that clears, you feel ever so slightly dreamy but calm. I was still perfectly fine to drive on it and hold down.a demanding job.

Thanks for your replies.

The thought of feeling like I did on sertraline and fluoxetine again terrifies me, but I feel like I need to do something.

I feel 'okay' mostly, never feel properly happy though and when I'm under any stress I just crumble.