[ant hill]

Originally Posted by LauRa Lu

Wondering, what are people experiences of taking them?

Hello Laura , I have worked in a mental institution and for what I see is not nice and today as I celebrate 10 years of freedom from this stupid place I can honestly say that this is addictive stuff and as I have known you long enough to say don't take it!! and the stuff that mess with you head can lead to god knows whare. Please Laura, don't take it.

[TeeJaxx]

Originally Posted by shabbie

hi laura,

ive been taking citalopram for about 3 months, i too couldnt shake off the black cloud, even with all the positive attitude in the world! i told my doc i felt low and had suicidal thoughts, we talked about suitable options. i said i felt that psycho-therapy/councilling wouldnt help, it felt more like a chemical thing rather than an emotional thing. does that make sense?

the citalopram is a 'seratonin re-uptake inhibitor'.

it doesnt clash with too many other meds like st johns wort does, it doesnt appear to have any side effects in me (i'm pretty sensitive to drugs of any kind). and i do actually feel normal again, even on the low dose that i'm on.

the doc said it would take about 6 weeks to fully take effect, and that was about right.

i think i might come off them at some point but dont see any rush to do so just yet

I too take citalopram. I can't really say that I've had any real physical side effects from it. I do notice that my libido is very low (ok, non exisitent) since I've been on it, but other that that, I feel great! Before it, I had 2 emotions - Angry & sobbing! They have let me mellow out a bit, my relationships with my family have improved, I'm not so edgy and quick to snap at people.

[susique333]

My 2 daughters take Lexapro for anxiety and it works terrifically. I a firm believer in going to a therapist at the same time you start anti-depression medications. I think some people think the medications are going to magically make daily troubles go away and of course they dont. Therapy can help the medications put some positive perspective back into your life.

[Fenway]

I've taken 2 different antidepressants - for the pain relief properties that some of them have.

Elavil, a tricyclic, did relieve the pain, but caused me to have night terrors. Paxil did nothing for the pain, but was a wonderful diet drug - lost 10 pounds in 4 weeks. It also caused me sexual problems.

You might have to try a few until you find the right one. Good luck!!

[Subby]

Laura Lu, here's my experience. Won't speak for anyone else.

As well as unstable type 1 for many years (which has always stuffed my body and head around) and a chronic fatigue sufferer at the time, I was in a pretty black and bad state for a while there and also diagnosed with depression.

I have many misgivings about ad's in many situations, but agreed to trial anti depressants with a relaxed psychiatrist who just counselled on the actual drugs.

I went through 4 types giving them all a good trial run (few months each). I don't think it's useful giving a run down on each, but they all had horrible side effects for me. Not only physically, such as causing constipation and muscle weakness, impotence, and more erratic BG, but also mentally, they made me feel not myself and unable to make decisions properly. They didn't help me improve my health or my life decisions.... things like lift my game with my diabetes and get out of bad situation... which were the sort of things I needed to do to feel less "blue".

The most positive experience I had was Zoloft which acted as an anti-anxiety - but again the cost was that I felt floaty and disconnected and raging inside as I got further from being able to act on convictions. WIth Zoloft I also remember thinking all the time "sometimes unhappiness is there for a reason, to kick your butt... but this just takes the sting out of that - leaving me hopeless to act somehow"

I agree a counselor along with AD's is better than just AD's. However I feel they change the way you think and take you away from yourself, making psychological progress towards health (which is IMHO an expression of YOU and your decisions and preferences) that much harder.

The final straw came when the last type I tried had a hugely detrimental effect on my mental capacity. After a couple months I thought I was going mad. I could see.... my.... thoughts.... trip... like spasms. I was in the pits of depression. Ugh.

Getting away from them all was a great move for me.

One final point, if you do take AD's go in with your own mind and skepticism about their effect. The doctors I saw immediately tried to blame the side effects on my "depression". It took will power to not be convinced when in that state, to remember maybe it's the drugs making it even worse. And I was right.

Very final point, fluctuating blood sugars have a big connection to depression. If there is room to improve you BG it may well be the very best way to stabilise your moods and cognitive functions. Bad sugars are 100% the main cause of depression in me when it strikes. Good luck.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by rreno

I took 150 mg of Zoloft per day for a little over 1 year. I was "weened" off it over August 2007 and stopped completely in September 2007. I took it for anxiety.

I couldn't help but notice that you stopped taking it shortly before DX. Pardon me for overstepping, but I can't help but think that perhaps diabetes was to blame for some of your symptoms...

[rreno]

Eddy,

You could be right, but at the time, I had no indication there were any problems. In hindsight, there probably were symptoms that I just attributed to being overweight. I was pretty oblivious. Diabetes was the furthest though from by mind until the moment I was diagnosed in October 2007.

Not sure if diabetes was solely to blame. I was in a VERY stressful position at work for over a year before I started taking the Zoloft (with therapy). I was slowly getting a mental "beating" that I couldn't do anything about (without risking my career and the ability to provide for my family - which would have been worse, in my opinion).

Once I started therapy (and the Zoloft), I was able to clear my head, get a new job and move my family to a new neighborhood. I never would have been able to pull myself together without the therapy I went through.

Looking back, I wouldn't rule out undiagnosed diabetes potentially contributing to what happened to me, but there were some pretty clear, non-medical, events occurring in my life that I can attribute to my anxiety issues.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by rreno

Once I started therapy (and the Zoloft), I was able to clear my head, get a new job and move my family to a new neighborhood. I never would have been able to pull myself together without the therapy I went through.

