Anti depressants

[Sven]

I was on Sertraline for 3 years and had no problem, no even with weight gain. I’m usually very sensitive to side effects so I’m always surprised I didn’t get any. I then start Mirtazapine and holy hell, I ballooned. It helped me sleep (and I haven’t slept properly since I came off it, but I have M.E so that may contribute) but weight gain was terrible. I stopped using it last March and managed to lose the weight. I was switched over to Venlafaxine a year and half ago because Sertraline wasn’t helping me anymore.
I think I’ll always been on an anti depressant of some sort, but I’m ok with that. I am horrendous when I’m off them.
Congratulations on booking therapy. I’m a huge advocate of it, I’ve found it really helpful (with the right therapist).

Thanks for responding. I haven’t booked therapy, just a GP appointment. I had some counselling when I had PND a couple of years ago. It didn’t help in the slightest.

 

[BLD86]

I take them in the morning, was found if I was taking them at night I couldn’t sleep.
Thank you

 

[ElleBow]

Thank you, its really helpful to hear everyone's experiences.

It's now day 5 and I'm definitely noticing a pattern from taking in the morning. Feel ridiculously tired and unproductive at work a few hours after taking them and then at around 4pm I get a surge of energy and it's all systems go and I am wide awake when trying to sleepnarpund 10pm.

I'm going to switch to taking in the evening. Did anyone have a reaction to changing the time of day?

 

[Amber90]

I'm currently on Day 3 of taking S. I'm currently experiencing some of the side effects, which I am hoping will wear of as per my doctors advice. I feel dizzy, drowsy, no motivation, headaches, loss of appetite, clenched jaw, keep zoning out and I cannot sleep for the life of me - did anyone else experience the same?

I think I'm going to go back to the doctors to get signed off from work for the week until these start to settle down as i'm sat at my desk on the verge of falling as sleep and I don't want to talk to anyone at all

I had these exact side effects, I've been on them about 5 weeks and I felt amazing in the first week, I slept better than ever etc. Literally at week 5 and I'm so low, have to put a face on all day at work, feel like I'm being a burden to my husband. Used to love going to the gym can't even face it. Literally just want to hide away! I've put 5lb on this weekend - husband keeps telling me to call the Dr but I don't know what it will achieve been on Fluoextine before that didn't help at all either! Setraline is just making me low sad and feeling worthless.. but the jaw thing was awful also had pupils like I had been popping pills!

I also ended up in A&E two weeks ago after falling after a few drinks and blacking out - came home with a head injury a swollen head and black eye, spoke to my GP who advised that whilst on Setraline 4 glasses of wine will feel like 8 to your body!

 

[J-Dog]

They are all really normal symptoms. Hopefully should get better after a couple or weeks. I took mine at night and that seemed to help a bit. I’ve taken it twice before for about a year each time. It really helped me when I was feeling very low so definitely felt like the side effects were worth riding it out for.

 

[Freckles]

For the first 3 days I took them in the morning as the doctor instructed me to. On Sunday I ended up having to call 111 because I just felt so bad, they ended up sending an ambulance to my house to check me over. The paramedics really reassured me that it is common to feel like that during the first week-10 days.

I was feeling really drowsy in the day after taking them at 9am so I changed to taking them at night at around 6pm and I’m ready to sleep by about 10pm and then during the next day I’m starting to feel better and less drowsy and more with it. The paramedic advised me of this as well.

I’m going back to the doctors next week for a medication review, Im currently on 50mg (which I think is bit high considering this is the first time ive taken anti depressants and I was really reluctant to taking them) I hope they don’t up my dosage to 100mg as I’ve heard you get the side affects again

I don’t remember having any side affects when increasing my dose, but I do take them at night because I feel a lot better than I did when I took them in the morning

 

[Lilbear1]

Anyone else on amitriptyline?any side effects? I take them for long term pain and fibro but am thinking of coming off them.

 

[PoleStar]

I feel like I could write the book on anti-depressants as I've been on them for 24 years. I have suffered with anxiety and OCD since childhood and then developed depression in my late 20s. I have had numerous attempts to wean myself of them with very little success. The longest I've managed to come off them is about 3 months and then all my old symptoms returned to haunt me again. They are addictive, despite what doctors maintained for years to the contrary, and I am pleased that in the last couple of years the medical profession has finally started to admit to what I and 10,000s of others have believed for years.

 

[Jasmine05xo]

Hi guys I was wondering if anyone had any advice on drinking alcohol on Mirtazapine? I am have been on them for 5 or 6 weeks now and take them at night. I have been totally avoiding going out at weekends now, I am a 19 year old with a great social life but have just been terrified to drink whilst on them. Its tough having been going put every other weekend the last two years on no prescription medication to being scared to go out because I take Mirtazapine! Any advice appreciated x

 

[Chips_and_gravy]

I’ve tried various tablets, this one personally didn’t suit me and I ended up taking citalopram (spelling?)


