Experience with Antidepressants

[Sugar_Skull_Boy]

I found that taking pills did nothing really. I was on them for ages and they kept changing the pills I was taking and raising the dosage. I never felt any different when I was on them. I have always had issues with sleep and have never been happy with anything.
So I just stopped taking them and nothing changed. I went into Asperger specific therapy in which I learnt to just accept who I was and that maybe I would never really experience happiness the same way as NT people do. I found that more useful, to know that my obsessive and lack of positive emotions was totally normal for me and to just accept it.
To know that when I get into weird thought patterns and go through stages of unhappiness and anxiety, that this is normal and it will pass and to just fall back on whatever coping mechanisms you know or do whatever you do to take yourself away from normal life.

 

[HermanHesse]

If you physiologically depressed than anti-depressants sound like the right answer. Finding the right one is hard but if you are not producing enough serotonin and/or dopamine it just makes sense to be on an anti-depressant.

 

[HermanHesse]

I'm on Venlaflaxine at the moment at it took a lot out of my libido when I first got on it. Thankfully, it evened out later. Not that having a lower libido is necessarily a bad thing but it was disconcerting not to be interested in the fairer sex for a few days.

 

[ChrisN]

I have been on a regimen of Prozac and Effexor for 2 years and it has helped considerably with slowing down my mind. I also take Welbutrin for SAD and overall depression and it works.
I went to see a nutritionist, got a complete blood workup, went on a custom diet (with supplements) and it has helped very much. It cost a fortune but it was worth it, feeling the way I do now.
I also am battling with booze. There are days, weeks months I can go without if without withdrawal problems (like none at all) but when the mood hits its hit the bottle. That is my next challenge to address.
Let me know if I can share any life experiences with you.

 

[tw3]

I found that taking pills did nothing really. I was on them for ages and they kept changing the pills I was taking and raising the dosage. I never felt any different when I was on them. I have always had issues with sleep and have never been happy with anything.
So I just stopped taking them and nothing changed. I went into Asperger specific therapy in which I learnt to just accept who I was and that maybe I would never really experience happiness the same way as NT people do. I found that more useful, to know that my obsessive and lack of positive emotions was totally normal for me and to just accept it.
To know that when I get into weird thought patterns and go through stages of unhappiness and anxiety, that this is normal and it will pass and to just fall back on whatever coping mechanisms you know or do whatever you do to take yourself away from normal life.

How true that the knowledge of Aspergers' took away a lot of my anxiety and unsureness in social situations. I stopped worrying about "missing out" and got to accept more easily that I was just different.
The Dr put me on Zoloft and now 5 years later I can skip a day or two but then my thoughts begin to whirl around. I wasn't depressed, but I got anxious to do things super quickly. Once or twice I got sort of disoriented because I was trying to think about or through too many things at one time. If I remembered to focus, to slow down, I did better but my mind was still in a turmoil. The Zoloft had a really beneficial effect in keeping me from getting all worked up.
All this to say that Drs may give us a medication that gives real benefit outside it's accepted protocol and they may or may not know what they're doing. We need to be watching over ourselves as from a distance to analyze our reactions and make sure we tell the Dr what really happens.
Finally, I think happiness like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or rather in how he thinks. Life events can be interpreted differently depending on your point of view. That's determined by your thought life. The Bible sums it up quite well: Philippians 4:8 (KJV) "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things."
This takes intention and practice, but it can be done.

 

[wight]

I found that anti-depressants helped me significantly. Prozac worked for a while, but I was really sensitive to dosage. I'm on Lexapro now. Since these thing are difficult to explain, I'll do it this way.

Depression on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being "I'm so sad, hopeless, and low energy I can't even force myself to get out of bed." and 1 being "Mostly I'm not sad or hopeless and have energy to do things"

My average day before switching meds was an 8 or 9. Now it's a 2 or 3.

As others have pointed out, the right medication at the right dosage is pretty critical. I was fortunate to have a doctor that was knowledgeable and willing to work with me on both.

 

[tallcreativedude]

I take 20mg of Adderall twice a day, and it helps me stay focused so that I do not stray during social interactions. Before being diagnosed, I had this need to try and connect deeply with everybody I met, to try and get the most out of every moment. That mentality ruined a lot of relationships for me, making me come across as desperate and needy. It has always been difficult for me to sit back and watch people make mistakes because I've always been the guy who doesn't make mistakes because his words and actions come from the heart. I also supplement my diet with quite a few vitamins and minerals that I do not get from daily eating.

