Anti-depresants

[tcsarah]

Just wondered if any of you could give me some input on which anti-depressants you take or have ever taken and which have worked for you best with least side-effects.


I've been on seroxat/paroxetine (paxil in US) for the last seven years. They have worked wonders in helping with anxiety, panic attacks and depression but I get such terrible insomnia it's getting me down, and keeps depleting my immune system. I've always just put up with insomnia before beause the benefits far outweighed the side-effects but for the last week or so it has got beyond a joke. I've only been managing to get a couple of hours sleep and today it's caught right up with me and I'm walking around like a zombie[img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]. I've just been talking to my dad on the phone who also suffers from depression and he thinks I should go back to the doctor and try another drug. I'm so scared though that another anti-depressant won't stop the anxiety attacks as well and the agoraphobia I have suffered in the past (because of a terrible fear of v*ing in public) will rear it's ugly head again.


Before seroxat I would have such bad panic/anxietyattacks they would make me physically sick - obviously not the best thing for an emetophobe [img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img][img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img] I can't stand the thought of that again.


So can I ask anyone to please give their input into which antidepressants havesuited them best. Also has anybody tried amitriptyline? I ask because it's the anti-depressant my dad takes and it has helped him a lot and also helps him sleep - wow that would be bliss [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]), and since I am so like him with regards to anxiety symptoms I thought it may help me too. Any other recommendations before I go and see my doctor?


Thanks!


Tracey

[tcsarah]

Lol, 'scuse the misspelling of 'depressant' in the title - see that's cos I'm sleep deprived [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]

[tcsarah]

No replies? [img]smileys/smilies_06.gif[/img]

[kate1966]

Poor thing.......the only one i ever tried was Lexapro...and it zombiefied me so bad and i was nauseas...granted i only lasted like 3-4 days and i quit...i was so scared i would get sick...so i stopped.....My husband has been on Paxil for some time now too...and it works well for him. I don't really have any advice b/c all i take is xanax....and it helps me tremendously....I hope someone else has some suggestions for you though.....if not i am sure your doc can offer something else...there are like a million different anti-depressants out there....hope you find an answer soon

[mjewell]

Hi Sarah-


I was thikning about responding yesterday, but I feel like I always give the same answer which is probably what you don't want to hear - everyhitng works different for every person. It's hard to recommend something to someone since it almost always works differently. Case in point, kate mentions Lexapro made her feel awful, but Lexapro is the third AD I've tried and I love it - no side effects whatsoever. So you jsut never know. They say Lexapro and Effexor XR have the least sexual side effects, but I have tried both and have zero sex drive...so you just never know.


Lexapro seems pretty mild and seems to work for a lot of people, same with Zoloft. it's just trial and error really.

[tcsarah]

Thanks for your replies guys [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img].


I went to the doctors and explained the situation and she said she was reluctant to take me off seroxat/paxil because they work so well for me regards anxiety and depression. She suggested a short course of sleeping tablets, but I've been prescribed short courses of temazepan in the past and even after taking these I can't sleep! I mentioned the anti-depressant amitriptyline and she said I could try a low dose of this on top of my usual anti-depressant, so that's what I'm doing. I'm still not sleeping too well, but better than I was, and when I am laid awake now I'm more relaxed and not as restless - my mind doesn't seem to be racing from thought to thought like it usually does too. And I've felt great during the day! So, so far so good!