Antidepressants...

[Tree House Academy]

If you have taken an antidepressant, what is the longest time period you have taken them? I ask this question because I have seen posts here where people talk about taking meds for YEARS. I wish I had the courage to do that. If you have taken them for years, did you not take NSAIDS (aleve, motrin, etc) while on them? Did your response to the med change over the years?

 

I took Lexapro off and on for about 6 years, but never took it for more than 6 mos or so at a time. I have severe OCD and extreme hypochondria. Unfortunately, it is not going away. I take the meds, feel great, try to go off the meds, and within 6 mos find myself needing to take meds again. Now I am trying Prozac. I am utterly terrified because it is new to me, but the Lexapro stopped working at the dose I could handle and when they tried to up the dose, my body said, "umm..NO." So it is out now.

 

I always feel like a failure when I have to go back on the meds. I hate that I can't take other meds without first checking for interactions. I hate that I can't drink alcohol when I am on meds. It just really bites.

[Chrystal]

I have taken different ones at different times.

I also suffer from Depression and anxiety disorder.

 

Right now I have been on Lexapro for 1 year, but haven't had to up my dosage. I have tried others and had to go up, but it may reflect what was happening in my life at the time.

[Chrystal]

Oh, and no reactions with NSAIDS.

In fact, I was on Relefan for a while after a car accident irritated a shoulder injury.

[Terabith]

I've been on antidepressants for 11 years. I took effexor for three and have been on zoloft since. I don't really expect to ever get off of them. I have also been taking trazadone in addition for about six months. (And some other meds. I'm bipolar. I have a veritable pharmacy on top of my fridge, but I'm functional and mostly sane with them.) Honestly, there aren't a lot of drug interactions with SSRI's. I don't really think about it. Take pain relief, sudafed, benadryl, antibiotics. Let drs know when they prescribe them but it's never been a big deal at all. Honestly, thank God for them, and don't feel like a failure. The "if you were diabetic, would you feel guilty for taking insulin" metaphor is sorta cliche and annoying, but there is some truth in it.)

 

I take motrin. I've not heard anything about not taking them. My psychiatrist has said that's fine. He even okays me having an occassional alcoholic drink. (I have a glass of hard cider every week or so with my church small group that meets at a pub. Weird, I know, but it works for us.)

Edited December 12, 2009 by Terabith

[Terabith]

Oops. Double post.

[TammyinTN]

I have OCD and depression it presented when I miscarried three times in a row. I started taking Prozac, but it made me edgy...I take Zoloft with great success and have been on it for several years. It's all tied to my thyroid and family genes. My grandmother had the exact same issues.

 

The only failure is not doing what's best for you. My husband is a pharmacist and he helps me tons with this same issue. I don't feel like a failure at all. I'm doing great now due to new doctors and taking matters into my own hands...being my own advocate. My OCD get bad around that time of the month...but we've now stopped that except 4 times a year...I feel like a new women. Journal everything for several months and go over it with your doctor and discuss patterns.

[Wendi]

I've been on Paxil for about 7-8 years now. It's been a godsend! I've been meaning to ask my doctor if a very occasional drink would be all right. Seriously, I would only like to have a strawberry margarita or Kahlua and cream or something maybe three times a year!

 

I do take Advil. I know taking antidepressants with NSAIDS can increase one's risk of bleeding. So far I've never had a problem.

 

I wanted to wean off Paxil a year or so ago. I did fine with the tiny dose, but after a few days of no Paxil, the withdrawal symptoms stank! So I went back on a tiny dose, and have just stayed on it for now. We were having other stresses to deal with, so I decided to forget weaning off for now. But I am on a very small dose.

 

Wendi

[tdeveson]

I have taken Prozac on and off for the last 10 years. The longest I've taken them is 18 months just precisely straddling my last period. It's the worse I've been and my doctor told me that was very expected during menopause since I'm predisposed. The shortest time I've taken it is six months.

 

My depression is always accompanied by anxiety and hypochondria. The Prozac has worked well for me. It takes about 2 months to kick in. I know the signs now and keep startup Prozac on hand. The instant I feel it coming on, I take my first pill and call my doctor for an appointment. This has worked well for me. If I don't start to medicate immediately, I'll get too depressed to see the doctor and then I just let it slide which is a bad, bad thing.

 

I've been off Prozac since... now that I come to think of it, I've been off since my last period two years ago. Can't say I miss either one.

 

I understand your feelings of failure when your meds stop working. Although I've always used the same medicine, I have felt that sense of failure when out of the blue one day I wake up and I know it's coming back. I always feel that I have no right to be sad -- I have everything I could ever want and more. I live a charmed life. I have no right to be sad. That's nonsense, but one still feels that way.