 

[paloftoon]

It would be good to presume that many medications are likely to lower your energy levels. So, maybe if that does not seem suitable at all, maybe you could consider a wellness coach for iridology. Usually, they say you want to do this in tandem with a regular doctor. It's very costly and unlikely to be covered by insurance, but if you have the funds and the time, it might be worth looking in to more.

 

[Sylar]

I was prescribed an antidepressent once, somewhat against my will. I can't swallow pills so I chewed one up and ate it, shortly afterwards my heart was racing and I couldn't breathe comfortably. I don't know if that was anxiety or because the drug was supposed to take effect gradually as it desolves, all I can say is that I threw the rest of the package away.

If you can take the medication and think you'll benefit from it then there's no long term harm from trying*. If you don't like the idea of a drug changing you as a person I would suggest a different type of therapy, or maybe a mixture. It all depends on the individual.

*The only reason I say that is because I was given a "default" dosage that would last around a month. Possible side effects included increased levels of anxiety and depression in the first few weeks. Again, this works on an individual basis, you might need stronger pills or weaker pills, it's impossible to say how they'll affect you or your energy levels without some trial and error.

 

[Alcyon]

It would be good to presume that many medications are likely to lower your energy levels. So, maybe if that does not seem suitable at all, maybe you could consider a wellness coach for iridology. Usually, they say you want to do this in tandem with a regular doctor. It's very costly and unlikely to be covered by insurance, but if you have the funds and the time, it might be worth looking in to more.

It might be worth looking into why iridology isn't covered by insurance; the charge that it's pseudoscientific quackery is rather more than merely tenable.

There aren't very many four hundred year old medical postulates that have held up over time; iridology sure isn't one of them.

 

[paloftoon]

It might be worth looking into why iridology isn't covered by insurance; the charge that it's pseudoscientific quackery is rather more than merely tenable.

There aren't very many four hundred year old medical postulates that have held up over time; iridology sure isn't one of them.

I mention it because I have a friend whose health has improved greatly because of it. She told me that doctors have not been able to figure out what's wrong with her. Of course, she could be the exception rather than the rule. Also, if there are a few people who are able to practice solely on "quackery", then it must be working for at least a few people. Enough for them to make a living.

Insurance is arguably not all it's "cracked up to be" either, but it's better than nothing of course.

 

[Alcyon]

I mention it because I have a friend whose health has improved greatly because of it. She told me that doctors have not been able to figure out what's wrong with her. Of course, she could be the exception rather than the rule. Also, if there are a few people who are able to practice solely on "quackery", then it must be working for at least a few people. Enough for them to make a living.

Insurance is arguably not all it's "cracked up to be" either, but it's better than nothing of course.

First: don't take this as a personal assault. I find this type of phenomenon fascinating and often worthy of consideration. Second: what another does or doesn't do is no business of mine; to each their own. When something is recommended to others, I start to take an interest.

One of the sad aspects of serious mental or physical health problems that aren't quickly understood and/or resolved is that it leaves near hopeless people vulnerable to accepting solutions that aren't in their best long-term interest.

Iridology, homeopathy, the list of such offerings is lengthy. Did your friend get better while under the care of an iridologist? I don't know what her issue was, but it is quite possible. Did she get better because of the iridologist's treatment? Again, possible. Much of the treatment, from what I can see is modifying diet. If someone puts down the Twinkies and picks up fresh fruit and veggies, how can things not improve? Also, alternative practitioners do something that medical doctors often, for whatever reason, don't or can't do: they listen. They make the patient feel that they are being taken care of. It's been plausibly theorised that has a powerful, beneficial placebo effect.

Did your friend get better because of iridology itself. No. It doesn't work because it can not work as described. And it is often hellaciously expensive. Unfortunately, there are many people for whom "anecdote" is too often a synonym for "evidence"; so treatments proven to be utter nonsense, if not outright dangerous, continue to exist.

And, yes, much of this can tenably be said about conventional psychiatry.

