Experience with antidepressants?

[Mr. Hang Man]

I was recently prescribed Effexor 50 mg. What's your experience with antidepressants, does it actually work and help you? I would like to know before I start taking it.

 

[agreement]

In my experience, pills are worth a try.
Beware of side effects and of too much complex "cocktails".

You'll probably notice the difference if it works.

I've done effexxor a lot of years ago and I don't have a bad memory of it.

In the meantime I've done dozens of other pills and I''m suicidal at the moment.

Anyway for sure I always suggest to try pills at least once.

 

[Jean Améry]

My experience is zero lasting intended effects and a few nice lasting side-effects to boot. Antidepressants do work for some people but they're about as effective as exercise or meditation, or a sugar pill for that matter.

It will not fix your life but it might make you feel a bit better, maybe enough to help you get your life together. Who knows?

Antidepressants aren't real medicine (they don't ''fix' anything that is supposedly wrong with your brain) and if they do work it's your own brain helping itself (placebo effect).

If you're not ready to blow your brains so to speak it might be worth the try. At this point what do you have to lose really? If you're lucky it might even make you suicidal enough to actually do it, lol.

 

[deflagrat]

My experience is zero lasting intended effects and a few nice lasting side-effects to boot. Antidepressants do work for some people but they're about as effective as exercise or meditation, or a sugar pill for that matter.

It will not fix your life but it might make you feel a bit better, maybe enough to help you get your life together. Who knows?

Antidepressants aren't real medicine (they don't ''fix' anything that is supposedly wrong with your brain) and if they do work it's your own brain helping itself (placebo effect).

If you're not ready to blow your brains so to speak it might be worth the try. At this point what do you have to lose really? If you're lucky it might even make you suicidal enough to actually do it, lol.

Wow, you say antidepressants are like a sugar pill? If that were true they would be useless. They are real medicine, they work but they are not a miracle, if you don't want to fix your life it will stay the same way.

 

[Jean Améry]

Wow, you say antidepressants are like a sugar pill? If that were true they would be useless. They are real medicine, they work but they are not a miracle, if you don't want to fix your life it will stay the same way.

It's not me who says it, it's the outcome of the work of Irving Kirsch. That doesn't mean they are useless though. What does it matter what makes people feel better?

I do maintain it's not a cure for anything and it won't fix one's life.

 

[Kyrok]

I also recently started Effexor. 37.5mg last month, will start 75mg in the next few days.
It is being prescribed to me for pain, but I'm finding it helpful for anxiety.

Here is a pretty good video about how Antidepressants are thought to work:

 

[Mr. Hang Man]

I also recently started Effexor. 37.5mg last month, will start 75mg in the next few days.
It is being prescribed to me for pain, but I'm finding it helpful for anxiety.

Here is a pretty good video about how Antidepressants are thought to work:

Good video, thank you for your input.

 

[bluesleep]

I've been taking mirtazapine for 2 months. It does nothing, I don't feel like going out ever, when I have to it's really hard and I'm still thinking about suicide. I was prescribed risperidone too but I stopped taking it a few days ago because of the side effects.

 

[Pentobartbital]

Be careful.

It is due to the legacy adverse drug effects of Effexor that I am going to kill myself soon.

Some people aren't affected nearly as bad, but I will honestly tell you that after taking it for six years, coming off of it was Hell. Realising the permanence and inability to cure PSSD, unmitigated brain fog, unsightly hives, and other perturbing changes has taken me over the brink. I won't be the first to end up like this nor shall I be the last.

 

[Boonks]

Sertraline destroyed my life and is also the reason I'll be killing myself soon.
Some people say they work. For others, it causes unimaginable irreversible damage that may lead one to kill themselves. Is that possibility worth the risk? Antidepressants was simply the greatest mistake of my existence, and soon shall be the cause of my non-existence. I wish someone had warned me years ago when I was hurting, desperate, and vulnerable and trusting of doctors.

