Anyone taking anti-depressant?

[MetalFortress]

I'm one of the few in my depression-riddled family who has never taken anti-D's, and never will. My girlfriend's mom is quitting Paxil after 19 years on it and it's been hell because of all of the withdrawal symptoms. After this whole experience I don't trust the FDA. Your natural cures to depression should be:

Exercise
St Johns Wort
Turkey and other Tryptophan-rich foods
Vitamins B3 and C

 

[Kerpal]

Christ, why are so many of you taking these pills? Are your lives really that bad?

No, and that's exactly why it's such a big problem. There is no reason for me to be depressed, but I still am. It runs in my family, my uncle had what many would consider to be the "perfect life" and one day he killed himself.

If you want to know more about this, read the book Hello to All That : A Memoir of War, Zoloft, and Peace by John Falk.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Let me bump this old thread to ask a variation of the original question:

Is anyone dating a woman on Paxil or other anti-depressants? How is that going?

 

[splinterkb]

Try using Omega-3 fatty acids. those have been found to help with depression.

 

[MisterNigma]

300?!!
say good by to your sex drive man,they will destroy you

LOL, actually I did take anti depressants back in college, wellbutrin, prozac, zoloft, adderal, seroquel, paxil, and some others i can't really remember, i was really screwed up back then.

Anyway, turns out I have a very high resistance to these drugs, with the notable exception of effexor none of them worked.

The effexor dose i took was 600, and it did work. It didn't effect my sex drive, felt as "driven" as ever... strange but even when i was depressed i was still very uhm, driven.

I did stop taking them after 5 months, primarily because my blood pressure went up, may have been other factors, but at that point, i didn't need the meds anymore.

Bottom line is, anti depressants are good, but the one thing that helps is a change in the routine, complete overhaul of life.


-E.Nigma

 

[MisterNigma]

Let me bump this old thread to ask a variation of the original question:

Is anyone dating a woman on Paxil or other anti-depressants? How is that going?

Regrettably yes. Although at the time I didn't know she was taking anti depressants, if i did i probably would have cut her some slack.

Anyway, it my case it was a total disaster, quite honestly in highsight i think she was bipolar.

Bottom line, definately not worth the hassle.

-E.Nigma

 

[everywomanshero]

Wow

There are some really big misconceptions going on here. I've had a roomie with depression before and I was with her at the Doctor's office when she got her medicine.

-Depression is a biologically-based disorder. There are people who need medication.

-Grabbing a handful of herbs out of field that there is no credible studies to support the effectiveness of is not a treatment. The medicine a reputable medicial professional will prescribe will have been thoroughly studied.

-Some anti-depressants have more tiring side effects than others. Paxil (while a good drug) has more then Lexapro for instance.

-Prozac is still on the market as far as I know. It was one of the medications the Dr. said she could take because she did not have insurance and it was cheaper (in generic form) than Paxil and some of the other medications. Celexa is another inexpensive alternative. If one is really poor, many companies offer an assistance program to supply free medication.

-As with any disorder that affects moods/emotions/mental states, there is also a lot to be said for learning new cognitive coping strategies and ways of thinking. It's true that just taking a pill and watching 18 hours of TV a day isn't going to improve life much. However, for people with depression, it's equally hard to take steps to improve without getting the depression under control.

-There is a lot of conspiracy theorist types out there who have never conducted a research project before. I've actually been certified to do research on human participants and I can tell you the procedures are very well laid out. Even a journal article from a primary source is inspected and reviewed by many knowledgable experts. I can only imagine the procedures for the medical field are even more rigerous. Why would you trust independant studies on herbs in parts of Europe that have lesser standards for experimental procedures than a medical professional who has access to information reviewed by reknown scientists using rigerous experimental protocols that are repeatable and verified?

-The best thing to do regarding depression is to talk to a medical professional regarding your medication and ignore any advice you get from people on forums. This item supercedes all other's I've posted =)

 

[Bible_Belt]

Recent research has also shown therapy to be every bit as effective as medication, and other research has indicated that the placebo effect is very real, and may be responsible for some patients feeling better. The problem is that doctors give meds to anyone who asks, yet therapy is expensive, difficult to find, and hard to get insurance to cover. Another problem with meds is that people don't ever try to get off of them. Depression can come and go in life, but people keep taking the pills. I do agree that they are worthwhile for people who are already in very bad shape due to their problems, like suicidal or unable to function.

But having just come out of two relationships with women who are on them, I really don't ever want to be around it again. Neither girl got very depressed, but they never got very happy, either. Passionate feelings in a woman are useful to a DJ. When I don't call, I want the b!tch to be depressed and upset. That's what gives me power over her. But Paxil is like Kryptonite to DJ skills.

 

[ER!C L!VE]

I self medicated with alcohol and nicotine for years, before being turned on to Wellbutrin. That wacky doctor was slangin' it people who came to him that were having problems in their life caused by depression ( or so he says..what does he know.. he's only a doctor)... Anyway, peer pressure got to me so I tried it.

