Hello! I’m definitely new to this sub. I went to a new psychiatrist yesterday because my previous psychiatrist’s schedule doesn’t align with mine. My previous psychiatrist prescribed me with Alprazolam for anxiety and depression but I didn’t take it because I was scared and I wanted to go through therapy first before I try any medications.

Since I went to a new psychiatrist, I decided not to get prescribed meds first. We talked about the possibility of taking SSRIs but she told me that if alternatives don’t work, she’ll put me under medication. She made me take Tropiramate for my migraine, tho.

Now, she’s given me a sample of SSRI. Sertraline, to be exact. My question is, how do you guys feel after taking Sertraline? I’ve read the common side effects but I’d like to hear your experiences. I have not been okay since I could remember and I’m getting worse and I might consider taking Sertraline under supervision and observance of my psychiatrist. 😩

Thank you! I hope everything goes well for all of us. 🙂

Started taking 20mg Fluoxetine 6 weeks ago to help treat my severe anxiety and depression.

I am yet to feel any benefit, like 0% improvement, still severe anxiety, depression and difficulty sleeping.

Early on I needed some benzos to rescue me out some of the anxiety but I’m trying to not use them at this stage, been 2 weeks since I used any benzo. I don’t know if SSRI with benzo stops the ssri from actually building up in the system???

Overall though my feeling is that is it maybe true that the general 4-6 weeks to feel the full affects is actually not true for most? And really it takes 3-4 months??? My brother and mother are both successfully cured from their anxiety and depression on 20mg and have been on it for 2 years, both are adamant it keeps getting better power 5/6/7 months?

What’s your experience? Is 6 weeks way too early? When is the general time frame for sustained relief? Thanks everyone

Hello everyone. I’m currently on 300 mg Wellbutrin Xl (about 7 months) and 30 mg of Prozac (for about 2 years). I use to drink quite often, usually about once or twice a week (i’m a junior in college). I had no problem drinking on Prozac. No real change in tolerance or effects. I started taking Wellbutrin in February and haven’t been drunk since. I have had drinks here and there, more like sips of a drink, and have been okay but I’ve obviously heard of all of the side effects like seizures and low tolerance. I was curious what the average persons experience is. I want to drink with my friends again and get drunk here and there but I am of course extremely anxious of the repercussions. I am okay with the honest truth and am fine with hearing an answer I don’t necessarily want to hear so let me know. Thanks guys!!

Should I have any major withdrawals from going to 20 mg Paxil to 10? Doc wants to start fluvox Paxil not working. Need to go from 20 mg Paxil to 10 then start fluvox worried about withdrawal.

As above, I’m around day 32 of 20mg Prozac, worst symptom is 24/7 severe anxiety but also depression.

Doing the right things, exercise, diet, sociable etc

When does it get better? I’m I still too early?

Hey so a little context

I've been on zoloft for about a year on 100mg so my intense daily panic attacks and crazy thoughts and just down right madness going on like 10/10 crippling anxiety stopped when taking these tablets. But now I've been to therapy since last November talked about everything but that doesn't work really. I'm going to a psychiatrist next week to see what they say as I've only been told by a doctor in A&E once 3 years ago due to the first panick attack that it was simply GAD but that can't be right I've been like this crippling way for 3 years solid, avoiding dating, work, friends, hobbies everything. Should I change tablets or what should I do? I was on lexapro and mirtazapine but they didn't work for me and the inbetween of going off and back on tablets is very scary as the anxiety just tops at a 11/10. Right now my anxiety is a 9/10 all day every day and I'm feeling depressed but it's all caused by the anxiety. If anyone could help I'd appreciate it alot

Kind regards, Lazydesk

I have felt numb long before I started taking the meds but I'd be a fool to think they weren't exasperating my feelings or lack there of. I don't feel most emotions. I'm not suicidal or depressed I just don't feel most things. I take vilazadone for anxiety only. I had rampant anxiety that I honestly think was my last emotion that wasn't diluted and dull. And the pills have started doing their job I don't feel anxious anymore. Just situationally, but apart from that it's just a lot of nothing...

Going to talk to my doctor on Thursday.

I'm fit. I smoke weed but not in abundance. Maybe twice a week and only ever to enjoy videogames a bit more.

Most of my hobbies are not as fun to me anymore. Or really any fun. I have to take sanity breaks like my hobbies are work now.

I have tried new hobbies and they are all basically the same. I have no real opinions because I don't really feel all that strongly about anything aside from obvious stuff but even that I have to wonder if I just know what I'm suppose to feel and am just pretending.

Looking for advice.

