Antidepressants to take or not to take?

[Lillipop87]

Hi. Ive posted before a bit about this. ive been very low for a good while now but I am having a tough time and I feel like have lost myself in the process. Things have gradually been getting worse so i eventually caved and went to the doctor on the advice of my family and she has said she thinks I have post natal depression and has prescribed me antidepressants. I'm reluctant to take these I'm not even one for taking pain killers and I'm still breastfeeding and even though she said they are safe I still feel anxious about it .I think don't have pnd and it's just my life situation is shit and what has me down. Dr said she would never push them on me but she believes it will help me in the short term. Has anyone been in the same boat where they have not wanted the meds but they have ended up helping them ? Am I being silly to be worrying so much about this?Tia. X

I took citalopram for around 5 years. Like yourself I’m not one for pill popping and was very reluctant to take them (family history of addiction).

Citalopram did not ‘cure’ me but it did give me an extra push to get out of bed in the morning and keep going. In combination with counselling I would say that anti-Ds worked for me.

Waiting for the drugs to build up in your system can be unpleasant for some. I had to build up the dose gradually. The withdrawal was also hard. I found the side effects very unpleasant and I had to reduce my dose very slowly over several months.

You’re not being silly to worry about taking them. The decision is yours. If you’re feeling very low then it might be worth a shot.

I think I possibly SHOULD have taken the meds! I don't like pills either and didn't take them. I think the stress took a toll on my body instead.

Also hope you are ok and your situation improves

I never thought I would take medication for anxiety or depression but in June last year I found myself asking the GP to prescribe it as I felt I had tried it all and still no respite. I have 2 x young DC and I wonder if it was PND but fairly late in its onset triggered by DH's job loss and lots of changes at home financially and logistics etc.

It took ages to work honestly, I think my dose was pretty low, but the side effects were bearable whilst I levelled out and eventually it did begin to work and I felt like "myself" again. They definitely offered me respite and clarification, which was much needed at the time. I have been weaning myself off them gradually since late January as I felt much better and was reluctant to stay on them in the longer term. So far the withdrawal has been ok, some mild side effects but all manageable. I think the longer you're on them and the higher the dose, the trickier the withdrawal.

I'm so glad I decided to take them for the short time that I did, they did really help, however there were a few things about them that I didn't love. I put weight on, not masses but enough to feel annoyed! I craved sugar and junk food, not excessive but more than usual, it was hard to orgasm and really desire sex, I drank more booze than I normally would (sugar probably) and I lost zero interest in exercise whereas this time last year I was running at least 20 miles a week.

Only you know if you're ready to take them, it's a commitment and you can't stop/start them, you have to have faith in their ability to improve things. Read up as much as you can about the brand you have/might be prescribed, as this helps you to know what to expect and understand about your dosage etc.

xxxx

Thank you all for your lovely replies. This does put my mind a bit more at ease reading other people's experience esp when they have mostly been positive. I'm just worried that it isn't pnd and just a reaction to my life circumstances /hormones or something. Being stuck on them long term is something that worries to be honest I have the prescription but I still haven't started taking them I want to be 100% sure that it's the right thing for me before I do. I'm going back on Tues to see the doc to get bloods taken I think she is checking hormone levels and for things like thyroid ect I will have a chat with her again and might give them a go then. She said there are not many side effects with the one she's prescribed me but a quick Google search says otherwise! Anyway thanks so much again for all of your kind replies I hope you are all in a good place now 😊 xx

Sertraline is the one she's prescribed me. Anyone any experience with this one?x

Please take them for you and for the sake of your baby.

If you have depression (pnd or other) it can impact on your baby for life because your baby isn't getting the smiles and interactions needed to progress. I don't mean not getting them at all, but in a different pattern.

For your self, if you had tonsilitis would you take antibiotics? Of course because there is no stigma to that.

I take Sertraline for anxiety/insomnia and it’s been wonderful, returning me to ‘myself’. It was hard for about 2 weeks while my brain adjusted though.

Op I was you. I had such a thing about not wanting to go on antidepressants. I had a prescription for a month that I carried around with me.

The relief I felt after the initial 2 weeks of taking them was immense. I even (most unlike me but this is how positive an experience it was for me) put a post on FB in support of them for times when people are struggling. I have posted it below. There is no shame. Good luck. Oh and I came off them at Christmas. Not a big deal for me at least at all.

