Are there always side effects when starting antidepressants?

[noturkeythankyou]

I feel I need a mood lifter to get me out of how I’m feeling now but I’m petrified of the side effects. I’ve been following lots of threads on here and so many people say they feel truly dreadful when they start taking them. I have a GP appointment on Monday and want discuss it then. I have anxiety, low mood (depression) and ocd. Always felt anxious but it heightened with menopause and lost a parent in the summer snd business really suffering with the pandemic leading to the depression . I can’t shut my mind off. I’m having CbT which helps but I don’t seem to be able to apply the strategies to my situations. I just want to feel carefree and happy

There are side effects. I found nausea, anxiety and difficulty sleeping when starting SSRIs, venlafaxine or duloxetine. The side effects often wear off after a few weeks. Speak to your doctor about your concerns. Lets us know how you get on. There is a lot of good advice and support on Mumsnet.

Nausea & dizziness with an increased feeling of being tired so I just took them at bed time so I was asleep for the majority of the side effects for the few weeks that they lasted
That helped massively.

I was only on them for about 12 months, they really helped me out of my black hole.

There are usually some side effects which settle after a few weeks of taking them. The side effects are tolerated by most people, so nothing to be afraid of.

Thanks, I hope I would only be on them for a short time does anyone have experience off which might work best?

Hey can I follow this thread? I'm seeing GP on Monday for same thing but after reading some of the things on here about the side effects when starting I'm pretty scared - particularly of being offered sertraline, as I've read some awful stuff about that.

I take mine at night and have never had any side effects (citalapram 20 mg)

Zombie lady is yours gif anxiety or depression ? Do you feel better on it ?

I started mirtazapine a few weeks ago. Aside from feeling a bit out of it/sleepy for the first few days, I've had no side effects at all.

The side effects aren't that bad. I'd call them annoying rather than catastrophic. I take citalopram and worked out after two weeks of completely sleepless and awful nights that if I took them in the morning I would not fall asleep at work but would sleep well at night.
Everyone is different but the side effects don't last forever.

I had nausea for about 10 days and if I take my fluoxetine after lunch then I dont sleep well... my GP told me to try at different times of the day because they can make you stay awake or be really sleepy. Well done for taking the step

I’ve just started 50mg of sertraline and was really worried about the side effects too. Actually I’ve been fine - felt really nauseous the first day, but I think that was because I had caffeine around the same time, so now I’ve stopped drinking coffee and I’ve had no other symptoms to speak of. The side effects probably won’t be as bad as you think, and the benefits will far outweigh them.

If you've never taken them before you would probably be prescribed a SSRI, and I think the most frequently prescribed nowadays are sertraline, citalopram or fluoxetine.

I’ve never taken anything like this before but I’m open to trying for the short term to help me through this, it’s good to hear your stories has anyone taken it just for a short period and come off of successfully?

They take a while to kick in, and I think the minimum recommended course is 6 months. Some drugs appear to be harder than others to stop and there are different experiences from one person to another.

I’ve just started on fluoxetine and was really worried about the side effects. I tried sertraline a year ago and had to stop because of bad diarrhoea. I’m on day five and the side effects are not as bad as sertraline but it’s very early days. I too suffer from ocd and anxiety and found I couldn’t apply the strategies for CBT so had to try antidepressants xxx I’ve been suffering for years and have to get better x

I went on sertraline 3 years ago for a few months. The first few days were horrible - couldn't sleep and heightened anxiety. Went back on it over the summer as I was struggling and was dreading the first few days. However it was fine - the side effects were feeling a little 'high' if anything!

The first few days/weeks might be difficult for you, but bear in mind that people are more likely to post to report bad side effects too. Longer term it has been great for my anxiety. I don't have depression, but have a tendency to let anxious thoughts spiral. My brain is no longer going at 100 miles an hour and small things don't knock me and ruin my mood for the day.

Not always. I take one of the older ones. When it comes to side effects its reputation precedes it but I had no side effects at all. You might be fine.

I would recommend at least a year when you find one that works then wean off very slowly. They change your brain chemistry and you need to give it time to work. They take about 3 months before you feel the full effects then you want at least 6 months to stabilise on them then you need to ease them back a tiny bit at a time so as not to shock your brain which has got used to them. They often work brilliantly if you aren't too impatient to get off them.

Sorry, only just seen your question. I started taking it for low mood, insomnia and anxiety. I feel great now, as happy and confident as I did when I was 18!
I've been on them about 4 years now and have no desire to stop taking them. I did put a stone on but think that was because of better sleep and not feeling anxious, rather than the tablets.
I'd say go for it definitely.