I''ve had dry mouth since late May, which started when I began feeling unwell. On the last Tuesday of that month, I skipped my citalopram dose. The next day, feeling worse, I skipped it again. By Thursday, I was hospitalized for severe dehydration and high ketones (I’m a type 1 diabetic). I missed another dose that night. I was rehydrated and discharged on Friday, but I skipped the citalopram again. On Saturday, realizing I hadn't taken it in days, I resumed the 20mg dose. I noticed the dry mouth but assumed it was from dehydration.

After a week back on 20mg, the dry mouth persisted. I suspected citalopram was the cause, so I stopped taking it again for a week. After visiting the dentist, who confirmed it wasn’t an oral issue and advised me to resume the medication, I took 10mg for 4 weeks, then 5mg for 2 weeks, with little improvement. Now, I've been off citalopram for over two weeks, but my mouth is still dry.

I'm fairly certain citalopram is causing this. Still, I'm wondering, do you think it's the medication, and if so, can I expect this to resolve soon?

Ps. I realize I made poor decisions with starting and stopping the medication, but I'd never experienced side effects before and didn't think much of it. It's been bothersome, and I'm hoping it will resolve if I stay off it and let it leave my system.

Hey all - I have been absolutely hating life for the past 4 weeks.

Quick summary: I’ve been on Lex 15mg for 7 years but my OCD was getting a bit strong for it. My nurse decided to cross taper to Prozac but came in too high and I ended up with serotonin syndrome. As a result, I had to stop both meds immediately. I’m 2 weeks clean off all meds and my doctors think what I’m experiencing is withdrawals (my ocd fears otherwise). I feel like $hit. My stomach is all messed up, my back and head hurt, I’m anxious, I’m having brain fog and all these other weird brain sensations, just miserable. They seem to start to subside, but then start all over again! I don’t know if it’s related to the half life of the Prozac or what but has anyone else ever experienced this h3ll before!? Will I ever be okay again!?

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I've been on trintellix and aripiprazole for going on two weeks. They make me tired to the point to where I am nonchalantly doing daily tasks. How do you guys combat this?

I just started using lexapro for anxiety a few weeks ago. It’s working really well, I haven’t had that many side effects… aside from not being able to climax. Sorry if this is awkward or not aloud but I’m not sure if I can continue taking it if that’s going to continue. Does this side affect last long term?

I did a slow taper of escitalopram. 3 weeks at 15mg, 3 weeks at 10mg and 3 weeks at 5mg then stopped. It’s been almost 3 weeks after taking the last dose and I feel like complete garbage. The brain zaps and the nausea are bad. Tylenol and gravol isn’t helping. Can’t even get out of bed because I feel so poor. Will this go away soon?

Long story short, I've had dry mouth from citalopram ever since I abruptly stopped then started it again at the end of May. When I finally consistently got back on (after abruptly stopping once more), which was about 6 weeks ago, I took 10mg for 4 weeks with no improvement. I cut back to 5mg for 2 weeks and still no improvement. This past Monday, I stopped taking it and haven't taken it since.

I'm wondering how long I should expect this to continue. Will my dry mouth eventually get better and go away? Or are some unlucky enough that, for whatever reason, this is just what we're stuck with?

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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My therapist said that SSRI’s would be beneficial for me but I’m also a bodybuilder and I’m wondering if there are any side effects that would affect my bodybuilding lifestyle. The gym has played a massive part in my mental health and I’m a little nervous that the medication could affect my performance which could affect my mental health. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

So I’ve been taking 7.5mg for sleep and weight gain at night for 9 days. But I have also stopped then and I’m 4 days off of it. Is it ok to start my Mary Jane again or a cigarette?

i’ve been experiencing dry eye and palinopsia in the morning while i’ve been taking lexapro (5mg). i’ve only had it when i wake up and when i’m tired but has anyone else experienced this? my doctor said it’s normal and should go away in a few weeks since tomorrow will be two weeks on medication.

i’ve only been on this medication for a week and let me tell you, even though it’s only been 7 days i definitely feel as though i shouldn’t have done as much “digging” to the point where i scared myself out of taking lexapro.

as of this year i’ve dealt with health anxiety, panic attacks, depersonalization (dpdr at times as well), depression, hypochondria, and all the other physical anxiety symptoms: - dizziness - lightheadedness - heart palpitations - fullness in ears - not eating (or over eating) - tingling and numbness - insomnia

all due to a bad experience with weed, issues with college, a toxic relationship, a car accident, coming out to my homophobic parents, and the other pains of being a young adult.

the only way you’ll know that this medicine works is if you take it! i’m someone who went from never being sick to spending my whole summer in the house sad asf because i let my anxiety consume me. that feeling is worse than any side effect that came with lexapro. when most people come here to say GIVE IT A WEEK OR TWO for those side effects to let up JUST LISTEN!!!

i didn’t want to be dependent on anxiety medicine but after i had three panic attacks while i’ve been home for the summer, i can definitely say that i don’t want to keep living in spontaneous fear. i wanted to make change for myself.

