Medication

[Ratatoskur]

Have you ever been prescribed antidepressant/psychotic medication?
Would you be willing to describe/review your experience?
You can also PM me. I'd greatly appreciate the input; I prefer firsthand accounts from people who approach life from a critical angle over the words of people trying to sell stuff.

[Aule]

I don't have any personal experience with them myself; but from what I've read you would do well to stay away from the fast-acting SSRI's. The withdrawals (esp. from paxil) can be absolutely hellish. Do a google search for "paxil withdrawal" or "brain zaps" and you'll see what I mean. Long-acting SSRI's (like prozac) and tricyclics generally aren't as bad.

[Odysseus]

I was given anti-depressants once, took them for a week then quit. Everything just became dull. It seemed like I didn't have strong emotions about anything. And it also made me far less imaginative/creative. And besides I had to pay like 30 bucks, after insurance.

But this was just my experiance, you shouldn't assume this is what is going to happen to you.

[Aule]

Anti-depressants and anti-psychotics aren't the same thing, btw.

[sugartits]

You should read up on the possible side-effects yourself. Antipsychotics can cause involuntary movement disorders.

http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic338.htm

Virtually all neuroleptics produce some degree of extrapyramidal (EP) dysfunction because of inhibition of dopaminergic transmission in the basal ganglia. Several forms of extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) are associated with neuroleptic toxicity.
Acute dystonia

Ingestion of a single therapeutic dose of a neuroleptic can result in involuntary muscle contraction of the face, neck, tongue, extraocular muscles, and, less commonly, of the limbs, larynx, or pharynx. The onset of symptoms is usually delayed several hours.

Certain neuroleptics (eg, haloperidol, fluphenazine) are more potent inhibitors of dopamine in the basal ganglia and, consequently, cause more prominent EP symptoms.



More: http://www.hubin.org/publicfamilyinfo/treatment/side_effects/side_effects_6_en.html

[Ratatoskur]

Been reading. They're selling. Asking people here.

[sugartits]

What do you need/want them for?

[Dodge Viper]

Theres no long term fix with anti-depressants, and any help they bring will be matched with negative drawbacks and insidious problems. If depression takes hold, its a product of wrong actions, Karma, and the ignorance of the natural laws conducive to a contented life. Taking a pill will not fix the situation, but merely attract the the shit-storm to fall onto other areas.

Depression should be countered with correct living, healthy diet, and mood lifting excersise. No pain, No gain, as the saying goes.

[cerberus]

Haloperidol has been mentioned - it is quite an old drug , more recently developed drugs like Seroquil produce less side effects and are more user friendly.
Certainly the older drugs had some pretty awful side effects and are not often perscribed.

Any doctor perscribing any medication has a duty to tell you what the sideeffects are otherwise he might find himself in hot water- from an ethical standpoint how can you give a valid consent if you don't know fully what you are consenting to take.

Nick
Depression should be countered with correct living, healthy diet, and mood lifting excersise. No pain, No gain, as the saying goes.
Nick , there is no easy fix either - medications won't do everything - cognitive approach might in many cases be helpful.

[Geist]

No, and for what its worth I don't think anybody should take them unless its a very, very serious problem.

[Sandee]

I was prescribed antidepressants way back (during High School) and I took a few pills and it made me feel shitty. I dumped the whole bottle in the bin and decided to find other natural ways to combat the depression. Food allergies were a big issue. I also read how feeling lethargic, having cravings and wild mood swings can also be a result of nutritional deficiencies or inadequate diet or food allergies. So correcting my diet helped. Mental stress was considerably reduced via yoga, meditation and exercise and correct diet and reading self-help articles and finding out the causes of my depression instead of just curing the symptoms by taking a pill. To me, pills are the last resort.

[cerberus]

Dizzee Rimbaud
No, and for what its worth I don't think anybody should take them unless its a very, very serious problem.
I could not agree more - medications of this type should only be taken on a POM basis ( Perscription Only Medication) .
Forget self diagnosis and the crap you see arriving in your email box as spam inviting you to buy drugs as you would sweets.
No doctor is going to perscribe anti psychotics lightly and will seek specialist advice.
In the right circumstances they will certainly help but only in the right circumstances.
From the users point of view ask why you are being perscribed them , what the side effects are , what effect they may have on your life and what benefit will come from taking them.