 

For some people depression is a life-long condition. It is not a mental disease. It is a physical disease like diabetes -- a chemical imbalance that is treatable if not curable. That being said, my doctor prophesied five years ago that I'd be done with my depression when I was done with my periods. She was right.

 

I'm still vigilant -- it's so easy to slip under the water without realizing it. But I understand my condition and I've got a handle on it.

 

If your condition requires that you take medications for years, then so be it. Diabetics take insulin their entire lives -- that's no indication of their character or worth.

 

Last, you should know that there is a lot of basic research being done right now. Soon it will be much easier for your doctor to prescribe the right anti-depressant the first time. There's no way to do that now -- it's completely hit and miss. Take your meds, take care of yourself, and leave the feelings of guilt and failure behind you.

[tdeveson]

 

I wanted to wean off Paxil a year or so ago. I did fine with the tiny dose, but after a few days of no Paxil, the withdrawal symptoms stank!

 

What kind of withdrawal symptoms do you get? I never get any when I go off Prozac and I'm wondering if those symptoms are a function of the Paxil, or just the way you experience coming off anti-depressants.

[Tree House Academy]

Thank you all for your encouragement and support. I am at a really low place right now with more on me than I can really handle sanely. I took the first pill today and so far, so good as far as any immediate reactions to the medicine. Now I just have to let it work. It is scary for me every time I try something new medicine wise. Of course, I know a lot of that is probably the hypochondria too.

[Tree House Academy]

What kind of withdrawal symptoms do you get? I never get any when I go off Prozac and I'm wondering if those symptoms are a function of the Paxil, or just the way you experience coming off anti-depressants.

 

I have read a lot of stuff about how coming off Prozac is a breeze compared to other drugs. I came off Lexapro this last time and thought I was going to die. It was horrific. I had never had those issues even with coming off Lexapro before...but this last time was BAD.

[Rosie_0801]

My Mum has been on and off (mostly on) anti depressants for almost as long as I can remember. If you need them, take them. Would you knock someone for taking hay fever medicines? Sure, they could do without, but the pills are there so there's no good reason to suffer through it. If you need anti-depressants, take them. I assume you'll have to jiggle around the pills and dosages at times, my mum did, to keep them working for you, but if you need them, you need them. It sucks, but doing without will suck more.

 

:grouphug:

Rosie

[dsmith]

I've been on Prozac for a few years now, and previously I was on Lexapro and Zoloft. I've never had any problems with taking any pain relievers with these. Prozac, for me anyway, has been the easiest to start, and the easiest to come off of. Very few side effects. Give it the full 4 weeks - many people do not. Hypochondria is a tough thing when dealing with meds. I used to have a problem with starting new medicines. Now I always get my meds from the same pharmacy. If there are any major side effects to look out for they will let me know. I never look anymore, unless it is a sample from the doctor, and then only briefly. I've run my parents and inlaws meds through interaction checkers, and always come up with major interactions. They've all never had a problem. My son is also on Prozac, and I would not let him have it if I thought it would hurt him. It's been a miracle for him - it helped him to start eating again after 2 months of pudding and very little else. He was afraid of choking, among other things, and after $4000 of therapy, it was 2 weeks of Prozac that did it for him. I'll remember the day he started eating again for the rest of my life.(peanut butter filled crackers from the vending machine at the DMV inspection station) The Prozac helps with his OCD tendencies and tic disorders also. His quality of life is much better than it was.

[jenL]

:grouphug:

 

I've been on and off antidepressants since 1994 when I fell apart my last year of college. I started with Zoloft, and that worked great. I came off and went back on a few times until 2002 when I became pg with my first son. I had a TERRIBLE ppd experience after him, and medicine saved me (and him). After thatn, I will never again be ashamed to have to take a pill. The insulin analogy is so true. I've never needed high dosages indicating it's a true chemical imbalance. It runs rampant through all the women in my family, another indicator that it's chemical. I came off when I was pg with my second son, knowing full well I'd be back on shortly after his birth after the ppd with my first pregnancy. I'm now on Celexa, and it's been 2 years. My dose is not high, but it keeps me level, and I don't plummet anymore which makes it harder for me to recover. I've also recently started seeing a counselor, and that is helping me as well.

 

You are in NO way a failure. Your body just handles things differently than another's, and that is OK. That is how you were made. Do what you need to do to stay healthy. I commend you for realizing you're in a bad place and for getting the help. Often, that is the hardest part.

 

As for NSAIDS. I still take Advil, etc. Occasionally, I'll have a drink (usually a glass of wine), but it does make the alcohol work more quickly, so I'm very careful.

