Posted on 01/14/2013 2:20:53 PM PST by Lima_Two_Zero_Alpha
Does anybody have any positive stories about the use of antidepressants? My doctor wants to put me on them because of chronic pain, but after everything I've read on FR I'm scared to death of them.
Sorry for the vanity, but I can't think of a better bunch of folks to get feed-back from.
Also called brain zaps and brain shivers, though I thankfully didn't ever experience them.
Anyway, back to SAM-e (Nature Made is a good brand), studies show about equivalent effectiveness to SSRIs and is generally well tolerated. It is not inexpensive, however. The only side effect I have is increased visual floaters, which is common with prescription antidepressants also. Read up on the methylation cycle.
Other OTC antidepressant such as St. John's Wort and 5-HTP make me worse. YMMV.
About ten years later, I asked for it again for another medical condition, and couldn’t tolerate it at all.
Very bad reaction, very first dose.
If you trust your doctor, give it a try.
But monitor yourself closely, and it doesn’t hurt to also have a close friend or family member do so, along with your doctor, especially the first few days and weeks, and again when you are ending the treatment.
Once the gubmint gets total control of medical records they will use that info to deny 2nd amendment rights individually. I would be very cautious taking any medications that are not life sustaining.
Well it also depends on the individual, some people are more sensitive to side effects than others.
I suffer from a condition called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, it is very painful.
I can tell you that just about nothing I know of will wear you down faster, or ruin your quality of life as much as chronic pain will.
I am being treated with Cymbalta and Lyrica as well, both with wonderful results.
Anti-depressants help to adjust your brains perception of pain, and that is why it is used.
Amytriptyline can induce sleepiness, or “fogginess” in quite a few people. It is a good med for pain, but one that should be taken at bedtime.
I will tell you that I am also a Medical Technician, and know a great deal about medications, as I dispense them for a living.
You have nothing to lose by trying a med to see if it works for you, don’t “nay say” it without trying it first.
Every single med you take from aspirin on up, does something over and above what you want it to do.
That doesn’t mean that it may affect YOU adversely.
Give it a try and good luck!
After having my son I had a bout of post-partum psychosis, complete with hallucinations. My doctor put me on Nortriptyline and I really believe that it saved my life. The trick was to step it up GRADUALLY and bring it down GRADUALLY. I was on the peak dose for only nine months.
As far as I was concerned, it was like wearing a cast while a broken leg was healing. Once the break healed, I could let the cast and crutches go.
My friend is doing great on Zoloft.
I did have a terrible time on Prozac. It left me suicidal.
Everyone is different. As long as your doctor is very careful and as long as you’re aware of the dangers, I’d try it. Just know, if you start having negative side effects, don’t keep pushing the drug. Side effects don’t improve with time. (That is a myth)
I was on and off anti depressants for 20 years and also had chronic body pain the last 7 yrs or so. I was at the massage therapist, chiropractor and/or acupuncturist every week.
Then my husband got fibromyalgia (also chronic body pain). We hit every main stream and outskirt doctor that existed, all to no avail. They all wanted to put him on steroids or pain killers, etc. I started doing MASSIVE research and found that all of his body pain was due to magnesium deficiency. We put him on double the RDA of mag malate and I, simultaneously, started taking it too. His body pain went completely away and I went off anti depressants and never went back to the other 3. This was 6 years ago.
Magnesium is a TRUE miracle from God. Remember, from the dust we are made...dust is dirt and dirt is minerals and mag is the most important mineral we need.
My back is completely destroyed and I was going to have to take disability and quit working. My doc tried for 2 years to get me to try the Cymbalta but I refused, not believing an antidepressant would help acute back pain. When the pain got so bad I finally told her I would try it. Took it at bedtime and in the morning the shooting pains down the back of my legs was gone. Been taking it ever since.
Cymbalta used to be an “off-label” for pain, but now is actually on label. My only problem was taking the full dose at night gave me such horrible indigestion I couldn’t stand it. Plus, it would seem to stop working in less than 24 hours. Now I take 1/2 the dose twice a day and it works like a charm.
The back pain is still awful and constant, and getting worse each month, but the shooting pains are gone most of the times. Once in a while the weather will trigger a bad day, but mostly I can live with it for now. I know I will eventually have to take disability, but each month I can stay self-sufficient is a happy month for me.
I told my doc that after my mistrust of her suggestion on the Cymbalta that if she told me eating raw frogs would relieve my back pain, I eat as many as she prescribed.
So, moral of the story? Work with your doc and keep communication lines open.
Hi Lima_Two_Zero_Alpha, there are lots of success stories with anti-depressants. I’ve known people that were in really dark places, finally went to the doctor, got on various mental health drugs and made near full recoveries. I also suspect it is true that, like many other drugs, they are over prescribed in many cases.
I wouldn’t be afraid to try them. If you don’t like the results, just let your doctor know and try something different. Once you start, make sure to keep regular check ups so your doctor can monitor you.
Started out with Paxil...No problems...Doc switched me to Citalopram 40mg a number of years ago...No side effects...No problems...Not buzzed up nor am I drowsy...
My daughter has a genetic condition which has caused muscle pain her entire life. At 23, the pain became intense. A after several pain medications, an antidepressant brought some relief. It took trying several types to get one that worked without putting a lot of pounds on her.
I have had a good experience with Lexapro._
Reactions to antidepressants vary from person to person, from one medication to another, and even over time. The mechanisms of action are not well-understood. I am aware of recent and ongoing studies of antidepressants for shingles pain, which has few good treatment options.
Cymbalta
Well, they advertise that a lot on tv. I think ultimately you’re better off getting a second (or third) opinion from other doctors. At best, you can try the med on a trial period for a month to see if there’s any positive or negative reactions.
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