How many of us here take antidepressants?

[bac511]

Coming from a family with a strong history of mental health issues like OCD, Alcoholism, and manic depression, a state that has just cut mental health by $36 million, and nation of "mental health experts" like Tom Cruise, I wondered how many of us here are currently taking antidepressants or have family members that have been helped by these drugs?

I have taken Paxil for 2 years and doubt I will ever go off the drug.

Does that mean I am weak??

[prole_for_peace]

1. Effexor here.

first i was on paxil but it made me too zombie-like. have been on effexor for about 4.5 years.

and we are not weak. i just didn't want to feel that way anymore and decided to do something about it.

[MN ChimpH8R]

22. Effexor here, too

Paxil made me hear voices in my head (not the usual ones ;)) and made me feel very paranoid and think that I was being stalked, but Effexor XR has worked like a charm for me for the last year. No side effects except a little stomach queasiness for the first couple of weeks.

[donheld]

35. You should hear

what the voices in my head are calling you :evilgrin:

[prole_for_peace]

52. holy crap!!!

i gained weight and felt like i was just never happy or sad or mad or anything but i didn't hear voices. sheesh.

paxil made my brother act like an ass (and gained weight). i guess it affects everyone differently

[abluelady]

2. I Would Call You Strong

Weak would be not admitting there is a problem or thinking medicine is wrong. Strength comes with facing reality. I am a big advocate of "legal" drugs. If you were a diabetic, you would not hesitate to take your medicine; if you had high blood pressure, you would not hesitate to take your medicine; the same goes for cholesterol. Our mental health is just as important.

[Patty Diana]

3. Manic here on Trazadone because everything else makes me to

HYPER!!

[TimeChaser]

4. I do

I too have a family history of depression. I was diagnosed with a anxiety disorder that bordered on depression (I used to get panic attacks). I've been taking a very low dose of cilexa (sp?) for the past couple of years.

[Roaming]

5. No you're not weak; it takes courage to seek help for mental

and emotional illness, especially with the stigma sometimes associated with it. It's hard work dealing with depression, not just because of the toll it takes on your life but also because it's hard work trying to determine the root causes--psychological, psychiatric, chemical imabalance, etc.

I took Prozac for a short time following the birth of my babies due to post partum depression but have been OK since.

[JuniperLea]

21. me too, after one of three babies

and after divorce many years later. i'd take it again in a heartbeat if ever i were to feel the need.

no stigma here! tom cruise can kiss my lily white ass!

my theory is that as we slowly evolve, our world evolves increasingly faster and we just can't keep up.

i'm betting that many of the people addicted to drugs and alcohol are really suffering depression and are looking for something to make them feel better.

[laruemtt]

6. prozac here, with no apologies.

i spent years working out, meditating, eating perfectly, counseling, etc. etc. etc. always on the verge of suicide. i say praise prozac.

[smirkymonkey]

31. Same here, although I am now taking the generic version of

fluoxetine (Brand name: Prozac) as I don't have insurance and it is much cheaper.

I have tried everything and it's the only thing that has saved me from going over the edge.

[waynew706]

7. I hate to tell you about Paxil, but...

I was on it for over two years and had a hell of a time getting off and changing to a drug called Effexor.

[bac511]

10. why did you change?

I have heard that too, but I haven't been in a position where I felt I had to change drugs...

[waynew706]

15. I changed because Paxil affected me like electricty..

I would sudden what seemed like electrical sparks just sitting there.

Apparently there were (maybe still are) class action law suites against the company that manufactures Paxil. It has many bad side effects, one is putting on extreme weight.

[thereismore]

38. Dude, effexor can really give you the "zaps" when

you forget to take it once or when you quit cold turkey. The "zaps" go away as soon as you take it again. It is not a dependence technically because you don't crave the stuff, but it is a hell of a ride to get off it. Paxil and Effexor, those two. Just be very careful.

[Demit]

41. I got the "zaps" whenever I missed a day--then all the time while I weaned

myself off, and for some time afterward. My withdrawal symptoms weren't as bad as some folks', thank god. But there's a website/message board devoted to it. That's another reason I wanted off--you can't trust these companies to tell the truth. Glaxo denied those reports for the longest time.

I found I could do without so I decided to.

[Imagine My Surprise]

28. I know from a Pharmacist whose wife was on it...

that it's a bitch to get off and it nearly wrecked their marriage -- not her being on it -- her trying to get OFF it.