 

[Aster]

You mentioned 5-htp as an alternative to psych meds. There are countless other remedies including exercise, which has proven as effective as ssris. I had a good run with St John's wort, Perika brand in the past. I'm trying a generic now and not having results. There's Sam-e, a little pricy but effective. Then there's vitamins and minerals which you may be deficient in. Most are deficient in d3 from lack of sun. B vitamins are good for more energy by some accounts. B-12 gives me a little boost. L-theanine derived from tea is good too. I've tried many antidepressants, a couple antipsychotics and antianxiety drugs. In my experience the cons always outweighed the pros. Toothless recommended the cbd. I've tried the tincture which is calming. There's an instant kava powder which is a great replacement for alcohol. It's slightly intoxicating. Just don't mix with alcohol. Let us know what you try. I'm still looking for something to work nicely too

 

[xudo]

My husband has been on anti-depressants long term. I asked him and he said he would recommend them, but if possible, alongside some sort of counselling. He was originally on sertraline, which he eventually was taking at the maximum dosage of 200mg a day. Around 3 months ago he got really bad again and CMHT changed him onto venlafaxine. He's on a relatively low dose for now, but it's definitely helped. I am on the same one for GAD but at a higher dose. Obviously everyone is different though, and what works for some may not work for others.

 

[paloftoon]

First: don't take this as a personal assault. I find this type of phenomenon fascinating and often worthy of consideration. Second: what another does or doesn't do is no business of mine; to each their own. When something is recommended to others, I start to take an interest.

One of the sad aspects of serious mental or physical health problems that aren't quickly understood and/or resolved is that it leaves near hopeless people vulnerable to accepting solutions that aren't in their best long-term interest.

Iridology, homeopathy, the list of such offerings is lengthy. Did your friend get better while under the care of an iridologist? I don't know what her issue was, but it is quite possible. Did she get better because of the iridologist's treatment? Again, possible. Much of the treatment, from what I can see is modifying diet. If someone puts down the Twinkies and picks up fresh fruit and veggies, how can things not improve? Also, alternative practitioners do something that medical doctors often, for whatever reason, don't or can't do: they listen. They make the patient feel that they are being taken care of. It's been plausibly theorised that has a powerful, beneficial placebo effect.

Did your friend get better because of iridology itself. No. It doesn't work because it can not work as described. And it is often hellaciously expensive. Unfortunately, there are many people for whom "anecdote" is too often a synonym for "evidence"; so treatments proven to be utter nonsense, if not outright dangerous, continue to exist.

And, yes, much of this can tenably be said about conventional psychiatry.

That is true. My friend did get better as a result of extreme changes in her diet. There are things that she cannot eat that many people can eat such as tomatoes. She might be able to eat some things a standard "normal human being" might be able to, but she has to slowly train her body to do so. The doctor would even text her outside of the appts to help guide her to buy different foods and such. At one time, there was like a list of only 6 things she could eat for awhile. Very hard, especially if you are one where you want to be able to try anything that you can like myself.

Oh, and Alcyon, I appreciate your honesty

 

[Allicat]

Just want to share my experience (with the caveat this is coming from a supposedly "NT" person).

I tend to cycle thru normal(ish) times and depression (they have never been sure if what I have is truly bipolar disorder; I don't swing to the mania side). I've found Zoloft to be really helpful during the down swings. It doesn't make the issues go away, but does make them seem less overwhelming and gives me the space to step back and work on them without shutting down. I sorta go from "Holy crap!! I'm freaking out and cannot deal with this at all; I'm crawling back into my hole." to "Well, this sucks but I'll just deal with it and move on." And it takes only a couple days for me to feel the effect, not weeks (don't know why).

I'm glad the resumption of your vitamins is helping, but your explanation and logic regarding why antidepressants might be useful struck me as pretty insightful. I hope you're keeping the option open if balancing your methylation cycle turns out to be not enough.

 

[Full Steam]

Thanks Allicat.

I am still keeping an open mind and I'm not 100% free of this by any means.

I'm starting to take 5-HTP and Rodheola (sp?) daily. Apparently they can work better with long term use, which I didn't know until recently.

You're reaction to Zoloft is very interesting - is it uncommon to have it work that fast?

If I could find something that I only took when needed, that would be great.

