# SSRIs



## JohnGalt (Nov 5, 2011)

Discuss.

Has anyone on here taken or gotten off SSRIs? Did they work for you? Did you notice any undesirable changes in your personality (e.g. flatness, mood changes, loss of sex drive) afterwards? For those of you that were on them and stopped, did you notice any dramatic differences when you stopped?

Some doctors are trying to heavily push them on my sister. I really don't like the idea of them and am trying to talk my family out of it and into considering alternatives to medication.


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## sleepyhead (Nov 14, 2011)

My experience with SSRI's was pretty brief. I have GAD that is no longer an issue in my life, but in the past I've had some problems with it. I went on Citalopram for one year along with trazadone. I would say it did work for me - but what I needed was a bridge to get me through the really tough time so that I could start dealing with my issues. I was an a fairly low dose and even though I was asked if I wanted to up the dose, I felt the low dose worked well for me and stayed with it for the full year. 

In the first 4 weeks I got very sick to my stomach and was completely exhausted but I knew that was likely to happen. After that my mood began to lift a bit and the anxiety became easier to deal with. At that point I was able to work through my stuff on my own (I've previously gone to counselling and a psychologist) and felt I didn't need any other external support. I noticed no changes to my personality and I felt ready to get off it after less than a year, but I was advised by my doctor to stay on for the full year. I had the same side effects going off as I did going on, but again, I knew what to expect and my friends and family knew when I was transitioning on and off meds. 

I don't think meds are right for everyone, but I do think they can be helpful for a lot of people at times. Sometimes even if you know all the skills to deal with anxiety/depression/etc you still may not be able to figure out how to cope in the depths of it.  That's what I needed - that bridge. 

I think what's most important is finding out how your sister feels. Does she have counselling or psychological support? Does she want to be on meds? Does she feel that she's being pushed into using them? What does she want or feel would be most helpful at this time?


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## CoopV (Nov 6, 2011)

I was on them for about 2-3 years in my teens. Then went cold turkey. I didnt get "brain zaps" but it totally fucked my mind up. Then like 5 years later I took the lowest possible dose of an SNRI and my brain was having orgasms before bed and I slept like a baby. This makes me think I'm kind of dependent on it. So I've never touched another psychiatric drug again. And I'm against them for the most part. 

Physically, I went back to being my normal skinny self after going cold turkey. They made me gain so much weight I looked like a little Buddha. And I actually had energy again. They make you feel like a zombie that could sleep for all eternity.


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## reletative (Dec 17, 2010)

i am on the lowest dose available of citalopram. it's been a good experience for me. no problems or noticeable side effects.


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## The Great One (Apr 19, 2010)

JohnGalt said:


> Discuss.
> 
> Has anyone on here taken or gotten off SSRIs? Did they work for you? Did you notice any undesirable changes in your personality (e.g. flatness, mood changes, loss of sex drive) afterwards? For those of you that were on them and stopped, did you notice any dramatic differences when you stopped?
> 
> Some doctors are trying to heavily push them on my sister. I really don't like the idea of them and am trying to talk my family out of it and into considering alternatives to medication.


I hate all synthetic medications except for bendodyazapine traquilizers like xanax. Everything else gives you side effects galore.


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## Neon Knight (Aug 11, 2010)

Tried almost all of them nothing worked and the one that did I could not tolerate because it made me sleepy 24/7. Side effects galore is an understatement, the variety is pretty stunning but one of the worst is having to give up your sex drive and ability to orgasm when you're in a serious relationship.


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## Tendency (Aug 18, 2011)

The Great One said:


> I hate all synthetic medications except for bendodyazapine traquilizers like xanax. Everything else gives you side effects galore.


Smells like sarcasm, but not sure of the taste on account of Benzo-dependency. In any event, if you really coordinate yourself, you can get the same effect out of the non-addicting, Seroquel. If you absolutely had to take medicine, that is.



JohnGalt said:


> Discuss.
> 
> Has anyone on here taken or gotten off SSRIs? ... I really don't like the idea of them and am trying to talk my family out of it and into considering alternatives to medication.


*Dosing someone does not magically dissolve any problem. She will NOT just simply get happier as it were just a passing phase.* I wish more people knew how a good part of the body worked.

A). Taking them resulted in my brain asking me 'wtf am I doing' (in the form of nausea induction and an activated gag reflex with an empty stomach). Incredible fatigue, laid in bed all day. Went to lab, slept at bench. Now, if you peddle through it this, you'll eventually stabilize. I slowly tappered off by the mg. I was on 50mg. 

My summary is this much: 
Full 50mg blue pill=makes me feel horrible.
Full 25mg green pill=makes me feel horrible.
Half of 50mg blue pill(~25mg????)=don't feel horrible. But don't feel like that glob on the commercial.