[yowzayowzayowza]

59. The only antidepressant I ever took was Paxil...

..for a coupla months. Had to quit it cuz I "had a hell of a time getting off" if you know what I mean. Sounds funny in the literature, but in practice very VERY annoying. I decided to return to natures own herbs and spices. ;)

[shrike]

66. My pharmacist gave me the generic for Paxil instead for Prozac

Which I've taken for 10 years. Didn't stay on it very long because I knew something wasn't right. Googled the name of the generic and discovered the mistake myself.

[Stand and Fight]

8. self-delete n/t

[Dave Reynolds]

9. Prozac,

12+ years now.

Attempts to go off are less than pleasant.

No weakness, just tweaked chemistry.

[waynew706]

IMHO Effexor is the best Antidepresant on the market...

Have never felt better, been on it for over 2 years now.

[ihaveaquestion]

11. Used to - Celexa

To counteract the effects of interferon treatment - which screws up moods and causes severe irritability. It was a godsend! I still felt like crap and if I'd been moody too, well, I shudder to think what might happen. There are documented cases of suicide.

You are not weak. If it helps, it helps!

Personally, I'd love to be taking Strattera again. It's a similar drug, but for ADD. I took it for a while, but the manufacturer said the risk to the liver was too great and I had to stop.

[EFerrari]

12. Meds at our house. And most of us know someone who

has benefited from psych drugs if we aren't on them ourselves.

Leave it to an ignorant @ss like Tom Cruise to put down one of the most beneficial technologies of the 20th century.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

13. How many people are in therapy along with ...........

medication? The medications are all meant to be taken in conjunction with therapy, either individual or group, and were never meant to be dispensed by internists.

That's been terribly corrupted by American physicians, and, while a lot of people are feeling better, there are such better results that could be had if the drugs were properly prescribed and taken.

Dr. Tom Cruise had a bit of a point, as much as I hate to agree with anything that goofball says. There have been studies going back more than thirty years that establish how mental health problems and pathologies are treatable not only with drugs. The American medical establishment - of which I am a peripheral member - has steadfastly refused to consider any of these studies, which are powerful and telling, for the simple fact that the profession has too much invested in pharmaceutical companies, and vice versa.

Remember when stomach ulcers were first found to be caused by bacteria? The American medical establishment ignored that perfectly valid and groundbreaking data because it was owned by the ulcer medication people, much as it's owned by the antidepressant and other behavioral drug makers today.

This was on the front page of the Washington Post today: http://tinyurl.com/cwxnh

[bertha katzenengel]

20. Yep, in therapy. And the egg in front on the left

looks like my therapist back home!!

[EFerrari]

24. Training not talking therapy which isn't indicated for hubby's

situation.

And after having shopped for years for a knowledgeable therapist for him, I think most people have a better shot at improvement taking their internist's recommendation. But, that's just my experience.

We had a run of really awful luck, from a doctor who turned out not to be a doctor to a string of midiagnosers, including one of the most "prominent" guys in town. The knowledge base we were working with wouldn't get your feet wet. :(

[TimeChaser]

33. I tried to handle my anxiety for years without medication

but eventually, we tried medication. And since the anti-depressions helped my migraines as well (one of the original reasons I considered medication in the first place), my therapist decided that a small dosage would work.

[Demit]

14. Used to take Paxil, until I plateaued. Didn't want to be on that road

where I'd have to keep increasing the dosage, so I weaned myself off.

[bac511]

16. How much were you on when you plateaued?

[Demit]

37. The smallest dosage. 20mg, I think.

I guess I had a ways to go, but I felt like I would be getting sucked in deeper. Another factor was I had lost my health insurance. AND I was doing freelance work for Glaxo & hating their contemptuous management practices, so I just decided the hell with it, I'll go back to being my grumpy self. If I can't stand it I'll go on something else. But it's okay. Not great but okay.

[shrike]

67. Recently had to up my dosage of Prozac after 10 years

Just 10 mgs more did the trick. Started spiralling into this horrendous depression. I'd felt well for so long I didn't recognize it at first. My husband had never seen me like this before and it scared the crap out of him.

[medeak]

17. doc friend told me every professor at University was on meds

smart people think more.

to be dumb and happy!

[napi21]

18. I'm not, but I should be!

I just don't have the $$ to go to the Dr. and get a prescription filled. One office visit and a monthly prescription I could handle, but that's not the way our Dr's do it. You have to pay them to be referred to some specialist, pay the specialist not only for visits but for future visits and also for the monthly prescriptions.