I used just a little at first, then when my life kept getting better and better while taking it....i just couldn't stop myself. I kept taking it every day.. day in and day out.. I couldn't stop myself from taking this evil anti-depressant..the shytty drug made me stop drinking alcohol and smoking too -- darn, I miss those days.

Anyway, after a few years of actually being able to go back to school, finish my degree and keep a job for more than 6 months I was hooked. I wish to god I could quit this evil evil anti-drepressant hell, but for some reason it just keeps calling me... Seems like my life is alot better now that I don't drink or smoke and have a house, car and life, but what do I know. I'm all medicated. I wish I could just 'Man Up', ya know? Oh well...Anti-depressants are bad.. bad i tells ya.

 

[MisterNigma]

Recent research has also shown therapy to be every bit as effective as medication,

No, no, and NO. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is not better than medication, and it is also not worse. You cannot compare the two in such an over simplfied manner.

In many people, there is an actualy physical factor for depression. Just like people have disorders involving the physical aspects of the heart, or lungs, or digestive system. Many people take aspirin on a daily basis to thin their blood. Others use inhalants to deal with asthma, and most of us have used pepto-bismol on some unpleasant occasion.

It is true that CBT is very helpful to people, but in many cases cbt is insufficient on it's own. The same is true of medication.

The problem at present is that many doctors have taken to prescribing medication as a standalone solution to depression.

Depression is as much a physical disorder as it is a psychological one. As such it should be treated by both physical means, and therapy. Currently most of the medications fall into the categories of SSRIs and SSNRIs. Unfortunately, the way they work is somewhat similar to using a hammer to press a button. What most people see though, is that a person goes from sad to normal, think "problem solved" and move on. It's just not that simple.

and other research has indicated that the placebo effect is very real, and may be responsible for some patients feeling better.

As far as the placebo effect is concerned, many good psychiatrists, and doctors actually do attempt the use of a placebo, prior to prescribing actual medication. This is especially true with children.

Unfortunately, in most cases the doctors don't do this, instead opting for actual medication, that in many cases takes anywhere between 2 weeks and 3 months to show visible results. In many cases the subject in question is forced to alter their lifestyle, also possibly causing a decrease in depression.

Bottom line is, even after all the years of research the understanding of the human brain is still very primitive. It would be a grievous error to discount the use of medication for depression.


-E.Nigma

 

[doctoroxygen]

I personally think there's little difference between psychotropic medication and illegal drugs and that depression is only in rare case primarily a biological rather than psychological disorder. That being said, I don't begrudge users of anti-depressants if it helps.

CBT isn't the only effective therapy for depression, regardless of what "empiricism" shows. I personally subscribe to a humanistic/positive psychotherapy orientation. I suggest finding a therapist (ideally a psychologist rather than a psychiatrist, at first) and trying therapy before trying ADs.

 

[selfmademob]

I took zoloft for like 3-4 months and I hated side effects like low-sex drive so I just quit taking medicine and instead worked on improving my inner-self and that promptly took care of alot of what I was feeling

 

[djbr]

I self medicated with alcohol and nicotine for years, before being turned on to Wellbutrin. That wacky doctor was slangin' it people who came to him that were having problems in their life caused by depression ( or so he says..what does he know.. he's only a doctor)... Anyway, peer pressure got to me so I tried it.

I used just a little at first, then when my life kept getting better and better while taking it....i just couldn't stop myself. I kept taking it every day.. day in and day out.. I couldn't stop myself from taking this evil anti-depressant..the shytty drug made me stop drinking alcohol and smoking too -- darn, I miss those days.

Anyway, after a few years of actually being able to go back to school, finish my degree and keep a job for more than 6 months I was hooked. I wish to god I could quit this evil evil anti-drepressant hell, but for some reason it just keeps calling me... Seems like my life is alot better now that I don't drink or smoke and have a house, car and life, but what do I know. I'm all medicated. I wish I could just 'Man Up', ya know? Oh well...Anti-depressants are bad.. bad i tells ya.

Haha. Perfect.

 

[DrMetallica]

ah, you remind me of a chlorine atom trying to fill its outer shell. Just think of it...only 7 electrons in a shell built for 8, lonely huh? maybe one day you'll find somethin from group 1, like sodium. Then bam!, steal that *****'s spare electron and enjoy a mutual stabilisation. The only problem is that you'll be negatively charged while leaving the sodium positive; that's a one way trip to ionic bonding city, stuck together for who knows how long. Plus you'll decrease the diameter of the sodium atom but its not all about size right? I mean a salt is a salt.

Brilliant !!!

 

[realsmoothie]

Some people can really use drugs. I used them once a few years ago after a bad girl thing... I think it might have helped but I'm not really all that sure.

I don't trust the drug testers. Too much money behind them.