Watch out for the increases to higher dosages. Let it be the most minimal denomination if it must come to the SSRI.

B). Also—please beware of Wellbutrin and its class. It is NOT an SSRI, but it should be known that this may also be pushed. It may cause rage. Also, take care with mixing Adderall XR (or other psychostimulants) with SSRI's. You may experience serotonin syndrome, if there is a dosage imbalance.

C). For anxiety, Lexapro induced restless leg syndrome—smacking my skepticism in the face that it couldn't exist. The remedy to this and other restless types of syndromes might be "Propranolol." Worked just fine.

D). If she has does not have major depression, I would honestly suggest a sabbatical into nature. There is something about that kind of fresh air that is legitimately calming, which is why I cycled off. 
______________________________________________________


All in all, please be careful of the soft-talking psychiatrist b.s. who needs people at their practice—everyone is hurting economically. In the end, it is important that she sees a therapist (a psychologist) to talk out her problems too. It is important that she is listened to. That's the basis of depression. (I had terrible experiences when I didn't have to)

Also:

-Running will release endorphins. This must happen outside. As a general rule, it is good for her to be outside. If it is a city, then make a trip somewhere. The point is that, if she is not engaged, her mind is more susceptible to evaluating the lugubrious ruminations that she's used to. 

-If she is an introvert like myself, I would suggest addressing the need for means, a conduit for expression—writing outside in a park, talking one-on-one in a calming area, introduction to new musical tastes that are blissful/uplifting.

-Avoid "tough love" it never works with depression and suicidal thoughts. Positive reinforcement does.

-Avoid patronizing, but make it apparent that she has a support system. Many times that realization is just enough—through action more than words.

-If she is not hypersensitive, add extra energy saving lighting to not just the room but the entire house. 

-You may be interested in looking into therapeutic oxygen too. It may cost about a year's worth of copays excluding if you want to take antioxidants afterwards—all the more reason to eat healthier?

What gave me _true_ clarity is *this*: Buying a juicer. Juice apples, oranges, cucumbers—I even tried peppers—the enzymes will do wonders for mood.

Yield to proceed.


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## Neon Knight (Aug 11, 2010)

Tendency said:


> B). Also—please beware of Wellbutrin and its class. It is NOT an SSRI, but this it should be known that this may also be pushed. It may cause rage. Also, take care with mixing Adderall XR (or other psychostimulants) with SSRI's. You may experience serotonin syndrome, if there is a dosage imbalance.


See much of my older posts to see proof of this. It's true, your head feels like it's going to explode with rage an you don't even need a trigger. It's a dopamine affecting drug, I believe also norepinephrine but not serotonin except very minutely if at all, I forget. It was good to not feel depressed or sleepy all the time like miratazpine did. Later on, little to no sleep and the rage didn't make it worth it. Sure it doesn't affect sex drive or anything like that, but who wants to be with someone who rages 24/7?


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## Redwood (Apr 15, 2012)

Tendency said:


> -Running will release endorphins. This must happen outside. As a general rule, it is good for her to be outside. If it is a city, then make a trip somewhere. The point is that, if she is not engaged, her mind is more susceptible to evaluating the lugubrious ruminations that she's used to.
> 
> -If she is an introvert like myself, I would suggest addressing the need for means, a conduit for expression—writing outside in a park, talking one-on-one in a calming area, introduction to new musical tastes that are blissful/uplifting.
> 
> ...


+100 (Although I disagree with the CFL idea, but don't want to argue about it).

If I get a chance tomorrow I'll add my two cents to this thread, but for now, just quickly:

Antidepressants work on the hypothesis that your brain will do better with an alteration of chemicals. So they give you pills. However, what they don't tell you is that the pills work no better than placebos**, that exercising and having a social life works better than the pills without the side effects (yep, clinically proven), and that virtually everything you do, think, or eat affects your brain chemicals in some way. 

In other words, there is always a better and a healthier solution to antidepressants.




** When the placebos were completely innocuous they were two-thirds as effective as the antidepressants; when the placebos caused side-effects they were 100% as effective, even though they were still placebos.


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## koalaroo (Nov 25, 2011)

I don't necessarily agree with the whole anti-pill schtick, since I've seen enough research that shows that psychiatric medications can do wonders in the right patients. I will say though, that if she is having a severe depressive episode and it isn't MDD ... if they stick her on an SSRI or an SNRI it has an increased chance of flipping on the switch to manic, hypomanic and mixed episodes. The last two were pretty much my life from 14/15 until 18/19 when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Personally, the non-antidepressant schtick of "diet, exercise and a social life" didn't work for me. It doesn't work for everyone, just as pills don't work for everyone. One thing that many people don't realize is that the reason psychiatrists and pills get pressed is because the insurance companies typically put a damper on how many times a year you can actually see a psychologist. If you meet your medical deductible, expenses are mostly covered for psychologist visits up to about 6 to 12 times a year. After that, you pay ridiculous prices out of pocket. There are usually no limits on the amount of times you can see a psychiatrist. 

