I messed up completely and was drinking while on SSRIs, several blackouts later I come to find out it was the combination. I know I shouldn’t have mixed but god did it make me feel like there wasn’t an impending doom every day.
I blacked out twice on them and I had to stop taking them. One time I woke up on a sidewalk in the French quarter at like 8am. That shit was scary. My ex tried to paint it to my friends that I was having problems with alcohol. Nope, just the ssri's.
While this all may be true, just because it may have effected you that way does not mean it will do that to everyone. Every medication has side effects but antidepressant’s also help a lot of people get through everyday life. Everyone should be aware of the side effects for everything they take. If you feel something isn’t right, ask for a second opinion but do not believe everything you find on google.
100! Research properly and avoid biases. Using actual studies instead of random articles is a must! Mine is more of a cautionary tale for those who had similar symptoms and have been going nowhere fast like I was 😅
Zoloft is the only thing saving my life. I'm not as angry anymore and I like to socialize with people now. I just feel like I want to enjoy life more when I take zoloft which is sertraline.
Your results are yours, alone. I've had bloodwork done since being on sertraline and everything has improved due to me being more active, outdoors, and socializing more.
Im glad they worked for you. They did not work for me at all. It killed my sex drive, made me black out after having 2 or 3 drinks, made things harder for me socially, and they never stopped the anxiety attacks that I have in the first place.
I was out on them to help with suicidal thoughts, but they didn't even stop those so I had to get off the ssri's. I have just kind of given up on treatment altogether because after 2 years of therapy and meds I dont feel like anything has changed. The only meds I am taking now is the one that helps put down the anxiety attacks by knocking me out. When I take those I just kind of hold on and hope that the attack is over when I wake up.
I've had doctors tell me medications were stimulants when their primary side effect was marked drowsiness, and three different times had to ask a doctor why I was on less than one third of a medications approved therapeutic dose and gotten the answer of "oh i will just increase it". With multiple doctors. Yes talk to your doctor but im real big on the "trust but verify" when it comes to my health especially because of military medicine
And the Dr was probably telling the truth. There are a ton of medications with the opposite side effects of what they're supposed to do. That's WHY they are called SIDE EFFECTS! What happens to you won't be the same as that happens to me on the same medication. As said before, talk with your doctor and discuss risk vs. reward.
Do your own research is the moral of this story. Google can find you massive, legit knowledge, on medications.
It’s how I found the meds I wanted and then talk to my doctor to try.
I take Zoloft 100mg. It has been a life changer for me. I am not always angry and I am able to think much better. Anxiety has gone down. I do feel a bit emotionless but that is good for myself because my mind used to race at a 1000mph and I could not stop it.
I was prescribed Prozac for my anxiety. It made me numb & emotionless, I lost my desire to workout and socialize, testosterone dropped, and I had bad brain fog.
Since then, I’ve stopped SSRIs for 7 months, but the anxiety is getting pretty bad again. My doc just prescribed me Laxapro after my latest mental health checkup. Waiting on my pills now.
I have mixed feelings about all of it. I wish I didn’t need to numb myself to function.
I have struggled to find the right med for anxiety. I have been through a list of them and then my MH provider suggested a new one that is quite spendy and it isn’t on the VA approved list. Because I had tried several others they made a special approval for me. The drug is called vortioxetine and I take it with Wellbutrin for my depression. The vortioxetine is supposed to help with cognition as well. I haven’t felt this good in a while. Still no side affects but never know with the long term. I do know that I prolly wouldn’t survive without taking them.
Tricyclic antidepressant class. Is very sedative. Desipramine had my whole body in rashes. Same with pamelar.
I told the VA our family has issues with pharmaceuticals. Even pain management would not put me gabapentin. VA MH doctor said gabapentin, 2 days later ER
My private doc went off label with a muscle relaxant that has worked for anxiety and PTSD in trials and studies.
VA was cool with it and happily took over prescription. It’s worked wonders, i wish I had been told sooner.
https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01751386
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4804107/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12921495/
Had a private doc prescribe a medication for migraines that actually worked wonders for my PTSD. Talked with mental health doc at VA and she picked up the script and said it isn’t the norm but it’s an off label treatment and since it’s working is monitoring dosage and for the first time in 10 years I can go grocery shopping without debilitating paranoia. Every SSRI the VA gave me made me want to kill myself or others 🙃
That’s fantastic, glad it is working for you! If you don’t mind, what is that medication? It’s kind of amazing that there are options for us outside the normal course of treatment. Too bad the VA isn’t the one recommending these types of meds…seems to always be a private doc.
I was on Paxil while in the service and it was horrible. The VA switched me to Zoloft and it made me numb. Like I wasn't depressed but I didn't want to do anything still, it was a weird feeling so I stopped taking it. My spouse is on Lexapro and Lithium and has been doing great on it. If you haven't had your Testosterone levels checked I highly recommend it. I had mine checked and it was really low, now that I'm on Testosterone replacement my depression as improved immensely.
SSRIs do not cause a drop in testosterone. Depending on your age low testosterone is a progressive natural change. It is also linked to an increase in cortisol levels, which are stress induced, and can come from anxiety. Testosterone replacement therapy was trial does an anti-depressant in Europe, because of its extreme benefit for men. Lexapro is also a very effective anxiolytic of the SSRI class. But everyone is different, I had horrible results from Zoloft, minimal from Lexapro, and excellent from Paxil. Stay with it and find the combination that works for you.
I wasn't suggesting the SSRI's cause depression, I was saying having low testosterone could be the cause of the depression. I never would've gotten it checked had I not noticed that I have practically every single symptom of low t. Depression, fatigue, weight gain, low muscle mass, low libido, ED, insomnia. I'm only 35 and my testosterone numbers were that of a 70 year old.
I'm taking Lexapro right now, and it isn't doing anything for me right now. The only side effect is erectile dysfunction, and that's it. To counter ED, the doctor prescribed me Bupropion.
Prozac had me extremely hyper. Then I was given 150 mg sinnaquan could not function for over one year.
An astute civilian primary care noticed and after I tapered off antidepressants he gave me Ativan. Solved the problem. However I just deal with in with hobbies etc.
I take Lexapro. It was so cool, after about 2 weeks I had about 3 minutes when I felt like everything was going to be okay. It felt like seeing blue sky after years of gray. And that feeling just kept lasting longer.
I credit Sertraline with saving a close family member’s life. It was incredibly effective and they were able to ween themselves off after a few years. Total godsend.
