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I need some reassurance about my anti-depressants

JME1992
Community Member
I've just been subscribed some SSRI anti-depressants. I've never taken any medication for my anxiety/depression because I grew up thinking it was bad (My granddad had depression and when starting on anti-depressants killed himself). The side effects also are scaring me.....should I be at work when I'm taking them? How sick are they going to make me? Should I be driving? How are they going to react with alcohol if I ever decide to go for a drink? I just would like to hear some different experiences with taking them as I have only known bad experiences and am getting very nervous about taking them. Thanks
7 Replies 7

MarkJT
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

JME1992, welcome to the forums and well done for posting and asking the question. You are now part of a very supportive and caring community that is free of stigma.

The question you ask is one that we all ask prior to starting meds. Every person reacts pretty much differently to what they are prescribed.

For me, the first batch i tried did not agree with me at all so i got off them and tried another one. The side effects that i was having were some of the ones that are noted on the material that you should get from the chemist who fills your prescription.

I latched onto this and aside from a increase in dosage, have remained on it since. I have zero side effects from these now. At the start i was a bit tired and fatigued so i made sure i ate really well, drank lots of water and kept a pretty strict sleeping pattern.

What i did prior to starting was tell those that are close to me, both at home and at work, of what i was going to do and that I didn't know how i was going to react. When i reacted adversely, they got around me. I didn't drive at this time, I could have but didn't want to - just a safety thing.

Have you spoken at length to your GP or psych about the meds you are going to be put on? If not, have a conversation with them. They are the experts and as I said so many people have so many different experiences that it is really difficult to say that x, y and z will happen.

Be very cautious about using Dr. Google to search for answers as well. So many people only post on blogs and forums about their bad experiences, few actually post about their good experiences.

With you feeling nervous about them, i would think that there wouldn't be to many people who wouldn't be nervous taking meds for the first time.

Remember that if you do have a bad reaction to them, seek out the GP or psych as soon as you can to get their advice.

I know this answer is somewhat grey but that is as best as i can do.

Mark.

Just Sara
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi and welcome JME to our caring community here on BB;

It's great you've made the decision to post and especially brave of you to create your own thread. So well done!

Medications like AD's CAN and DO improve and save lives. It may take a while to find the right one to suit your needs, but if this is done with patience, courage and under the supervision of your GP and Psychiatrist, your chance of success is maximized. (Sometimes they take a while to work or find the right one)

I'm sorry to hear your Granddad ended his life due to mental health problems. It must've been a horrible situation to face.

I'm wondering how old you are and if you've researched AD's or spoken to your GP and psychiatrist/psychologist about the benefits or risks. Could you tell us more about yourself in general, it'd be nice to get to know you better?

There's information under Get Support - 'Treatment Options' in the links below along with heaps of other info you might find interesting. Please be careful of using Google when looking for answers; there's so much garbage out there that might discourage you without real cause.

Feel free to peruse our sections/threads/posts at your leisure too. I've noticed you've started another thread so I may pop in to see what that's about.

We can't give referrals to specific medications or treatment options, but we can listen and give opinions from our own experiences without mentioning medication names, as this is against posting policy. (For your safety)

Personally, I do take a daily AD, but it doesn't help with anxiety. I take another type of medication when required to treat symptoms only; this has been really successful.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you...

Kind thoughts...

Sara

Thank you Sarah.

I'm 24 and I talked to my therapist yesterday about taking them and voiced some concerns. She assured me they would help but there may be some side effects. She didn't really cover the subject of people feeling worse after taking them. I have got weekly appointments with the doctor and the physiologist at the moment which will help and reading other peoples posts have given me more insight. Just still a bit scared. Also hearing about people finding it hard to come off them is a worry

JME1992
Community Member

Thanks Mark

I feel like i should tell someone at work I just don't know how. I work in an environment where everyone is quite a bit older than me and mostly male. My boss is really nice and understanding but I don't know if that's the right person to tell.

Welcome back JME;

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this at such a young age. I suppose though, us oldies have been admitting we were probably going through things at a similar age too, we just didn't have access to information and support at that time like you do.

Starting AD's can be an exercise in trial and error. Some AD's do make you feel worse or take time to settle, so it's important you keep close company with your GP. In this section we have Dr Kim who provides advice on subjects like this. Please have a look through her thread or post your own question to her if you want to.

My first time on an AD, I cried for 3 days. My bf at the time worked in mental health and queried it with the psychiatrist at his hospital. He said that amount of crying proved I needed help because it was a common (chemical) response in people who benefited from that particular medication. I checked this with my GP who confirmed his statement. (Always check info with your GP; they know you better than anyone ok?)

I've been lucky enough to use an AD that doesn't give me side effects and been on it for 2.5 yrs this time and 3 yrs the last time. I decided once to reduce the dose without consultation...big mistake! Lesson learned and passing it on!!

I hope all goes well for you. Don't worry about coming off them either if you need to. Slow and steady wins the race. Your GP (again, they're your go-to experts) will support you through it.

Kind thoughts...

Sara

MarkJT
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

JME, awesome that you have weekly appointments - that is very re-assuring to me as if you are travelling well with them, then great but if you are having some side effects you can discuss.

Sara is spot on when she says that meds save lives. They are a part of every day life with 1,000's of people, if not more.

I know since i started taking them, (nearly two years into recovery) and they have certainly leveled me out really well.

Again, don't worry about being nervous about it, that is completely normal.

Mark.

Hello JME

Nice to meet you. We have many people who write in here with concerns about taking ADs. Some don't want to take an AD because they think it makes them look weak, which is rubbish because those who take an AD are really standing up for themselves. There are others, a bit like you, who are nervous about what the meds will do both in terms of effectiveness and side effects. As everyone above has said, if in doubt ask your GP.

There are many, many different types of ADs broadly fitting into the classifications of Tricyclics (the first ADs), SSRI, SNRI and a relatively new group whose name I cannot remember. No, this is not due to taking ADs, just the ageing process. 😊

The reason for such a plethora of pills is that not all pills work the same because not all people are the same. I started with SSRI AD and went through quite a large number before finding one that sort of worked, but I needed another SNRI to counter the side effects. All doctors will say you cannot to mix these two drugs, but these were prescribed by a psychiatrist so the pharmacists were OK about dispensing them.

This is not to worry you. Most people get settled within one or two changes with others OK on the first one. What I want to impress on you is to talk to your prescribing doctor about everything that is happening once you start the meds. I see you are having weekly visits to your GP. In my book that makes her/him a good doctor, so you have your safety net in place. Also bear in mind that ADs can take up to six weeks for the full effect to kick in. This doesn't mean you will have no effect in that time or that it happens in a big rush. You will notice a gradual change in yourself, possibly feeling calmer, worrying less, better sleep, all sorts of things. Tell your GP even when they are good things. It shows the GP how well the meds are working.

Keep a record as you go. Sometimes it's hard to remember exactly when something changes. Mark has commented about the information sheet in your prescription. Sometimes there is no sheet, so ask your pharmacist to print one for you. Please don't be alarmed at what will probably be a long list of potential side effects. Most of them will not happen to you and those that do usually fade after a few weeks as your body adjusts. I saw one list that recorded a broken arm as a side effect. 😊Hmm.

Check about things like driving but most of all relax. Think of it as taking an antibiotic. Let us know how you go.

Mary