Yes... I hope I didn't come across as trivializing... the important thing is getting better. It was just something to keep in mind in the event that you ever start feeling cruddy again, especially if your A1c starts creeping up...

Originally Posted by rreno

Looking back, I wouldn't rule out undiagnosed diabetes potentially contributing to what happened to me, but there were some pretty clear, non-medical, events occurring in my life that I can attribute to my anxiety issues.

I hear ya. Although I never had to have ADs, I certainly was tired, stressed, and reportedly very grouchy for a while prior to DX. I blamed things on job stress, caffeine consumption, and poor sleep patterns; after all, I had no medical conditions!

Anywho. Glad you're feeling better, and hope things stay that way!

[LynnRut]

I went through a period where I was on a SSRI. I am thankful I weaned myself off after a year. The doctor showed no real interest in getting me off so I did it myself. Was it necessary? Yes. Are they dangerous? You bet. I could tell stories.

[rreno]

Everyone reacts differently to SSRIs. I've also discovered that. A relative of mine had a completely different experience than me. For some reason, I got lucky and the medicine did exactly what it was supposed to.

As for my doctor, I asked him how long I should take Zoloft during my therapy. He said the decision was really up to me. Some people stay on it for years, others come off it when they feel the counseling has done enough to "go it alone". I could have probably stopped taking Zoloft a few months earlier, but I wanted to feel confident about what I was doing.

It's my blunt opinion that if I were diagnosed with diabetes before my therapy started, it would not have been a "good scene" (not like I would have had a choice). I was pretty fragile at the time.

Again, it's not for everyone. It just happened to work for me.

[bcradio]

I have been taking Paxil CR25 for about 3 years now and the only negative effect on the libido was (and usually is) temporary. There are other homeopathic remedies for "depression" but in order to get the same effect as many prescribed drugs you have to take a much higher dose. I am not defending the pill-fix, but in the case of depression there are many, many questions that must be addressed.
Most importantly, try to be completely honest with your healthcare professional, and if you have feelings of helplessness, or of being overwhelmed or even suicide, tell them: they won't think you're crazy - after all, you're seeking their help.
I actually suffer from a mild form of Autism diagnosed as "Asperger's Disorder". Paxil has allowed me to organize my thoughts and presentation quite well. As for depression, here is a little-discussed fact: the person suffering from depression is as much a victim as those around him.
We are not weak because we need help, our bodies change with um um - maturity... Sometimes we as the inhabitants of those bodies have to make adjustments. This is the responsible thing to do.

At some point in the future I would like to be off medications entirely, but let's face it: this forum is about people who will very likely require treatment on a long term basis.
Don't deprive yourself of happiness if you can fix it. All we can do for anyone is to be encouraging of whatever works for them.

--bcr

[CuriousBoston]

Originally Posted by ant hill

Hello Laura , I have worked in a mental institution and for what I see is not nice and today as I celebrate 10 years of freedom from this stupid place I can honestly say that this is addictive stuff and as I have known you long enough to say don't take it!! and the stuff that mess with you head can lead to god knows whare. Please Laura, don't take it.

Antidepressants are not addictive. You may be referring to anti-anxiety drugs, which maybe addictive if not monitored.

One antidepressant may work, another dozen may not. A good psychiatrist will help someone work through choices, including talk therapy. Interviewing at least a couple of psychiatrists before choosing is a good idea.

Antidepressants have side effects. Many people with diabetes are depressed.

Posting inaccurate information is not good. FYI, it's called a hospital, and many hospitals have floors or sections for people that need help with with the biochemical imbalances in their brain. There are other floors dealing with the people that have problems with the imbalances in their endocrine system.

I'm sorry you worked in a "stupid place."

[Axel Slinger]

My Neurologist put me on Cymbalta for Neuropathy in my feet. He said it would help with the pain and tingling, and that because it also is an anti-depressant it would help with my mood. I said I didn't think I needed any help there, but he said pain naturally makes you a little bit depressed. (I've been in pain so long I guess I hadn't noticed...)

The desired effects never came, but the side effects sure did. My feet still hurt every day, and the tingling did not go away. And in addition to that I was nauseous all the time, I was light-headed and dizzy, I had a doozy of a headache, and my sex drive was there same as always, but the ummm... "equipment" wasn't working. I kept taking it in hopes that all that would pass. It didn't. In fact, it just got worse by the day.

So after about four months I asked him if I could stop taking it since it was doing more harm than good. He gradually lowered the dose over a month, and after about two weeks of not taking it at all I was back to (somewhat) normal. My feel still tingle and hurt, but at least I don't feel like **** all the time.

[Grammy J.]

My 28 yr. old daughter has been taking anit-depressants since high school. I truly believe they have saved her life. Our only problem was finding a good psychiatrist and a capable therapist. Believe me, that was difficult! I have taken 75mg of Effexor for "hot flashes" Believe it or not, it works for those of us who have been treated for breast cancer with Tamoxifen. I believe that a mental health disease is like any other disease and requires a great doctor and support from family and friends.

[CuriousBoston]

Originally Posted by Grammy J.

My 28 yr. old daughter has been taking anit-depressants since high school. I truly believe they have saved her life. Our only problem was finding a good psychiatrist and a capable therapist. Believe me, that was difficult! I have taken 75mg of Effexor for "hot flashes" Believe it or not, it works for those of us who have been treated for breast cancer with Tamoxifen. I believe that a mental health disease is like any other disease and requires a great doctor and support from family and friends.

I second that effexor helps women on tamoxifen.I do take a higher dose, to treat depression as well, along with other meds.