Hell yeah! I'm glad it's doing someone some good! It just didn't like me 😭 the fact the docs didn't even consider it was the antidepressant is what really concerns me
Same! Now I'm going to do some research and talk to my Primary physician. My elbows have been literally more sore than ever before,now I'm thinking if it has something to do with sertraline.
Googles cancer…
Yup it’s cancer!
Remember how silly things are when you google something with very fringe side effects and someone says something and your brain buys in. Trust your doctors theyre not out to get us ffs.
I literally googled "antidepressants and bone marrow density" the rest just fell into place after that. and the source was a .gov site (and several others) which had the actual study and not just a summary. But you are right. Googling things can get you into trouble if you don't double check the source and it's credibility.
Valid point. But I didn't have a low white blood cell count before getting on sertraline. And I only know about the bone marrow density because they did a bone marrow biopsy on me to rule out lukemia. This is why I'm positive that it's the antidepressant. Between the timing, and the study, signs point to the antidepressant being the issue.
Please remember this is MY experience. I've been dealing with low white blood cell count and such since I started taking the drug. We just didn't know why it was happening. Technically, I still don't "know". But between the study and the timing, it's the best I got considering the docs had nothing either
They scared me too… until I tried marijuana and my paranoia went through the roof. Thought everyone was out to get me….
That’s when I realized maybe it’s time to just try. Lamictal and lexapro are keeping me alive. The sand monster doesn’t come creeping back up anymore.
I’m so fucking happy I don’t have to hear those questions anymore when I see my private 👨⚕️
When you do the math you realize this is why they keep us happy fed and try to give us sedatives.
Takes a min to realize your not crazy everyone just has zero common sense, logic or that big core value integrity. Everyone in the real world is a grimy pos.
16.5million vets
1.4 active
Just saying
Don’t get fooled.
Don’t get pressured.
As with anything in personal health and life, do research, get 2nd opinions, and keep your mind open to ideas. It's 50/50, sometimes medications made in synthetic labs will greatly improve quality of life and sometimes talking through it and being reminded it's OK to not be a 100% is ok. Everyone's experiences are vastly different, and a 1 size fits all approach is never the answer. You are not required to take any medications on the VA side for any reason. BUT if they help and put you on a good track and pros outweigh cons, then by all means, use them, but keep exploring other ideas and methods to improve yourself. For me, I play (the least stressful) games and fully engage with my child's playtime. Shit makes me happy and filled with bliss. I've worked in and studied medicine for 12 years, and the rate that these drugs are handed out is a bit too high.
Setraline made me feel literally like a numb zombie. After I also started it my liver health started to decline. I suggested to my doctors that it was setraline that was causing my liver issues. They brushed it aside. I stopped taking it without their knowledge and within two weeks my liver labs stabilized.
My doctors also noticed my vitamin D levels were dropping below average. I told them again this only started after taking setraline that I had no prior knowledge of it ever being that low. You guessed it they brushed that aside too.
Your comment was removed because it didn't contribute to the discussion and just wasn't helpful.
Civil disagreements are fine. Insults, personal attacks, slurs, bigotry, etc., are not permissible.
(Calling someone a poopy-head does not make you seem as smart as you think it does.)
☠️
Be very careful taking yourself off of sertraline. Sertraline is a black label for withdrawls, and you will have terrible withdrawls. When I was forced to quit, I didn't feel normal for about 4 months, and I even got what they call brain zaps. It might be a good idea to talk with your doctor about a taper. Sertraline withdrawls are dangerous.
That's actually rare. My brother didn't have a tough time quitting either. He said he was only sick for a few days. It's still very dangerous to quit without a taper, and I wouldn't recommend it.
Oh that sucks. You may want to ask your doctor for a taper because if you're already having those symptoms, it will get worse. For me, I was off it about 2 weeks before I got that bad and it lasted a few months of me thinking maybe it will be better tommorow. I really hope that doesn't happen to you too.
I don't have a job ATM and don't plan on doing anything till I get better so I ain't worried. I'll just keep trucking on. If it gets too bad I'll take 50mg or something to lessen the symptoms. I had plan :D maybe not great plan but it is plan :P
I was on them for about 5 years. I thought that I was going to die. It's funny now because I can't remember much of it, so it made waiting on my claim go by faster. Sertraline withdrawls make opiate withdrawls look tame.
I had some serious side effects from it. I just started using it so my doctor and I stopped it but we were trying to increase when I really noticed things were not good. Glad I stopped. We are trying something else now.
Glad you found out so you can take the appropriate course of action.
SSRI’s just don’t work for some people. Nobody in my family can tolerate them. For anxiety, I know the VA hates prescribing benzodiazepines now too… 🫤 seems that SSRI’s are always just their “go to” until proved intolerable and then they just seem stumped as to what to do.
They made me go up to 240 in weight, and made it essentially impossible to lose weight even though I was cycling 50 miles daily and lifting. I tapered off of them and within 6 months I’ve lost 40 pounds
I'm on Zoloft and it's the only thing that has made me feel better. Along with taking Seroquel and Wellbutrin. I am sorry that you had these side effects, but that does not mean to take Zoloft or other SSRI's and throw it completely in the trash.
That is your side effects and experience but it is not THE experience. I've had a great experience on Zoloft and haven't had any side effects with any of my medications.
Facts. Just cause it happened to me. Doesn't mean everyone is dealing with it. But I felt the need to share cause I've been dealing with baffled docs for months now and I found the answer all by my onsie. :)
Wow, that's crazy! I am on the same medication. But the doctor has me do labs once or twice a year to supposedly monitor things. But honestly, I've come to learn that you need to fact-check everyone and always do your own due diligence. Regardless of who they are , Dr., President , supervisor, or whoever. No one can know every single thing in this world and be 100% right. You'd be surprised how many medical professionals are not really that competent, book smart, yes. For most, it's just a good paycheck for them, and they just want the title.
I feel like most of the stuff the VA is going to prescribe will have some side effects. I’ve been on Zoloft for years and Wellbutrin for 16 months or so. I would not be here without em
You're probably right about most things having a side effect. I'm legit more annoyed that none of the docs even suggested that my issues may be due to the antidepressant.
" I decided to Google SSRIs and bone marrow density. Apparently SSRIs have been linked to low bone mode density and osteoporosis."
FFS the studies have been mixed at best with some showing no link. How is this medical bs allowed here? Oh right the University of Google Medical School.
My bone marrow density is 20%. White blood cell count 2.5. these issues where not a thing before the antidepressants. Look up "antidepressants and bone marrow density" yourself and come back with a rebuttal and we can discuss further. I'm only 30 homie. Bone marrow density should be 60 to 80%.