Anti-depressants kill your sex drive, BTW. I remember the first two days I was on Effexor... my **** did NOTHING. Yipes.

 

[Wyldfire]

Wow...this really makes me kinda sad. Doctors are given incentives by drug companies to push this stuff. Most of you taking these anti-depressants probably don't even need them. If you have anxiety or something other than just feeling depressed then that's a different story...but holy hell...

Exercise is the best way to release those "feel good" chemicals in your brain...it will make you more appealing to the gals, too. Go see a dietician or do some research about what foods to avoid or eat more of to help boost those happy chemicals and wean yourselves off the pills...unless you GENUINELY need them for something other than simple reactive depression or feeling low. Honestly...this stuff is NOT good for you...it's just lining someone's pockets and messing you up long term.

 

[doctoroxygen]

I don't think diet is the cause of most psychological dysfunction..going to see a nutritionist about depression is like going to a mechanic for heart surgery.

 

[Wyldfire]

I don't think diet is the cause of most psychological dysfunction..going to see a nutritionist about depression is like going to a mechanic for heart surgery.

Poor diet and a lack of exercise DOES tend to make people feel depressed. Depression is tied into chemicals in the brain and a variety of different things affect the chemicals in the brain...including food and exercise as well as dietary supplements. As I mentioned...depression with anxiety or bipolar disorder with cycling between depression and manic episodes definitely need the medication, but people with reactive depression because of bad crap that happens to them can be dealt with quite effectively without medication. Often the side effects are far worse than the actual depression...and it can be just as effectively dealt with through diet and exercise. And it's common knowledge that the drug companies pimp "happy pills" like candy...giving rewards to doctors who prescribe it. One of the most powerful political lobby groups affective US policy is the drug industry.

If someone doesn't have a clinical diagnosis of something more than run of the mill reactive depression they don't need to be on medication and have other options.

 

[Wyldfire]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003213.htm

Here is a link that supports what I am saying.

If the guys on here who have only depression were to eat properly, take supplements, exercise every day, get out and approach women, get hobbies and do the things advised on this site to get headed in the right direction most of them would do more to eliminate the depression than taking pills will do.

 

[Wyldfire]

Vitamin deficiencies may have specific effects on mental states. These are detailed below:

* Vitamin C: generalised depression, extreme tiredness, outbursts of hysterical behaviour. Vitamin C can be found in oranges, kiwi fruits, broccoli, blackcurrants and potatoes, red pepper, parsley, green leafy vegetables (especially kale), green pepper, tomato puree, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage (especially savoy), strawberries, watercress, spinach, grapefruit, melon (all types), peas, raspberries, spring onions, swede and turnip, tomatoes.
* Vitamin B12: general mental deterioration; psychotic behaviour, depression, loss of memory and paranoia. Vitamin B12 can be found in cheeses (especially cheddar, parmesan and edam), fortified yeast extract such as marmite, cottage cheese and milk.
* Vitamin B1 (thiamine): depression, irritability, loss of memory, loss of concentration and exhaustion. Sources of Vitamin B1 include breakfast cereals, peas, sunflower seeds, millet, wheat germ, sesame seeds, soy beans, nuts (especially brazil, cashew nuts, almonds and walnuts), legumes (especially split peas, blackeye beans, kidney beans, lentils, chick peas), whole grains (especially brown rice and oatmeal), whole wheat, rye and potatoes.
* Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Psychosis, mental deterioration and depression. Sources of Vitamin B6 include wheat products (especially wheatgerm and oatmeal), nuts (especially walnuts), legumes, (especially soy beans, lentils, butter beans, haricot beans), barley, bananas, peanuts and peanut butter, avocados, buckwheat, wheat and rye, raisins and brussels sprouts.
* Folic Acid: fatigue, irritability, insomnia, forgetfulness and confusion. Folic Acid can be found in dried baker's yeast, fortified yeast extract such as marmite, blackeye beans, kidney beans, endive, broccoli, legumes (especially chickpeas), soy beans, vegetables (especially spinach, brussels sprouts, spring greens, okra, cabbage), almonds, beetroot, parsnips, walnuts, oatmeal, brown rice, corn (on cob).
* Vitamin B3 (niacin; niacinamide): loss of memory, mood swings, depression and anxiety. Sources of Vitamin B3 include fortified yeast extract (such as marmite), brewer's yeast, peanuts and peanut butter, sesame seeds, brown rice, wholemeal flour, wheatgerm, wholemeal spaghetti, wholemeal bread, barley, legumes (especially split peas) and cheeses (especially parmesan, cheddar and blue cheeses).
* Biotin: severe lethargy, depression and constant sleeping. Biotin can be found in eggs.
* Pantothenic Acid: insomnia, fatigue, depression and psychosis. Sources include broad beans, peanuts and peanut butter, legumes (especially split peas and soy beans), buckwheat, mushrooms, nuts (especially cashews and hazelnuts), avocados, broccoli and oatmeal.