Some people do well to switch to Wellbutrin. It is in a different category of medication than the ones you've mentioned and from what I hear tends to have fewer side effects.
Help w/finding good anti-depressant please!
Hello all - I have been following threads regarding antidepressants here at Mothering - somehow I feel better knowing other natural mamas are on them too. Anyway, I used to be on Zoloft about eight years ago (I took it for 2 years). It worked very well, although sometimes I had chest pains. About two years ago I went on Celexa, but I gained 40 pounds (not like me). I have been battling with anxiety/depression again lately, and so tried Prozac, but that made me anxious/couldn't sleep/overly tired. SO...I tried the Zoloft again (I tried new meds first as getting off the Zoloft before was hell).
So now the Zoloft is working great, BUT I am now experiencing irregular heart beats and chest pains. So the doc told me to get off. My question is - can anybody recommend a good AD that is similar to Zoloft and that won't make me gain weight? How about Effexor? (I have heard some people mention that one.) I thought of Paxil, but have heard weaning off of that one is torturous. Would the Prozac side effects go away after a time?
I need help. I am quite frustrated with all this.
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I will ask my doctor of course, but was hoping to hear from somebody who has actually taken the medication.
(Been done BF for awhile - whew!)
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Thank you all very much....
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So now the Zoloft is working great, BUT I am now experiencing irregular heart beats and chest pains. So the doc told me to get off. My question is - can anybody recommend a good AD that is similar to Zoloft and that won't make me gain weight? How about Effexor? (I have heard some people mention that one.) I thought of Paxil, but have heard weaning off of that one is torturous. Would the Prozac side effects go away after a time?
I need help. I am quite frustrated with all this.
(Been done BF for awhile - whew!)
Thank you all very much....
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You asked about Effexor. Effexor works on different neurotransmitters than regular SSRIs. (I believe it acts on dopamine and norepinephrine, as well as serotonin.) I was told a few years ago that doctors will usually try you on this if you don't respond to regular SSRIs. Not that a doctor wouldn't prescribe it to you off the bat, but I think they're more comfortable with SSRIs because as a class of medication they've been around longer.
I used Effexor once a few years back, and then again during pregnancy. It worked great the first time, not so well during pregnancy. I had to switch to Zoloft a few weeks ago because the Effexor was worthless for me postpartum. Still, when I used it a few years back, it was a godsend.
I can't promise you that it would work better or worse for you, because every brain chemistry is different!
I wanted to give you a warning on Effexor, though: I find that the stuff is wicked nasty when weaning. Expect to feel horrible as you decrease your dosage. I've never been on Paxil, but I can't imagine that weaning off of that is worse than weaning off of Effexor. Also, your body will definitely let you know if you miss a dose. Talk about feeling lousy!
One of my relatives is on Wellbutrin and seems to like it quite a lot, but I don't know any details about his experience.
Sorry I can't provide you with a magic bullet answer.
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I really hope that you can find something that will work for you. Best wishes!
I used Effexor once a few years back, and then again during pregnancy. It worked great the first time, not so well during pregnancy. I had to switch to Zoloft a few weeks ago because the Effexor was worthless for me postpartum. Still, when I used it a few years back, it was a godsend.
I can't promise you that it would work better or worse for you, because every brain chemistry is different!
I wanted to give you a warning on Effexor, though: I find that the stuff is wicked nasty when weaning. Expect to feel horrible as you decrease your dosage. I've never been on Paxil, but I can't imagine that weaning off of that is worse than weaning off of Effexor. Also, your body will definitely let you know if you miss a dose. Talk about feeling lousy!
One of my relatives is on Wellbutrin and seems to like it quite a lot, but I don't know any details about his experience.
Sorry I can't provide you with a magic bullet answer.
I used to take Prozac then doc switched to Remeron (mirtazapine). I liked it much better than Prozac...didn't have any weight gain and it wasn't supposed to decrease libido ( I still think it did though).
I haven't been on them for nearly 4 years now though, because of pregnancy and nursing. I changed my diet (got rid of alot of carbs) and my depression is definitely better than it ever was now that I am anti-depressant drug free, regularly seeing a chiropractor, and have eliminated a lot of refined sugars and carbs from my diet.
Have you looked into any natural alternatives? I hear that cranial sacral therapy and acupuncture can help.
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depression sucks.... I hope you find something that works for you.
I haven't been on them for nearly 4 years now though, because of pregnancy and nursing. I changed my diet (got rid of alot of carbs) and my depression is definitely better than it ever was now that I am anti-depressant drug free, regularly seeing a chiropractor, and have eliminated a lot of refined sugars and carbs from my diet.
Have you looked into any natural alternatives? I hear that cranial sacral therapy and acupuncture can help.
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