Which antidepressant should I ask for this time?!

[Itsmeaga1n]

I've tried fluoroxetine, citalopram, mirtazapine, sertraline, duloxetine. With each I either put on weight, get restless legs, lose all sex drive, get headaches, can't sleep.

I haven't taken any for a few months but am a mess again, my anxiety is sky high, worrying about everything and tense/ on edge all the time.

I'm also menopausal. I can't sleep, the hot flushes are unbearable.

Duloxetine helped with the hot flushes but I couldn't sleep, woke up every hour throughout the night.

I'm now at the point where I need to go back to the gp and have an appointment on Thursday. Any ideas what I should ask for?
I have GAD and also health anxiety. My BP is about 140/90 so I worry about high blood pressure and heart attacks. I know venlafaxine and duloxetine can raise blood pressure so not sure that's ideal.

Propranolol and CBT for the anxiety?

Propanolol doesn't work. I'm starting counselling on Tuesday (again ...).

Anyone found a good antidepressant for anxiety without sure effects of insomnia and restless legs and if possible no weight gain?

Amitriptyline. Don't let them scare you off with stories of side effects. Worst I've ever had is a couple of weeks of mild dizziness when starting it and a couple of pounds weight gain. It does however knock you out for the count. Insomnia will not be a problem.

They don't like prescribing it because it's old fashioned and there are "better" drugs now but it's been a miracle drug for me, especially as it starts working quickly, far more so than anything else I've tried. I can't tolerate any of the new antidepressants, had bad luck with SSRI's in general.

I had to really push for it with my GP as I am prone to episodes of intense suicidal ideation and Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant so lethal in overdose but they do prescribe it if you are adamant you want to try it. I had to swear up and down to my GP and my therapist that I could be trusted with it and they'll only prescribe me a month at a time and not on repeat but if I can get it then I can't see you having a problem.

I'm also holding my hand up for amitriptyline. Although I have had weight gain.

Thanks I'll ask about it. No restless legs with it?

what was the issue with sertraline?

i’ve taken venlafaxin, prozac, citalopram and sertraline.

tried sertraline for a month years ago when i was depressed and it didnt help much (not that i gave it a chance)

couple of years ago i tried again, more for anxiety, panic attacks and compulsive thoughts related to my health anxiety. it has worked wonders, honestly. i gained weight on 100mg but currently on 50mg and no weight gain. no loss of sex drive/orgasm. no restless legs.

i take it before bed, just to avoid any sleepiness which would annoy me in the daytime if i took it in the morning. i do get restless legs from my anaemia but i use a magnesium spray on them which stops it.

I'm on Valdoxan. It definitely helps with sleep and I don't have any side effects. I don't have a lot of choice because I can't take most ADs but it's not bad.

Amitryptaline has worked wonders for me. It is not often prescibed as an AD as far as I know. I was prescribed by a psychiatrist as GP was not keen to. I am on 75 mg per day.

I was on Prozac for years and it didn't seem to work for me; plus I can't remember much from the years I was on it (not sure if this is a common side-effect or not).

Following with interest. I’m on mitazepine atm, great for sleep and anxiety but I’ve put on a ton of weight which is depressing for in itself! Have tried fluoxetine ( no libido), citalopram and sertraline not effective.

Nope no restless legs. Once the initial dizziness passes, I wouldn't know I was taking it as far as side effects go. I sleep like the dead for 16 hour stretches if left unchecked and feel a lot more emotionally stable but otherwise I just feel normal. No effect on sex drive either which is good.

With sertraline I had restless legs and loss of sex drive.

I had different woes with every SSRI I tried. Sertraline gave me urine retention, Citalopram gave me hallucinations and made me more depressed and Paroxetine made me very unstable and actively suicidal. That one was the worst and the experience put me off for life. I will never try another SSRI. Having scared at least 5 years off my therapists life by sending him a goodbye text at 4 in the morning and then being uncontactable until nearly midday at which point I was delivered to his office by a police officer and proceeded to sob hysterically at him for 2 hours, the decision was made to take me off it as quickly as possible and he put his foot down with regards to me trying any more.

I take a low dose of Quetiapine for depression and anxiety, am also on prozac. The gp has to go through a psychiatrist though I think to prescribe Q.

Venaflaxine is supposed to be good for hot flushes and very effective. Could you try that one OP and monitor blood pressure? I am on 50mg Sertraline for 2 months now, no side effects and I have actually lost a bit of weight since starting on it which is a nice little bonus.

I have health anxiety especially about heart attacks so not sure I could cope with something that made me worry about that but will mention to the gp.

do you know what dose of sertraine you were prescribed? 50mg has really worked wonders for my health anxiety.

restless legs can be helped by magnesium spray directly on to legs. 50mg might not affect sex drive if you were previously prescribed 100mg?

might be worth a try. its definitely one of the better SSRIs for anxiety

I started at 25mg them increased to 50mg. Probably increased again, not sure. I dont think i did have restless legs at first bit I'm not sure now. I did try magnesium spray but it didn't seem to help. My arms and legs were restless, it was awful.

Dosulepin (another of the tricyclics).

I haven't heard of that one, I'll look it up. Did you take it?