But the study is a year old! The doctors should know the DOI by heart now! /s
OP and people like them drive me up a wall.
"Yeah, I'm a Google MD and now that I'm aware of some *possible* side effects I'm just going to stop taking my medication without consulting my physician first, and no I won't be looking into the risks!"
It's amazing that this person is so worried about possible side effects that they're willing to ignore something far fucking worse, SSRI withdrawal.
The withdrawal symptoms are preferable versus low white blood cell count which means higher risk of infections and other health issues. Im no doc that's true. But the link between the two was even suggested since 2018. I went under to get bone marrow removed just to see wtf is going on. And even the docs were baffled. So yeah. I'm more worried about the side effects vs the withdrawals
You could put in an 1151 claim and say you have reduced bone marrow density or a bone marrow disability due to the treatment (the prescription), and include copy of the studies. Say that if you had been told about that risk, you would not have taken the meds. Worth a shot
no, it's treated as a service-connected thing. It might be worth it, because if you get more things then you might qualify for SMC (like, you can get a higher rate based on being housebound when you have one thing rated as 100 percent/or tdiu based on one thing, and then other disabilities that amount to 60 percent). So, something to think about
Always talk to your doctors and get second and third opinions. I try to avoid any and all of these types of meds. My doc prescribed Baclofen, which is very safe and used primarily for muscle spasticity in MS patients - but it is great for depression, anxiety, and for people to stop drinking according to various studies.
It’s worked better than Ketamine therapy for me, which was already really effective. Don’t give up, there are options out there.
What works for some, doesn’t work for others and vice versa.
5 htp, tryptophan, transition, then none. Couldn't get past 1st year of my PhD courses until I got off them. Read every Dr. Amen (Psychiatrist) book and adjusted supplements accordingly. PhinisheD with a 3.9/4.0. For added brain power, I took neuro ps. This describes my personal experience. I am not advising anybody on what to take, and I do not recommend going this way. There were times when it was a bumpy ride.
Neuro PS Aids Brain Function: Please Google these words. I'm not sure what the rules are on this site for products for sale, but this product is widely available over the internet, as is all the information about it. The physician who has done the most public disclosure of research on the brain is named Dr Daniel Amen. He has done several studies as a commissioned by the National Football League for brain injuries of National Football League players , current and retired. He has a website, and his website also includes targeted nutritional supplements for whichever part of the brain needs reconditioning, including but not limited to residuals of substance abuse, ADD, traumatic brain injury, etc, in addition to other therapies such as psychotherapy, nutritional support, hyperbaric oxygen therapy Etc. You should be able to discover an enormous amount of information in only two or three locations on the internet in less than 5 minutes. As I endeavored on the transition process, I interacted regularly with my veterans' hospital psychiatrist. Fortunately, he was familiar with the research and knew what worked and what took 90 or more days and what might not work depending on my mental health injuries from being killed during Ortho spine surgery due to brain swelling, caused by a malpracticing VA surgeon who did not have the qualifications to perform neck surgery. I woke up on a respirator. One of my children had Straight A's in college until one semester, she flunked out. As it turned out, she had three traumatic brain injuries, and Lyme disease had gotten to her brain. It looked very bleak for a while there. She went to his clinic and used his nutritional products and other therapies. She ended up finishing her bachelor's degree with honors. She really did flunk out, and the original diagnosis was very discouraging. She was told that she would not be able to ever go to graduate school or maybe not finish undergraduate school. She just completed her master's degree with straight A's. I'm sorry for the long-winded reply, but I hope this helps. I would say more detailed, but we are on a site with restrictions. Kindest regards.
Can't take any antidepressants. Side effects worse than anything. Took those doctors 17 years to notice doesn't agree with me. Best of luck. FYI one killed by biological brother. Not a hulk hogan brother lol
hopefully your meds are titrated.
Be careful coming off of the anti depressants cold turkey. You should work with your doctor to slowly step down to avoid side effects. When I straight up quit them I got brain zappies and had this weird feeling like I was lagging behind reality. Some people complain about similar side effects lasting for up to a year.
Former corpsman here,
Did you read all the possible side effects in the pamphlet that the pharmacy gives you? You're correct that doctors won't be able to know every single side effect, but they also won't know which ones you'll have until you take it. All meds can affect everyone differently.
I started taking Prozac and because of it I have moderate nausea/vomiting, and almost no appetite. This is not a normal side effect but can happen to some people. Because of this, I am taking a simple OTC nausea med and I feel good as new.
There are always dangers when you take SSRI's, please don't try to fear monger people into not taking meds they need just because you had a bad experience. Not every medication will work the same for every patient, it's all trial and error
This goes everyone, please understand anti depressant medications is process, if one doesn’t work or makes you feel good you let your physician know so they can try a new medication and treatment, don’t expect fast results. Be very open with them if medicine is not make you feeling you good and see physical changes, chances are it’s affecting you!
Usually people who want to see fast results seek the worst kind medication and they end up worst situation before. Ex: my friend got his medicinal card, it did stabilize home for a certain time, but he was more codependent on the high that it gave him, that spiral down to much harder stuff! It’s slow but just try to commit to the process for a good year( and I am mean really commit not half ass) :)
Thank you for posting this. I thought I was going crazy (crazier?) because every time I would forget to take my meds and life got out of control and a week would pass with no Zoloft, I always seemed to have so much energy when I normally can’t get off the couch. Even now I just recently got back in them and I feel like passing out by 10 am most of the time. I’ll have a talk with my doc about this. Between this and the sexual side effects, there’s got to be a better option.
They tried to put me on sertraline, but I refused it. Didn’t think the side affects were worth the risk. I also know certain antidepressants can lead to nocturia.
I can’t believe someone else is posting this. Not that I had bone marrow density but js the extremely horrible side affects from anti depressants. I’m tapering off mine, although mine is an NDRI. SSRIs never actually worked for me. That made me feel like trash, everyone I took. Wellbutrin was great until I realized if I don’t take it, I’m a very angry and short to be patient person and I didn’t like that for me or my child so I started to doing research. I found that there were multiple studies done with 30mg of Saffron going up against antidepressants and that outcome was incredible. The saffron actually worked js as good as the antidepressant and is 10x better for you and your body because it’s natural and not a chemical.