 

[Kyrok]

It is absolutely true that antidepressants can be hell to come off. The medical establishment calls it "discontinuation syndrome," but it is no less than drug withdrawal.

Anyone who starts them should only do so if they're at the end of their ropes and have an exit strategy.

Personally, I've ventured in because of chronic pain and a desire to not use opioids. If Effexor doesn't help within about two months, I plan to stop.

 

[Intelligent_Lobster]

I just started Zoloft today. 25mg for a week, and then 50mg until/if I feel the need to change the dose.

So no experience yet, but maybe I'll revisit this thread in a week.

Sertraline destroyed my life and is also the reason I'll be killing myself soon.
Some people say they work. For others, it causes unimaginable irreversible damage that may lead one to kill themselves. Is that possibility worth the risk? Antidepressants was simply the greatest mistake of my existence, and soon shall be the cause of my non-existence. I wish someone had warned me years ago when I was hurting, desperate, and vulnerable and trusting of doctors.

I just started it today, and I've seen a few posts like these. Pardon my ignorance, but what irreversible changes can it cause? I wasn't made aware of any I dont think(?)

 

[namelessX8]

Antidepressants work for me to some extent. I'm currently on Venlafaxine 150mg and Olanzapine 5mg. In my experience antidepressants (at least SSRIs/SNRIs) alone dont make me feel not-suicidal. It's the combination of an antidepressant and antipsychotic that does the trick for me. It's worthwhile sticking a course of treatment at least for a few months. Well, maybe I'm lucky in that I don't have any side-effects, but the efficacy of antidepressants has been proven. If a course of treatment isn't working, it could be just that another class of antidepressant or a combination of an antidepressant and an antipsychotic/mood stabiliser or something is more suitable.

 

[Mr. Hang Man]

I literally just vomited on the bus literally minutes after my dose, nice.

 

[Ruffian]

I don't think placebo or sugar pill is being used properly. A placebo or sugar pill would maybe create the same good feelings statistically. But the actual physical side effects from real antidepressants would be difficult to have happen with a placebo. Try Googling definitions of double blind clinical trials to get an understanding of how they work, as in placebo vs. actual drug. Then read some actual research involving clinical trials with antidepressants. But be skeptical about all positive reviews because a majority of trials are funded by the drug companies. There are also forums you can read about experiences from people who take them and how well or bad they are doing. Everyone reacts differently so take all reviews with a grain of salt. You probably won't be 100 percent better, but believe me, for years of my life I was way better on anti-depressants. It's taken 30 years for me to feel bad enough to end up here.

But do your research and find a reputable psychiatrist you feel comfortable with. Also be aware that if you are just depressed they can bring on mania if you're predisposed to bipolar. It's your choice, but asking a message board of people who have come this far is not researching thoroughly. It's a good place to start, but you need more than that. Most people here will have had poor experiences or the meds stopped working. Some people here will have lasting unwanted side effects from medications which is unfortunate. But you need to take EVERYTHING into account, as much as you can, before deciding. CTB should be a last resort. Also, therapy might help, but I wasted tons of time and money on it and pretty much didn't help. But there are people on here that it did help for at least awhile. I don't know how old you are, but definitely do more reasearch before ctb.

 

[Final Escape]

Anytime you go the pill route you are taking a big risk. Often you build tolerance, although it might help initially. You will likely have to change meds or at some point want to quit them. Some actually increase suicidal ideation instead of the opposite. I've tried so many, that I no longer believe in medication. Some helped for a time, some made me very suicidal, it can be very hard to come off. There's often withdrawal.

 

[Lara Francis]

Sertraline destroyed my life and is also the reason I'll be killing myself soon.
Some people say they work. For others, it causes unimaginable irreversible damage that may lead one to kill themselves. Is that possibility worth the risk? Antidepressants was simply the greatest mistake of my existence, and soon shall be the cause of my non-existence. I wish someone had warned me years ago when I was hurting, desperate, and vulnerable and trusting of doctors.