 

Just know, you are in no way alone in this journey. Wishing you good health and peace! :001_smile: :grouphug:

[LibraryLover]

Why do you feel you need to go off them? If something works for you, it works for you. You might consider a change when your hormones etc start to change; perhaps during perimenopause or menopause. But if it's not broken, don't fix it.

[AnitaMcC]

I have been on prozac for about 14 yrs. I started because it helped counter the side effects of prednisone when I had to be on high doses of pred. I stopped the prozac when I got pregnant with 10yr old. Then went back on it after youngest was born nearly 9yrs ago... post partum depression and prednisone did its damage. I am off pred now (except for 4-5 times a year) and still have to stay on prozac. I haven't had problems with drug interactions and I take about 8 meds for heart/lungs issues. I just make sure my doctors know what I am taking at all times. Oh and I haven't changed dosings of the prozac since starting. Seems to do its job.

Edited December 12, 2009 by AnitaMcC

[Tree House Academy]

Thank you ladies! All of your positive stories are making me feel so much better. I never realized how many people took antidepressants of some sort until I came to message boards. Finally, I was able to talk about it openly with the female friends I have and 99% of them have been on one or another too. :) What I deal with is different than depression (though it includes depression, especially right now). Hypochondria is so misunderstood in terms of what it is and what it does to your life. Doctors literally hate to see you coming, people you love dont' understand, it is just insane. I went from a really happy, healthy, let it roll off my back kind of person in my late teens/early 20's to someone who, at times, can't function by the age of 30. I have always had OCD and hypochondria tendancies, but they were NOTHING like this when I was younger. When I was 22, I was high on life. Nothing could bring me down. After I had my second son at 24, everything started to fall apart. It was like PPD than just never ended. The health worries are so real. It is funny, sometimes, to listen to what a hypochondriac will tie together and worry about. I have worried about things that most people would have never once given a second thought to. It is utter insanity. Each time I take the meds, I get SO MUCH better! Little things that do come my way do not drive me totally off the wall. But when I am off meds, I am a totally different person. When I am off meds, I can't make a decision to save my life.

 

This current bout started with some worries about H1N1 and a decision to stay in more with my kids. Staying in all the time, though the kids LOVE it and do fine with it, made me get depressed. From that depression came the inability to make a decision regarding the vaccine. From that came more depression and anxiety started to attack. Then, I had a possible UTI over thanksgiving (along with a sick relative who came to visit) and that sent me into oblivion. Since then, I worried I had bladder cancer, and now even colon cancer. Yep, that fast - straight to the serious stuff. Something as simple as a yeast infection will make me think I have cancer. Something as small as a pain in my back sets off colon cancer fears. And it doesn't stop with a thought. The thoughts are intrusive and won't go away. They take over and then I find myself living as if I have just been diagnosed with something terminal. Not only is that horrible, it is also just a total slap in the face (in my mind) to anyone who HAS battled cancer or one of these diseases I fear. Many times, when I feel this way, I stop and pray for those who are suffering from the things I am worried about. It helps me put things into perspective. Not googling symptoms would be a good start too.

 

Hypochondria is a God-forsaken, dreadful, wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy type disease. Thank you all for taking time to respond to my post. :grouphug:

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

I always feel like a failure when I have to go back on the meds. I hate that I can't take other meds without first checking for interactions. I hate that I can't drink alcohol when I am on meds. It just really bites.

 

 

I just wanted to address this part of your post. You are anything BUT a failure when you medicate your condition. Would you feel like a failure if you had to take insulin because of diabetes? What about if you needed an inahler for asthma?

 

Seeking and receiving proper medical care for any condition is brave and smart.

 

A quick call to the local drug store pharmacist will provide you with much information about drug interactions. You don't even have to be a customer. I've never met a pharmacist who wasn't more than happy to help.

 

Many people take a variety of prescribed medication for various medical conditions, and although none wears a sign so we can easily identify them, they are all doing what is right for them and their families. You are not alone with your condition, and if taking a pill for the rest of your life alleviates the symptoms, then so be it. We are lucky to live in this era of pharmacological help. Think of all of our ancestors who had to suffer with these conditions with nowhere to turn.

Edited December 12, 2009 by MeanestMomInMidwest

[Mommy22alyns]

:grouphug:

 

I know how you feel, but it's just something we have to become okay with. I've been on them for years and will be on them for many more years. I don't like the rollercoaster of going off, going on - I know I need to be on meds.

 

And I do still occasionally have a single drink while on the meds. :001_huh:

 

I have been on Paxil in the past and coming off of it was the WORST. So bad that I refuse to ever go back on it.

