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Anti Depressant Adverse Effects Question

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I don't have any specific answers, but shared similar very unpleasant side effects when I tried them. (abilify, lexapro, cymbalta, effexor, and I'm sure there were others I can't recall)

The only one that seemed to not be quite as severe was wellbutrin, but it also became problematic to my biology after a while, as did the stimulants, the xanax, the ambien, etc.

Me and the docs have since chalked it up to me and my innards being super sensitive to medications, for whatever that's worth, and I'm left with seeking and trying complementary/alternative methods of relief.

I remain convinced enough through those multiple, and often repeated, direct miserable trials to steer clear of trying others.
 
I hesitate to ask but, which anti-depressants have you tried?
Have you ever taken Wellbutrin XL?
Have you discussed these symptoms with your psyche doctor, (psychiatrist)?
How about Cymbalta?
Is it the same with all SSRI's?
Do you have co-morbid disorders that need to be treated along with PTSD and Depression?

Please feel free to answer any or none of these questions, I only want to be helpful if I can.
 
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why are some like us sensitive and can't tolerate the meds, yet many others seem to be ok with them?

An answer exists somewhere, I'm sure, on some deep cellular level, perhaps, but not currently in my brain's limited resources. It baffles me, too.

I really do wish some of the multiple meds I've tried would have worked for me, but apparently my slice of reality has different plans for whatever reasons. Sure would be nice to receive the full itinerary so I could much more gracefully and comfortably navigate.

I never would have guessed that some of the things that have been the most helpful would even be considered a therapeutic tool, but live and learn, whether I want to or not, it seems.
 
I'm a no go for any and all ssri and other "anti-depressant" medications, including Wellbutrin, Cymbalta etc.

They make my psychotic and feel like killing myself and harming others. On top of that, I become deeply depressed, can't sleep, out of control anxiety, and every other side effect known to man.

They just aren't for everyone. My psychiatrist warned me to never, ever take them or let them be prescribed to me.
 
I didn't realize the adverse affect it has on some people...that is sad to me because I am helped so much by them. I hope there are suitable substitute forms of medication or healing for those of you who can't take anti-depressants.

sending out hugs,
Lion
 
Off the radar for me. I have one of those sensitive systems as well. I took these for anxiety, mind you. Tried Lexapro - flat headed feeling with a ball of anxiety in my gut, Cymbalta - one time and was out for 24 hours, Zoloft - every side effect, no help, then at the 2 week mark it was sending me toward alcohol (it's in the literature!) so I was off that right then, Buspar - nothing.

I've tried alternative treatments to no avail, but was self-directed. Can't afford a naturopath, but it's in the memory bank to try when I have money. For now, it's nutrition (need to get better), walking, floor exercises, faith, mindfulness, self-care and compassion, gratitude, journaling, laughter (NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me and Sat. Night Live), community (here), and Xanax PRN.
 
How many have you tried before @C j? And how long were you on them? I tend to be pretty sensitive to meds too and haven't had a lot of success with anything in the past, both for physical and psychological issues, that didn't cause as many, or more, problems than they fixed.

The new GP I'm seeing now though has actually taken that into account, and I'm now trying an antidepressant from a different group of meds again from the ones I've tried before, and we started on a very low (non therapeutic) dose and have only been increasing that slowly. So far so good. I'm still not sure how effective it's going to be for my depression, but I'm tolerating it well at least without any major adverse effects.

So I'd say, if meds is something you want to try again, ask to look at options from different groups of meds, and if possible try to find a doc who isn't going to dismiss the potential sensitivity issues - I've been made to feel 'difficult' in the past because of not being able to tolerate things well.
 
Thanks @digger, I will ask for a different group of anti depressants as you suggested. I have tried 5 different ones but not stayed on them for long because the dizziness was intolerable, I kept thinking I was going to fall over in the street all the time. And the suicidal ideation was completely intolerable, that really frightened me, how close I was to acting on the thoughts, I was lucky I had someone with me at those times to keep me safe :giggle:
 
I have been on anti depressants for almost 30 years. The problem is you have to play musical chairs to find the one that works for you. This is a tough experiment to find the one that effects your brain transmitters in the correct way. Some worked for and others sent me to a place I never want to go to again. Over time I found that Effexor works for me but that is after being on many different types of anti depressants. Some meds effect Serotonin and other effect Epinephrine and some both. It takes time to find the right one that clicks with your brain chemistry and that is the hard part. Hang in there
 
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