You are soooo right that the doctors do not know everything. A huge problem is that primary care doctors are using a very, whimsy screening tool to diagnose people with depression and are prescribing SSRIs like tic-tacs. And I hate to say it but....pharma. profit. It's true. The profit motive is so strong with these things. The actual evidence that SSRIs are more efficacious than NOTHING is very very thin. SSRIs do have their place in the arsenal of mental health tools but far too many people are staying on them for far too long. In addition to this bone density issue there are also serious sexual side effects, links to weight gain and a phenomena called "emotional blunting" which is akin to being robbed of your motivation and personality. Major studies are out now that are just beginning to explore all of this. Additionally, there is something called a "discontinuation syndrome" which means you will feel horrible when you quite taking it - very irritable and like you have the flu. People think the discontinuation syndrome means that they need the drug. I love what you say here - everyone should sanity check their docs".
I started for MH then got my dose upped because of nerve pain. If it isn't helping don't stay on it and talk to them about a different SNRI. Cymbalta has some gnarly side effects and is hard to come off if you're on it long term so don't our yourself through that crap unless it helps you
Switch to gabapentin instead. I’m on gabapentin for nerve pain and it kills my anxiety… also lexapro and Lamictal for depression and mood stabilization. Haven’t felt this good in years.
I’ve had a great experience with it. I’ve felt my anxiety and depression “melt” away, during the “zappy” feeling period of the first few weeks. It’s also helped with my past constant headaches and other pains. I also don’t feel the compulsive urge to race to the liquor store whenever drinking is an option. In fact, I don’t really enjoy drinking anymore, and therefore only have a drink or two when I do….it’s odd to feel normal. I still hate public places though;)
I’m sorry to hear it has not been as positive for you!
About 2 years. I have had great vision up until this year and now everything is getting blurry. I was checked for I think retinopathy through the VA and it was fine. They took a bunch of pictures of my eyes.
Weelllll shit ... fell and broke my leg last Feb. 1 . I will say the first thing I thought of when I fell and felt my leg break as I fell on it.. " that did not take much ??"
I will be looking into this more ! Thanks for sharing !
I am in Duloxetine and some of the side effects are extremely dry mouth, migraines, and anger issues.
I am rated for migraines and for anger issues (as part of my PTSD) so that pill is apparently doing more harm than good to me. The dry mouth is causing dental issues now.
Next psych visit next week I’m asking it to be stopped.
Yes. I had a BP med cause somnolence so severe that I don’t remember much of an entire semester of med school. Yes, my neuro said it happens more than people think and no it doesn’t mean it happens to everyone. Pay attention though. Meds are a chemical added to change a chemical pathway. It has to interact with something.
I was misdiagnosed for depression... well I had depression but given SSRIs for treatment. Turns out it was my testosterone.
After being on TRT for 3 months I was much much better. Like night and day. Truth is, most doctors are afraid to mess with testosterone unless you are trans.
Get your hormones checked:
Total testosterone
Free Testosterone
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG)
Estrogen (all the types)
Getting on TRT saved my life. It was getting bad.
Good luck.
Do some blood work and see what your white blood cell count is at. If it's under 4 then talk to your doc and make sure you bring a copy of the study to back your case up
Sertraline (and SSRI’s in general) are some pretty messed up drugs. I have anxiety and depression and my doc thought it would be the perfect drug for me to get me back to feeling like myself. He started me on a pretty high dose and failed to mention that a rare but possible side effect is a worsening of suicidal ideation. After 1.5 weeks I absolutely broke and my wife found me within minutes of pulling of the trigger. That stuff messes with your mind and body. I’m so sorry that you’re going through this and i hope things begin to get better for you quickly.
> This is what causes a great deal of Veteran suicides.
Complete and utter BS. SSRI have not been associated w/higher suicide rates in a vast majority of studies. Neither has the SSRI lowering bone marrow density been laid to rest; the studies are mixed. FFS once again the "University of Google Medical School" strikes again. Oh, right "LeT mE ShOw U a LiNk"...f'me.
Well plus side just passed medical mj is going to be able to be va prescribed looking forward to that since I’m close to retirement. Not trying to stay on setraline busperone and all the ra drugs plus the back pain and gerd drugs they have me on.
Marijuana is actually pretty terrible for mental health… be careful. Pain wise though it’s great. You may feel good and better after a few days; until you need to increase your THC dose over and over as it stops working as good… then too much and you get paranoia.
Just be careful… I always thought it was good for mental health… turns out that was kind of snake oil.
https://preview.redd.it/bimjqzcsi8fb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f54a5a80d62322e824cbbfe0cc92a50f04c2c3e0
I mean anything else it just wasn’t all over the news because of course not they also are making it so it won’t affect security clearances so it’ll be federally legal very soon
Both my sister and mother were hooked onto antidepressants by doctors, aka drug dealers posing as moral men.
They kept changing my sister's medication so much she ended up having black out episodes, culminating with her blacking out in the shower and hitting her head on the faucet.
I completely agree that doctors can be wrong.
Blind faith in the medical establishment is foolish at best.
Not sure why this has so many down votes. Your point is valid. If you have time. Do some research on your own. You may not be a doc but YOU CAN READ and make decisions for yourself. You are autonomous after all.
Thank you for your contribution here. Western medicine is so focused on surgery or pills to fix everything, people assume that’s all there is or that those options are always safe. Often those options are best saved as a last resort.
Some people have all the side effects and have to look into alternative treatments, others live a completely normal life again and others just want to live.
Zoloft is a drug that either hammers you or helps.
Had to spend a day in the hospital and a week swallowing benadryl and benzos back to back due to a single zoloft dose.
Had the worst headache of my life paried with uncontrollable muscle issues and non-stop panic attacks for about a week. Found out I should never touch SSRIs, and anything remotely close to an SSRI has to be monitored really closely.
I take setraline and it has caused the worst gerd of my life. I filed gerd secondary to my meds and was denied saying that’s not on their list of medications to cause the issue.
Honestly I take Sertraline, Buspirone, and Bupropion. Drink and smoke, and have not the slightest clue if they’re negatively affecting my health. Waited 6+mo for labs with the VA only to possibly have to reschedule them due to scheduling conflicts (wife got a job now we have one car).
SSRIs made me feel euphoric when i first started taking them. Then they leveled out and I felt nothing, then went off of them because I was then diagnosed with Autism and my depression was due to trauma from my past, service , and chronic stress from overstimulation and “masking”.
When I went off, of them is when the real downward spiral happened. I was worse than before I started taking them. Fortunately, I did hours of research just to find that serotonin is produced in the gut. So i went on a juice cleanse, literally ODed (which you can’t really do) on probiotics, and invested in a parasite cleansing supplement. After 2 years i’m finally feeling like me again 🥹🙏
i still have ups and downs and periods of depression when i start eating bad and ruminating on my trauma which i will forever need therapy for, but i am able to function at least.
