Has your life changed after antidepressants?

I took it, but paroxetine didn't work out due to side effects, so I switched to sertraline. I came back to myself. Then I gradually discontinued it.

I've been taking clofranil for half a year now; it's not cardiotoxic, and I haven't experienced any side effects, except for constipation, but that only lasted for the first 10-14 days. I've been feeling better, and there's no sensation of being "high" or feeling weak and foggy-headed. Overall, I feel just like I did before I got ill.

I've been taking fluoxetine for 3 months. A year ago, I went through a very difficult time after losing someone close to me and couldn't calm down. I started taking it, and now I feel like I'm observing the situation from the outside. Sometimes medication is necessary—otherwise, you could go mad, it can be so hard. I don't seem to have developed a dependency. If I miss a dose, I don't feel worse, although I was told it's hard to come off them. Overall, I feel like a calm robot.

By the way, I read that some people take fluoxetine to lose weight, as it supposedly reduces appetite, but I don't have any excess weight, so I don't experience that effect.

I have health issues. I often fall ill + eczema. I constantly felt low and tearful. I thought I was getting sick because of my nerves or constantly thinking about my ailments. I went to a psychotherapist. They prescribed fluoxetine. I took it for two weeks and then stopped. At first, my mood seemed to improve and I felt cheerier, but I can't describe how physically awful I felt. I was constantly sleepy, felt dizzy and nauseous, felt very ill as if with a cold, my whole body ached, my hands were shaking, and my eczema flared up. I stopped taking it and literally came back to life. The situation reminds me of that joke about the goat or the pig. When you're just feeling bad, with fluoxetine it became very bad; I stopped it and felt joy in life again))) I understand these are side effects, and they probably would have passed, or maybe I should have changed the medication. But after this, I thought that, in principle, it wasn't worth taking them. From now on, I'll try to manage on my own.

I took them when I was 20, and they started causing problems with my sex life—my libido dropped significantly and took a long time to recover. Specifically, as antidepressants, they didn't help; I didn't feel any significant changes and stopped taking them after a month.

Are antidepressants available over the counter, or are they prescribed by a doctor?

I felt a strong sense of stupidity from fluoxetine.

I started going blind, the fears haven't gone anywhere, always sleepy, I quit... but without the pills, at least I was physically healthy, and with them everything is hazy.

They prescribed me Gidazepam for a while because, due to stress, I was really losing it... I took it for a few days, and it was like a fairy tale—life was beautiful, problems weren't problems, just trivial, my appetite came back (before that, I couldn't even swallow a bite), and I started falling asleep (before that, I wasn't sleeping at all). But then, forgetfulness set in—I started forgetting everything everywhere... Honestly, it scared me a bit because it felt like some kind of drug, and I realised it could be addictive. So, I decided to only use it for crisis moments... when things get completely overwhelming, take a pill and drift into nirvana... But relying on them regularly is risky, I think—it can lead to dependency. By the way, I also helped a friend with them when her father passed away; she couldn't stop hysterically crying, took a pill, and went straight to sleep.

Are there those who have been taking it for half a year, a year?

I took fluoxetine about two years ago, for a month. There were many side effects from it: dilated pupils, as if from drugs, hands shaking badly, very light sleep (I could wake up 3-5 times a night), appetite decreased, but mood was good and I wanted to do something, not just sit still. DO NOT recommend! The side effects outweigh all the benefits.

Paroxetine is brutal; I had terrible binge eating and gained 10 kg. My memory also deteriorated. Plus, there were a bunch of other side effects. I really regret taking the full course.

I took Paxil for a month—it was pure hell. After that, I took Zoloft for three months. It's a good antidepressant. My head cleared up after taking it. That was about six years ago.

Life isn't divided into before and after antidepressants, if that's what you're referring to. You can't get addicted to antidepressants because they must be taken under a doctor's supervision. You can't prescribe the dosage to yourself. All antidepressants have side effects. If one antidepressant doesn't suit you, others will be prescribed, and so on. The side effects vary—constipation, memory lapses, etc. I didn't work when I was taking antidepressants. It seems difficult to take antidepressants and live a normal life.

I've been taking Rexetin for 9 years, I can't do without it anymore((( but at least I feel like a human being...