'We are all hearing more about the importance of being more open about and accepting of our own and others' mental health. I don't think too many people can disagree that this is a good thing. I have some some great friends who have spoken out on here and in real life about their own mental (and non mental) health issues and I always admire them for their honesty.

I don't have anything major to post here other than something that has been on my mind for a while.

When my marriage broke down 8 years ago and I found out I was pregnant for the second time I thought I couldn't go on, and really didn't think I could go through with the pregnancy (I did thank goodness). There were some very dark days and I struggled for a long time. I knew I had to be strong for Maya and carry on with life/ work etc but how?

I was desperate not to go onto antidepressants as I didn't like the idea of not being totally me.. plus there was the stigma, judgement, feeling like I had 'failed' and a whole load of other things that stopped me. I decided not to in the end and many lovely family members and friends (plus time) got me through it instead.

7 years later after being thrown a curveball of a different kind, I found myself feeling completely overwhelmed at times by life, work, having 2 children on my own and anxious about seemingly insurmountable problems. Once again my thoughts turned to antidepressants as my 'last resort' after talking to a friend. I went to see the my doctor and she listened and gently suggested they might be an option.

She gave me the prescription but I still didn't dare pick the pills up for a month as I was so anti the idea and felt like it was an admission of failure.

In short, I have now been taking them for about a year and I am indescribably glad that I did. It's a low dose and one that is prescribed for anxiety more commonly than depression. They have helped me revert back to being 'me' again. I feel able to go about life as I did before, see the positive/ humour in/ solutions to most situations and most importantly feel resilient enough to deal with stuff when things get testing, be it financial, kids, work..anything really. I still feel like me. I don't feel 'numb' as feared. I still laugh, cry, feel every emotion I ever have , lose everything, get fucked off and and do all the things I have always done. I'm just a less angsty and more reasoned version of me.

I don't expect to be taking them for ever but equally I'm not in a desperate hurry to come off them either. It's just not a big deal in the same way that I thought it was before I went on them.

Life is hard. We are all expected to appear as if all is well in our worlds and that we are all coping and it's just sometimes not the case.

The more I have spoken to friends about my own experiences the more I realise I am not alone in this.

If there is anyone out there feeling rubbish or that everything is overwhelming but not going to see their doctor, or if you are suffering alone through fear of judgment please don't. I am aware that 'happy pills' are not the only solution but I wanted to post specifically about my experience with them.

From personal experience I know that talking to friends / family and counselling and lots of other things can also be be brilliant at times.

At that stage in my life, it was a realisation that I am responsible for it and the stuff that goes on in it. It's down to me to find a way of dealing with the day to day shit/ stuff whatever that is, and that's what the antidepressants have been great for.

I'm not suggesting it's a permanent answer but things inevitably change and get better in life. It's just a way of not making things any harder than they already are when things get tough.

The fact that I am feeling nervous about posting this for fear of what people may think suggests we (or maybe just I 🤔) have a long way to go in getting rid of the stigma of taking antidepressants, even though I am so glad I made the decision to.

Now I'm off to buy some slippers 👍🏻'

That's the thing it hasn't affected at all how I feel about my baby(6months) she gets lots of love and smiles and interaction this is why I'm not convinced it's pnd.jywt to give some context .My son is almost 3 and we think he has adhd /autism we love him to bits but he is very hard work to the extent that he doesn't stop!the second he wakes up he's off jumping on people in and off furniture into everything, throwing toys,hitting, he has no awareness of the baby or other people's feelings and is very impulsive I can't trust him alone even to go to the loo. I'm a sahm and have four kids I try my best for all of them but lately with ds it's been getting harder and harder and I think that has contributed to how I'm feeling. Like I'm not crying all the time or having negative feelings about my baby it's more that I feel the days all blend into one and I have nothing to look forward to it's hard to explain. Its true that I often don't want to go out and don't enjoy things as much as I used to and I do feel low and irritable Alot but it's not all the time and I think it's more related to my situation if u get me.

Lemons thanks for sharing that with me. I'm so glad you had such a positive experience. Your right there really is such a stigma about medication and mental health in general..I don't know why I'm so worried about taking them..I am a bit of a worrier anyway I've always had a bit of anxiety but I've always just put up with it!maybe I should give them a try and see how I get on with them.x

Does it really matter what the reason is? Whether it is you or your circumstances, the end result is the same. No you may not display any of your feelings around your DC - but this is how you feel . And you are important.