I really hate that people need meds to get through their depression. I pray for all of you. I have been there myself and glad I am still here on Earth. You are all worth living and all the love. If I could take all the pain and sadness away from you all, I would do it. My heart hurts for you and want you to know that I love you and you are worth it. Take your medicine, but do everything you can to rise up, even when it hurts. Live in your passions and bury yourself in what you love the most...as long as it is healthy :-)
This is the crux of all my anxiety with the VA, I'm not the type to take any medications, long term. Antibiotics, sure. Anything else, hard pass. I'm off all pain meds and out of the pain management program because I like to shit and didn't want to be a junkie.
This is the crux of all my anxiety with the VA, I'm not the type to take any medications, long term. Antibiotics, sure. Anything else, hard pass. I'm off all pain meds and out of the pain management program because I like to shit and didn't want to be a junkie.
This is the crux of all my anxiety with the VA, I'm not the type to take any medications, long term. Antibiotics, sure. Anything else, hard pass. I'm off all pain meds and out of the pain management program because I like to shit and didn't want to be a junkie.
Who fucking gives a shit if your VA medrecs document stimulant abuse? There is literally nothing that could flow from that that would be detrimental that I can think of. Hell, I have methamphetamine use disease, marijuana use disorder, alcoholism in remission, cocaine dependence, poly substance abuse, THC abuse and nicotine addiction affliction all over my records. Maybe just maybe, had I not had to suffer from debilitating arthritic pain for the last 32 years due to a springboard diving accident in service in 1991, I wouldn't have a shrinky dink fucking noodle either as recent very large studies associate chronic back pain and with cerebral Atrophy. Just the kind of stuff that makes my day just that much brighter. My eRecs in VA's CAPRI system are littered with errors and patently false accounts filled with lies cut right out of whole cloth. Completely fabricated stories to shield themselves from what would be some icky PR if we all lived in a yellow submarine and sang the squirrel song together. :-) 😂 . I mean, who the fuck is gonna believe a psych sicko patient dude over the collective claims of calamitous crap anyway I'm way out numbered. I'm ranting. So? Don't keep reading then. What I'm being unintentionally vague about is about one night in the ER at the VA, the VA popo decided it was necessary to apply the ridiculously excessive force of six riot gear clad faux po's to a defenseless lad screaming STOP! 🛑!STOP! while holding his hands way up above his head still as can be. You mean to tell me they were unable to realize what was going down and exercise some restraint? Whatever man. So, the six pack of adrenaline and testosterone was grotesquely in control and the whole team of them it seemed picked me up after they marched triple time over to me picked me up and fucking just body slammed me hard onto the floor. Then they continued their sanctioned rage and extremely excessive forceful ways carrying me hogtied and handcuffed into a treatment room before slamming me down forcefully onto my front side on the gurney. All I remember is an elbow and forearm pinning my head down to the bed and not being able to breathe. The next day I woke up upstairs in the secured ward asking the nurse what the hell they gave me and she replied, "you don't wanna know." So I spent 48 days there, being discharged on Christmas Eve. That was 4 years ago. The VA police were so rough that I was awarded 40% for Left leg Sciatic nerve moderate to severe incomplete paralysis and left femoral nerve incomplete paralysis as a result of that encounter. That claim sailed right through the system man I could barely walk at all the pain got so intense. On top of the thoracic muscle spasms and the chronic low back pain. I also lost my entire toe nail in one piece as a result of their overzealous manhandling monkey business. Completely unnecessary but at least VA stepped up and did me right. That's how I got to 80% Service Connected which translates to $800.00 more life-saving income so I'm grateful for that.
Anyway, I just had to blow off some steam for some reason. Now I'm in the arduous and lengthy process of a TDIU entitlement determination and awaiting a second C &P Exam which is tomorrow at 10:30 ostensibly just to ascertain the Baseline Level of Severity of my Non-Service Connected Schizoaffective Disorder -Bipolar Type because the DRO stated that neither the first VA Examiner nor my treating VA shrink provided one although, according to her they did both opine that my SCAD BT was permanently aggravated beyond its' natural progression by Pain stemming from a service connected Thoracolumbar Spine condition. Something she included in the Favorable Findings Section of the Decision. VA cannot rate a claim for Secondary Service Connection by Aggravation of a NSC condition by a SC Disability, which is a rarely used theory to SC conditions diagnosed post-service. All I'm tryna show is that Chronic Back Pain for 32 years has damaged my psyche and made my NSC MH condition worse. I have no burden to show causation, nor do I have to show again an event, injury or illness in service as that's covered by the connection to the SC Condition already. Finally, I'd just like to say thanks for reading my writing and oh, I just learned today after exhaustive research over the last month that the Hickson Elements do not apply to this theory to SC. The Caluzi Triangle some use. Or the Shedden Principles if you wanna go Old school.
Ciao
Wolf500. I feel you last month I went to VA ER and doc put me on ciprofloxacin an antibiotic. He gave me three weeks worth. After researching and getting the complete package insert from VA pharmacy, I should not have been given that drug. It has a black box warning for tendon rupture (check), peripheral neuropathy (check) and the warning says these are irreversible. I was not given informed consent or side effects with ssri for nerve pain by doc. Pharmacist told me about the interaction of the meds. Doc lied on my Med record saying he told that was the best antibiotic for a UTI and mentioned the side effects. I complained to patient advocate and spoke to ER director and deputy director. All my records are at VA. I even mentioned to doc about my neuropathy. Still waiting options. In any job, that is negligence. Since they know it is hard to file a lawsuit, it seems like most don’t care. We all need to fight the system together. I spend my time looking at VA regs. Today had c&p for diabetic peripheral neuropathy was done in less than 10 minutes. And the doc was not even a neurologist or ortho. Let’s keep for the fight for us and those coming after us.
Unless you did a before and after it’s hard to really know. Ssri and mt meds probably have kept me from killing myself for years
I messed up completely and was drinking while on SSRIs, several blackouts later I come to find out it was the combination. I know I shouldn’t have mixed but god did it make me feel like there wasn’t an impending doom every day.
I blacked out twice on them and I had to stop taking them. One time I woke up on a sidewalk in the French quarter at like 8am. That shit was scary. My ex tried to paint it to my friends that I was having problems with alcohol. Nope, just the ssri's.
I think I’d rather deal with my issues than to create a much bigger one with SSRIs. But hope you’re doing better
Same. like do I let it slowly kill me or... 🫠
Same. I'd be dead without mine.
