Advice on Anti-Depressants

[Josh Kurber]

Soooo... this Wednesday I have an appointment to get some "happy pills" after three years of pretty bad depression.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects. Though, I wouldn't mind some with weight loss side effects, hahahah.

 

[darthzew]

Your doctor should prescribe the one that's right for you. Different ones do somewhat different things to different people... it's all a matter of what's good for your specific case. I've been on three different kinds.

The side effects are generally the same on each drug. You'll probably have an adjustment period at the beginning where you'll be a little edgy. Make sure you eat when you take the pills otherwise your stomach will hurt.

But even what side effects you'll experience will depend on your specific case... every one is chemically imbalanced somehow and no two people are imbalanced the same way or in the same amount.

 

[Josh Kurber]

I vote you not get the pills at all, instead try to find out why you are depressed and act on that instead.

I have a few reasons. Not really horrible reasons. I know for a fact millions have it worse than I do. Still in love with ex who loves another, can't get hired by any job anywhere (and I've searched for three years), have no money for anything, and really low self esteem, and I have no doubt that I will end up a bum with no family of my own. >_<

EDIT: And the depression has just gotten so unbearable. I started out light a few years ago, then when I broke up with my ex things just progressively got worse. I haven't been able to have fun in months, unable to eat these past few days. Just.. eh.

And I apologize for whining about such simple things -.-

 

[Sacman]

I only know of one... Antidepressant 044...
side effects include separation of consciousness from ego and terrible mindfuck...<.<

 

[Throwitawaynow]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects.

Each medication impacts each patient differently, there is no, "This is the good one, get it." answer unforunately = (. Your psychiatrist will prescribe you low doses of a medicine if it has side effects or does not help they will move on to the next one until they find the correct one for you. If it has a effect and not terrible side effects they will up the dosage to your appropriate level.

Edit: I tried many different ones, side-effects would either be too terrible (Zombie state, thoughts of suicide, etc.) or wouldn't work till we tried zoloft. Only some heart burn and it was effective for me.

Then they wreck any chance of getting into the military or police.

My friend has had panic attacks and depression most of his life, he is in the military and does take medication to control it. So, I think you need to check up on your facts. What other careers would it wreck, seeing as how it is illegal to not hire someone for a mental illness. And most people do therapy while on the drugs, but doing therapy only is not as effective. Therapy for me personally does not work after going through several different doctors over several years. Trying to find the root of problem, flooding, hypnosis, calming techniques, did not work. So the way you feel to "fix depression" does not work 100% what would you say for those people?

 

[Josh Kurber]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects.

Edit: I tried many different ones, side-effects would either be too terrible (Zombie state, thoughts of suicide, etc.) or wouldn't work till we tried zoloft. Only some heart burn and it was effective for me.

I have those first two symptoms already, and I'm not even on any pills :/

 

[fletch_talon]

Personally I feel those happy pills don't really solve anything and cause way more hell than they'll ever solve. Just for starters you'll end up dependent on the damned things just to function in society. Then they wreck any chance of getting into the military or police. Probably other careers too. Then there's the very common effect of them actually making it worse before they kick in proper. I have a friend I'm trying to break of these things, so that's just what I've noticed first-hand/read off his pill bottles.


It's kinda like a car with a loud knocking sound. The pills simply tape over the CEL and turn the radio up. No more symptoms? Problem must be fixed. Then the engine explodes.

I feel the only way to fix depression is to fix whatever is making you depressed in the first place, not screwing with a chemical balance we know very little about. I vote you not get the pills at all, instead try to find out why you are depressed and act on that instead.

I agree with this, and want to add that if you ever decide to go off the pills, it'll be ridiculously hard and it'll really fuck with your mood.

In saying that it should be noted that sometimes "fixing" what makes you depressed requires the pills. Not all depression is caused by being sad about something, the really bad depression is caused by imbalanced chemicals, and at the moment, the only way to help (though not "fix") that is through drugs.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects.

Edit: I tried many different ones, side-effects would either be too terrible (Zombie state, thoughts of suicide, etc.) or wouldn't work till we tried zoloft. Only some heart burn and it was effective for me.

I have those first two symptoms already, and I'm not even on any pills :/

Im guessing you still live with your parents? When you start your parents or if you don't live with them, friends monitor you especially if you have that second one already. I hope you know to call 911 if you are ever afraid of doing something you would regret.

 

[Josh Kurber]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects.

Edit: I tried many different ones, side-effects would either be too terrible (Zombie state, thoughts of suicide, etc.) or wouldn't work till we tried zoloft. Only some heart burn and it was effective for me.

I have those first two symptoms already, and I'm not even on any pills :/

Im guessing you still live with your parents? When you start your parents or if you don't live with them, friends monitor you especially if you have that second one already. I hope you know to call 911 if you are ever afraid of doing something you would regret.

I do live with them. And I've had that second symptom since my depression started acting up a few years ago. I would never actually go through with it, but the thoughts are there, all the same.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

I agree with this, and want to add that if you ever decide to go off the pills, it'll be ridiculously hard and it'll really fuck with your mood.

