Help Can antidepressants stop working over time?

[lunargreenx]

I am wondering if my life is just so shitty or If I can blame part of it on the SSRIs.

I've been taking Esoprex (Escitalopram) for the last 3 years and I think I am becoming less and less stable and extremely suicidal and depressed.
My adventures with SSRIs has been quite a journey. 4 years I took Sertraline - which didn't do shit, except making me gain unnecessary weight, and another 2 years I took Fluoxetine (Prozac) which didn't do anything at all. I also took Rispen (Risperidon) for a loooooong time which is like a sleeping pill.

I don't have a diagnosis, the clinical card or how to call it just states I have "severe depression".

 

[rhiino]

Yes, they can stop working and even have the opposite effect by making you worse. I experienced that myself.

 

[lunargreenx]

Yes, they can stop working and even have the opposite effect by making you worse. I experienced that myself.

I am sorry.
Then I should probably stop taking them...

 

[rhiino]

Be careful with that, too. I know somebody who also took Escitalopram and had severe side effects when he stopped taking them. You should reduce the dose with as little steps as possible and slowly.

 

[profoundexperience]

Yes, that's definitely my experience (various antidepressants have stopped working for me many-multiple times).

I would guess a doctor is prescribing your Lexapro... I'd recommend it's time to go in and switch/increase dose... or let the doctor tell you how to taper-off if that's what you want.

 

[Maravillosa]

Antidepressants can stop working over time. The nickname for it is "Prozac poop-out":

The Ups And Downs of Depression Treatment

Fluctuations in how you feel are normal. Here’s what you can expect as you journey from depression to wellness.

www.webmd.com

The medical name for the phenomenon is antidepressant tachyphylaxis:

Identification and Treatment of Antidepressant Tachyphylaxis

Antidepressant tachyphylaxis describes a condition in which a depressed patient loses a previously effective antidepressant treatment response despite staying on the same drug and dosage for maintenance treatment. It has been suggested that antidepressant ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[lunargreenx]

I would guess a doctor is prescribing your Lexapro... I'd recommend it's time to go in and switch/increase dose... or let the doctor tell you how to taper-off if that's what you want.

My doctor is prescribing me Esoprex.

Unfortunately, mental healthcare situation in this country is laughable. I can't talk to my doctor.
I really don't know what I should or should not do, but I am at the verge of collapse. I guess I will take a shot and try to slowly stop taking them. But also... My SN is coming in a week, so maybe it will be meaningless at the end.

 

[profoundexperience]

The nickname for it is "Prozac poop-out"

Nice! I hadn't heard that before. Nice to hear the technical name for it too!!

My doctor is prescribing me Esoprex.

Sorry! I think we're talking about the same medication... just different names in different countries. Anyway, it's an antidepressant... and that's the relevant point.

Unfortunately, mental healthcare situation in this country is laughable. I can't talk to my doctor.
I really don't know what I should or should not do, but I am at the verge of collapse. I guess I will take a shot and try to slowly stop taking them. But also... My SN is coming in a week, so maybe it will be meaningless at the end.

Okay... yeah, that's more complicated. In stopping/tapering the Esoprex, what are you hoping will happen? What would be the best case scenario??

Oh, gay here too .

 

[lunargreenx]

Okay... yeah, that's more complicated. In stopping/tapering the Esoprex, what are you hoping will happen? What would be the best case scenario??

Oh, gay here too .

Honestly? I don't have a fucking clue. I am just clutching at straws...
The thing is - I really want to live. But not like this.

Hello fellow gay guy.

 

[profoundexperience]

I really want to live. But not like this.

Good! Very good!! That's certainly doable. I've got several ideas that might help. For example, there are LGBTQ+ groups all over the world -- very, VERY committed to preventing young-gay suicide -- and you say you're 19 years old, right?

May I ask what country you live in and if you're near a major city? With those, I'll start researching for you (please do so yourself too).

 

[rhiino]

You might feel better without those meds, but the side effects of withdrawal can be severe, hence you normally only do that when you are either good or other side effects are too harsh to keep taking it.

 

[autumnal]

rhiino said:​

​

Yes, they can stop working and even have the opposite effect by making you worse. I experienced that myself.​

I am sorry.
Then I should probably stop taking them...

Please do not rush into a decision to stop taking them. Consult your doctor first.


While SSRI antidepressants can have reduced effectiveness over time, this is certainly not the only explanation for your symptoms. What is probably more likely to have occurred is that your depression has gotten more severe, and the current medication dosage is not fully addressing this.

While some people can experience worsening depression on taking antidepressants, this is also not a common occurrence and again is not the most likely explanation for your symptoms

Even if it was decided by your doctor that the medication wasn't helping and that you should stop it, you would need to gradually decrease the dose in order to prevent withdrawal side effects. Stopping it abruptly is a very bad idea.

There's a reason why you trusted your doctor with putting you on this medication in the first place. Speak to them about your symptoms and be guided by their knowledge and expertise.

Also, note that a suicide forum is by its very nature going to contain a disproportionate amount of people who have had little or no success with antidepressant medications. The experiences of people here are not neccesarily representative of the wider population.

 

[lunargreenx]

Please do not rush into a decision to stop taking them. Consult your doctor first.


While SSRI antidepressants can have reduced effectiveness over time, this is certainly not the only explanation for your symptoms. What is probably more likely to have occurred is that your depression has gotten more severe, and the current medication dosage is not fully addressing this.