I can't afford all that!

[bertha katzenengel]

19. Yep, I do. And no, it doesn't mean you are weak!

Therapy only helps so much. Some of us have a chemical imbalance that makes us need some help no matter how well-adjusted we are.

[waynew706]

25. Guess this forum shoots the shit outta Tom Cruise's theory.

He doesn't believe that there is such a thing as people needing physic drugs for depression. I strongly believe that it is hereditary and chemical imbalance exists.

[bertha katzenengel]

64. I didn't know he had a medical degree, or was even a licensed therapist

or CSW. :shrug:

It'd definitely hereditary. There's enough anecdotal evidence in my family alone to start a study.

[cally]

23. severa; family members are on medications

I've seen tremendous results due to medications and therapy.

[Deja Q]

26. Apart from rapists and killers, society should work with people and not

fuck up their minds with chemicals that have nasty side-effects.

I am on Strattera. It has its benefits, including some minor antidepressant functions (I'm not eating bags of potato chips daily any more)... but if society was pro-people and not pro-productivity or pro-money, we'd all be better off.

[waynew706]

30. One other thing about Physic meds is though...

For myself, it has helped my self esteem immensely. I used to have a real problem with that, but since I have been on anti depressants, it has boosted my saritonin levels to the point that I am on top of the world.

[EFerrari]

49. I'm glad these drugs are available to my husband, even though

he's not a killer or a rapist, because his untreated brain has nasty side effects.

[Imagine My Surprise]

27. In the process of weaning myself off of them...

I've been on Effexor for many years and I just started weaning myself off of it. With the help of a pharmacist, I have reduced my intake from 150mg to 100 to 75 and now I'm on the final dosage of 37 mg where I will remain for a month or so.

Immediately upon the reduction of my intake, my sense of creativity came back and I am MUCH less tired. I have also substituted a high arobic martial art (Krav Maga) which is really helping, too.

I would never tell anyone to go off their meds. But I knew in my case, it was time.

[laundry_queen]

29. Celexa going on 4 years now. n/t

[ceile]

32. Cymbalta, Provigil and Lamictal

Provigil is an upper and Lamictal is a mood stabilizer.

[donheld]

34. I just switched from Prozac to Alexapro

I had been on Prozac for 11 years. I don't think i'd survive without one antidepressant or another.

[thereismore]

36. Lexapro - works great for me. nt

[wicket]

39. Celexa

n/t

[JohnnyBoots]

40. Too poor to get the right meds, have to self medicate which

is not good at all

[EFerrari]

46. Hey, if you get a prescription, most drug companies have

programs that give free meds to people who can't afford them. You might also contact www.nami.org, they might have someone local to you who can brainstorm with you.

Good luck!

:hi:

[Misskittycat]

56. Try Costco; you don't have to be a member.

They have the cheapest meds around by far. My Prozac (80 mg. a day -- yes, I do need that much) --would, even as a generic, cost over $200 a month at any of the major chain drug stores. At Costco, it's currently $14.04 for a month's supply.

Also, many companies do have a program for free or very low cost meds.

[JohnnyBoots]

65. I'll

have to check that out, sounds like a good deal. Due they do that with all the drugs they carry?

[Misskittycat]

68. That example is the most astonishing discount, but their other prices are

also generally far below other retail outlets. (I take some other medication, and every one costs much less than at major drug store chains.

Look into (or if you're feeling lousy, have a friend help you)the company discount/free drug programs. Also, check with your county health department. They may have medical services available even for people not on Medicaid (on a sliding scale) and they may offer subsidized lab tests and cheap drugs dispensed through the county health service pharmacy. Also, the clinic doctor's prescription may pretty simply get you the drug company really cheap or free drugs through the health service pharmacy. That's how it works in San Diego. I can't get insurance because of the depression history, and I finally discovered I could get health care cheaper than at a private doctor. The medical care is just fine, and I don't have to worry about exhorbitant lab fees every time I step into the doctor's office.

[Not_Giving_Up]

42. I don't, but probably should

My husband is an untreated bi-polar nightmare. No insurance, what fun!

[thereismore]

44. Good God, I pray that you will get some kind of help.

Maybe dems win it next time and someone will have the guts to get national health insurance passed. I know that untreated bipolar people are very destructive in a relationship. Hope he's a mild case. Don't give up.

[EFerrari]

47. Check out our Mental Health group. It's great.

:)

[BMG]

43. Marijuana here

MMJ.