I have been taking sertaline and after the initial period ,they gave me no side effects.

I suppose they sometimes took the edge off but i was still masively suicidal alot of the time.my dose was increased but left me feeling like a zoombie so i took it back to the normal dose for me.I have been so pissed off with feeling suicidal with or without meds i just stopped them.
After alot of hassle from people i restarted them.
What a mistake!
People are telling me that i am paranoid because i truely believe my hubby is alive but i just dont know where he is !
My sister tells me he died but i dont believe her.i visited our old home this morning but he was not there.
People stopped me from reporting him as a missing person today and lots of professionals have been to see me.
I cant wait to see him again.

 

[Ruffian]

Anytime you go the pill route you are taking a big risk. Often you build tolerance, although it might help initially. You will likely have to change meds or at some point want to quit them. Some actually increase suicidal ideation instead of the opposite. I've tried so many, that I no longer believe in medication. Some helped for a time, some made me very suicidal, it can be very hard to come off. There's often withdrawal.

I just read this. Thank you so much for that info about their ability to increase suicidality! A very real risk.

 

[locusdelicti]

Copied and pasted from thread by @Kyrok on Effexor...

Was on Effexor for years. I'll preface what I'll say by stating I'm in no way trying to discredit that it may work well for many people. It may be a godsend for you. All I can do is relate what it did for me.

Effects of being on it:

1. Apathy and inability to feel...well, anything, good or bad. People commented once I was off it I seemed more "there" and "present." Apparently, it's a noticeable difference.
2. A marked effect on the "crispness" of my thinking. It's not that it makes you dumber. It's an inability to follow through on critical thinking. Your brain just sort of gives up on trying to solve a problem if the solution isn't readily apparent to you.

I'm not sure if your prescribing doctor discussed what will happen should you ever decide to get OFF Effexor - mine certainly didn't. I quit it in February of 2018. It was far and away the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've come off serious Schedule 1 drugs in my past.

Withdrawal Effects:

1. Insomnia/Hallucinations
2. Brain "zaps" - difficult to describe to someone unfamiliar with the experience. You feel and see electronic impulses in your brain. It's pretty unpleasant and distracting.
3. Uncontrollable emotional outpouring as your brain rewires itself, in essence, reprogramming itself to deal with emotions. Remember, the drug suppresses the ability to process emotions, so once you're acclimated to the drug, learning to process stimuli again is quite jarring. I was basically a shut-in for a little over a week, sobbing and trying to explain I had no idea why I was crying.
4. Nausea and "stomach flutters" - again, difficult to explain, but my stomach felt like it was vibrating. Not only does this dissuade you from eating, but it's very distracting, and it certainly doesn't help with the insomnia.

Think very hard about whether going down the anti-depressant road is right for you. In my opinion, I was wrongly prescribed this stuff, as I had just been in a motorcycle wreck and I had to relearn how to walk. Naturally, I was situationally depressed, but I was not a depressed person who would need to be on this stuff for the rest of my life. Check out YouTube accounts of people getting off Effexor. It's no joke. The good news is the brain is very resilient. Your cognitive ability comes back, and once you make it out of the hell hole of withdrawal, you'll be back to normal. For me it took between 4-6 weeks for all the side effects to go away.

Good luck, and do your research on this stuff to make an informed choice. The doctor has the pad, but it's YOUR brain getting messed with.

 

[Ruffian]

Copied and pasted from thread by @Kyrok on Effexor...

Was on Effexor for years. I'll preface what I'll say by stating I'm in no way trying to discredit that it may work well for many people. It may be a godsend for you. All I can do is relate what it did for me.

Effects of being on it:

1. Apathy and inability to feel...well, anything, good or bad. People commented once I was off it I seemed more "there" and "present." Apparently, it's a noticeable difference.
2. A marked effect on the "crispness" of my thinking. It's not that it makes you dumber. It's an inability to follow through on critical thinking. Your brain just sort of gives up on trying to solve a problem if the solution isn't readily apparent to you.

