anti depression

[lightyears]

hi all
i know alot of you have ended up at one time or another taking anti depressants, but i was wondering if any of you had taken SERTRALINE tablets, and if so are there any really bad side effects or side deffects
i have been worned that these kind of tablets can couse AKATHISIA or DISTONIA and not always reversable problems, i heard it could mess up motor coordinations
i mean how big a risk is it to take them
take care all
love shechem

[sassieb]

Not sure about that im afraid,, but i have some Fluoxitine (SP?) and im wary of taking them til i have had some feedback.

[tiomet]

The contra-indications shown for SSRI as a group are the same. I took Cipramil for months, which has the same table of contra-infications as Sertraline. Cipramil is thought to be amongst the safest of these types of anti-depressants but has a side effect of messing up short term memory, which can be traumatic. However, it showed no adverse physical effects with me.

A doctor should be able to ask you how sensitive you are to medications and you will know... for instance, if you have a headache do you find that one neurofen type painkiller is sufficient or do you need two?

Your sensitivity will suggest in part how you will respond to an SSRI (this is very simplistic but no less true for that). Because I am highly sensitive to chemicals, I was prescribed Cipramil. Later I was prescribed Seroxat, and I had the most horrendous response, nausea and fainting. However, someone else I met who took it only benefitted. It is very much down to the prescriber to know your profile and anything that you may be taking that will interact. So one person's experience may well not have any relation to your own.

There is a ton of information I found about Sertraline on the web, under its commercial name, Lustral. There is some scary contras shown but only in relation to the SSRI interacting with other drugs.

If you have any concerns regarding the use of this drug, which may require months of ingestion, then you must discuss those fears with your doctor in depth. This is your life and you deserve to have the reprieve from pain but only with the safety of knowing this is the best possible choice for you.

Fluoxetine is also and SSRI with the same list of contras and all the same precautions apply.

I am pasting the list of contras:

What side effects can this medication cause?

Fluoxetine may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

nervousness
difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
upset stomach
dry mouth
sore throat
drowsiness
weakness
shaking hands that you cannot control
loss of appetite
weight loss
changes in sex drive or ability
excessive sweating


Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately:

skin rash
hives
fever
joint pain
swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
difficulty breathing or swallowing
seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist (hallucinating)
seizure
Fluoxetine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Please note that when they say the more serious side effects are uncommon then you totally can believe this and not anticipate you will ever experience them.

Remember that if you ingest chemicals you are introducing something into your system that may upset the balance and most commonly you may find you feel a little nauseous and light headed and may experience some mild insomnia. These are early responses that can disappear as time goes on. Anything more may mean just making a call to your clinic or to the NHS hotline for reassurance or for them so say call in for a check.

The positive effects of SSRI can be profound and for me, I doubt I would have made it through that time at all without them. Remember, you do not have to be on these forever, just to enable and empower you to get through the roughest of times and if you do start taking them you must stay aware and alert to how you are coping and feeling.

I understand you do not want to upset your physical health and in as far as you can avoid it you should not, it is precious, but so is your emotional well-being and only you can really know the balance for you, right now.

Whatever you decide, you have my support and empathy.

[Peaceseeker]

I'm on Flouxetine (prozac) I got mild side effects for about the first 1-2 weeks, I believe that's normal with most AD's.
I think the secret it don't go looking for them! The benefits far out-weigh any side effects I've ever had. Having said that I was once put on an AD beginning with "c", I can't remember what it was called, I lasted 3 days because they were giving me a really dry mouth.
Try them, if after a week or two they don't suit you go back to the doc, he will change them unil they find one to suit you.
Well done for going and getting help, and I hope you feel much better soon. x

[Beth]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sassieb @ 8th July 2006 - 2:05 PM) 177968</div>
Not sure about that im afraid,, but i have some Fluoxitine (SP?) and im wary of taking them til i have had some feedback.
[/b]

wonderful drug! :lol: AKA Prozac!!

not only will it help you feel better but its a demon PMT fighter! :lol: takes a while to get into your system but everyone I know who has taken it cant sing its priases loud enough ;)

Its important to remember that not everone will get the side effects and if you do get side effects it is highly unlikely that you will have more than a few.

side effect lists can look very scary, if they were that bad and dangerous your GP would not suggest you take them :)

[Toots]

I've also taken Prozac, many years back.... I didn't like it or it didn't like me I had some strange side effects but I do hear good things for people it does work for...