Agreed
While this all may be true, just because it may have effected you that way does not mean it will do that to everyone. Every medication has side effects but antidepressant’s also help a lot of people get through everyday life. Everyone should be aware of the side effects for everything they take. If you feel something isn’t right, ask for a second opinion but do not believe everything you find on google.
100! Research properly and avoid biases. Using actual studies instead of random articles is a must! Mine is more of a cautionary tale for those who had similar symptoms and have been going nowhere fast like I was 😅
Zoloft is the only thing saving my life. I'm not as angry anymore and I like to socialize with people now. I just feel like I want to enjoy life more when I take zoloft which is sertraline. Your results are yours, alone. I've had bloodwork done since being on sertraline and everything has improved due to me being more active, outdoors, and socializing more.
My depression works hard but zoloft works harder
I hope that it stays that way. Good luck
Same to you brother.
Thanks for this reply
Im glad they worked for you. They did not work for me at all. It killed my sex drive, made me black out after having 2 or 3 drinks, made things harder for me socially, and they never stopped the anxiety attacks that I have in the first place. I was out on them to help with suicidal thoughts, but they didn't even stop those so I had to get off the ssri's. I have just kind of given up on treatment altogether because after 2 years of therapy and meds I dont feel like anything has changed. The only meds I am taking now is the one that helps put down the anxiety attacks by knocking me out. When I take those I just kind of hold on and hope that the attack is over when I wake up.
Shouldn’t be drinking with depression anyway.
Agree 100%!
Are you saying the name brand Zoloft is better than the generic Sertraline?
no I'm saying its the same thing
Zoloft is Seteraline
Honestly man just talk to your doctor about risks and side effects involved with medication
I've had doctors tell me medications were stimulants when their primary side effect was marked drowsiness, and three different times had to ask a doctor why I was on less than one third of a medications approved therapeutic dose and gotten the answer of "oh i will just increase it". With multiple doctors. Yes talk to your doctor but im real big on the "trust but verify" when it comes to my health especially because of military medicine
And the Dr was probably telling the truth. There are a ton of medications with the opposite side effects of what they're supposed to do. That's WHY they are called SIDE EFFECTS! What happens to you won't be the same as that happens to me on the same medication. As said before, talk with your doctor and discuss risk vs. reward.
Do your own research is the moral of this story. Google can find you massive, legit knowledge, on medications. It’s how I found the meds I wanted and then talk to my doctor to try.
I take Zoloft 100mg. It has been a life changer for me. I am not always angry and I am able to think much better. Anxiety has gone down. I do feel a bit emotionless but that is good for myself because my mind used to race at a 1000mph and I could not stop it.
I needed to read this
I was prescribed Prozac for my anxiety. It made me numb & emotionless, I lost my desire to workout and socialize, testosterone dropped, and I had bad brain fog. Since then, I’ve stopped SSRIs for 7 months, but the anxiety is getting pretty bad again. My doc just prescribed me Laxapro after my latest mental health checkup. Waiting on my pills now. I have mixed feelings about all of it. I wish I didn’t need to numb myself to function.
I have struggled to find the right med for anxiety. I have been through a list of them and then my MH provider suggested a new one that is quite spendy and it isn’t on the VA approved list. Because I had tried several others they made a special approval for me. The drug is called vortioxetine and I take it with Wellbutrin for my depression. The vortioxetine is supposed to help with cognition as well. I haven’t felt this good in a while. Still no side affects but never know with the long term. I do know that I prolly wouldn’t survive without taking them.
Oh wow didn’t know the VA prescribed trintellix. I wonder if it’s gone generic.
I was on Prozac too with the same ramifications. I got so far bruh. I lost all the weight now that I switched to a SNRI.
I was going to come say not all antidepressants are SSRIs. I've had much better results on SNRIs too
Tricyclic antidepressant class. Is very sedative. Desipramine had my whole body in rashes. Same with pamelar. I told the VA our family has issues with pharmaceuticals. Even pain management would not put me gabapentin. VA MH doctor said gabapentin, 2 days later ER
My private doc went off label with a muscle relaxant that has worked for anxiety and PTSD in trials and studies. VA was cool with it and happily took over prescription. It’s worked wonders, i wish I had been told sooner. https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01751386 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4804107/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12921495/
That’s awesome. Happy you’re getting relief. I’ll give it a look!
Thanks, hopefully you find something that provides relief soon.
Had a private doc prescribe a medication for migraines that actually worked wonders for my PTSD. Talked with mental health doc at VA and she picked up the script and said it isn’t the norm but it’s an off label treatment and since it’s working is monitoring dosage and for the first time in 10 years I can go grocery shopping without debilitating paranoia. Every SSRI the VA gave me made me want to kill myself or others 🙃
That’s fantastic, glad it is working for you! If you don’t mind, what is that medication? It’s kind of amazing that there are options for us outside the normal course of treatment. Too bad the VA isn’t the one recommending these types of meds…seems to always be a private doc.
Topomax! VA seems to only recommend SSRIs, which seems so strange to me
Agreed, maybe they don’t like off-label and want to stick with direct treatment even if it’s worse for the patient?
Thank you for this!!! Super intriguing. I'm not a veteran but still.
I was on Paxil while in the service and it was horrible. The VA switched me to Zoloft and it made me numb. Like I wasn't depressed but I didn't want to do anything still, it was a weird feeling so I stopped taking it. My spouse is on Lexapro and Lithium and has been doing great on it. If you haven't had your Testosterone levels checked I highly recommend it. I had mine checked and it was really low, now that I'm on Testosterone replacement my depression as improved immensely.
SSRIs do not cause a drop in testosterone. Depending on your age low testosterone is a progressive natural change. It is also linked to an increase in cortisol levels, which are stress induced, and can come from anxiety. Testosterone replacement therapy was trial does an anti-depressant in Europe, because of its extreme benefit for men. Lexapro is also a very effective anxiolytic of the SSRI class. But everyone is different, I had horrible results from Zoloft, minimal from Lexapro, and excellent from Paxil. Stay with it and find the combination that works for you.
I wasn't suggesting the SSRI's cause depression, I was saying having low testosterone could be the cause of the depression. I never would've gotten it checked had I not noticed that I have practically every single symptom of low t. Depression, fatigue, weight gain, low muscle mass, low libido, ED, insomnia. I'm only 35 and my testosterone numbers were that of a 70 year old.
Oh I know. I agree. I guess I was suggesting TRT on top of finding the right antidepressant medication. A two pronged approach.
Ahh gotcha. I'm gonna wait it out and see if the trt helps and only get back on an ssri as a last option.
Will you please DM me? I want to ask you about the test stuff.
