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Ive been on Prozac two separate times. No bad reactions, no bad times going off of it. I would 100% do it again. Sometimes you just need help getting yourself back together again.

I just started Zoloft for a second time today. I had some side effects the first time but they were minor compared to my drastic improvements in mood. I had no issues going off just tapered slowly.

I've been on a few over the span of years. The first time I took Zoloft. I felt like this one was probably the best for me. The only thing I noticed was that I got extremely weepy after a few days off the medication.

A few years later, I was given Celexa. I didn't like it because it made me really lethargic. They switched me to Effexor, which seemed to work great until I wanted to go off the meds. The withdrawal symptoms even happened when I forgot to take a dose. Freaking terrible. There was what was referred to as brain shivers. It felt like my consciousness was about a millisecond behind when I would move my head. And the nausea. It took me a few months to work my way down as far as I could go before I could stop taking it. Even then, I think it was 4-5 days of terrible withdraw.

Small doses of Zoloft were a miracle for me when I was suffering from PPD. I was on such a low dose that coming off of it wasn't a huge drawn out process.

I’ve taken Zoloft several times over the past 15 years to deal with PTSD + depression and PPD. I’ve taken different doses, and the only time I had a negative reaction was when I took a higher dose: one of the side effects of Zoloft in higher doses (for some people) is clenching your jaws at night. I would wake up with horrible headaches every day, so I switched. Zoloft has quite literally been a lifesaver for me, and I’ve never had an issue going off of it, as long as I weaned off slowly/gradually, as they recommend doing anyway. I've never felt "loopy" or extra sleepy while taking it, either.

I also took Effexor for a little over a year recently. It was fine while I was taking it, but the process of getting off of it was a little nightmarish, and I took a very, very low dose to start with. My doctor told me that she sometimes/often has to prescribe another drug to take while you wean off Effexor to combat the withdrawal symptoms and reading online (so, take with a grain of salt), the withdrawal from Effexor is apparently worse than withdrawing from heroin. My doctor did have to prescribe me Zofran to combat the withdrawal nausea I experienced, even though I did an incredibly slow and gradual wean-down of the drug. I will never go back on Effexor just due to the issues I had getting off of it.

@mrs. bird: Paxil is actually one of the worst in terms of withdrawals - Paxil and Effexor. Having withdrawn from Paxil two times and spoken to numerous doctors and other people who have been through withdrawal, I can say Paxil is NOT mild.

@JMOM: I'd suggest talking to a psychiatrist. If you could talk through what you're experiencing and what your concerns with medications are, a good psychiatrist could point you in the right direction for medication/dosage/adjustment schedule. Sometimes it can take a little experimenting to find the right drug, and you just have compare the risks/benefits and decide if it's worth it for you.

@JMOM: I think it's worth a try if you're having trouble. I may have missed this, but are you going to counseling too? I definitely recommend that.

I'm on Lexapro and I have been since after my husbands accident. It was a very traumatic time, as you can imagine. While I normally would've been resistant to trying meds, I gave in easily.

I had some side effects getting on the drug, like constant yawning and feeling emotionally numb, but things evened out pretty fast. I dropped my dose down from 20 mg to 10 mg a few months ago. My only side effect then was I was a little extra emotional for a few days.

Your doctor should he able to help you manage side effects or switch meds if one doesn't work we'll for you. Hope you feel better soon.

@mrs. bird: Actually recent studies show evidence that Paxil has among the highest incidence rates and severity of withdrawal syndrome of any drug in its class. The pharma company was charged by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations for breaching its codes of practice by calling the withdrawal syndrome "mild and short-lived" and the FDA forced the company to acknowledge "severe discontinuation symptoms."

I am talking strictly SSRIs here though, no other psych meds. Paxil and Effexor, according to my team of doctors, are pretty comparable in terms of withdrawal. My psychiatrist actually said Paxil is not widely prescribed anymore since there are so many SSRIs that are better tolerated.

ETA: Also talking strictly withdrawal, not the effects of Paxil on overall long-term health.

Anyway, my point to the OP was if she was looking at an SSRI that has less chance of negative withdrawal symptoms, there are better options than Paxil.