No I don't suppose it does matter why I feel like it the fact that I do feel like it shows I need to do something. It took Alot for me to just go to the doctor and I even very nearly walked out cos I was so nervous about how I was going to explain how I felt to her and worried that she wouldn't take me seriously because I was too happy (was having a good day ). I have always found it hard to admit when I'm struggling and always put on a brave face only people who know me v well would have been able to tell the difference and they have been noticing lately how hard things are for me. It act felt really good to talk to the doctor and I basically just poured my heart out to her! X

Haverhill thanks for your message. Glad you have had such a positive experience with them. How do you mean it was hard at first though did you have Alot of side effects from them?my friend was on ads years ago and she said she felt weird when she first started taking them was that the same for you. I don't know why I'm so hung up on this.x

I felt very, very tired and just a bit ‘weird’. Many people feel the opposite though, a bit jittery and wide awake. It passed in 2 weeks and was so worth it.

I started sertraline 6 weeks ago following an awful lot of stress in multiple areas of my life. I was resistant to taking antidepressants too.

The first week was tough- I definitely felt worse but I knew to expect it.

6 weeks in, they are making a difference. I'm starting to feel like me again. I'm finding things funny again and not letting stuff get to me in the same way. I've a way to go- but for me- I'm glad I started taking them.

If you decide to take them, give them at least 8 weeks before you decide if they are helping you or not. Be prepared to feel worse initially. They aren't a quick fix but they are definitely helping me recover!

Thanks wonderpants. It's so good to see so many of you have had such a good experience with antidepressants. I think I will give them a chance and see if they help me.x

@Lillipop87 how are you feeling?

I’m on setraline. I’d always been very anti ads for myself, and even though I felt like I’d had a breakdown when my DTs were a few months old and was prescribed them, I refused to take them.

I battled on until they were around 8 months and couldn’t go on anymore. My babies were loved and cared for, hitting all their milestones etc, and on the surface I was fine, but I’d lost all joy and the world was dark. I knew it wasn’t the babies fault, it was just my head wasn’t right. I started taking setraline, and it changed my life. My world was colourful again, I felt love and joy for my babies and like we’d really bonded (I’d always known I loved them and we were bonded, but I couldn’t FEEL it and would constantly google for reassurance) my anxiety and constant googling to check I was doing parenting ‘right’ melted away. Basically I trusted myself and could feel again.

I’ve been on them for 18 months now. I could look to come off of them, but I’ve always had anxiety and bouts of depression and I feel I’m better off on them than not. I look back at all the times I’ve struggled badly with my MH and wonder why I put myself through utter hell.

I can totally understand not wanting to take them, but if you’re not feeling yourself for whatever reason I’d suggest trying them and see if they make things better for you. If they don’t you can come off of them, and if they do then that’s great!

Personally, I wouldn't take antidepressants unless I was seriously depressed. They aren't a cure and they are serious meds that affect how your brain and nervous system works. The latest guidelines and research is urging doctors not to prescribe them unless really necessary.
Many people swear by them but over 40% of people suffer bad side effects and severe withdrawal symptoms if they try to come off them.
There are many other therapies that can help with being low or irritated.

Limensoda I agree, I feel antidepressants have completely changed my brain chemistry and I really hate I have to rely on them, I have just been prescribed a different one and really don't want to be on them again, been off them almost a year

@26LHMBF I won't ever go on one again. I stopped them four weeks ago after tapering down slowly but I'm having horrible symptoms. I'm just glad I was only on them 9 months.
Unless you sort out the cause of your depression or anxiety and make changes in your life or how you think, then they just mask the problem.
They affect many parts of the brain and cause more problems.

Limensoda I was put on them at the age of 12 and ended up on them for 26 years, they were almost impossible to come off and only managed to come off them almost a year ago now. I really don't want to be on anymore as I think they contributed to my problems and made them worse

55LHMBF

I think it's awful that a child is put on antidepressants! That must have been horrible for you.
There are now reports that say there is no benefit to staying on them long term. People become psychologically dependent on them and believe it's the meds that keep them on an even keel.
It's far better to get good therapy and make life changes but I'm afraid people want a quick fix without really addressing their issues.

It's far better to get good therapy and make life changes

Absolutely. But sometimes a short course of ADs is necessary to reset the brain so that we can get the most out of therapy and be able to make the required changes.