Anyone take Antidepressants?

Ruthanne

Ruthanne

Caregiver
Location
Midwest
I went without one for quite awhile, about a year but found that I do better on one than off. I am taking Vibryd now and it is helping anxiety and depression quite a bit. It has a few side effects but they are going away and the doctor said they only last a few wks. I'm quite happy with this one.

This thread is for support of those taking antidepressants and who have suffered with or who suffer with depression.
 

Last edited:
I keep getting prescribed them....mostly to help with my anxiety but I just don’t do well on them or the side effects keep me from giving them a long enough try.

This summer I have been prescribed lexapro...the generic form...forget what it’s called.

I was told to start with a half pill for two days then go on the full 5mgs which is the lowest dose.

Well, I never went on the full dose and I quit and started the 1/2 dose a few times.

I was miserable on it...this was when I was sick with my kidney issues and my low potassium and sodium, and peeing constantly.....not sleeping at night but sleeping all day.

Had a sick dying dog to care for also....I just couldn’t deal with the side effects of anything else...I was on enough things.

Yes, I probably do need an AD and am looking for one now that I’m feeling better physically.

Yes, I’m depressed but my dog just died not too long ago....

I did that cheek swab test to see which ADS will give me the least side effects...seems there are only 3 and I’ve already tried one...quit that after it made me nauseous.

Right now I’m going to one on one therapy every Wednesday for an hour....my copay is $25 which isn’t bad for therapy.

I like her a lot....and trust her, so will see what she thinks might or might not work for me.

No pill will take away how depressed I am right now about my dog dying but I do need help in the anxiety and motivation dept.


Hope this wasn’t TMI but I don’t care...

My last few months have been hell...:(
 
Sf74.gif


For CeeCee!
 
Ruthanne said:
I went without one for quite awhile, about a year but found that I do better on one than off. I am taking Vibryd now and it is helping anxiety and depression quite a bit. It has a few side effects but they are going away and the doctor said they only last a few wks. I'm quite happy with this one.

This thread is for support of those taking antidepressants and who have suffered with or who suffer with depression.
Click to expand...

That’s one I’ve not heard of...is it an SSRI?
 
@CeeCee I'm sorry you've been going through such hell. It certainly is very very hard to go through illness and the loss of a dear pet friend.

I tried Lexapro too and didn't like it. I'm grateful for this one I'm taking now. I never had the cheek swab. They don't do that where I go. They just try ones on me I haven't had and that's not many.

Best wishes with your therapy. 💜 🤗
 
Ruthanne said:
@CeeCee I'm sorry you've been going through such hell. It certainly is very very hard to go through illness and the loss of a dear pet friend.

I tried Lexapro too and didn't like it. I'm grateful for this one I'm taking now. I never had the cheek swab. They don't do that where I go. They just try ones on me I haven't had and that's not many.

Best wishes with your therapy. 💜 🤗
Click to expand...

I’ll look the one you’re taking up...but everyone is different in what works.

Thanks...I’m liking the therapy so far...
 
CeeCee,,,,Maybe you could get another dog or cat that might help, I know my dog is m best friend for sure. I get depressed and have all my life. Most persons won't admit to being depressed because it is associated with mental illness. If it is, HELL YES I am mentally ill along with 20% of the population. Being depressed or sad is a normal reaction to life struggles, a doctor once prescribed an anti depressant for me after my divorce and it helped, but I was sleepy all the time and I would rather be depressed. (and I couldn't drink beer) I now use a natural herb, St. Johns Wort if I need and have for years, but I treat it as medicine. Many warn against it, but you have to treat it like a medicine and take it like medicine not 2 now and 4 some times. Some countries (France) has banned the use in products because it interacts with some manufactured drugs (chemicals from drug companies) grapefruit interacts with certain drugs, so grapefruit maybe they should be banned also. It is a natural herb and drug companies cannot patent it , if they could instead of $6 for a bottle it would be $60 for a 30 day supply. I also found that if I drank a lot of alcohol it caused me to be very depressed, at one time I totally quit drinking and discovered this, almost zero depression and even today I never drink more than one, if I drink. Another thing I do is avoid wheat products, which is hard to do. Life is to short to be sad and it sounds like you are feeling better.
 
norman said:
I also found that if I drank a lot of alcohol it caused me to be very depressed, at one time I totally quit drinking and discovered this, almost zero depression and even today I never drink more than one, if I drink.
Click to expand...
@norman I know what you mean about drinking alcohol. It is a depressant. When I have drank the next day I have felt down, too.
 
Most people would rather not say, except on psychology, therapeutic forums.
. If you have questions about particular drugs, see a forum
for depression or anxiety, though they have numerous forum rules
From experience, I know that these meds don't cure you but you
may feel better, keep you afloat.
 
My mum had a saying I have never forgot and I still think of it when things are not very good, It was ''When thing get tough the tough get going.'' Thanks mum, but why did you make me eat those green beans when you knew I didn't like them... My taste changed as I got older, I now love green beans, spinach, sauerkraut, I am like a rabbit, if you put a bale of hay in front of me I will eat it.
 
