Life on Antidepressants?

[mmkmommy]

As many of you know from my posts I am currently on lexapro (have been for a month) and am thinking about switching to Zoloft in the next week. (because of side effect issues) I have questions about what to expect from antidepressants since I have never taken them before except for in the last month.
My questions: After four weeks what should I expect from the antidepressant? I can tell they definantly help, but then I will have days where I will feel funny again. I will have some scary or hopeless thoughts creep in. I won't feel them all day, if I can distract myself but sometimes that is hard to do.
Many people say they feel good about now from antidepressants with no bad days at all, and that they feel normal. Why am I not this way? Am I expecting too much from myself?
Just in the last couple of days I have been waking up really nervous and scared, does this mean that one is getting worse? Or that the medication isn't working?
Thanks again for reading, still trying to decide the best way to go for myself and family!

[monkeymimi]

keep trying

mmkmommy, everyone is different, but personally I found far fewer side effects on lexapro than on zoloft. The key is, the side effects will often decrease in time, so maybe it's worth talking to your psychiatrist about giving the lexapro a good chance to work.

With zoloft I had a lot of night sweats and it totally crushed my libido. Took it alongside wellbutrin for a while to negate that particular effect, but found I could take lexapro alone instead.

Here's another tip that helped me: a little tranquilizer alongside the antidepressant when initially ramping up your dose. Takes the edge off the inevitable short term effects of use. I did klonopin for a few weeks - you can chew em up like candy.

I encourage you to find what works. I am a believer in fresh air and sunshine, exercise and eating right, therapy, massage, and for me, pills. I am pregnant with my first, off everything at the moment, hoping for the best. But should the time come when all else may fail, I will take the pills and be a happy mama to my baby. Good for you for doing what you need to do. Some of us need pills.

As to what to expect in the first four weeks - well, side effects for one. My experience is to keep doing all other interventions always, or I will get sluggish and not feel well, but when I have my pills, there is a safety net between me and the horrific fall into hell (pardon the drama) which has happened to me in the past. I don't fall. I can look, but I don't actually go.

[mmkmommy]

So would you suggest to stay on the lexapro for a little longer? My problem is, I LOVE to excercise, did so before PPD, but the lexapro makes me so dizzy, when I try, I get even more dizzy! I know excercise would help.......but I find it hard to do when I feel like crap!
My thing is Anxiety leading to depression also, and the lexapro has really helped that. So it is hard to want to switch to Zoloft like recommended without being scared that I will have to go through anxiety again. What can I expect if I do switch?

[monkeymimi]

everybody's different

I can't say it enough - we are all so different inside and the pharms don't know how these medications work anyway.

But.

You could stick with the wretched Lexapro, and it may yet work out for you. I can't recommend enough the addition of a little downer, like Klonopin or Buspar, or, if your psych is hip to it, herbals like Kava or Lemon Balm. You could also try a little Bach's Rescue Remedy for the dizziness when it happens, as that is made of flower essences in a little brandy and there is no contraindication that I know of with flower essences and anything, since they work on a vibrational level.

Another question is: what kind of exercise are you doing? Might it help to moderate any cardiovascular activity just in the short term with something like yoga, which is very grounding and centering and might help you get your feet under you, so to speak, while improving circulation and mental peace?

With anything, don't rely on this forum alone for advice - include your doctor and your therapist and RL buddies that can look you in the eye and monitor you in real time. Keep going!

[mmkmommy]

Thanks for your reply, it helps to get advice from people who have actually used medications, because we all know that a lot of the docters haven't. I really do take into consideration the advice of my pychiatrist and therapist. However, if I did that, I would have switched to Zoloft a week and a half ago.
One thing I do know....I don't want to live dizzy, tired and sluggish. Is this all one gets from the medication once it kicks in? It takes away anxiety but gives you these effects to live with? I guess you could decide to live with that for some months and then face the hardship of withdrawl when trying to come off of these. At times it seems pretty hopeless, wish so badly I was like others and didn't have to deal with the dizzy side effects.

[jstar]

after a month you're probably feeling what you will be feeling with that medication.

i would maybe give it another 2 weeks or so to see if any of the dizziness goes away or the morning dread (i've had that before and still have those days sometimes). if it doesn't go away i would try switching. they are all slightly different and no one else's experience can really tell you what you will experience.

that morning dread and the scary thoughts are all anxiety too. so it must have taken some of your anxiety away but not all? i'd also recommend requesting a tranquilizer. low dose xanax did wonders for my scary thoughts a few years ago. it slows down your brain enough so you don't obsess. i haven't taken any since being pregnant and i'm still nursing. they are not nursing compatible as far as i know.

good luck in your search for the right med. there are lots out there. it is hard going off and on them but switching to another one you can start the new one while weaning off the old one and i think it is supposed to help

take care