I took paroxetine for 8 months, it seemed fine, two years ago, I want to take it again.

After reading addicts' reviews, I realised I was taking drugs. The only difference is that addicts take the whole blister pack at once - while I take 3 tablets a day as prescribed. I felt like an amphetamine addict (after reading reviews from those trying to quit amphetamines). It helped (the course was 2 weeks). But then, after stopping, the depression intensified tenfold, tears flowed from morning till night, and the state (you can't settle anywhere - can't sit, lie down, or sleep). Horrible. So was it worth it? If the withdrawal is worse than before... Yes, during the intake - energy overflowing, like walking on the ceiling, but afterwards - tears, apathy, and depression - just like addicts. To hell with it. Better to manage on my own, or maybe drink some valerian.

On fluoxetine, I just wanted to eat and sleep—nothing else. All motivation for anything vanished. In bed by 8 PM and asleep. It was a strange state, as if I was floating in a dream all the time. I tried it twice for a month and a half each over the last three years. Each time I gained 7kg. That totals 15kg, which I still haven't lost. Forgot to mention, I also had mid-cycle bleeding when I was taking it, and then my hormones were completely out of whack for several months afterwards. Sometimes my blood sugar would drop so low that I'd just shake—had to eat something. In short, a quiet horror. I quit my last attempt about eight months ago, managing depression and anxiety with natural remedies: glycine, GABA, 8 hours of sleep, spending all weekends outdoors (I live in a warm climate), physical activity, and completely cutting out sugar, grains, and gluten from my diet. It helps. I feel like I've reached a balance. It's incomparable to what it was like a year and a half ago.

Apologies for the typos.

I took fluoxetine - it cured my bulimia.
I'm now taking Mexiprim. It works excellently.

I have been taking Paxil for 10 years (half a tablet once a day), with no side effects, no dulling of attention, no forgetfulness. I feel completely normal; I have issues with panic attacks, and it definitely helps.

Good afternoon! I'd like to know, how long did the drug withdrawal syndrome last?

I took Zoloft for six months. My mental state improved dramatically. I stopped imagining problems, the excessive anxiety disappeared, and I now deal more easily with people who irritate me – essentially, life has become much easier for me. I didn't experience withdrawal symptoms; I came off the tablets gradually. However... my libido completely vanished, and even two months after stopping, it hasn't fully returned yet. I'm waiting)). My hair started falling out. I'm now treating it, using various restorative masks. I think staying on antidepressants for years is a very bad idea, as it completely restructures your hormonal balance. You'll then spend years recovering from that.

And by the way, I lost the urge to drink alcohol. Like before, I don't feel like drinking anymore. No, I'm not an alcoholic, but I used to enjoy a drink on occasion, and now I just don't want to. Maybe because I got used to not drinking while taking them, or maybe because my body no longer needs the artificial boost of pleasure hormones that alcohol provides.

Hello, I also took Zoloft for six months, my libido completely vanished. I'd like to know when it will return, it's awkward in front of my husband too, even though he understands everything, and I'm anxious myself, when will it?? I took 100mg, in the morning. I came off gradually, the first 4-6 days after the course I felt a slight coordination disturbance, then it passed. Tell me, how are you doing? Has it sorted itself out?

With a proper selection. Yes, it helps one live. It lifts the mood, calms, instills optimism, without altering the personality. It is not noticeable during the period of use.
After the course ends, if the life situation does not change, everything returns to how it was before.

Fluoxetine didn't suit me (it happens often)—nausea, nervous state, fears got worse, insomnia. On the plus side, it completely kills your appetite, you lose weight. I stopped after 6 days. They prescribed me other ones.

Not suitable for everyone. On the plus side, it reduces appetite. The downside—it may intensify fears, phobias, anxiety, and insomnia. Did not work for me.

I take them periodically. Everything is getting better. For depression, I use Phenibut from the American company SNS Smart Powders or Fluoxetine from the same company. I bought them without a prescription at a sports nutrition store. Phenibut comes in 300 and 500 mg doses. Fluoxetine is 20 mg. Both medications work well. If you're going to buy them, go for these.

