Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with anti-depressants

How afraid of Fluoxetine (and its "pretty gnarly" side-effects) should I be?

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:40:58 -0800

CrazyMedsFilter: How afraid of Fluoxetine (and its "pretty gnarly" side-effects) should I be? I'm sure you've all been there.

The free clinic psychiatrist, a man who has known you for all of about 11 minutes, has you fill out an insultingly childish questionnaire. ("Have you felt sad in the last few weeks?") You mark 4 out of the 6 questions as "yes," win an instant (yet very vague) diagnosis of depression, and receive a prescription for a month's worth of SSRIs. You leave the clinic feeling confused and offended, wondering if your mental health problems are as trivial as this doctors visit has made them seem. And you're nervous about taking a brain-altering medication that is handed out as liberally as free pens.

This has happened to me twice.

The first time was when I was 19. I was young, struggling through my first bout of depression, terrified by the sense of catastrophic dread that seemed to come out of nowhere every morning, and seriously considering killing myself. I was willing to do anything to feel better. So I took the doctor's word, filled my prescription, and went on Effexor for a few months.

It was hellish. Not only did the pills do nothing for my dark mood, but when I tried to ween myself off of them, I went through the insane helltrip of SSRI discontinuation syndrom that the drug is now famous for.

So now, 7 years later, I'm back in that very dark place of self-loathing, panic, and dread. My free clinic counselor urged me to see a psychiatrist. Another questionnaire, another prescription--this time for Fluoxetine. After hearing my Effexor horror story, the doctor assured me that, due to its long half life, Fluoextine had very mild discontinuation effects.

I'm willing to do anything to get back to my functional self. But once bitten, twice shy.

A quick search on CrazyMeds.us turned up a mention of "pretty gnarly" side-effects, including weight gain and loss of libido. Which, to a depressed single guy in his mid-twenties already struggling with dating, sounds like suicide-ville.

So i'm turning to Filterites for a second opinion. Anyone out there try Fluoxetine? Are the potential results worth the potential side effects? Should I treat the prescription as a last resort and experiment first with an altered diet and meditation? Am I being too paranoid after my Effexor nightmare?

I would love to hear any anecdotes you might have pertaining to this drug, be they stories of horror or success.

how do i address possible memory/cognitive issues with my doctor?

Anonymous — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:49:56 -0800

as a twenty-something, how do i address possible memory/cognitive issues with a doctor without both of us thinking i'm crazy? or am i crazy? I'll try to explain my situation as best I can; pardon me if I make any glaring omissions. Also, please direct any inquiries to thrwawayacct@gmail.com.

Back in January, I was happily chugging along in my coursework, when I suddenly started having the worst headaches of my life, along with trouble sleeping and remembering and concentrating on things. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I asked my GP anyway and he thought I was probably suffering from depression and anxiety and gave me an Rx for Lexapro. I was a bit reluctant to start taking this, however, since I don't have any history of depression, nor did I feel in any way down or depressed or what have you. At any rate, as days turned into weeks and weeks into months, it seemed that my headaches were getting worse, I felt constantly groggy, and that I had much greater difficulty remembering and concentrating, so I asked to be referred to a neurologist. Before my appointment with the neurologist, I had an MRI of my brain done which was "negative." At my appointment, the neurologist conducted his examination in which he asked me to tell him the current date and remember a few objects to recite back to him a few minutes later. I could not recall the exact date (it even takes me a while sometimes to realize what month it is), and I could only recall one out of the three objects he told me. After he finished his examination, I asked him what he thought and he proceeded to tell me that I was probably just suffering from depression-related concentration issues, so he sent me home with a referral to a psychiatrist. I have yet to see the psychiatrist, since apparently he's booked solid for about two months. Given that this isn't resolving itself, I don't really want to wait that long.

Am I wrong to be skeptical of taking an anti-depressant in this circumstance? I honestly have no idea what depression feels like, but I know I don't feel in any way sad. Should I try to find another neurologist and/or psychiatrist who can see me sooner? This whole situation got markedly more weird when I recently visited a close friend I've seen often in the past, and although I knew how to get to the friend's house, my surroundings on the way there seemed oddly very foreign and I felt like I was lost. I wasn't anxious up until that point, but I certainly am now.

For what it's worth, I've never done drugs, I rarely drink, all blood work was within normal limits, I currently live in Minneapolis, MN, and I have no health insurance. If anyone knows any good options for health insurance and/or good neurologists and psychiatrists in the area, please let me know. I don't really have the time or the money or the energy to guess and test doctors much anymore. I'm about at my wit's end with this and want to be able to return to my classes in the fall as someone who can actually think straight again, if that's even possible.

