Has your life changed after taking 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 there are no side effects, except for constipation, but that only lasted the first 10-14 days. I've been feeling better, and there's no feeling of being "high" or experiencing weakness and poor concentration. Overall, I feel just like I always did before the illness.

I've been taking fluoxetine for 3 months. A year ago, I went through the very difficult loss of a close person and couldn't calm down at all. After starting the medication, I began to view the situation more from a distance. Sometimes pills are necessary, otherwise you could go crazy—it can get so tough. I don't seem to have developed a dependency. If I miss a dose, I don't feel worse, although I've been told it's hard to get off them. Overall, I feel like a calm robot.

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

I have health issues. I often get sick + eczema. I constantly felt down and tearful. I thought I was getting sick because of my nerves or constant thoughts about illnesses. I went to a psychotherapist. He prescribed fluoxetine. I took it for two weeks and stopped. At first, my mood seemed to improve and I felt more cheerful, but I can't describe how physically awful I felt. I was constantly sleepy, felt dizzy and nauseous, felt very sick like 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 the joke about the goat or the pig. When you're just feeling bad, with fluoxetine it became really 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 switched medications. But after this, I thought that maybe I shouldn't have taken them at all. From now on, I'll try to work through it 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 do they require a doctor's prescription?

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, I was at least physically healthy, and with them everything is hazy.

They prescribed me Gidazepam for a while because I was really losing it under stress... I took it for a few days—it was like a fairy tale. Life was beautiful, problems weren't problems anymore, just trivial stuff. My appetite came back, whereas before I couldn't even swallow a bite. I started falling asleep, whereas before I couldn't sleep at all. But then, forgetfulness kicked in—I began forgetting everything everywhere... Honestly, it scared me a bit because it felt like some kind of drug, and I realized it could be addictive. So I decided to only use it for crisis moments... when things get completely overwhelming. Take a pill—and you're in nirvana... But relying on them regularly seems risky; I think it can lead to dependence. 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 a lot of side effects: dilated pupils, like from drugs, my hands shook badly, very light sleep (I could wake up 3-5 times a night), decreased appetite, but my 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, gained 10 kg. And my memory got worse. Plus 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 asking. You can't get addicted to antidepressants because you need to take them 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, they'll prescribe others, and so on. The side effects vary—constipation, memory lapses, etc. I didn't work when I was taking antidepressants. It seems difficult to me to take antidepressants and live a normal life.

I've been taking Rexetin for 9 years, I can't live without it now((( 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 the reviews from drug addicts, I realized that I was taking drugs. The only difference is that addicts take the whole blister pack at once—while I take 3 pills a day as prescribed. I felt like an amphetamine addict (after reading the accounts of those trying to quit amphetamines). It helped (the course lasted 2 weeks). But then, after stopping, the depression intensified tenfold—tears flowed from morning till night, and I felt restless (unable to settle anywhere—couldn’t sit, lie down, or sleep). Horrible. And was it worth it? If the withdrawal is worse than how I felt before... Yes, while taking it—energy overflowing, like walking on the ceiling—but afterward, tears, apathy, and depression—just like with addicts. To hell with it. Better to manage on my own, or maybe just drink some valerian.

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

Apologies for the typos.

Took fluoxetine - it cured my bulimia.
Now I'm taking Mexiprim. It works great.

I've 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 day! I'd like to know how long the drug withdrawal syndrome lasted?

I took Zoloft for six months. My mental state improved tremendously. I stopped imagining problems, the excessive anxiety went away, and I deal with irritating people more easily—basically, life became easier for me. I didn’t experience withdrawal symptoms; I tapered off the medication smoothly. But... my libido completely disappeared, and even two months after stopping, it hasn’t fully returned yet. I’m waiting)). My hair started falling out. Now I’m treating it, using various restorative masks. I think staying on antidepressants for years is a very bad idea because your hormonal balance gets completely reshuffled. Then you’ll spend years recovering from that, too.

And by the way, I lost my craving for alcohol. Like before, I don't feel like drinking anymore. No, I'm not an alcoholic, but I used to love having a drink for an occasion, and now I just don't want to. Maybe because I got used to not drinking while taking it, 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 disappeared. 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 tapered off gradually, for the first 4-6 days after the course I felt a slight coordination disturbance, then it passed. Tell me, how are you doing? Did things improve?

With proper selection. Yes, it helps you live. It lifts your mood, calms you down, instills optimism, without changing your personality. It's not noticeable during use.
After stopping, if the life situation doesn't change, everything returns to how it was.

Fluoxetine didn't work for me (happens often) - nausea, nervous state, fears got worse, insomnia. On the plus side - it completely kills your appetite, you lose weight. Stopped after 6 days. Got prescribed other ones.

Not suitable for everyone. On the plus side—it suppresses appetite. The downside—it may intensify fears, phobias, anxiety, and insomnia. Didn't work for me.

I take them periodically. Everything is getting better. For depression, I use Phenibut from the US brand SNS Smart Powders or Fluoxetine from the same brand. 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, everything's fine, 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 taking Cipralex for the second year now and I feel great. The thing is, the worse 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 now I'm suffering from withdrawal side effects. I feel like every movement sends an electric shock through my body.

I had postpartum depression, took fluoxetine for 3 months, then started having severe headaches and insomnia—so I stopped taking it. Withdrawal syndrome was something else: panic attacks usually around 4 a.m., nausea, shaking. But now it's been 2 weeks, I feel great, my productivity has increased a hundredfold, I do everything with pleasure. My libido has come back double. Sleep has normalized. The medication helped me return to a normal life.

I lost 15 kg on it in three months

I took Paxil for a year, gained 30 kg. It was awful.

Antidepressants are medications with a complex mechanism of action. Reading reviews, it feels like everyone is prescribing them to themselves. No decent doctor would prescribe an antidepressant for just a month or two. Antidepressants are taken for at least half a year. Usually, therapy lasts a year, and in more complex cases, even longer. At the start of treatment, there should be a clear dosage titration plan, tailored individually with a doctor. Typically, antidepressants start working after 2 weeks to a month, and for some, improvements only come after 3 months of use! Until improvement happens, it'll be unpleasant—that's a given—the chemical composition 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 minimize symptoms, you need to taper off gradually by reducing the dose. No one ever stops taking antidepressants abruptly! Don't mislead people with reviews like that, and only take such medications as prescribed by a doctor and under their supervision!

Antidepressants can't be taken occasionally, like a headache pill. Antidepressants start working after about 2-3 weeks, and all those 'addictive' side effects go away

I took meds 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 panic attacks are gone, everything feels indifferent. If the doctor didn't prescribe it, don't take it on your own.

Hello. I really want to respond. I turned to ADs after 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, disorientation in space. Like, I'd go somewhere and get lost. My appetite disappeared, I slept poorly. I basically turned into someone with Alzheimer's. And the doctor says I need to take it for a very long time. As a result, I started tapering off quietly 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 lasted a month. It's been three months now, and not everything has passed yet. I poisoned my whole body. Now I'm going to doctors. My gut is messed up, my kidneys, 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 just 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., are gone. My mood is wonderful, I don't even recognize 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 intense and knocks me out instantly. I have no appetite, I can only eat normally in the evening, 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 is not an antidepressant

I took it for 1.5 years, haven't taken it for 4 days now, feeling calm, no withdrawal symptoms. While on the pills (I took escitalopram and fluoxetine the last month), I gained 5-7 kg. I was constantly sleeping, work efficiency dropped. I just wanted to watch series, sleep, and eat :) Started taking the pills because of panic attacks and dysphagia.

Exactly!