Don't get me wrong, Paxil worked really well for my anxiety and panic disorder, but it's definitely not mild in terms of withdrawal and I wouldn't want to misinform anyone.

I take Lexapro & Wellbutrin and don't have issues with side effects, and definitely find them helpful. If I forget my lexapro for a couple of days, I get withdrawal symptoms, but nothing like I had with Effexor. I hated that stuff! Lexapro targets depression, anxiety and anger. Wellbutrin helps give me the push to get up off the couch / energy level.

Keep in mind that how well anti-depressants work and side effects are very specific to each person. What works for one person may not for another. Some people have awful side effects and others don't. It may take trial and error to find what works best for you.

I have tried Prozac (horrible nightmares), Zoloft (worked well at first, but I plateaued, and I had horrible motion sickness as we adjusted dosage), Effexor (terrible withdrawal if I missed a dose and even if I just took it a few hours later than usual).

With regards to suicidal ideation / attempts - my understanding is that it is well-documented that anti-depressants may make someone who has suicidal ideation feel just better enough to have the energy to carry out their plans. It's not that the drugs themselves make you suicidal, but for people with severe depression or suicidal thoughts, the anti-depressants may give you just enough energy / clarity of mind to do it. While that may not be the case for everyone, it is a known risk and why it's important to combine medication with therapy.

I'm certainly not a doctor, so take my (and anyone else you don't know's) advice with the caution that I can only speak from my personal experience and research.

Effexor is quite powerful. Much more so than ssris like Prozac, lexapro, Zoloft, Paxil. I take lexapro and it has been great.

@JMOM: Maybe pursuing talk therapy would be a good first step?

@JMOM: I just want to say that I second the therapist suggestion as a "first step". Seeing one greatly reduces my anxiety and gives me what I call a professional sounding board for all the crazy stuff going on in my life and she gives me techniques to help deal with it. It definitely grounds me. And she should be able to pick up on if you need a referral to a psychologist for meds

@JMOM: Yeah, you should think about it. Anti-depressants aren't that bad. When you are in need, they can help. You don't have to be dependent upon them if you don't want to. Therapist and psychiatrist tell you that it's not a magic drug, though. You don't take it and automatically feel 100% better. (You might feel 50% better.) You do also have to work with the meds.

I would recommend finding a therapist that you like. I've gone through a few of them. Some of different strategies and some you might not like, period. It's like finding a friend. You have to search to find the right one.

As for psychiatrist, I would lean towards a therapist. I know the can't prescibe meds but psychiatrist that my DH sees has a long wait list. Like weeks or a month wait. I was able to see my therapist once a week. For my anxiety and self esteem issues talk therapy worked for me. It's when I was alone where the anxiety and self esteem & self worth took over my thoughts and snowballed into depression. Talking to a professional helped tease apart and break down why I was having those depressive thoughts.

I think admitting you have an issue is great. I think you are taking the right steps for your well being.

I do think seeing a therapist or psychiatrist would be a good next step. Find someone you like and feel comfortable sharing your thoughts. They should be able to give you a plan and maybe suggest meds if they think it will help.

Feel free to message me if you need anything.

@JMOM: if your dr is recommending it, I certainly don't think it would hurt anything and may be just the thing! Good luck

@redeyedtreefr0g: I do not understand the connection you have made between anti-depressants and drug abuse. All kinds of medications are subject to abuse. It's a pretty insensitive and ignorant correlation to make. My mother has taken a variety of drugs to stay on top of her bipolar disorder, this is the absolute opposite of reckless. I have been on Zoloft my entire adult life and have no qualms about it and have never abused it.
I understand your desire to never be on any mood altering medications and that's fine, but please do not insinuate that people who take them abuse them.

@yoursilverlining: @ballerinabee: I'm glad I'm not the only one who had a terrible experience with Effexor. When I went off it years ago, I feel like the side effects weren't as well documented. My doctor just wrote an Rx for smaller doses and pretty much called me crazy when I tried to explain what I was going through. I've never went back to that doctor. I've never met anyone who's gone through the same thing, so this feels a bit like vindication.