Any good mental healthcare practice will have some combination of psychologists, pyschiatrists and psychiatric/psychological social workers with whom a patient can speak. A lot of more recent clinical psychology graduates also give you the Ann Curry treatment ... if you've ever seen Ann Curry interview someone, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. The relationship between patient and practitioner ends up being one in which the practitioner can be intolerably condescending.

For both the psychiatrist and the psychologist, the patient needs need to find people with whom he or she can find rapport. Otherwise, it doesn't work at all. I haven't personally found anyone I can talk to about my issues other than my psychiatrist, because I haven't found a psychologist who isn't somewhere on the spectra between "oh you poor dear" and "tough titty said the kitty" treatment.


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## vanilla_dream (Nov 2, 2011)

JohnGalt said:


> Discuss.
> 
> Has anyone on here taken or gotten off SSRIs? Did they work for you? Did you notice any undesirable changes in your personality (e.g. flatness, mood changes, loss of sex drive) afterwards? For those of you that were on them and stopped, did you notice any dramatic differences when you stopped?
> 
> Some doctors are trying to heavily push them on my sister. I really don't like the idea of them and am trying to talk my family out of it and into considering alternatives to medication.



Those are its side effects and are expected to naturally manifest on the person under the treatment. It is all about weighing the benefits against the risks. So actually how many doctors arrived at a common decision to prescribed this to her? If there are quite a few, then perhaps she really needs to have those meds. There may be drastic effects if you abruptly stop it. Normally, the dosage is gradually tapered over time until the patient is weaned from it.

An alternative for it as St. John's wort. It's a herbal supplement (so it's pretty much like vitamins) which is thought to have similar effects to SSRI's. I actually have tried this before, though I only used it when I was really stressed. Since I'm not particularly in need of any mood affecting medications, I only use it when I need it. Indeed it had an "uplifting" effect on me. Talk to her doctor about this.

I'm a student nurse and have had a practicum at a mental health facility, so if you have further questions I'll try my best to answer them.


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## aconite (Mar 26, 2012)

JohnGalt said:


> Has anyone on here taken or gotten off SSRIs? Did they work for you? Did you notice any undesirable changes in your personality (e.g. flatness, mood changes, loss of sex drive) afterwards? For those of you that were on them and stopped, did you notice any dramatic differences when you stopped?


I had major depression; I used to spend all day in bed and I wasn't interested in anything. I was prescribed SSRI (sertraline) and yay, it worked. It's unbelievable how little white pills could change my attitude so much. I experienced very little side effects - dry mouth and restlessness, mostly (and I had the most wonderful, colourful dreams). My sex drive was even higher than before.

So yes, they can be helpful, certainly. But the psychological issues won't disappear because of higher energy level.


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## Tendency (Aug 18, 2011)

koalaroo said:


> Personally, the non-antidepressant schtick of "diet, exercise and a social life" didn't work for me. It doesn't work for everyone, just as pills don't work for everyone. One thing that many people don't realize is that the reason psychiatrists and pills get pressed is because the insurance companies typically put a damper on how many times a year you can actually see a psychologist. If you meet your medical deductible, expenses are mostly covered for psychologist visits up to about 6 to 12 times a year. After that, you pay ridiculous prices out of pocket. There are usually no limits on the amount of times you can see a psychiatrist.


1199 provides an eligibility for *50* visits. Be like-able and you might not even pay the copay of $20. There are always ways around these things, especially when it comes to mental health.

No but honestly though, how many people do you know of who really stick to diet and exercise in the same amount of time it takes for medication to optimize, casting the high order bid around 6 months time? There is no more of an attractive choice when it comes to downing a pill vs _changing an entire lifestyle_. I could see how that'd be immediately discouraging. You mention bipolarity. Imagine the mood swing of "I don't want to be healthy, the only exercise today is my right to iHop." vs. missing a dosage on your benzo's, stims, Anti-D's...What would the body be more equipped to handle in regulating cellular decision? (rhetoric)

I'm sorry, this is debatable, though I'm not at all sure if it should be or why. I say this because on a fundamental level, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery, knowledge that each human is combinatorially different, and our utter lack of understanding of how the Golgi Bodies truly even work among other things, automatically disqualify us. In my eyes, their developments are a waste of time and resources. Also why the of advent genetic-based medicines are so vehemently opposed by the unwitting lackeys who need wages. You should see some of the looks on these drug rep faces when reminded.