I believe that having different emotions is a fundamental part of being alive. When I lost my beloved little Chipper, I cried every day for months (and still do sometimes); but I don’t think that I needed an anti-depressant for that, it was my body and mind working its way thorough the grief I was experiencing.
We are often expected to have/not have certain emotions and feelings. For many years, it was expected that a woman can cry, but never show anger or (gasp!)outrage.
Men, on the other hand , could be as enraged and bellowing as they liked, but were never supposed to show grief, or sorrow of any kind.

A person should not be being controlled by any emotion all of the time, and if you are depressed, and there is no reason for being depressed, then you need to see a doctor and fix the problem if it is a lack of something, or something that medication can fix.
Diet can make a tremendous difference ! Some foods literally can make you depressed and lethargic, partly because they affect insulin, and other natural hormones.
Before taking medication that I was not sure of, I would look at my diet and lifestyle and see if I could not change something I was/wasn’t doing , and see if that might help.
Just the simple exercise of going for a walk can improve your mood tremendously. For me, swimming is what revives my mind and my body, and gives me peace about life.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have bad days, and experience heavy emotions, it just means that , unless there is a reason for depression, I can usually work it out naturally.
 
norman said:
CeeCee,,,,Maybe you could get another dog or cat that might help, I know my dog is m best friend for sure. I get depressed and have all my life. Most persons won't admit to being depressed because it is associated with mental illness. If it is, HELL YES I am mentally ill along with 20% of the population. Being depressed or sad is a normal reaction to life struggles, a doctor once prescribed an anti depressant for me after my divorce and it helped, but I was sleepy all the time and I would rather be depressed. (and I couldn't drink beer) I now use a natural herb, St. Johns Wort if I need and have for years, but I treat it as medicine. Many warn against it, but you have to treat it like a medicine and take it like medicine not 2 now and 4 some times. Some countries (France) has banned the use in products because it interacts with some manufactured drugs (chemicals from drug companies) grapefruit interacts with certain drugs, so grapefruit maybe they should be banned also. It is a natural herb and drug companies cannot patent it , if they could instead of $6 for a bottle it would be $60 for a 30 day supply. I also found that if I drank a lot of alcohol it caused me to be very depressed, at one time I totally quit drinking and discovered this, almost zero depression and even today I never drink more than one, if I drink. Another thing I do is avoid wheat products, which is hard to do. Life is to short to be sad and it sounds like you are feeling better.
Click to expand...


Maybe some time later I’ll get another dog but not now...I’m really not missing having a pet as much as I’m missing Pickles.

I miss Pickles and I’m pretty depressed lately because if it....but I’m not going to take an AD for that reason.

It’s natural to be depressed when you lose someone or pet that you had for a long time and loved and was your soul companion for 11 years.

I know with time it will get better and easier but right now it’s really difficult....

I was so happy that my kidney scan came back normal and my electrolytes are all back to normal but there’s that one glitch in every day...Pickles isn’t here. :(

To be honest....I have a hard time even looking at pictures of other dogs right now and it seems they are everywhere....

Especially have a hard time seeing Dachshunds...

I know this will pass but it’s hell living through it right now.
 
Judycat said:
I was tough until I couldn't be anymore. Life became bad and then it got worse. It took its toll and those pills are what help me get out of bed and get going every day. Yes I take two different meds. They keep me grounded and able to do what I have to do and go where I have to go daily.
Click to expand...
Glad something helps.
 
Thanks. I keep the dosage low. Therapist kept pushing me to see a psychiatrist to have them changed and increased. Look I just need enough to make me feel alive, not enthusiastic, or God forbid, bubbly. I want to be sane, not annoying.
 
I can totally relate to what you are saying about missing Pickles, @CeeCee , not just having a dog. For me, no dog, person, or anything else would ever replace Chipper in my life. I called him my Fuzzy Kid, and loved him like he was a little furry person, and that will never, ever change.
Eventually, I started missing having a dog just to hold and pet, and then I adopted Poodle. He came from a dog breeder, and had probably never experienced just being someone’s loved pet. He didn’t respond to his name, and had no clue that dogs even had names when I first got him.
Now, he not only knows his name, but lots of other words, and after learning that dogs can jump, he bounces from chair to footstool to the other footstool to chair, and then looks at me to see if I was watching him do such an amazing performance.
He thinks he is a squirrel !
I enjoy having him, and am glad I made that choice, but it had to wait until my heart said I was ready for another little dog.

AE7EFF65-C66C-425C-9CC1-858B3845A666.jpeg
 
I have a big history with antidepressants, but I haven't heard of yours.

Lexapro was difficult for me, and I don't take it anymore.

I take Topamax, which treats many illnesses, and also helps with weight loss!

I also take Lamictal twice a day. Between the two, I seem to do well, although I have my moments.

I always tell my doctor that I don't want a pill that will make me gain weight. That's an issue for me as well. At one point I lost over half my body weight, and I don't want to be any bigger than I am, so I'm upfront about my feelings. It's good to talk to your doctor.

I've heard that getting a new pet does help. It seems wrong when you are recovering from the loss of a pet that was much loved, but I think it really does help. I recently lost a pet, and still miss him. But I have a cat that is getting much more attention now, and it really has helped to overcome how hard it was to lose the dog. It's something to think about.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top