What should I expect from anti-depressant?

[goodbyemountainman]

I began to take Zoloft 2 days ago. Very low dose: half a pill everyday So far the feeling and all the size effects I'm having have fitted to what my psychiatrist described. I don't feel very sad, nor very happy all the time, just numb. I have been more activated, although in a kinda unconscious way. I feel nauseated, dizzy and hungry all the time. And my sex drive is much lower (I usually jerk off 4 times every days, now I haven't done so for 2 days).

So far that's all I got. I want to ask if anyone have taken or took Zoloft or other anti-depressants: do all of these conditions stay with you the whole time you taking the drug, or they would go away after while? And is it safe for me not taking a day off from it? Any other advice you think you can give me from your experience, please do write. I appreciate all. Thanks.

 

[Horschallen]

About 15 years ago I was on Zoloft for about a month and quit taking the medication without asking the doctor. One of the symptoms that I hated was numbness while having sex or masturbating. With that symptom, it took me a very long time to finally climax and many times I gave up before I achieved it. I also sweat a lot on the bed while jerking off. It was not the only reason why I quit Zoloft... there were other issues, as well.

 

[goodbyemountainman]

About 15 years ago I was on Zoloft for about a month and quit taking the medication without asking the doctor. One of the symptoms that I hated was numbness while having sex or masturbating. With that symptom, it took me a very long time to finally climax and many times I gave up before I achieved it. I also sweat a lot on the bed while jerking off. It was not the only reason why I quit Zoloft... there were other issues, as well.

Anti-depressant is such a pain in the ass, isn't it? I know I'm taking it right now, but only because I have no other choice. The first time I meet my psychiatrist a year ago, I chickened out because I didn't want to take it. My therapy, my college advisor, and my doctor had to encourage me a quite long time to take it. But now...I can't even feel sad about making that decision. Should I stick a little bit longer to see if thing will improve or should I talk about this to my doctor?

 

[KaraBulut]

Two days is a little early to really know whether the drug is going to work for you. It does take your mind and body a couple of weeks to fully equilibrate.

Zoloft is not known particularly to cause nausea- it's usually others like Paxil that are known to trigger nausea. But you could be one of the people who has has an unusual side effect, though.

The "numbness" is a common feature of these drugs. SSRIs and SNRIs do cause a feeling of detachment. In time, the detachment does become more of a feeling of normalcy although quite a few people still say that they feel like they have traded both depression and elation for something in the middle that is neither happy nor sad.

Give it a few more days. All of the uptake inhibitors start with side effects that should lessen as you level off and adjust to the medication. But don't be surprised if it takes 2 or 3 tries at different anti-depressants before you find the right one.

 

[grady26]

Been there, done that!

Any anti-depressent usually takes about two weeks to take any effect.

Give it time. It will help.

And a caution, when you feel you no longer need to take the medicine, check with your doctor. You should come off the anti-depressent gradually to avoid some unkind side effects.

 

[Paws]

What should I expect from anti-depressant?

Nothing positive except all the side effects. You're being fooled by the pharmaceutical industry.

 

[Fritos]

on paxil for 2 weeks so far, feeling nothing but mild stomach pains. Doctor said might take up to a month or 2 to take a effect. Which seems a kind of stupid to me, But dont got much choice, just hope I can last that long.

 

[jimm04]

Nightmares...

 

[laikaNYC]

Word of advice: don't take it on an empty stomach or you'll puke!

 

[Croynan]

going off and on with these meds is not a wise idea and keep your dr. totally informed as to what you are doing.

eM

 

[maxpowr9]

Nothing positive except all the side effects. You're being fooled by the pharmaceutical industry.

In some cases this can be true. If your depression is caused by something that is out of your control (family is usually the prime reason) an anti-depressant will deal with the symptoms but would not resolve the core problem, therefore a relapse is highly probable.

Anti-depressants usually take about 2 weeks to a month for the full effect to kick in. Besides the zombie/apathetic feeling, it really helps you concentrate better. The only major physical side effect I experienced when I was on it (I took Prozac) in high school was dry skin.

 

[thermodynamics]

I've been on Effexor (SNRI) for 6 years with great results. The only side effect is night sweats/vivid dreams, but the frequency varies widely.

The newest class (SNRI) seem to have the best therapeutic/side effect ratio.

 

[jackrabbit]

I honestly think a lot of the side effects you are experiencing are psychological. Side effects rarely start that quickly. They will gradually increase, but then begin tapering off the longer you are on the medication. The "new" SNRI medications are good, but they are also a lot more potent. Prozac, obviously, is one of the oldest SSRIs, and I have found in my professional experience (as a psychologist) and in my own experience, it was a great medication. I was fortunate to have the VERY rare side effect of weight loss, which was good, since I was overweight. I have also tried Celexa and found good results.
Wellbutrin can be easily abused (which is why it is not prescribed in the California Department of Corrections), and this is the case with other anti-depressants such as Remeron, Effexor, and Cymbalta.
Give it time, though. You shouldn't expect a miracle "the sun is always shining" effect. THat simply wont' be the case. The best course of action withy psychopharmacology is to combine any medication with regular individual counseling. The goal of these medications is to elevate your mood to a higher baseline, so you can be more realistic about your situation and obviously less depressed. At this point, you can begin to work through the core issues/causes of your depression. You should also note that organic depression, meaning a more biologically based depression, is very rare and it is more likely the direct result of life situations that need to be addressed in a healthy way. Research shows a combination of anti-depressants and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most effective treatment for depression.

Good luck!