[MaMa2005]

I've been on antidepressants for 11 years. I took effexor for three and have been on zoloft since. I don't really expect to ever get off of them. I have also been taking trazadone in addition for about six months. (And some other meds. I'm bipolar. I have a veritable pharmacy on top of my fridge, but I'm functional and mostly sane with them.) Honestly, there aren't a lot of drug interactions with SSRI's. I don't really think about it. Take pain relief, sudafed, benadryl, antibiotics. Let drs know when they prescribe them but it's never been a big deal at all. Honestly, thank God for them, and don't feel like a failure. The "if you were diabetic, would you feel guilty for taking insulin" metaphor is sorta cliche and annoying, but there is some truth in it.)

 

I take motrin. I've not heard anything about not taking them. My psychiatrist has said that's fine. He even okays me having an occassional alcoholic drink. (I have a glass of hard cider every week or so with my church small group that meets at a pub. Weird, I know, but it works for us.)

 

I could have written this post about myself. My bipolar is so bad that I had to retire on disability in Dec. 1999.

 

Take my meds and I'm good to go. Off the meds and I'm not a pleasant person.

 

As my psychiatrist told me, "A compliant patient with drugs is a healthy patient." I couldn't agree more.

[mommyto3]

I'm bipolar also and until this pg have been on Prozac and Lamictal (mood stabilizer) for the past 2 yrs at least. Before that I tried Lexapro for a few months and before that I took Zoloft for a few years. I also take Xanax as needed for anxiety attacks.

 

My psychiatrist used the diabetes analogy with me in order to explain that if you're sick, you need the meds and it's no different than any other disease. And I know I need them. When I got pg, I went off and have been off for almost 4 months now. I've done ok, but these last few days have been bad. To the point where Monday I'm calling the pysch to ask about med options because right now I see it as the benefits to me are outweighing any risks to the baby.

 

If you need the meds, take them. Staying healthy is the best thing you can do for yourself and your family!

[Pip]

I am on them. I am very sensitive to all medications so had to try a few. Prozac works the best for me. Very few side effects. It also has an easier withdrawal than others because the half life is measured in days and not hours. YOu can't stop others cold turkey. I have stopped prozac a couple of times and it just goes away. You will start having withdrawal symptoms with the others , often after you miss your first dose. Withdraw from them under a DR's supervision and you will be fine.

 

I am a much better wife and mother on them. I really don't like myself when I am off.

[catalinakel]

I have been taking Celexa for nearly twelve years, only going off once to no avail. I need the antidepressant, and have resigned myself to that. I was suicidal without it for years. I also drink red wine regularly, and my dr. is aware of that. Celexa has been a godsend for me and has allowed me to raise my chiildren.

[lakotajm]

What kind of withdrawal symptoms do you get? I never get any when I go off Prozac and I'm wondering if those symptoms are a function of the Paxil, or just the way you experience coming off anti-depressants.

 

I started on Paxil in 2005. Stayed on it, with varying mg, for about 9 months. Then my doctor suggested weaning off. Tried that, and did get awful withdrawal problems (like totally irrational thinking-I convinced myself my husband was cheating, for example). After almost a month of that, I started thinking it might not be the med, went back, got on Celexa for about another 9 months. That was not as effective. But at least the withdrawal wasn't so bad. But then after 9 months off, the symptoms had started to return with such frequency, I knew it was coming back.

 

I, too, struggled with the "I'm such a failure, why can't I just be stronger/saner/more patient, etc.?" What made it worse was my Mom's attitude, once I decide to go back on meds. She was the one who tried to convince me I was a failure for getting back on meds. She was telling me it was like I was cheating my kids because they wouldn't know the "real" unmedicated me. Umm.., excuse me, but the unmedicated me was screaming at them, breaking things, feeling totally helpless and overwhelmed,withdrawing, etc. And somehow depriving them of this would be bad? I sort of understood one aspect of what she was saying-even I did not any longer know if I would ever be normal again or even what normal was anymore-just that that wasn't it!

 

So I trieds Prozac, but only for 6 months. Weaned off much more slowly that time, and have not had too serious of problems ever since (almost 9 months ago). I seem to be getting increasingly better. But every now and again, I still have an episode. Mostly it seems to be hormonal. But sometimes it seems to be out of the blue. Wish I knew more about how all that works.