Fuck the Bush Administrations stance on it; I am still gonna smoke it in the privacy of my own home for medicinal uses.

Conservatives and their Anti-Pot Legistlations can go to hell. :)

[bicentennial_baby]

45. Yep

i traded in my Paxil for weed, and i'm not going back...

[BMG]

48. Same here! Fuck Paxil!

Paxil screws you up 10000x worse than anything weed is capable of.

Weed lifts me from depression instantly, paxil doesn't.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

50. used to be Zoloft....

now, MJ - cheaper too

[shadowknows69]

53. aye

Did the prozac thing which while keeping me from killing myself didn't really make me feel like living either. MJ still helps intensify my passions and balances my depression to boot. Unfortuneately the cost per daily dosage can be higher than prozac. B-)

[sweetheart]

54. cannabis

I find it to be an excellent "friend" as an undiagnosed case of
winter depression, and for those days when the mind gets ahead of
itself.... slllooow down and join the body mate. :-)

May you have many happy inhalations.

[walldude]

57. Me too... my daily evening joint keeps me sane... n/t

[Sparkman]

73. ENTIRE 1970's, thru college & electronics job...the evil herb kept me sane

Quit COLD TURKEY with NO side effects. Just my oppinion, but alchol & industrial meds & cigarettes MUCH worse than smoking leaf. NO substance use since 1980, I use hobbies & faith.

[greekspeak]

51. I take Prozac, but for Panic Disorder

Before I started Prozac, I was tested for depression multiple times, and found not to be chronically depressed. But Prozac has worked beautifully for stopping the paralyzing effects of panic attacks.

[Misskittycat]

55. I was one of the original guinea pigs for Prozac in 1981 and

I'm probably the longest-running continuous Prozac-taker in the United States.

After 11 years of chronic mild depression interspersed with repeated major depressions -- and having tried all drugs previously available(and lots of therapy) with only mild relief -- I was finally enrolled in the Phase III clinical trials.

It saved my life, and has been a godsend for my immediate and extended family. Depression runs heavily on my father's side of the family. Unfortunately, it wasn't available to help him in the late 60s.

[Lilith Velkor]

58. I prefer weed myself, and no you ain't weak

My whole family is on something or another. I tried a few different meds for a year and they made me feel crazier. But that could be coincidence, because the guy who was stalking me finally seems to have forgotten about me.

I still don't think SSRIs are the panacea they are touted as, but if you like what they do for you, that's good. If you think everyone needs to be on them, you need to cut the dose (that happenned to my mom).

[DanCa]

60. Zoloft here

miraprex 4 mg daily Topamax 100 mg daily Zoloft 300 mg and Stalevo 100 mg . I have parkinsons and now you people want me to stop taking meds. Now I have seen everything. Thanks guys for makind a disabled person feeling really good about himself (sarcasam)

[maynard]

61. FREE KATIE! FREE KATIE!

After my stroke, I started with major crying fits and severe paranoia.
I mentioned it to my Dr. and he asked me if I would ever do anything to myself. That really scared me. It took a lot out of me to admit that it was OK to ask for help. I am so glad I did. My cat (meow)scans/MRI's showed brain damage. I won't ever get that back. I need my meds to stay sane. Tom Cruise does not know me or anyone else who is in need of medication to equalize their life out. Katie Holmes better get out while she has a chance. This guy is off his meds.

FREE KATIE! FREE KATIE!

[orleans]

62. I'm not on antidepressants but I heard that

statistically the number of people on antidepressants have increased and the number of people in counseling have gone up since bushie landed back in the white house this past election season.

damn! i was in a state of depression for months over politics--and it's only been the last month or so that i'm starting to feel a bit better.

if everyone who was depressed was on anti depressions we'd all probably be on them now.

getting psychological help is not being weak--taking anti-depressants is not a "weak" thing to do. if you are referring to that horrible tom cruise interview that i saw olberman run all i can say is that i would definitely diagnose him with some type of psychological disorder--and i'd start with a narcissistic personality disorder. i thought he was disgraceful to go on tv and say what he said. but, according to him, he's the expert and apparently no one else is because he has studied this (why?)and read all the reports (yeah, sure you have tom.)