Sandee makes some good points - pills may help at the right time but it may be helpful to understand why you feel as you do and think as you do - understanding yourself is a major undertaking - a cognitive therapist is often helpful.
Lots of people think " a councillor" is the answer to my problems - you will se many people placing ads. offerring help for lots of types of problems , promising all sorts of help - often they have no qualifications , no experiences , no insights and no idea of what they are doing and because they say they are , this does not make them what they say they are. There are a vast number of self appointed and unregulated people " helping people" making them dependent rather than "independent".
If you feel you need professional help do so via a doctor you know and trust , be this for medications or psychological therapies.
We are all different and none of us react the same way to stress and to life in general - when our abilities to cope fail we are all vunerable , getting the right help at the right time is important and asking the right people is the first step.
Your GP should be your first point of contact.

[Geist]

No doctor is going to perscribe anti psychotics lightly and will seek specialist advice.
In the right circumstances they will certainly help but only in the right circumstances.



Indeed. Even when prescribed one should probably seek a second opinion. My auntie has schizophrenia and she has managed to go long periods without and then I hear of friends taking mood-altering drugs for far lesser problems. Its a complicated issue if ever there was one since it deals with our very mental state itself.

[Roland]

Everything just became dull. It seemed like I didn't have strong emotions about anything. And it also made me far less imaginative/creative.

It sounds as though you were drugged into becoming a typical American.

[delete]

I have taken prozac? for a couple of months, anyway I don't remember quite, but the only effect it had was curbing my sex drive somewhat. I did not take it for feeling depressed at the time, but more as a lack of energy and a constant feeling tiredness, that my doctor thought might be a depression.

If you are in doubt, try it out, as it is pretty harmless. At least it was the one drug I have taken, that without a doubt, had the smallest effect.

I think we get depressed when our brain needs reprogramming, and the best way for this to happen, is to do it when we sleep. I think this is the reason that we feel so tired when we are depressed, as it is a way for the brain to make us spend time sleeping, so we get time to work things through.

When you fall in love with somebody, your brain get flushed with hormones in order for the brain to stop being completly selfish, and start taking into considerations what the mate would like in any given situation that affects the both of you. If the relationship gets destroyed, you need to become selfish again, so the neurones need to reattach itself in another pattern, while the unhappy result for us is depression.

This physical restructuring of neurones takes time, and IMPOV it can be parallelled into almost any depression, as we usually get them when we don't like our situation in some way, while we don't see how it can be improved.

[cerberus]

delete
I think this is the reason that we feel so tired when we are depressed, as it is a way for the brain to make us spend time sleeping, so we get time to work things through.

Sleep in true depression is totally altered, early morning wakening is almost certainly a key feature of a depressive illness.
Dizzee Rimbaud
Even when prescribed one should probably seek a second opinion. My auntie has schizophrenia and she has managed to go long periods without and then I hear of friends taking mood-altering drugs for far lesser problems. Its a complicated issue if ever there was one since it deals with our very mental state itself.
Never does any harm to ask.
As far as your aunt going of all medications go , generally speaking this is not a good idea.
Research has shown that a lack of concordance is a key feature in relapses in psychotic illness.
Cognitive approaches to helping people live with severe illnesses is a long haul but it can work and assist people to take control of their lives and reduce the impact of symptoms which can be quite distressing.

[economically viable]

Nick , there is no easy fix either - medications won't do everything - cognitive approach might in many cases be helpful.

Very true. I think alot of doctors prescribe before they know whats really wrong. Alot of "diagnosis" are over-diagnosed. I've been on quite a few anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. It's been years since I've taken then and realized the best medication is to exercise, eat right, and get out of the house. I would definately try that before becoming a medicated zombie.