[tortoise]

I was on Prozac for six months.I overcame most of the side effects especially the dry mouth by taking them before I went to sleep.

I found them easy to come off too.

Now I take St Johns Wort when I feel a bit low and they work well too. Although you can't take them at the same time as prescribed anti depressantsSt John's Wort information (http://http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Factsheets/Treatments+and+drugs/St+Johns+Wort++-+Hypericum+perforatum.htm)

T xx

[Peaceseeker]

St.Johns Wort is good, but remember that it effects your contraceptive pill!

[sassieb]

I cant get that link to work tortoise as to be honest id much rather take something more natural.
:)

[sassieb]

Thanks dibuzz

:thumbs:

[lightyears]

hi every one hi beth
thank you all so much for your advice


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beth @ 8th July 2006 - 7:33 PM) 178049</div>
wonderful drug! :lol: AKA Prozac!!




side effect lists can look very scary, if they were that bad and dangerous your GP would not suggest you take them :)
[/b]
i am very dubious of taking pills that mess with you head, but espesially ones that come with warnings
mum was normal and healthy, but she was going through her menapause, the gp gave her premique tablets(hrt) treatment, we kept hearing wornings on the news, so mum kept phoning the doctor and asking him if its safe to continue to take them, each time the gp said to ignore the wornings, so mum kept taking them.
when mum had her stroke, the spesialist at the hospital said she couldnt understand how some one so fit and healthy should have a stroke, she asked me if mum had been taking anything, i told her about the hrt
the doctor came back a wile later telling me she believes that the tablets had coursed the stroke :( :( :(
so you cant always relly on your gp's good judgment
i have not made up my mind weather to take these antidepressant thingys
there supposed to relieve some of the anxioty, but just the thought of taking them is making me anxious, what a mess ha :sad:
mum sais if im depressed she will get the iron out and undepress me, mothers!

take care all
love shechem

[Peaceseeker]

Shechem, you could go back to your doctor and voice your concerns but truthfully, they have to list every known side effect and they really are in a very small percentage of people.
I'm ready to come off mine now, they are good for short term use, just enough to get your head together and to be able to deal with one thing at a time - I can understand your concerns, I had the very same, but I'm so glad I used mine because I don't know how I would have coped without them!
Also, have yout thought about counselling? Something else to maybe ask the GP about.

[sassieb]

At the risk of sounding totally dim,, what exactly is it that they do?
Make you feel happy all the time or what
:blink:

[er 59]

this is the best explanation i can find hope it helps



How does it work?

Prozac capsules and liquid contain the active ingredient fluoxetine hydrochloride, which is a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/selectiveserotoninreputakeinhibitors_000147.htm). (NB. Fluoxetine is also available without a brand name, ie as the generic (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/brand_generic.htm) medicine.)

Antidepressant medicines act on nerve cells in the brain. In the brain there are numerous different chemical compounds called neurotransmitters. These act as chemical messengers between the nerve cells. Serotonin is one such neurotransmitter and has various functions that we know of.

When serotonin is released from nerve cells in the brain it acts to lighten mood. When it is reabsorbed into the nerve cells, it no longer has an effect on mood. It is thought that when depression occurs, there may be a decreased amount of serotonin released from nerve cells in the brain.

SSRIs work by preventing serotonin from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells in the brain. This helps prolong the mood lightening effect of any released serotonin. In this way, fluoxetine helps relieve depression.

[sassieb]

Thank you er.. thats very informative and easy to understand.

:thumbs: