Opinions on ssri/snri's

[Captain Brewster]

effexor / venlafaxine is the worst to come off. Its hell. Thats a fact and some Doc's are changing ppl from it to prozac before goin to nothing because its alot nicer transition. I have done this myself and it was ok. It all depends on the halflife of the pills, prozac has the longest halflife, makingit the easiest to come off. It leaves your body very slowly.

I have been on heaps of different types, I think I remember coming off lexapro and it was worse than coming off prozac. If I was you, I wud keep taking lexapro for now and lie to the doc by saying that lexapros just not working out for wat ever reasons. Say you wud like to try prozac coz ur friends or family said it was a good one. then just simply replace lexapro with prozac. Don't go the three days without anything like he will suggest. Just say u already have!

If he gives you 20mg prozac take that for like a week. Then If they r caps try tipping out half the powder or if they r pill break in half. Take ur approx 10mg for like 4-7 days then nothing or even reduce more if u feel the need.

Believe me its the best way!!!

I think it's wise to wait a certain amount of time between taking different ad's.

Couldn't it cause serotonin syndrome?

 

[damo_463]

Probably is wiser. But I have had doctors that have said its alright. Depends if u can handle the break. Its just wat I wud do

 

[Captain Brewster]

It's not about handling the break, if you get serious SS you can die, am I not right?

 

[Jktm]

Couldn't be too terribly dangerous. As one is tapered and the other is titrated, one should decrease gradually in plasma levels while the other increases gradually.

I personally hate them all. I've had the sporadic panic attack in the past, but ever since a doc put me on a cocktail of cymbalta, buspar, tramadol, and phentermine and got a mild case of serotonin syndrome, I've had panic disorder ever since.

 

[adam west]

i think lexapro is one of the safest drugs in its class. if you feel theyre helping you then stick with them.

 

[tyrael]

I think it's wise to wait a certain amount of time between taking different ad's.

Couldn't it cause serotonin syndrome?

It's not unheard for someone (one would think with server depression/anxiety/*insert common indication*) to be on a combination therapy.

My over all opinion on these classes of drugs is that they can work really well, but they r just a mask and when you stop them all ur problems can b refunded in full straight back to you!

Qft! Treatment for psychiatric disorders should be multifaceted including not just pharmacotherapies but counselling (commonly implementing strategies to help live with/overcome (which ever condition it maybe) - eg, [Mi]CBT), possible a need for life-style changes, behavioural techniques, exercise, eating well, etc. etc.

...the drug does absolutely nothing to address you depression or your lack of serotonin production, it simply fucks with your reuptake process. Now, when a DIFFERENT serotonin channel wants to use serotonin for another task other than 'feeling happy' such as appetite or sex or sleep, the serotonin that was supposed to get recycled to be used never was recycled, because you blocked the reuptake of it with an SSRI!!! That explains the numerous side effects.....

Many AD's activity is concentrated around the reuptake of neurotransmitters, yes, but it's not as simple as a general reserve of each neurotransmitter which is available for the body. Unfortunately, it is more subtle then that.

While it is true that often AD's do not address the specific cause of "x" condition. The cause of a condition is individual to that person - some with a psychological influence, environmental, biological, etc! So for a person who's condition has a large biological cause (eg, deficiencies in the production/use of said neurotransmitters), it may unfortunately have to be that this person must stay on medication(s) for their entire life. It's sad but for some this is the case.

...It didn't take me long to realize that these two classes of antidepressants were only making things worse for me. After reading up on the medications I was prescribed, I decided that it would be best to get off them. I was definitely getting withdrawal symptoms, especially the brain zaps. I read that diphenhydramine (Benadryl) could help with this and it sure did. Fortunately, I was also prescribed Klonopin at the time for my anxiety and it was also very helpful in getting off these nasty antidepressants.

Unfortunately an all too common case (non-responsiveness to AD's). While personally Paroxetine was a god-send for me (and is for many people), in conjunction with a psychologist/GP and a few life style changes, I'm now off them and things are back "normal". I think a good example however that one size does not fit all! Your prescribed medications just weren't effective for you. In the same instance, (also for an anxiety condition) I initially (before the Paroxetine) tried a number of benzodiazepines, which just didn't work for me!