Also for what it's worth, what I'm going through seems somewhat similar to what this person went through, except for the fact that I haven't had a PET scan.

I hate to ask AskMeFi to be my doctor or to help me find one, but I don't really know what to do anymore. Any help would be so very appreciated. Thank you.

Mirtazapine

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:36:07 -0800

Please tell me about your experiences of taking mirtazapine (Zispin, Remeron). I have been prescribed mirtazapine for long-standing depression. If you have taken this, can you tell me how you got on with it? Did you have to take time off work during the first few days you were taking it?

(In case it's relevant, I will be continuing to take a low dose of amitriptyline as well as the mirtazapine.)

Advice on antidepressants

Anonymous — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:49:08 -0800

Antidepressant filter question #4529, I've searched the archive to no avail and I am wondering what antidepressant might be right for me. I know, I know, YANAD, but I am looking for anecdotal info. I have been struggling with anxiety and depression, and it is poisoning the well of the rest of my life.

Okay, so due to my job, having a small child, and having had a tumultuous life the problem has come to a head, I have finally decided to go talk to a therapist. I don't want to turn into my Dad, and I sure as hell don't want to mess up my kid. So despite not being confortable with the thought, it is time for me to accept this problem and deal with it. I have been going to a therapist (not an MD, but a counselor) for about a month and a half.

I have a unspoken about but clear family history of Depression and Manic Depression on both sides and am going to make an appointment with a psychiatrist to look into antidepressants and maybe anti anxiety meds, as I fear that in addition to my stressful circumstances I may have a physiological problem too.

I am a male in my late 30's. I have always had terrible sleep problems. About 10 years ago I once was put on a low dose of paxil for that and it made me feel weird and made me unable to have an orgasm. I pitched them out after a couple weeks.

I am concerned about weight gain as well (does that happen to men the same way it happens to women? I don't know). I think picking up an additional 40 pounds will make me even more depressed than I am now.

From my research I see that there are different pharmacological types of anti-depressants, for the fellas out there what have been your experience with this. Obviously this is something I need to discuss with a medical professional, but I am hoping to gain enough info from people's anecdotes to at least give me some talking points.

I don't need critical responses please! On a ledge here. I just want some friendly advice from those who have experience with these types of meds and their side effects.

Effects of duloxetine

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:42:51 -0800

Information about starting to take duloxetine (Cymbalta, Yentreve). I find it difficult to talk to my doctor about my depression. This is not about my particular doctor - I've tried others in the practice. I've been on 40mg citalopram (this was me a year ago) but side effects of dizziness and blurred vision, and a feeling that it wasn't helping - both of which I did discuss with my doctor - led me to cut down to 10mg every other day about two months ago. I wrote to my doctor six weeks ago about feelings of depression and suicidal thoughts asking whether there were other anti-depressants it would be worth trying, and I've just heard back from him with a prescription for 60 mg duloxetine.

If you have taken duloxetine, what side effects did you experience? Am I likely to need time off work whilst I become habituated to it? Should I continue taking my low dose of citalopram whilst taking duloxetine?

I am planning to go to see my doctor when I have been taking duloxetine for a month, but would like more information on what I can expect before then. Thanks for reading/commenting.

Will going off of Paxil help me lose the weight I gained while on Paxil?

dumbledore69 — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:50:44 -0800

I gained a lot of weight after going on birth control pills & antidepressants. Will going off these make it easier to lose this weight? In college, the year I went on birth control pills was the year I gained 50 lbs. That was several years ago. Two years ago, I went on antidepressants. First I was on Effexor, then Paxil. Right now I am on both Paxil & Wellbutrin. The first year I was on antidepressants, I gained 70 lbs. In a single year. The second year, I worked my ass off and lost about 15 lbs, which I keep yo-yoing with, despite my best efforts to keep it off and keep losing. Note that I have never had trouble losing weight before OR keeping it off with minimal effort. My efforts have been far more than minimal with crappy results.

Three months ago, I went off of birth control pills & am now using non-hormonal birth control methods. So far, I am still struggling.

My question is - assuming that the weight gain was a side effect of the antidepressants, will going off the antidepressants make it easier to lose the weight I've put on?

I'm really interested in personal anecdotes.

I know you are not my doctor/pharmacist/etc & that my mileage will vary.