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Mental Health Starting on antidepressants

Pagey

Pagey

Bluelight Crew
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Apr 11, 2012
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Hi,
I've started taking SSRIs a couple days ago for the first time and was wondering about some of the side-effects I'm getting. I'm on 5mg of escitalopram a day for a week, after which it'll be switched to 10. So far it's been making me feel extremely physically uncomfortable - very painful muscles, gurning, headaches, shaking, muscle cramps...I'm on a benzo taper as well atm so some of these things might also be related to that, but they did get much more intense as soon as I started taking the escitalopram. Can anyone relate/does anyone know if this is something that's likely to last for the duration of the treatment or if it should get better once my body gets used to the med?
Thanks :)
 
Yes, the first couple of weeks on Escitalopram are especially tough, but they shouldn't last more than a month. They include the very symptoms you've mentioned... the benzo taper probably will make things worse, and maybe last a little longer, but then again most ssri treatments will have you start a benzo in addition to the ssri for the first weeks, but I don't know about your current situation with benzo to tell you if that's right for you...

Get well
 
Because of your withdrawals it's really hard to say what contribution the SSRI is having, though it's likely that it's exasperating your symptoms as opposed to creating them (but it doesn't rule it out)
Some people react quite badly to SSRI/SNRI's whereas others have little to no reaction, other than their libido that is.
How rapidly are you tapering?
Discuss side effects with your doctor/psychiatrist, if they persist you will be rx'd another SSRI.
 
In my experience, the first few weeks of starting an antidepressant are full of side effects. However, after a fortnight or so they tend to go away and the therapeutic effects become prominent. I don't know about the SSRI your taking and what its side effects are. However, headaches, muscle cramps and shaking are all pretty characteristic of benzo withdrawal.

I guess give it some time but if the side effects become unbearable then discontinue using the SSRI (you can always switch to another which might agree with you better).
 
I'm tapering off escitalopram at the mo. I'm down from 10mg to 5mg. Been taking it for just over a year.
Long term side effects included insomnia, decreased sex drive and digestive upset.
I'd advise you to remain on 5mg for as long as you can, if you find it's helping. Give it two-four weeks. :)
 
The first few weeks after starting OR quitting antidepressants are the worst and can actually be dangerous. Those restless feelings (akathisia) have driven people to commit suicide or do other out-of-character things, so be careful. Let your doctor know if they don't go away or get worse. You might need a dose adjustment or different medication.
 
Escitalopram was the only SSRI that worked for me... The only reason I discontinued it was because I *thought* it made me gain weight- but looking back on it, it was probably just all in my head.

The side effects you're experiencing should improve in a week or two.

Best of luck Pagey <3
 
Thanks a lot for the answers, these are all very helpful :)

It's been 9 days now and I'm really starting to feel much better - most of the side-effects are gone, the only still prominent ones are massive sleep issues (I'm having pretty disturbing dreams...I've heard these often last the whole length of the treatment?! :\), some gurning and a bit of general confusion but yeah, definitely much better.
Bob Funkhouse, that's exactly it - it feels like a come-up, really weird...
 
Btw, if you experience decreased libido, gelatinized maca root (rainforest foods stuff is excellent) 500mg a day, is great for combating it. :)
 
^ Bupropion (wellbutrin, Zyban) which is a NDRI anti-depressant and is thus stimulating actually improves your sex drive and this is a side effect that some doctors exploit too offset the decreased libido caused by SSRI's. So doctors will often add on 150-300mg's of wellbutrin to improve a persons sex drive. From my personal experience bupropion is great for increasing sex :)
 
Just curious why you would start taking an anti-depressant while going through a benzo taper. Seems counterintuitive or something a prescription friendly doctor would push.
 
^ It's pretty common to do it for any kind of withdrawal to help with withdrawal related depression. I know alot of ex opiate addicts who end up on a anti-depressant or in some cases some kind of drug combo
 
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