I'm not sure if your prescribing doctor discussed what will happen should you ever decide to get OFF Effexor - mine certainly didn't. I quit it in February of 2018. It was far and away the hardest thing I've ever done, and I've come off serious Schedule 1 drugs in my past.

Withdrawal Effects:

1. Insomnia/Hallucinations
2. Brain "zaps" - difficult to describe to someone unfamiliar with the experience. You feel and see electronic impulses in your brain. It's pretty unpleasant and distracting.
3. Uncontrollable emotional outpouring as your brain rewires itself, in essence, reprogramming itself to deal with emotions. Remember, the drug suppresses the ability to process emotions, so once you're acclimated to the drug, learning to process stimuli again is quite jarring. I was basically a shut-in for a little over a week, sobbing and trying to explain I had no idea why I was crying.
4. Nausea and "stomach flutters" - again, difficult to explain, but my stomach felt like it was vibrating. Not only does this dissuade you from eating, but it's very distracting, and it certainly doesn't help with the insomnia.

Think very hard about whether going down the anti-depressant road is right for you. In my opinion, I was wrongly prescribed this stuff, as I had just been in a motorcycle wreck and I had to relearn how to walk. Naturally, I was situationally depressed, but I was not a depressed person who would need to be on this stuff for the rest of my life. Check out YouTube accounts of people getting off Effexor. It's no joke. The good news is the brain is very resilient. Your cognitive ability comes back, and once you make it out of the hell hole of withdrawal, you'll be back to normal. For me it took between 4-6 weeks for all the side effects to go away.

Good luck, and do your research on this stuff to make an informed choice. The doctor has the pad, but it's YOUR brain getting messed with.

TF? Antidepressants for after a motor cycle accident? Isn't some type of grieving for your loss a natural part of the healing process? That offends me - where I grew up there were 2 pretty well known motorcycle gangs and I'm sure their attitude towards healing wasn't much healthier, but at least when you have to man up around your friends (sorry, I'm making a sexist assumption, correct me if wrong) you can cry it out in a closet later & process things.

Props to getting off Effexor and I can now believe SSRI/SNRI withdrawal is real since you said you came off harder stuff & this was worse. I've hated almost any anti-depressant I've ever taken in some way, and always ended up coming off all of them. Except Wellbutrin. I had zero withdrawal effects and you can throw out every name from Prozac to Cymbalta & I took it. I really thought people who talked about their symptoms were clearly weak-ass whiny bitches. I still have to ask though, do these doctors understand how slowly they need to be tapered? Ugh. Sometimes I think doctors are just sadists who get paid for it.

 

[locusdelicti]

TF? Antidepressants for after a motor cycle accident? Isn't some type of grieving for your loss a natural part of the healing process? That offends me - where I grew up there were 2 pretty well known motorcycle gangs and I'm sure their attitude towards healing wasn't much healthier, but at least when you have to man up around your friends (sorry, I'm making a sexist assumption, correct me if wrong) you can cry it out in a closet later & process things.

I agree with you. I was in my 20s when it happened, and while I was going through the physical therapy, some doctor (it's been 20 years - can't really remember the specifics) apparently thought my physical therapy would be helped in some way by messing with my brain. I'm the first to admit I wasn't a happy camper. But c'mon, who IS a happy camper dealing with that crap? No man wants to watch his mom deal with watching her kid learn to walk again. My girlfriend walked out on me because she didn't want to deal with the prospect of a boyfriend who might not walk again. Whatever. I put in the work, did the PT, and I came out of it, but I firmly believe I didn't need any pills to get out of it. What I'm most angry about is that no doctor explained to me what the ramifications of taking Effexor would be. Again, these types of medications (SSRI/SNRI's) can be a miracle for some. I'm not debating that. But I also think they are designed for lifelong medicating, and doctors owe it to their patients to explain (a) what the pills will do; and (b) what will likely happen when you come off of them.