any one on SSRI and doing great....no side effects etc ??

[MissJo]

Iam still not sold on the ssri deal.....   I see all the weight gain issues sexual side effects etc        Is it just some people that get bad symptoms and others not ???   I know my shrink says not everyone has a hard ime getting off benzos....yet I read all over the internet how hard they are to get off.....   so I figure same with ssri...     otherwise why would all these people be on the forums having issues with the ssri and benzos ??? 

[akavy4]

I'm on celexa now and the only side effects I got were some nausea and loss of appetite which made me lose weight so I wasn't complaining. no sexual side effects...headaches every once in a while. the only real problem is I still don't think I am all the way back to normal and I've been on it for almost 6 months now...

[ShopKeeperTriumphs]

I've been on 20 Mg's of Paxil, and so for it's been giving me a little relief of my anxiety. I can definitely tell when I forget to take a dose, or run out for a few days. No severe side effects, haven't gained any weight, and I'm sure you won't with proper diet and exercise. No sexual side effects, though I definitely had them with Zoloft. Only thing I've encountered is slight headaches every so often, which is annoying, but manageable. But that's just me.
It all depends on the specific SSRI, dosage, and person, really.

[d-marie]

I'm on sertraline 25mg (zoloft) for 8 weeks now,  anxiety is gone,  I had very little side effects starting it,  basically dry mouth,  and the soles of my feet would feel clammy,  that's all went away 
I've had no problems with weight gain,  I sleep great at night,  I take it in the morning with something light like a slice of toast,  for the first 4 days I felt a little groggy for an hour after taking it, then felt fine the rest of the day.. 

I do believe side effects are different for everyone,   one thing I did when I started it was not look the medication up on the internet.   I just listened to what the pharmacist listed as the most common side effects,  and left it at that..  and honestly have no complaints about it..
Hope that helps!

[Carryon]

Congratulations to all above who have been proactive with their lives and ignored the fearmongers all around with axes to grind. Better living through chemistry.

[MissJo]

well i wish i had someone warn me of the xanax my dr put me on daily....when i never had a day of anxiety !!!  I didnt know any better....  I swear its what lead to my anxiety i now get...and all the dizziness an blurry vision... 

[pauly j]

I have been on Prozac (generic)over 10 years ago!  I honestly did not have any trouble going on or off them!  I was also on Ativan (benzo)at the same time taken as needed!  This too gave me no trouble going on or off of it!  I guess the reason I did well going on/off of these were because I did not know anything about medications at that time!  What I mean is, I did not know that there were suppose to be side effects going on them, nor did I know that you are suppose to wean off of them slowly!  I took the medication as prescribed, and felt improved, then just stop taking them both, cold turkey, with no bad effects! 

Your belief system has the ability to override the effects of any medication!  If you think your going to get side effects, chances are you will, if you don't think you will get side effects, chances are you won't! 

I guess today, knowing much more about anxiety and medications, I "expect" to get side effects and withdrawl symptoms, because of all the "new" information that I gathered!

I often wondered how "Ignorance is Bliss," could be a true statement!  In this case of knowing too much, as in anxiety, medication, and its effects, this statement holds true! 

Today I am on a different class of antidepressants, called tricylics!  I have been on them for about 3 months now!  It has taken away my panic attacks, allowed me to sleep again, reduced my general anxiety about 95%, and lifted my depression!  Do I believe in medication?  Absolutely! It has given me my life back, and am now able to do all the things that I couldn't have if not for it! 

As for side effects with my medication, just some dry mouth, and some weight gain (but I blame this for my lazy butt slacking off in exercising!) Eventually I would like to get off of them, but the unknown result of this is still something that I have to deal with!

If you weigh the pros and the cons, you will find that if taking medication will be right for you! 

Good luck!


pauly j

[MissJo]

i didnt even know i was having issues from the xanax.....i all of a sudden started having weird symptoms.....   i was in tolerance...   it was horrible...  a million tests done and all were clear.... it was the benzo.... 

[Carryon]

well i wish i had someone warn me of the xanax my dr put me on daily....when i never had a day of anxiety !!!  I didnt know any better....  I swear its what lead to my anxiety i now get...and all the dizziness an blurry vision... 

And why did he put you on you on it? Have you adjusted the dose or stopped taking it?

[Grandma]

Hi MissJo -

I have been taking SSRIs for over 20 years.  I have only had side effects once. 

You need to stop listening to anonymous people on questionable internet sites and start listening to medical professionals.

And you need to draw a clear line between benzos and SSRIs.  You say that you know the difference, yet you keep using arguments against benzos to bolster your hesitation to try SSRIs.

Grandma

[MissJo]

So is this a questionable sight ???        I know the difference b/w a benzo and ssri and snri and trycyclic etc.....    now....  back in 1998 I didnt !!!   I know waaay too much....more than I want to know.   It seems as if every one reacts differently any how to the meds period.  I just  came on here to get some more insight on anxiety and ssri's.    Well trusting a dr was what lead me down this road.... said xanax was safe...fine....my Grandma takes it...well... she never warned me of how extremely addicting it is....and develops into a dependency...and has withdrawal from Hell !! So yes...I am hesitant on more psych drugs period !!! Maybe you are my doctors grandma ????         I was put on xanax for stress in dental school...slight dizziness and HBP.... no anxiety at all..... never have my entire life. ...  until being on same dose of xanax for so long.   I used valium to wean off....took me 18 months.....  I was off a year and used progesterone hormone cream and it tossed me into a cold tuekey benzo w/d state.... I was dieing....   so after a year off benzo I had to start again....on valium 6 mg day....   i have interdose w/d sx...blurriness in rt eye..fogginess...and more... it did this to me last time also....   it stopped when i got offf the benzo....  sooooo   I am not wanting to open another can of worms to deal with....   thats why I ask about experiences with  ssri's    i am not here to argue....just get some insight ~

[sarah3]

I've been on 10mg of Lexapro for almost 2 months now. I did notice a decrease in sex drive for the first few weeks but it has gone away. No weight gain thankfully...no side effects at all! I feel a lot less anxious and I notice more improvement each day. I feel like I'm on the road to recovery and Lexapro has helped tremendously.

[revolution724]

Yeah, me.  I just posted in the other thread.  I've gained maybe 5 pounds, but the sex drive still works and my mental health is tons better.

[Irishmanwrites]

 Great to read continued good news stories.

Well done again Revolution and Sarah.

Just reading Pauly J and Carry on posts from a little while ago and I realise we are lucky to have clear and wise posters.

Our belief system overriding effects of meds is something that all the anxious HA sufferers should focus on, not googling their fears