Antidepressant side effects...

[crazy_me_84]

I'm in a deep state of depression and have been for a long time. A few months ago, my doctor prescribed antidepressants but I couldn't take them because of possible side effects ie n* and v*. There have been times when I desperately needed them and thought I'd take a chance, then I read somewhere of other peoples experiences and they swear never to take them again, or they had really bad side effects... I do feel I need to take them now as the epressionhas gone frombadto worse...but I'mtoo terrified! I've been prescribed sertraline and the doctor told me they were less likely to have side effects. I feel that my doctor doesn't understand how seriouslyintense my fear is. Has anybody had any bad effects or experiences with sertraline??? I'm way too terrified to take that risk... I need to see my doctor again soon to discuss this and don't know where to start. I feel she underestimates how fearful I am.


Annabel


x

[christi0126]

Crazy me,


The crazy thing about this fear...is most of us have not actually gotten sick in a really long time...Years ago I was on Prozac and I never had a reaction from it. If you are depressed you need to go on the medication. Ask your doctor if they can start you at a smaller dose and gradually increase it. Crazy as it may seem (as I am sure you have read) I really do believe that people who have this fear somehow have the power to prevent themselves from actually getting sick....so I think the chances of you getting sick off the medicine are very slim. I went through 9 months of being pregnant without getting sick....and that is rare! You will be fine and you will feel so much better once you start the medicine. Let me know please how you are doing!


Concerned for you,


Christine

[aguerra29]

I know where you are coming from. You know you need the medication to feel better, but you are terrified to take it. When I started taking Lexapro I explained to my doctor my fear and he prescribed me phenergran to take 30 minutes before I took the Lexapro. He said the side effects, if any, would go away after a few weeks. I took the phenergran like the doctor said and I never had a bad side effect.

[crazy_me_84]

Thanks for your concerns. I saw my doctor today and she prescribed the liquid form of fluoxetine... and half the normal dose at 10mg.I'm still terrified though... I know the chances are slim (erm... I'm trying to provide a false sense of security-lol) but I'm still worried... If I can't take this, I will feel well stupid and angry [img]smileys/smilies_07.gif[/img]with myself. I think I'll give it a go next week...

[Jenneh]

why next week? why not tomorrow? you just need to leap in there, seriously.. and not let urself think "what if, what if".


i'm 99.9999999999999999999% sure you're going to be fine. honest. i wouldn't say that unless i meant it =P the remaining .00000000000000000001% is so that u don't chop my head off if i'm wrong. WHICH I WONT BE! lol.


Jen xxx

[christi0126]

I hope that this medicine works for you! Let me know the outcome


Christine

[bexcelica]

i know that none of us think this way, but when there are side effects such as n* and or v*, its just a precaution, that JUST IN CASE someone does get n* or v* from the drug, they cant get in trouble. i mean i am sure it happens to some people but not to the majorit. and it always helps to eat when youre taking meds that have that side effect.

[crystalmom]

I'm taking Paxil, and when i started these I never had a really bad reaction to anything. I wouldn't worry too much, and be thankful that there is something out there to help get through all this. Believe me, I would rather have a yuck side effect (which most don't) than live the life I was living previous Paxil. Mine is mostly for anxiety, but depression seems to go along with that as well. Take them asap...don't think, just do. You'll be fine, and feel WAY better in the long run.


Let us know how everything is going!


Crystal

[Hale]

I have never had bad affects from taking anti depressants but I feel that I really need to warn you that coming off them can be HELL. I was prescribed venlafaxine 5 years ago and it was really helpful, then 2 1/2 years ago I decided I didn't need them anymore so I weaned myself off them ove a period of 8 months. Last year I had a stomach bug which really shook me up and set me back and I had to go back on them. We booked our wedding and in February I made the decision to wean myself off them again but things went so badly wrong I ended up back on them and tranquilisers. I wasn't sick but felt it, had upsets stomachs, insomnia (some nights no sleep at all), dizziness and head zaps. I was terrified an wanted to die. I am not the only one to have been through this.Not everybody does but I wish someone had warned me when I went on them what it could be like coming off them. Then I could have decided if it was a risk I wanted to take. Please think carefully. Do what you think is best. I know these drugs have helped me in the pass but it really is worth knowing what the withdrawals are like. Good luck and keep us posted.

[crystalmom]

Totally agree with Hale....coming off can be bad. You need to be very careful, and be under the advice of your doc. When I got pregnant, I had to go off two (clonazepam and ativan) cold turkey b/c they can produce birth defects. Part of my bad morning sickness was in part, caused by withfrawl symptoms. Dizzy and nauseus. If I miss even one day of Paxil, I go into withdrawl. They are great to help, but bad to go off. Take that into consideration as well.


Crystal

[crazy_me_84]

Thank you all so muchfor your advice. I think I might take the tablet form, but now I've heard about withdrawal symptoms, I'm worrying again! eek! I had no idea it can be that bead even when weaning off them.I'm a bit worried that you've mentioned your withdrawal symptoms Crystal, after missing one dose. I'm not one with good memory and I'm worried that if I miss a dose, the same might happen to me... especially if I have to take them continuously for about 3- 6 months... oh dear... I feel so stupid!

[crystalmom]

Crazy....I have been taking antidepressants for alot of years. I started when I was 19, and am 28 now! I think you body is really used to them after that amount of time. A few years ago (about 7) I was on 125mg of Zoloft a day...and had been weaned down to 25mg within six months, and at that time I had NO SIDE EFFECTS. I think it's when you quit cold turkey that it can be really hard on your body. As long as you are in cahoots with your doc, I wouldn't worry too much about a time down the road, when you do wean. Take everything into consideration....my life is so much better on them, than off, and I don't care if I do have to be on them forever. I would prefer not to, but if it ends up that way....so be it.


Lets us know how it is going!


Crystal [img]smileys/smilies_39.gif[/img]

[sage]

Crazy,


I hope you share your fears with your doctor or psychiatrist. Hopefully you have a therapist as well, if your psychiatrist doesn't do therapy. It's really important for them to know all the information...including that you're far too terrified to take these drugs. For what it's worth, I've NEVER heard of an emetophobic vomiting from an antidepressant. I don't even think it's possible. The people who do report nausea and vomiting are people who get sick at the drop of a hat. ANYTHING makes them sick. That just isn't true with phobics. You will not be sick if you take them.


However, it IS important information for your prescribing physician to know just how terrified you are. You aren't "stupid". Mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders are not "stupidity", any more than cancer or strep throatis "stupidity". Doctors, therapists and psychiatrists know this. Tell them the truth - your absolute reality. They will not think it stupid, and certainly, neither do we.


All the best!

[crazy_me_84]

Thank you all so much for all your reassurance and advice! Its so invaluable.Its great to speak and hear from people who understand where I'm coming from! I took the sertraline today! [img]smileys/smilies_04.gif[/img] I was prescribed 50mg but I read that some people start on 25 mg, so I just took half. I'll try that for a week or so, then take the whole tablet...I've been feeling very anxious today, a bit dizzy and slightly nauseous at timesbut I think (and hoping) that its just the anxiety or IBS! Still feeling panicky now [img]smileys/smilies_10.gif[/img]. My doctor and therapist both know how terrified I am of taking the medication and tried to start me off on a very low dose and I've got the ball rolling now (hopefully) after several months of putting it off (pathetic), nevertheless, its been done and so far so good... fingers crossed!


Thanks guys!


x

[crazy_me_84]

btw, thanks for listening to me going on and on and on... [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]