SSRI Medication & your experience

[Happygoluckymiss]

Hi all,

i went to my fabulous gp today to discuss my mental health.

I’ve had troubles sleeping & increasingly bad panic attacks. They’ve been very bad of late.

We had a very frank discussion about possibly trying an SSRI to help manage the anxiety and sleeping issue (insomnia- 2 years).

i am apprehensive about starting an anti-depressant as I know how sensitive I am to medications & I honestly do not have it in me right now to mange the side effects (the last 2 months have been very difficult). We compromised and devised a plan of attack which I will trial & reflect on & if no improvement then look at SSRIs.

I am just looking to this wonderful & supportive community to see how you went on SSRIs & if they are really helpful? What does it feel like?

i know everyone is different & I am not asking for medical advice regarding the medication, merely your experience with them.

I value & respect all opinions.

- happygoluckymiss

[blondguy]

Hey Happygoluckymiss

Great to talk with you again.....and good on you for the excellent thread topic!

Can I ask you about your levels of anxiety?

Do your panic attacks interfere with your day to day well being?

kindest always

Paul

[Happygoluckymiss]

Hi there Paul

yes! Lovely to chat with you too! Thank you for the lovely compliment I was a tad worried that it could be misconstrued as medication advice!

thank you for getting back to me. The doc asked me this today at my appointment and here I was very honest and said: I do get the panic and anxiety attacks at work. Not often though and is not brought on by work as such.

But, I recognise the feelings and emotions and the physical symptoms to understand what is happening. I then: Breathe, have water and calm myself down. It’s not impacting job or my ability to do my job - it just can be overwhelming.

The worst comes at night - when the loneliness creeps in. This is also where the sleep deprivation comes in too.

i have a plan to combat sleep and this will be trialled tonight (medication to sleep).

Thank you responding and listening

- happygoluckymiss

[blondguy]

Hey Happygoluckymiss

Thankyou so much for posting back 🙂

You are doing everything spot on Happy. You are amazing..seriously!

Just my opinion if thats okay....if the anxiety isnt interfering with your daily life, super frequent counseling can be a huge help where anxiety is concerned.

To answer your question Happygoluckymiss....My panic attacks were awful and interfered with my daily quality of life.....My GP recommended SSRI's and I ignored her for 13 years.....oops! I now take a small dosage of an SSRI that gave me my life back.

Just for my panic attacks the SSRI's did work very well Happygoluckymiss. I didnt really give much thought about the side effects (which were minimal) as I only wanted some peace from the panic attacks

I understand you about having poor quality of sleep as it may leave us vulnerable to anxiety the next day....ugh!

Just for your info Happy...

• The earlier panic attacks (sleep issues too!) are treated the better our recovery will be 🙂
• Fortnightly/Weekly appointments with our GP can bring us peace
• Making a double appointment with our GP is also conducive to recovery too

I hope even a little of this post is of some help to you Happygoluckymiss!

my kind thoughts

Paul

[White_Rose]

Hello Happy

I hope it's OK to call you by that name. So much nicer that initials.

My experience of SSRIs has not been happy. When my depression started the psych eventually persuaded me to take medication. There were a few that did nothing for me. The majority had horrendous side effects and the psych wanted me to stay with one and gave me a SRNI to manage the side effects. It really made my life uncomfortable but I persevered. In the end I could not take them. I left the psych and returned to my GP who was great except that she also wanted me to take a SSRI, a different one to those previously tried. So I did but when it clashed with a medication prescribed by the radiation oncologist I dropped both of them.

No problems with the radiation meds but it took a while to get the AD out of my system. I know it's only supposed to take a couple of days but it lasted far too long. One day I was asked to trial something from the first set of ADs, a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). I was doubtful but it not only worked but also had no side effects other than a dry mouth. I have been taking it ever since. I take it at night as it makes me a little sleepy.

So in a nutshell here is my experience. Two people can take an AD with completely different side effects. I was jealous that a colleague could take the same pill as me but without any difficulty.

So now I stick to the TCA and am quite happy.

I suggest that when/if you try to take any AD you keep a record of the dose, the effectiveness and any side effects. It's useful feedback to your doctor and will save time if it is not working or has horrid side effects. Usually there is about six weeks before the AD fully kicks in although you should see some improvement after a short time. If it's not working then say so. There are a great many AD out there.

Good luck.

Mary

[Happygoluckymiss]

Hello Mary,

yes! Happy is perfect & this is usually me - most of the time! I actually love that nickname- thank you!

thank you so much for your recount of SSRIs and I hope it wasn’t too difficult to explain & I really thank you for sharing. This means a lot.

Your experience & Paul’s is what I looking for in making an informed decision regarding the treatment plan for managing my MH.

I am a bit apprehensive, as i stated in my first post. The reason for this, at the moment, unless I was heavily sedated with something, I honestly cannot and could not cope with the side effects. It may tip me over the ledge. I explained this to my gp & he agreed. This gives me some comfort that he’s listening to my needs as his patient. This is very important when dealing with MH.

Perhaps when my sleep patterns resume and I get a full nights sleep the panic & anxiety episodes subside.

I am a person that likes to obtain information and research things before making an informed decision.

Thank you for sharing, it really does mean a lot & that my voice & concerns are respected.

A massive thank you and sending wonderful thoughts to you both

- happygoluckymiss

[blondguy]

Hey Happy

Thank-you heaps for being a part of Beyond Blue...again 🙂

The meds are never a fix-all..yet they do provide us with a solid foundation on which we can heal using our doc's help

I was trying to stay on topic with your thread topic re/SSRI's as they have the best results where anxiety/panic symptoms are concerned

Just a note Happygoluckymiss....Good on you for helping contribute in the Beyond Blue Cafe too 🙂 Nice1

my kindest

Paul

[Anxious_1]

Hi HGLM,

I have only started on anxiety meds 3 weeks ago. I was apprehensive to take these kinds of meds & was trying everything natural to sort my anxiety, I realised I needed to take meds. My GP had prescribed them for me in Aug last yr but I thought I could handle anxiety, i have learnt its not something that will go away unless we get help. I did counselling for 2 mths and learn all the techniques to use but my anxiety worsened before xmas. I have had some horrible experiences in the first week when I started the meds but after about 2 n a half weeks im going ok. I am in my 3rd week of taking meds and still occasionally feel uncomfortable- but we are told it takes time for meds to work and that they do have side effects. I am seeing my gp tomorrow to update her on how meds are going, Its good to get advice about starting this meds journey as there can be horrible stories out there but having a good relationship with your gp helps also.

Good luck and hope this helps!

[geoff]

Hello Happygoluckymiss, you have asked a good question and I'm sure many people have read it with much interest.

You are keen to know about SSRI antidepressants (AD) and the one I was finally prescribed to me by the doctor I've been taking for over 20 years for the treatment of anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and panic disorder as well as for OCD.

If I miss a day because I need to pick up my prescription, I certainly know because I fall from being on top of it all, to feeling like I'm back to where I was years ago, in a black hole, but as soon as I take my dose, then I'm back on top of it all once again.

Are you able to tell us a bit more about your anxiety, we would be interested to know only if that suits you.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[Happygoluckymiss]

Hey Paul,

Thank you - it is so wonderful to be accepted by a community and opinions and thoughts are appreciated.

I agree with the meds never being a fix all - my question was asked as my ex husband had a number of MH issues and I saw the devastating effects of when medication doesn't go right. I know everyone is different - I know the case with him, he did not want to be helped.

- happygoluckymiss