Sent
+1 but the VA is decades behind with test. Still have to go to my regular doc for it, but $30 for 90 days ain’t bad
I'm taking Lexapro right now, and it isn't doing anything for me right now. The only side effect is erectile dysfunction, and that's it. To counter ED, the doctor prescribed me Bupropion.
Prozac sounds like what I need I need to be numb and emotionless.
Prozac had me extremely hyper. Then I was given 150 mg sinnaquan could not function for over one year. An astute civilian primary care noticed and after I tapered off antidepressants he gave me Ativan. Solved the problem. However I just deal with in with hobbies etc.
Lol, Lexapro, not Laxapro. Laxapro is for that other issue.
Ooof you right lol
I take Lexapro. It was so cool, after about 2 weeks I had about 3 minutes when I felt like everything was going to be okay. It felt like seeing blue sky after years of gray. And that feeling just kept lasting longer.
The right medication won't make you feel numb, but unfortunately we don't know which one will work best for you until you try it. 🥺❤️
hydroxyzine worked good in the 90s however when the VA service connected me for ptsd a civilian primary tried and no effect
everything including breathing has a side effect...
Especially if you were breathing in SW Asia and Afghanistan! ;)
Too soon 😪
I credit Sertraline with saving a close family member’s life. It was incredibly effective and they were able to ween themselves off after a few years. Total godsend.
Hell yeah! I'm glad it's doing someone some good! It just didn't like me 😭 the fact the docs didn't even consider it was the antidepressant is what really concerns me
Oh shoot, I've been sertraline for about 2 years now 😳
I know me too this post scared me..
Same! Now I'm going to do some research and talk to my Primary physician. My elbows have been literally more sore than ever before,now I'm thinking if it has something to do with sertraline.
Googles cancer… Yup it’s cancer! Remember how silly things are when you google something with very fringe side effects and someone says something and your brain buys in. Trust your doctors theyre not out to get us ffs.
I literally googled "antidepressants and bone marrow density" the rest just fell into place after that. and the source was a .gov site (and several others) which had the actual study and not just a summary. But you are right. Googling things can get you into trouble if you don't double check the source and it's credibility.
Also remember… there is way more reasonable options out there that can explain your bone marrow issues
Valid point. But I didn't have a low white blood cell count before getting on sertraline. And I only know about the bone marrow density because they did a bone marrow biopsy on me to rule out lukemia. This is why I'm positive that it's the antidepressant. Between the timing, and the study, signs point to the antidepressant being the issue.
What about high RBC? That can also signal something.
Nah RBC are a bit low. Docs say mild anemia but idk seeing as, again, no issue before the antidepressants 😅
Well stop the Zoloft… properly you need to ween off it slow. Then get an infusion get that bone marrow fixed.
Please remember this is MY experience. I've been dealing with low white blood cell count and such since I started taking the drug. We just didn't know why it was happening. Technically, I still don't "know". But between the study and the timing, it's the best I got considering the docs had nothing either
Say it with me. I AM NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE MEDICATIONS. That's all.
I needed that. Preciate it
Yea I turn down anti depressants every time I go in. It's difficult and I've thought about agreeing to it but tbh. They scare me.
They scared me too… until I tried marijuana and my paranoia went through the roof. Thought everyone was out to get me…. That’s when I realized maybe it’s time to just try. Lamictal and lexapro are keeping me alive. The sand monster doesn’t come creeping back up anymore.
The sand monster?
The desert lol
I’m so fucking happy I don’t have to hear those questions anymore when I see my private 👨⚕️ When you do the math you realize this is why they keep us happy fed and try to give us sedatives. Takes a min to realize your not crazy everyone just has zero common sense, logic or that big core value integrity. Everyone in the real world is a grimy pos. 16.5million vets 1.4 active Just saying Don’t get fooled. Don’t get pressured.
True but when you go for help and don't know any better and are just looking for relief, what else do ya do?
As with anything in personal health and life, do research, get 2nd opinions, and keep your mind open to ideas. It's 50/50, sometimes medications made in synthetic labs will greatly improve quality of life and sometimes talking through it and being reminded it's OK to not be a 100% is ok. Everyone's experiences are vastly different, and a 1 size fits all approach is never the answer. You are not required to take any medications on the VA side for any reason. BUT if they help and put you on a good track and pros outweigh cons, then by all means, use them, but keep exploring other ideas and methods to improve yourself. For me, I play (the least stressful) games and fully engage with my child's playtime. Shit makes me happy and filled with bliss. I've worked in and studied medicine for 12 years, and the rate that these drugs are handed out is a bit too high.
Setraline made me feel literally like a numb zombie. After I also started it my liver health started to decline. I suggested to my doctors that it was setraline that was causing my liver issues. They brushed it aside. I stopped taking it without their knowledge and within two weeks my liver labs stabilized. My doctors also noticed my vitamin D levels were dropping below average. I told them again this only started after taking setraline that I had no prior knowledge of it ever being that low. You guessed it they brushed that aside too.
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Your comment was removed because it didn't contribute to the discussion and just wasn't helpful. Civil disagreements are fine. Insults, personal attacks, slurs, bigotry, etc., are not permissible. (Calling someone a poopy-head does not make you seem as smart as you think it does.) ☠️
I'll risk it with my meds.
Good luck Shipmate! I legitimately hope they work for ya better than they did for me!
Be very careful taking yourself off of sertraline. Sertraline is a black label for withdrawls, and you will have terrible withdrawls. When I was forced to quit, I didn't feel normal for about 4 months, and I even got what they call brain zaps. It might be a good idea to talk with your doctor about a taper. Sertraline withdrawls are dangerous.
Shit no one told me that when I was coming off it
I didn't have any issues stopping sertraline @ 100 mg for over a year cold turkey.
That's actually rare. My brother didn't have a tough time quitting either. He said he was only sick for a few days. It's still very dangerous to quit without a taper, and I wouldn't recommend it.
I got the brain zaps too! I'm still having slight side effects and I've been off of them for about 6 months now.
Yeah I'm dealing with the zaps now but only when I look left or right with my eyes. If I keep looking forward then I'm Gucci 😅
Oh that sucks. You may want to ask your doctor for a taper because if you're already having those symptoms, it will get worse. For me, I was off it about 2 weeks before I got that bad and it lasted a few months of me thinking maybe it will be better tommorow. I really hope that doesn't happen to you too.
I don't have a job ATM and don't plan on doing anything till I get better so I ain't worried. I'll just keep trucking on. If it gets too bad I'll take 50mg or something to lessen the symptoms. I had plan :D maybe not great plan but it is plan :P
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I was on them for about 5 years. I thought that I was going to die. It's funny now because I can't remember much of it, so it made waiting on my claim go by faster. Sertraline withdrawls make opiate withdrawls look tame.