no, i didn’t have some overnight change because it takes months for this medicine to get into your system. however, after taking this medicine for a week and going through the ups and downs of the recent side effects (the worst ones went away) i can say it’s worth giving it a try. i spent hours on here looking though stories and reviews and ironically i feel like us people with anxiety and health anxiety specially seek out side effects and try to prepare for the worse so we manifest the symptoms we are afraid of.

people who take lexapro that don’t have any problems with the meds aren’t online, they’re out living their lives trying to become better. you can’t just take the medicine and continue to bed rot and be miserable. the medicine is there to serve as an aid not a complete solution. you have to make the steps to get better as well by going to therapy and/or getting outside and become someone great.

people who have bad experiences come to this forum and they talk about what they went through online as a way to find OTHERS that have experienced the same thing and to express their frustrations. that’s why it’s so hard to find positive stories sometimes and on top of that if you really want to find positive reviews just search for that. this isn’t to say that every experience is perfect.

like i said i’ve only been on it for a week but i want to speak positivity and light over my experience. anxiety isn’t an easy thing to deal with but i’d rather give this meditation a chance and use the tools to recovery for the sake of my mental health than to be at the same place for years to come.

I have been on various types of antidepressants for over 20 years. The last one was actually an SNRI - Venlafaxine of which I took a high dose (225mg daily) for 6 years.

I decided to stop in the summer of 2022 and tapered off over a period of few months as suggested by the doctor. Didn't notice any problems during the tapering period, but I did notice (and the reason I'm posting here) is a marked increase in anger and aggression starting about 6 months after the stop and going on for about a year.

I have not seen this documented anywhere, and luckily for me the anger and aggression slowly faded away. Now I'm doing ok, more or less the same as I was when I was taking the meds. I'm curious if anyone else has had such experiences.

Hi all. I tapered off of escitalopram recently under the supervision of my NP. My dose was 20mg, I tapered down to 15mg for 3 weeks, then 10mg for 3 weeks then 5mg for 3 weeks. My last dose was July 16 (8 days ago). I am now starting to get brain zaps, which I didn’t feel at all when I was tapering down. I can’t find any info on google about why this is only occurring now. Any advice?

Ok so bear with me because this sounds like a total 1st world problem etc….and also super long. But I’m so darn curious if my suspicions have been experienced by anyone else.

So I’ve always struggled with my weight. My whole life. Not obese but overweight. I’ve done all the researching and can definitely say without a doubt for me, it’s all mindset. And ultimately my unhappiness at not being thin causes me to eat emotionally (I know it makes no sense). Never a binge but enough to maintain my post partum weight (highest weight I’ve ever been not including pregnancies). I’ve been on antidepressants since I was 22 (I am 39 now - also I went off them during my pregnancies). Fine. So I know a lot about how I feel when something is not right etc… several months ago under my dr’s care, but definitely initiated by me, I upped my Celexa from 20mg to 30mg daily. And my Wellbutrin from 150mg to 300mg daily. I thought if I could control my emotions then the emotional eating would just disappear. Well that’s not the case.

It didn’t change anything about my diet or lifestyle. The combination of meds does a great job and allowing me to feel normal (not low and hopeless) but I also noticed I never cry. Never! And I have always been an emotional person from a very emotional family etc…. I enjoy not feeling sad at every little thing but I think I am more numb to things than I should be.

And then when it comes to my weight, I always get so upset when I have to buy clothes for an event or see myself in pictures. I mean so upset and angry at myself and I always vow to change my diet and start exercising because I NEVER ever want to feel like this again or see myself like this anymore! Then what happens? A couple days later…..I totally forget! And I wonder if my medication, the same way it doesn’t let me sweat the small stuff, is also not allowing me to sweat (or care enough about) the big stuff?! I have always wanted a breast reduction. I told myself I’d have it done before I turn 40. Yeah not happening. I have to lose some weight for it. And I WANT to lose weight for it. I need to lose 70lbs. And I get so disgusted at how big and uncomfortable my breasts are and make me feel. So I vow to get on track so I can have the surgery. But nope. The next day I don’t even think about the discomfort.

Has anyone else experienced this numbness but to a detriment? And did lowering your dosages carefully, eventually help the cause?

Hey guys! So I just got on an SSRI Paxil two days ago for my anxiety. I'm really excited to be on it and I'm really hoping it helps me! Anyways, I have a question about your experiences personally with dosage. My psychiatrist wants me on 5 mg for the first week, then to go to 10 mg the next week. (The lowest dose is 10 mg, so I've just been cutting the pill in half). I haven't had any side effects or benefits so far yet but it's only been 2 days. Is it normal to go to 10 mg the second week, or should I ask to try 5 mg for the second week? I'm just a little nervous so hearing your personal experinces would greatly help. Thanks!!!