While some people can experience worsening depression on taking antidepressants, this is also not a common occurrence and again is not the most likely explanation for your symptoms

Even if it was decided by your doctor that the medication wasn't helping and that you should stop it, you would need to gradually decrease the dose in order to prevent withdrawal side effects. Stopping it abruptly is a very bad idea.

There's a reason why you trusted your doctor with putting you on this medication in the first place. Speak to them about your symptoms and be guided by their knowledge and expertise.

Also, note that a suicide forum is by its very nature going to contain a disproportionate amount of people who have had little or no success with antidepressant medications. The experiences of people here are not neccesarily representative of the wider population.

Thank you for your time.

I am planning to gradually decrease the dose. I know how to do it - they decreased my dose for other meds in the past. I am not able to talk to my doctor unfortunately, so I have to do it myself. Increasing the amount is not an option, because I am already at maximum daily dose.

 

[autumnal]

Thank you for your time.

I am planning to gradually decrease the dose. I know how to do it - they decreased my dose for other meds in the past. I am not able to talk to my doctor unfortunately, so I have to do it myself. Increasing the amount is not an option, because I am already at maximum daily dose.

I am sorry to hear you cannot talk to your doctor, what is the reason behind that? Do you just mean due to logistics during the Coronavirus restrictions?

While gradual lowering will at least help you minimise withdrawal effects, the risk with stopping the medication (whatever the means) is that you may feel even worse than you did when you were on it.

 

[Epsilon0]

Please do not rush into a decision to stop taking them. Consult your doctor first.


While SSRI antidepressants can have reduced effectiveness over time, this is certainly not the only explanation for your symptoms. What is probably more likely to have occurred is that your depression has gotten more severe, and the current medication dosage is not fully addressing this.

While some people can experience worsening depression on taking antidepressants, this is also not a common occurrence and again is not the most likely explanation for your symptoms

Even if it was decided by your doctor that the medication wasn't helping and that you should stop it, you would need to gradually decrease the dose in order to prevent withdrawal side effects. Stopping it abruptly is a very bad idea.

There's a reason why you trusted your doctor with putting you on this medication in the first place. Speak to them about your symptoms and be guided by their knowledge and expertise.

Also, note that a suicide forum is by its very nature going to contain a disproportionate amount of people who have had little or no success with antidepressant medications. The experiences of people here are not neccesarily representative of the wider population.

Well put @autumnal



@lunargreenx

I have long experience of Citalopram and Sertraline and I have been told by my doctors that ssri can stop working after a while and that changes in dosage are not uncommon.

You write that you do not have a diagnosis, but that it says in your health care file that you suffer from "severe depression". As far as I know, "severe depression" is a diagnosis.

Did you perhaps mean something else?

All the best to you!

 

[Heavy]

Risperidon is anti-physotic medicine. It's a medicine used for treating amongst other things, schizofrenia.

It's also actually making your brain smaller over time.

 

[lunargreenx]

I am sorry to hear you cannot talk to your doctor, what is the reason behind that? Do you just mean due to logistics during the Coronavirus restrictions?

No. By that I mean this - I live in a shithole country where every branch of the government is corrupted. Including healthcare. Mental health patients are largely ignored and put into psych wards like chickens in a cage. The mental health care is really bad. My psychiatrist doesn't have a clue what she's doing based on reviews from other patients and mine experience as well.

You write that you do not have a diagnosis, but that it says in your health care file that you suffer from "severe depression". As far as I know, "severe depression" is a diagnosis.

Yes, that's right. But they don't know what is the cause of the depression. They told me they have ideas, but nothing has been really proved. Latest thought of theirs was that I have RDD (recurrent depressive disorder). But I really don't know.

Risperidon is anti-physotic medicine. It's a medicine used for treating amongst other things, schizofrenia.

It's also actually making your brain smaller over time.

Yes. It is an utter nightmare. I think I will rent a billboard in the city that says "Don't do risperidon, unless you like pain". But seriously. It's zombie-fying drug and you are living corpse while on it. You can't do shit. In my country they think Risperidon is a "miracle drug". They probably put me on it to stop my suicidal thoughts.

 

[autumnal]

No. By that I mean this - I live in a shithole country where every branch of the government is corrupted. Including healthcare. Mental health patients are largely ignored and put into psych wards like chickens in a cage. The mental health care is really bad. My psychiatrist doesn't have a clue what she's doing based on reviews from other patients and mine experience as well.

In that case, I still think it is worth talking to your psychiatrist and explaining your situation. This is a better option that stopping the meds.

Risperidon [...]
It's also actually making your brain smaller over time.

Care to provide a reference for that statement?

 

[lunargreenx]

In that case, I still think it is worth talking to your psychiatrist and explaining your situation. This is a better option that stopping the meds.

I talked to her earlier this year (in march) when things still weren't so dramatic as they are now. Now it's much worse - I am thinking about death and killing myself every night. What she has done then was that she immediately prescribed me Risperidon again. I refuse to take it, I had it once since she prescribed it to me, even though she said I must take it every month.

You maybe don't know it. But It's literally like @Heavy said. It's hell. It's really strong medicine.

 

[Fullof pain]

I have been on practically every anti depressant, anti psychotic and benzo that there is. Over a period of about 25 years. And yes for me they do stop working over time. Due to the recent suicide attempt I am now on a concoction of 5 different meds. But to be honest they aren't doing a lot as death is still all I want.

 

[_Minsk]

would actually surprise me if any drug would not stop working at some point

 

[Heavy]

would actually surprise me if any drug would not stop working at some point

Taking care of the human brain is a machinery like any other. You gotta take care of it everyday. You can never sit back and relax or else you're gonna get backfired with anxiety ..