 

All I can say is don't beat yourself up for it. Your job is to raise your kids, and you start by being the best you possible. That is impossible for some of us without meds, at least some of the time. So be it. I used to be so angry at God about it, because prayer didn't work. But then I just accepted that God wants me to actively search out other means to the end we both want-a happy, healthy Mom.:grouphug:

 

Lakota

[Tree House Academy]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. My mom is very "you don't need that stuff, just draw from your faith" because she totally doesn't understand what I suffer with. :( It is really hard to make a case for meds when your mom tells you all the time how you just don't have enough faith in God. Being a Christian, this is hard for me to hear and makes me wonder if all of this is just me not being good enough.

 

The prozac is making me very tired and zombie-like. :(

[Nakia]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. My mom is very "you don't need that stuff, just draw from your faith" because she totally doesn't understand what I suffer with. :( It is really hard to make a case for meds when your mom tells you all the time how you just don't have enough faith in God. Being a Christian, this is hard for me to hear and makes me wonder if all of this is just me not being good enough.

 

The prozac is making me very tired and zombie-like. :(

 

That stinks about your mother not being supportive. I want to tell you something. You are good enough! You are good enough to feel good, good enough to not worry about your health, good enough to be the kind of mother God wants you to be. Quit listening to the devil tell you that you are not good enough. God wants good things for you. I know where you are. I have been there. I listened to Satan for months tell me that I didn't deserve my children, my husband, my life. I felt like everyone around me would be better off with me gone. I was a crying, anxious mess for way too long. I now take Lexapro and probably will for the rest of my life. I deserve to feel good. My husband and kids deserve to have me in their life, and they deserve for me to do my best!

 

Give the meds time. It sometimes take 2-6 weeks for you to feel the full effects. Your body will adjust.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[KidsHappen]

I'll join in the bi-polar with veritable pharmacy chorus. I also have high blood pressure, IC and chronic pain. I have accepted that medication is life long for me. I know that I will always have to take some kind of medication but it really bothers me that I have to take so many, eight to ten at current count. It doesn't help that every time I hear of a celebrity with drug problems it happens to be meds that I am taking. Sometimes I decide to try and cut back that number and eliminate some of the meds I am taking but that never goes well. I am happy, healthy and sane when I take all my meds but it is hard because when you are feeling normal, it is easy to think that you don't need the meds anymore.

 

I am not sure what your concern is regarding anti-depressants and NSAIs. I don't take an anti-depressant but I do take mood stablizers and a prescription strength NSAI and I don't have any problems nor am I aware of any potential side effects. As a matter of fact, I have relatively few side effects or drug interactions given the amount I take. I do have a very high tolerance though and I started all meds at the lowest doses and raised them over time. If a normal person was to take my average nightly meds, it would probably kills them. My hubby accidently took one of my meds instead of his baby asprin once and it knocked him out for over 24 hours. :001_huh:

[Perry]

I am not sure what your concern is regarding anti-depressants and NSAIs.

The combination of SSRIs and NSAIDs substantially increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. An occasional NSAID for a headache doesn't seem to be a problem, but ongoing use of NSAIDS in patients on SSRIs is not a good idea.

Edited December 13, 2009 by Perry

[KidsHappen]

The combination of SSRIs and NSAIDs substantially increase the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. An occasional NSAID for a headache doesn't seem to be a problem, but ongoing use of NSAIDS in patients on SSRIs is not a good idea.

 

I see. Thanks. I take diclofenac (Voltaren) and it is the one med I worry about the most but dr. prefers that I take this to lower pain levels so that I need less of the stronger pain meds. I have checked for drug interactions though and this has never come up as a problem with any of the other meds I take.

[Wendi]

What kind of withdrawal symptoms do you get? I never get any when I go off Prozac and I'm wondering if those symptoms are a function of the Paxil, or just the way you experience coming off anti-depressants.

 

Headaches, nausea, and palpitations. Paxil is known to be one of the hardest to come off, because of the withdrawal symptoms. Next time I try weaning, I will cut the tablets into increasingly smaller pieces, and go really, really slow!

 

Wendi

[Wendi]

I'm sorry your mom doesn't understand. By being open to talk about my OCD, I've actually been able to educate a few people over the years (even my pastor, who has been very supportive and wants to know more so he can help others). If you haven't experienced something like an anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or depression, it's hard to understand.

 

But know that you can come here and there are a number of us who DO understand!

 

Wendi

[catalinakel]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. My mom is very "you don't need that stuff, just draw from your faith" because she totally doesn't understand what I suffer with. :( It is really hard to make a case for meds when your mom tells you all the time how you just don't have enough faith in God. Being a Christian, this is hard for me to hear and makes me wonder if all of this is just me not being good enough.

 

The prozac is making me very tired and zombie-like. :(

 

I told myself that for years....if only I had enough faith, if only I trusted Godmore.....those years were wasted. My brain needs what an ssri does...plain and simple. don't waste your life. use meds if needed.