[maxsnafu]

I don't have any personal experience with them myself; but from what I've read you would do well to stay away from the fast-acting SSRI's. The withdrawals (esp. from paxil) can be absolutely hellish. Do a google search for "paxil withdrawal" or "brain zaps" and you'll see what I mean. Long-acting SSRI's (like prozac) and tricyclics generally aren't as bad.

The adverse reactions of tricyclics (very dry mouth, difficult urination,
drowsiness & lassitude, constipation, carbohydrate-craving and attendant
weight gain and myriad other problems) result in an interesting situation:
if you aren't real depressed when you start taking them, you soon will be.

[maxsnafu]

You should read up on the possible side-effects yourself. Antipsychotics can cause involuntary movement disorders.

http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic338.htm




More: http://www.hubin.org/publicfamilyinfo/treatment/side_effects/side_effects_6_en.html

The involuntary movement disorders also can become permanent. It's called
Persistant Tardive Dyskinesia and is untreatable.

[Kamandi]

You should read up on the possible side-effects yourself. Antipsychotics can cause involuntary movement disorders.
Only if administered in extremely high doses and/or for numerous years at therapeutic doses. Typically, short-term use doesn't precipitate dyskinesia.

[cerberus]

The depressions mentioned , which friends have managed to overcome - they don't sound like the deep seated psychotic depressions which bring with them delusional beliefs, intense thoughts of life not being worth living , psychomotor retardation , severe sleep disorders, disorder of thought and perception.
To be able to overcome a depression and develope interests in other quarters takes motivation - the sort of motivation and interst which is lacking or at least utterly depressed.
Unfortunately for the deeply depressed this "snap myself out of it" response of self help is impossible and quite a few of the medications mentioned are not appropriate - in cases of severe depression medications and occasionally ECT are required - as far as trcyclics go they are not often perscribed - other more effective drugs which have less distressing side effects are around.
Some folks have said that they stopped taking anti depressants after a week - most will not work in a week , you are looking at 10-21 days before you will see a response - they are not quick fixes.
I agree that many people who present as being " depressed" do not always need medication and they should not be prescribed without some thought being given.

[Helios Panoptes]

I was prescribed Zoloft when I was a teenager, which I think was completely unnecessary, as I did at the time, but I tried it. The first effect is that I was tired within 5 hours after I woke up. I usually stay awake for long periods of time without difficulty, so this was a dramatic change. Second, I kept yawning and the yawns were long. There was also a strange sensation that accompanied them, which made me physically shiver. I don't know if it was painful, but it was unpleasant nonetheless. Lastly, while I was not completely impotent, my sex drive was greatly decreased, it took forever to orgasm, and erections were softer, if you catch my drift. I hope this is enough information...

I stopped taking them shortly after starting, due to side effects and the fact that I was unenthusiastic to begin with. There was nothing wrong with me. I was merely bored at the time. I no longer take any drugs, except illegal ones and my mental health is solid.

[Petyr Baelish]

Have you ever been prescribed antidepressant/psychotic medication?
Would you be willing to describe/review your experience?
You can also PM me. I'd greatly appreciate the input; I prefer firsthand accounts from people who approach life from a critical angle over the words of people trying to sell stuff.


I have been prescribed six myoleptic antidepressants/anxiolytics over the course of two years and have not had a single succesful trial with these drugs. The side effects were far too severe - dulling of cogntion and emotion, physical discomfort and dysphoria - nor did I obtain any symptomatic relief. The only drugs that alleviate my psychological discomfort and provide sustainable palliative relief are the opiates and MDMA.

[Petyr Baelish]

[Short term neuroleptic treatment induces tardive dykenesia] only if administered in extremely high doses and/or for numerous years at therapeutic doses. Typically, short-term use doesn't precipitate dyskinesia.

Short-term neuroleptic treatment, just like non-recurrent acute psychosis, is exceedingly rare.

[Schizo]

Have you ever been prescribed antidepressant/psychotic medication?
Would you be willing to describe/review your experience?
You can also PM me. I'd greatly appreciate the input; I prefer firsthand accounts from people who approach life from a critical angle over the words of people trying to sell stuff.
I have been prescribed psychotic medication but haven't started it. I prefer to heal myself with hunger and fruit diet which gives positive results so far.