I'll admit that one could nitpick atoms on split hair follicles into what goes into making a healthy diet with exercise, but in the end, that conscious awareness alone _could rarely harm the body._



koalaroo said:


> Any good mental healthcare practice will have some combination of psychologists, pyschiatrists and psychiatric/psychological social workers with whom a patient can speak.


Not necessarily. More doctors under one roof means more patients which in turn demands more patience. Overbooking usually becomes a problem which causes less time with the psychiatrist for obvious reasons. And I know that I'm clearly being argumentative, but, I say this since I'm in New York City and you might see this to be the case in heavily populated urban areas and even some suburban areas. Navigating away from that, I think you might have been suggesting about the resources for the psychiatrist and psychologist to be aware of the what each other is prescribing. More than understandable too, though unfortunately, contingency plans of the sort aren't required. Such is the taste of bitter nectar spilled in the battle for Psychology to be knighted as a hard science. 



koalaroo said:


> For both the psychiatrist and the psychologist, the patient needs need to find people with whom he or she can find rapport. Otherwise, it doesn't work at all. I haven't personally found anyone I can talk to about my issues other than my psychiatrist, because I haven't found a psychologist who isn't somewhere on the spectra between "oh you poor dear" and "tough titty said the kitty" treatment.


This I agree with, googol%.



koalaroo said:


> I don't necessarily agree with the whole anti-pill schtick, since I've seen enough research that shows that psychiatric medications can do wonders in the right patients. I will say though, that if she is having a severe depressive episode and it isn't MDD ... if they stick her on an SSRI or an SNRI it has an increased chance of flipping on the switch to manic, hypomanic and mixed episodes. The last two were pretty much my life from 14/15 until 18/19 when I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.


Don't worry so much about this "research" about anything with commercial drugs. I worked in the field enough to know that it's all an academic game. You wouldn't believe some of the crap that gets passed on into Cell or SA, guys playing games with the numbers, spoiling beverages and stock solutions. "Oh we don't know the connection of why amphetamines assists with ADHD." Even though its chemical clutch homologizes the amygdala as if approaching a lower order mammal on the list, who just happens to share a common mesolimbic pathway? That there wouldn't be a profound, almost ironic effect. Yeah, they'll keep championing drugs, getting Pharmers paid and those pipette desperados, more "recognition" in the white space of those who really understand. I'm obviously too passionate about this game.


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## Redwood (Apr 15, 2012)

koalaroo said:


> I don't necessarily agree with the whole anti-pill schtick, since I've seen enough research that shows that psychiatric medications can do wonders in the right patients.


Research these days is so ridiculously biased towards a specific outcome that it's next to worthless--worse, because it suggests a truth that might be diametrically opposed to the actual truth. Even in the 90s there was an article in a medical journal (I think it was the Lancet, but my memory is vague) about how about 80% of pharmaceutical studies were unreliable due to pharmaceutical company funding and so forth. There was a brief and quickly-stifled cry for changes, but unfortunately things have gotten worse.


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## koalaroo (Nov 25, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Research these days is so ridiculously biased towards a specific outcome that it's next to worthless--worse, because it suggests a truth that might be diametrically opposed to the actual truth. Even in the 90s there was an article in a medical journal (I think it was the Lancet, but my memory is vague) about how about 80% of pharmaceutical studies were unreliable due to pharmaceutical company funding and so forth. There was a brief and quickly-stifled cry for changes, but unfortunately things have gotten worse.


"Truth" and "fact" aren't always the same thing.


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## Redwood (Apr 15, 2012)

Is that a fact?


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## koalaroo (Nov 25, 2011)

Redwood said:


> Is that a fact?


Fact and truth.


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## koalaroo (Nov 25, 2011)

Frankly, I don't expect "body purists" to accept psychiatric medical intervention anymore than I expect "moral purists" to accept anyone who isn't on the heteronormative binary.


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## The Great One (Apr 19, 2010)

@Tendency

FUCK SEROQUIL! I took that for like two days: it took away my personality, and made me act like a zombie. I couldn't even give away Seroquil pills, they were so bad. TO HELL WITH THAT!


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## Neon Knight (Aug 11, 2010)

The Great One said:


> FUCK SEROQUIL! I took that for like two days: it took away my personality, and made me act like a zombie. I couldn't even give away Seroquil pills, they were so bad. TO HELL WITH THAT!


I've heard that too actually. Diff meds act differently for everyone. I couldn't tolerate amytriptaline (sp?) for the same reasons but my mother takes it and is just fine. I couldn't handle mirtazapine and some swear by it. It's really shitty when you have to continually try different drugs to see what won't fuck you up rather than what will fix things isn't it?


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