I took Brintellix for half a year, all good, it helped to put it mildly) it literally resurrected me 😍

Tell me, are you still on antidepressants now? How are you feeling?

The mistral has settled in, a strange sensation for now.

I've been on Cipralex for the second year now and I feel absolutely brilliant. The thing is, the more awful your life was, the longer you need to take them.

How are you doing?

How long did it take for the mood to arrive?

I took paroxetine for six months at 10 mg in the morning and am now suffering from withdrawal side effects. The condition is such that with every movement, it feels like an electric shock runs through my body.

I had postpartum depression and took fluoxetine for three months. Then I started getting really bad headaches and was plagued by insomnia, so I stopped taking it. The withdrawal syndrome was something else—panic attacks usually around 4 a.m., nausea, and shaking. But now it's been two weeks, and I feel great. My productivity has increased a hundredfold, and I'm tackling all my tasks with pleasure. My libido has come back twofold. My sleep has normalised. The medication helped me return to a normal life.

I lost 15 kg on it in three months

I took paroxetine for a year, gained 30 kg. It was absolutely dreadful.

Antidepressants are medication with a complex mechanism of action. Reading reviews, it feels like everyone's prescribing them to themselves. No decent doctor would prescribe ADs for just a month or two. ADs are taken for at least half a year. Usually therapy lasts a year, in more complex cases even longer. At the start of taking them, there should be a clear dosage escalation plan, tailored individually with a doctor. Typically ADs start working after 2 weeks to a month, for some improvements only come after 3 months of taking them! Until improvement happens, it'll be unpleasant—that's a given—the chemical makeup of brain cells is changing. How can you take such pills for less than a month without achieving their effect? Withdrawal syndrome is the same story, similar to the feelings at the start of therapy; to minimise symptoms, you need to taper off gradually, reducing the dose. No one ever stops taking ADs abruptly! Don't mislead people with reviews like that, and only take such medications as prescribed by a doctor and under their supervision!

You can't take an antidepressant one-off, like a headache pill. Antidepressants start working after about 2-3 weeks, and all those 'addict-like' side effects pass

I took medication for 6 months. Changed three times, the last one was escitalopram. It's been a month without pills, feeling like behind glass, in a spacesuit, my old self is gone. Waiting for it to pass, but the panic attacks are gone, everything's whatever. If the doctor didn't prescribe it, don't take it on your own.

Hello. I feel compelled to respond. I turned to ADs after having COVID. I started having problems with my legs and insomnia. I was prescribed an antipsychotic and took it for a year. Serious memory issues began, along with disorientation in space. For example, I'd go somewhere and get lost. My appetite disappeared, and I slept poorly. I basically turned into what felt like Alzheimer's disease. And the doctor says I need to take it for much longer. As a result, I started quietly tapering off on my own. And then it began. Tremors, electric shocks in my head, flu-like symptoms—sweating then chills, constantly dizzy, no sleep at all. This went on for a month. It's been three months now, and not everything has passed yet. I poisoned my entire body. Now I'm going to doctors. My intestines and kidneys are failing, and I'm constantly nauseous. That's my experience. I believe they should only be taken by those who can't even get out of bed. And the side effects from them are very serious.

4 years on Paxil. I live with them. Without them, I simply couldn't sleep or live. I would flinch at any noise, etc., etc. Anxiety disorder.

My life has changed a lot since starting antidepressants) The anxiety, fear, phobias, obsessive thoughts, etc., have gone away. My mood is wonderful, I don't even recognise myself), even though I've only been taking them for 3 weeks. (Paroxetine, Quetiapine, Adaptol) Side effects include drowsiness, especially after the evening dose—it's strong and knocks me out instantly. I have no appetite, only in the evening can I eat properly, and I've lost a bit of weight.

I've been taking it for 9 years on a regular basis. This year, I want to try quitting gradually.

Gidazepam isn’t an antidepressant

I took them for 1.5 years, haven't taken them for 4 days now, feeling calm, no withdrawal symptoms. Throughout taking the pills (I took escitalopram and fluoxetine the last month) I gained 5-7 kg. Constantly slept, work efficiency dropped. Just wanted to watch series, sleep and eat :) started taking pills because of panic attacks and dysphagia.

Exactly!