Anti-depression Medications

[bklyn]

My family is pushing me to try anti-depressent medication. I'm struggling with fatigue, and many other minor physical complaints (headaches, stomachaches) that don't seem to have medical explantations. I'm willing to try these meds but I'm concerned about side effects (mainly stomach upset). Any suggestions as to which meds have less GI side effects?

Thanks

[jerseyangel]

Hi Kathy,

I still struggle with anxiety after almost a year and a half gluten-free. I finally decided to ask my doctor about trying a medication, and she put me on the lowest dose of Zoloft. I couldn't handle the side effects. I had diarreah, nausea, a feeling of numbness in my head and I couldn't sleep.

Now, that was just my experience--many others can use it fine. She offered to switch me to Buspar, but I am holding off (yet again) on trying anything else.

I'm back to trying to get some excercise every day, and may try St. John's Wort.

Good luck with this--from what others tell me, it can take 2 or 3 tries to get just the right medication and dose for you.

[lovegrov]

I've had no side effects at all from Zoloft. The only way to tell how a medication affects you personally is to try it.

richard

[wonkabar]

I was on a low-dose of Effexor-XR. I did not have a difficult time with the withdrawl process...my doctor had me do it very slowly. However, I have heard nightmares of people coming off of Effexor. My bestfriend had been on Zoloft for quite sometime and recently stopped taking it without any issues. I agree with Richard; a lot of these medications depend on how you personally react to them. Lots of luck! and hope you feel better!

[Rebecca47]

I am also on zoloft, and have been for awhile and I have had some good results. For awhile i had nightmares and nightsweats, but I think it was more the celiacs. Things are better. Like others have said you will have to try to know what works for you. My mom takes effexor at night because it makes her sleepy. Good Luck. I was on a low dose at first and we have made adjustments as needed.

[Pink-Bunny]

I took Zoloft as a teen and ended up having to stop taking it because I would pass out and I felt even more depressed and thinking thoughts I shouldn't have.

I have used Effexor- XR. I didn't have any side effects from it. And it was so much easier going off it.

[StrongerToday]

After going gluten-free for several months, plus it was the Holiday season and some other things going on in my life I was one huge bundle of anxiety. I was miserable. I finally went to the dr. and he put me on Paxil. I knew within the first day or two that it was not the medicine for me. i had more anxiety, couldn't sleep, was jittery and terribly neausus. He switched me to Lexapro and I LOVE it! Virtually no side effects for me, and now - almost a whole year leater - I feel like a million bucks!! If you've talked to your dr, and I'd also suggest talk therapy, then you might want to think about trying an anti-depressant. Everyone reacts differently and remember to give the medicine at least 6 - 8 weeks before they have full effect.

[happygirl]

I have been on Welbutrin XL and did very well with it. It really depends on the person.

[tiredofdoctors]

Each person responds differently to each medication. I would make sure that my physician is very well-versed with regard to anti-depressants; quite often, the most information they have about them is what they receive from the sales representatives. Otherwise, I would see a psychiatrist, who HAS to stay on top of each of the medications (not that they aren't bombarded with sales reps, also).

Typically, the goal of a physician when you are having malaise and general aches and pains, is to get you to be able to enter REM sleep. When you are in REM sleep, you secrete Growth Hormone. When you are a child, it is used, of course, to grow . . . but when you are an adult, it is used to repair the damage of the day! If you are not able to get into REM sleep, your ability to heal can be reduced. Also, sleep deprivation can cause an increase in the PERCEPTION of pain. Not that it's in your head, just that it is MAGNIFIED in your head. Your body receives a pinch, and your brain perceives it as if it were in a vise. Anti-depressants can be very effective methods of pain control.

Regardless, I would talk it over with my physician, and I would keep in close touch with him/her with regard to its efficacy and/or side effects.

Good luck to you,

Lynne

[luvs2eat]

Interesting topic, cause one of the side effects I noticed w/ Zoloft was the occasional having to run to the bathroom to have D... not often, but occasionally. My girlfriend, who was also taking it, and I called it the Zoloft sh!ts.

So... after a few years of that really only occasional side effect... all of a sudden, I started having it more often. After 2 months, I FINALLY realized that it wasn't the medicine... and was tested. Viola... Celiac disease!!