 

[Allicat]

*nods* Apparently a bit unusual. According to the research, it starts taking effect 1-2 weeks after starting, but I've been on it 4 or 5x and each time I notice a couple days later stuff I bugged out about the week before didn't seem quite so...traumatic. And it's not like I was looking for an effect. Things that had me sleeping all day in a bid to avoid them, or sobbing helplessly about, would pop into my head and I'd realize I surprisingly wasn't so overwhelmed them.

Interestingly enough, one of those times I was on sertraline (generic Zoloft) on a sort of as needed basis. Just after I had my son, I started having PMDD (Premenstrual dysphoric disorder). The treatment is SSRIs for only part of the month, instead of every day like usual. I would start taking it the week before my period was due, then stop when it showed up. Did that for a little over a year til things evened out. Btw, as I said, I seem to cycle. So I'm not on antidepressants long term. Generally I have a good 5-7 years of average moods, then I bottom out. A year or 2 on SSRIs puts me back to my status quo. So these might be things to bring up to your doc if you decide to discuss it with her/him.

 

[Azul-Infinito]

I tried Fluoxtine with some kind secondary stabilizer pill. I did not react well to it at all. It put me into like a super deep deep melancholy state, it had the exact opposite efffect as it was suppose to do. It made me see Why the FDA put the blanket label statement on all antidepressants "may increase suicidal thoughts and behavior." I felt like i never felt so low. Have you ever drank too much and just sort of hated yourself and everything else the day after? It sort of felt like that hangover feeling for 2 months. Im not saying that is a typical experience. It is not.

That was my experience, and it is not medically sound advice to disregard taking medicine if it may help you. They help a lot of people, and it is really best to put that desicion in the had of a liscenced physicians.

I weened myself off them, and never wanted to experience that again. Like when you get food poisoning. Ill tell you what works for my anxiety, depression, and calms Down my nervous system, when it so often feels like it is wound tighter than a snare drum, not to mention deppresion and sensory issues. It's doing a little pot, specifically vaping the concentrates from high CBD strains. [It's funny because toothless said the same thing and i didnt even see her comment till after i posted this and said that, so thats not a coincidence, it actually helps people ]. Dont judge me. Im not a druggy! I dont drink, or do anything else, but pot calms my stormy soul when i feel like i want to jump out of my skin im so anxious, or depressed, or stimming too much, or any number of milder phycolgical maladies. Long hot showers ,with the hot water flows over occipital lobe helps me too. I know it sounds so un-scientific, but i think the heat from the hot water increases circulation, which in turn helps my brain function much more gooder, but maybe its a placebo . who knows. 70% Coco chocolate elevates my mood and taste yummy too .

Also, start with better diet and exercise. It can not be understated how big of an impact that can have.

I hope you find something that works for you - Cheers

 

[toothless]

My husband has been on anti-depressants long term. I asked him and he said he would recommend them, but if possible, alongside some sort of counselling. He was originally on sertraline, which he eventually was taking at the maximum dosage of 200mg a day. Around 3 months ago he got really bad again and CMHT changed him onto venlafaxine. He's on a relatively low dose for now, but it's definitely helped. I am on the same one for GAD but at a higher dose. Obviously everyone is different though, and what works for some may not work for others.

funnily enough xudo,ive been on 150mg of sertraline for ages and its never worked,even when she kept increasing it, my new pyschiatrist has suggested the one your husband is on-weird isnt it?
i talked abit about how SSRIs have always made me pyschotic and he said he would add it to my file as a red flag to other NHS/social services staff about this,they knew about this years ago and never added it,i was mad.
i said to him the only group of anti depressants that have worked for me well so far were SNRIs [cymbalta] but it needed to be continuously increased eventually then stopped working, but i only had restless leg syndrome and headaches for two weeks as side effects starting it then plain sailing.
anyway,i am waffling, i wanted to say my new shrink thinks TCAs are still worth trying in cases where SSRIs and other modern ADs dont work for you,around the same time my pain neurologist has prescribed me a TCA anti depressant called amitriptaline and i am hoping to come off sertraline and have my amitriptaline [currently on the starting dose for nerve damage; 10mg] increased to the amount needed for severe depression,only if it doesnt then stop working on nerve damage though.

itd be interesting to know if any of you found it better on the older ADs.