[jazzjunkysue]

63. Just one Maron, one Rhodes, and maybe a Seder, as needed.

[puppet_show]

69. yes effexor and no you are not weak

depression runs in my family and 3 siblings are on meds. I have what they call 'atypical' depression which means I get weird side effects that nobody else gets. its a drag because I have to take meds or else I get suicidal.
effexor makes me jittery and I can't concentrate and no sex drive. oh well, better than being depressed

[Lorien]

70. NEVER AGAIN-I found something that actually WORKS!

I've posted this in two of the DU groups, and I'll post it again here because Big Pharma doesn't want you to know that there's a safe, drugless alternative out there that significantly out performs Prozac:

I've suffered from clinical depression since I was in my early teens (enough to be hospitalized) and I've tried nearly everything; Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Sam-e, St. John's Wort, dietary changes, exercise, etc. etc. Out of desperation, I went for a free trial of a device called "the Alpha-stim SCS" after reading an article about it in a local health journal.It's been eight weeks now (real relief of depression is anticipated in just three weeks)and I haven't had a suicidal thought in that entire time. This is a real accomplishment for me. It's helping with my concentration and 'brain fog", and relieving some of the pain of my Fibromyalgia. What is the Alpha-Stim SCS? It's an electrotherapy device that alters brain waves-normalizing them the way advanced meditation techniques can. It's like shock therapy-but painless and much more effective. I was skeptical at first and was worried about experiencing a placebo effect, so I asked a physicist I know to review the technology first (he has about 20 patents under his belt and helped design the CAT scan). Here is what he wrote to me regarding the Alpha-Stim SCS:

Regarding the technology and science you asked me about: I spent several hours researching both tonight. Here's what I think from the information available and what I already know:

The existence of the human (and all other) bioelectromagnetc fields is incontrovertible. Their ability to be modified by electromagnetic fields and electric currents is likewise incontrovertible. Well known, all proven. It's also why meditative techniques, martial arts "katas", and similar have such profound effects on well-being. It's very sound science that finding the right signal can stimulate or alleviate so many different things.

I have looked at the electrophysics described in various reports and find that the causal introduction of periodic micro-currents work the same way as what is known from the sensing mechanisms of EEG and other measurement protocols. In other words -- the physics makes sense too.

Electrical stimulation of endorphin production and modification of neural mechanisms relate directly to similarly known effects of deep meditation, acupuncture, acupressure, and myofascial balancing.

I also looked at the reports from the FDA, American Journal of Pain Management, Peer-Reviewed studies cited in both, and clinical endorsements of the actual technology and commercially available devices. These are very significant and I think scientifically sound reports and the technology employed in the product (Alpha-stim SCS) is specified in use. I also looked at the math cited in the clinical studies supporting the technology and reported results (generally very significantly good). I won't bore you with the math but the documented statistical trend toward clinically proven relief of various conditions seems quite impressive, especially in blind-blind studies over the last 10 years or so.

It is interesting to note that (from several reports):

Fibromyalgia patients showed 36-52% moderate to marked improvement
Myofascial showed 29-61%
Anxiety and depression showed 32-65%
CFS patients showed 60-80% fair to moderate improvement. Also the double-blind reports on significantly improved sleep cycles and reduced pain as well as re-established cognitive advantages (sharper, clearer).

What do I think -- I wouldn't hesitate to believe that the technology has the effects and uses as advertised, it's just like many "alternative-medicine" treatments except that this DOES have major well known medical organizations using and reporting it works (like the Cleveland Clinic, other hospitals, and many Pro sports teams, etc). Remember what Dave says: If it works, it's NOT "alternative medicine"



Anyway-that's a professionals take on it. But Google it for yourselves and do some research of your own. It's by prescription only, and you can always return the device if you don't feel that it's helping you (unlike Prozac). The device costs about $500 (but it's cheaper on eBay)-some of the best money I've spent, IMO. It's also very effective for those suffering from bi-polar disorder and panic attacks.

[Comicstripper]

71. Zoloft

However, I am weening myself off of it...
I'm 17, and would prefer to experience things than to numb myself.

[TommyO]

72. Used to be on Paxil

and probably will be again (my first appointment in three years is tomorrow) due to my latest round of moderately severe depression. My only problem was sexual side effects, we'll see how that works this time around.

As other people have mentioned, you're not weak, you're being responsible.

Tom Cruise can go fuck himself, he doesn't live our lives and has no idea how severely mental health issues can impact us (and given his Oprah performance, he's just in denial about his own, I think).

[wake.up.america]

74. Don't get sad, become determined or at least mad!!

Don't get sad, become determined or at least mad!!

Keep busy!!