I think sometimes it’s a trial and error situation. Hope you find something that works. Good luck. Xxx

 

[Trampoline]

I have been on not for long in ruined my sex life, I find fluoxetine better and fluoxetine doesnt make me put on weight quite the opposite x

 

[Everly]

Side effects can last up to six weeks. I personally take an anti-depressant that is advised to be taken in the morning and most patients of mine do but having it in the evening means I sleep through the side effects so give that a go. Good luck!

 

[Bingewatcher92]

Hi, was looking for a bit of advice! I have just started taking Sertraline and was wondering if anyone else has and what the side effects are? We are going to start trying for a baby in September wondered if this would effect it?

Hello, I have been on sertraline for about 3 years. The side effects when I first started were not nice I'm not going to lie but after about a month or so it was worth it because they have really helped me. I felt super low when I began them, headaches, dizzy and disturbed sleep. But they do go away. Hope that's some help. X

 

[Everly]

You can continue to take it while you try and it is safe to take during pregnancy in most cases.

 

[ElleBow]

I'm currently on Day 3 of taking S. I'm currently experiencing some of the side effects, which I am hoping will wear of as per my doctors advice. I feel dizzy, drowsy, no motivation, headaches, loss of appetite, clenched jaw, keep zoning out and I cannot sleep for the life of me - did anyone else experience the same?

I think I'm going to go back to the doctors to get signed off from work for the week until these start to settle down as i'm sat at my desk on the verge of falling as sleep and I don't want to talk to anyone at all

I'm the exactly the same, day 3 and all of the things you listed above. Do you take it in the morning or evening?

I'm on 25mg every day for a week then up to 50mg. Currently take them first thing g in the morning but I'm wondering if taking them at night will mean I sleep through what I'm feeling during the day. My appetite seems to come back around 10pm (by then I'm far to shattered to actually eat anyway) but seem more alert than I do in the day.

 

[ElleBow]

Thank you, its really helpful to hear everyone's experiences.

It's now day 5 and I'm definitely noticing a pattern from taking in the morning. Feel ridiculously tired and unproductive at work a few hours after taking them and then at around 4pm I get a surge of energy and it's all systems go and I am wide awake when trying to sleepnarpund 10pm.

I'm going to switch to taking in the evening. Did anyone have a reaction to changing the time of day?

I switched yesterday; took my 25mg at 6pm, had a lovely sleep around 9pm, drifted off nicely and felt quite refreshed today when usually I'd be feeling really out of it until early afternoon.

Felt very agitated and nervous though still, cant wait for that feeling to pass. I have one more 25mg to take tomorrow and then up to 50mg weds

 

[Sven]

I’m a GP and also needed antidepressants myself as a medical student. Sertraline is notoriously bad for weight gain you develop terrible hunger at higher doses and I gained 22kg in 8 weeks. I switched and weight came off and didn’t have the hunger side effect. Some of the medication is linked to weight gain but only usually a few pounds but that’s normally because when you feel happier in yourself your appetite is regular. With any medication take it regularly don’t skip or increase a dose. I don’t want things to sound scary but we have to make people aware and your GP will tell you, thst during the first few weeks you may feel shaky, sleep more and possibly feel anxious or suicidal. This is the body adjusting to the medication so talk to friends/family/GP if this happens. If you can but I know it’s not always easy take a couple of weeks off work to adjust, sleep when needed etc when a person is depressed it uses the equivalent in energy of running a marathon! Also I’ve had lot of people worry medication numbs you or changes you and it doesn’t. Week by week the heaviness and thoughts will lift and you’ll feel more like the you you were before you became depressed. You may be referred to something called IAPT which is a talking therapy and the two combined are often more effective. BUT I often think it’s better to wait until meds kick in before adding pres tv sure.
In regards to your toddler it really shouldn’t cause you problems only if you feel down as your body adjusts.

Thanks. I’m actually starting a new job in 2 weeks time which is part of this so I’m a bit worried it’ll affect that.

 

[CaffeineQueen]

This!! That’s why I stopped taking them Ork. I’ve been off them for a week and for the first Saturday in a long time I’m actually awake! I was just exhausted all the time & then developed insomnia too. I’m not sure what the answer is but Sertraline did not agree with me at all

 

[ElleBow]

I was on sertraline last year, heads up that I got horrifically sunburnt on it (allegedly it makes you more prone- be careful.)

No worries in this rain I guess!

That's really useful to know, thank you

 

[Macadelic]

Hi! I am not a doctor, but in my experience I had significant weight gain. I felt better while taking it though! And I was advised by my doctor to stop taking any SSRI medication before trying for a baby. I hope you start to feel better soon, sending love and hugs.

I can also vouch for the weight gain. I gained 5st in about 10 months it was awful. Still finding it difficult to lose the weight after being off them for 9 months