In saying that it should be noted that sometimes "fixing" what makes you depressed requires the pills. Not all depression is caused by being sad about something, the really bad depression is caused by imbalanced chemicals, and at the moment, the only way to help (though not "fix") that is through drugs.

If you wean it shouldn't be too hard, if you go cold turkey you will go through severe withdrawals and that is something no one should have to suffer through *shudders*.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

I do live with them. And I've had that second symptom since my depression started acting up a few years ago. I would never actually go through with it, but the thoughts are there, all the same.

I completely understand. So much to live for, I see that even during tough times when it starts to act up. Fable 3 is coming out soon damnit, and I havn't even opened New vegas = P. It gets so much easier when you are on stable medication. Sometimes you catch yourself thinking wow I havn't had any problems in a long time. I started when I was 12, Im 20 now.

 

[Josh Kurber]

I do live with them. And I've had that second symptom since my depression started acting up a few years ago. I would never actually go through with it, but the thoughts are there, all the same.

I completely understand. So much to live for, I see that even during tough times when it starts to act up. Fable 3 is coming out soon damnit, and I havn't even opened New vegas = P. It gets so much easier when you are on stable medication. Sometimes you catch yourself thinking wow I havn't had any problems in a long time. I started when I was 12, Im 20 now.

Wanna know something weird? Video games are like my own perfect anti-depressants. They make me happy and distract me, but I usually rent them and beat them in about two days or so, so the happy feeling doesn't last too long >_<

and I can't WAIT for Fable 3. And Force Unleashed 2, and AC:Brotherhood, and, well, just a crap load of games.

And, I dunno, I used to get depressed majorly once a year only. Then I got my first girlfriend, we got really close, fell in love, and there was drama and complications and just a bunch of shit gone wrong, and soon the depression began once a week or two, and nowadays it happens randomly throughout the day, and lasts for several days or weeks at a time... :/

 

[clockout]

Soooo... this Wednesday I have an appointment to get some "happy pills" after three years of pretty bad depression.

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good anti-depressant with not many horrible side-effects. Though, I wouldn't mind some with weight loss side effects, hahahah.

If you haven't already tried, find an alternative, because coming off those pills can be a pain in the ass.

 

[Something Amyss]

Whatever you do:

Personally I feel those happy pills don't really solve anything and cause way more hell than they'll ever solve. Just for starters you'll end up dependent on the damned things just to function in society. Then they wreck any chance of getting into the military or police. Probably other careers too. Then there's the very common effect of them actually making it worse before they kick in proper. I have a friend I'm trying to break of these things, so that's just what I've noticed first-hand/read off his pill bottles.


It's kinda like a car with a loud knocking sound. The pills simply tape over the CEL and turn the radio up. No more symptoms? Problem must be fixed. Then the engine explodes.

I feel the only way to fix depression is to fix whatever is making you depressed in the first place, not screwing with a chemical balance we know very little about. I vote you not get the pills at all, instead try to find out why you are depressed and act on that instead.

Ignore advice like that.

They are far from happy-pills - they don't raise your mood at all. They only help stabilize it.

I'm currently on 225mg of venlafaxine.

Side-effects are dizziness, nausea, agitation, trouble sleeping, vivid and disturbing dreams, and more.

The only ones I suffer from, however, are vivid and disturbing dreams every night and some nausea.

I spent years on various anti-depressants for anxiety, and most of them had nasty side effects.

Right now, I'm on citalopram, and no negative side effects. The reason I quoted you is that for the first time in my life, I'm regularly able to remember my dreams, and they're often vivid. When I have a bad one, it can really shake me, in part because I'm still not used to that level of dreaming.

Previous ones I've had have made me sleepy, nauseous, spiked my libido, and caused my migraines to go on overdrive. It's still part art, and finding the right one can mean going through several. Several million, in my case. You might still find a better one.

Josh, there's no "right answer," and your doctor will have a better idea of what to do. You might also want to try a regular appointment with a therapist to see if "talk therapy" helps. Assuming you aren't already. It doesn't replace medication, but it can certainly help.

Some people don't need drugs. Just don't take the advice of an armchair PHD telling you to get over yourself.

 

[WolfThomas]

Everyone is different, some drugs may work for you, others might not. It's about finding the right one with trial and error, the same with the dose. Also many anti-depressants can make you more depressed/suicidal for a short while while they're kicking in, so keep this in mind before either stopping or doing something drastic.

 

[Josh Kurber]

Josh, there's no "right answer," and your doctor will have a better idea of what to do. You might also want to try a regular appointment with a therapist to see if "talk therapy" helps. Assuming you aren't already. It doesn't replace medication, but it can certainly help.

Some people don't need drugs. Just don't take the advice of an armchair PHD telling you to get over yourself.

I must admit, I was rather dumbstruck to hear my name lol.

Also, I tried talking about it and venting to people, and it used to help, but it's gotten to the point where if I vent, it reminds me of the main reason I'm depressed, and it keeps my mind on it. I refused drugs for so long, hoping to find other things to help me, but it's just gotten worse, and that's the only reason I finally gave in to get meds.

 

[TeeBs]

I would say its better to talk to a councilor if possible then take anti-depressants, and even if the councilor doesn't work and you take the anti depressants, I would still take councilling sessions for more help.