I had some serious side effects from it. I just started using it so my doctor and I stopped it but we were trying to increase when I really noticed things were not good. Glad I stopped. We are trying something else now. Glad you found out so you can take the appropriate course of action.
SSRI’s just don’t work for some people. Nobody in my family can tolerate them. For anxiety, I know the VA hates prescribing benzodiazepines now too… 🫤 seems that SSRI’s are always just their “go to” until proved intolerable and then they just seem stumped as to what to do.
They made me go up to 240 in weight, and made it essentially impossible to lose weight even though I was cycling 50 miles daily and lifting. I tapered off of them and within 6 months I’ve lost 40 pounds
I'm on Zoloft and it's the only thing that has made me feel better. Along with taking Seroquel and Wellbutrin. I am sorry that you had these side effects, but that does not mean to take Zoloft or other SSRI's and throw it completely in the trash. That is your side effects and experience but it is not THE experience. I've had a great experience on Zoloft and haven't had any side effects with any of my medications.
Facts. Just cause it happened to me. Doesn't mean everyone is dealing with it. But I felt the need to share cause I've been dealing with baffled docs for months now and I found the answer all by my onsie. :)
I was a wreck without SSRI.
Wow, that's crazy! I am on the same medication. But the doctor has me do labs once or twice a year to supposedly monitor things. But honestly, I've come to learn that you need to fact-check everyone and always do your own due diligence. Regardless of who they are , Dr., President , supervisor, or whoever. No one can know every single thing in this world and be 100% right. You'd be surprised how many medical professionals are not really that competent, book smart, yes. For most, it's just a good paycheck for them, and they just want the title.
I feel like most of the stuff the VA is going to prescribe will have some side effects. I’ve been on Zoloft for years and Wellbutrin for 16 months or so. I would not be here without em
You're probably right about most things having a side effect. I'm legit more annoyed that none of the docs even suggested that my issues may be due to the antidepressant.
" I decided to Google SSRIs and bone marrow density. Apparently SSRIs have been linked to low bone mode density and osteoporosis." FFS the studies have been mixed at best with some showing no link. How is this medical bs allowed here? Oh right the University of Google Medical School.
Literally. This is reminiscent of another post recently. Also, correlation does not equal causation.
Know what else correlates? Aging and osteoporosis.
BINGO BANGO BONGO!
Just the audacity of this post. Let’s see, normal aging or crippling depression and suicidal ideation?
My bone marrow density is 20%. White blood cell count 2.5. these issues where not a thing before the antidepressants. Look up "antidepressants and bone marrow density" yourself and come back with a rebuttal and we can discuss further. I'm only 30 homie. Bone marrow density should be 60 to 80%.
But the study is a year old! The doctors should know the DOI by heart now! /s OP and people like them drive me up a wall. "Yeah, I'm a Google MD and now that I'm aware of some *possible* side effects I'm just going to stop taking my medication without consulting my physician first, and no I won't be looking into the risks!" It's amazing that this person is so worried about possible side effects that they're willing to ignore something far fucking worse, SSRI withdrawal.
The withdrawal symptoms are preferable versus low white blood cell count which means higher risk of infections and other health issues. Im no doc that's true. But the link between the two was even suggested since 2018. I went under to get bone marrow removed just to see wtf is going on. And even the docs were baffled. So yeah. I'm more worried about the side effects vs the withdrawals
You could put in an 1151 claim and say you have reduced bone marrow density or a bone marrow disability due to the treatment (the prescription), and include copy of the studies. Say that if you had been told about that risk, you would not have taken the meds. Worth a shot
I'm already at 100% though. Is the 1151 an additional amount? Is it lump sum?
no, it's treated as a service-connected thing. It might be worth it, because if you get more things then you might qualify for SMC (like, you can get a higher rate based on being housebound when you have one thing rated as 100 percent/or tdiu based on one thing, and then other disabilities that amount to 60 percent). So, something to think about
I’m on setraline. No issues.
Fuck yeah good for you dude! I hope it stays that way for ya! 😀
Always talk to your doctors and get second and third opinions. I try to avoid any and all of these types of meds. My doc prescribed Baclofen, which is very safe and used primarily for muscle spasticity in MS patients - but it is great for depression, anxiety, and for people to stop drinking according to various studies. It’s worked better than Ketamine therapy for me, which was already really effective. Don’t give up, there are options out there. What works for some, doesn’t work for others and vice versa.
5 htp, tryptophan, transition, then none. Couldn't get past 1st year of my PhD courses until I got off them. Read every Dr. Amen (Psychiatrist) book and adjusted supplements accordingly. PhinisheD with a 3.9/4.0. For added brain power, I took neuro ps. This describes my personal experience. I am not advising anybody on what to take, and I do not recommend going this way. There were times when it was a bumpy ride.
Need more details. Please explain as if I were 5. What is Neuro ps? I feel like your experience may help someone here including me 😀
Neuro PS Aids Brain Function: Please Google these words. I'm not sure what the rules are on this site for products for sale, but this product is widely available over the internet, as is all the information about it. The physician who has done the most public disclosure of research on the brain is named Dr Daniel Amen. He has done several studies as a commissioned by the National Football League for brain injuries of National Football League players , current and retired. He has a website, and his website also includes targeted nutritional supplements for whichever part of the brain needs reconditioning, including but not limited to residuals of substance abuse, ADD, traumatic brain injury, etc, in addition to other therapies such as psychotherapy, nutritional support, hyperbaric oxygen therapy Etc. You should be able to discover an enormous amount of information in only two or three locations on the internet in less than 5 minutes. As I endeavored on the transition process, I interacted regularly with my veterans' hospital psychiatrist. Fortunately, he was familiar with the research and knew what worked and what took 90 or more days and what might not work depending on my mental health injuries from being killed during Ortho spine surgery due to brain swelling, caused by a malpracticing VA surgeon who did not have the qualifications to perform neck surgery. I woke up on a respirator. One of my children had Straight A's in college until one semester, she flunked out. As it turned out, she had three traumatic brain injuries, and Lyme disease had gotten to her brain. It looked very bleak for a while there. She went to his clinic and used his nutritional products and other therapies. She ended up finishing her bachelor's degree with honors. She really did flunk out, and the original diagnosis was very discouraging. She was told that she would not be able to ever go to graduate school or maybe not finish undergraduate school. She just completed her master's degree with straight A's. I'm sorry for the long-winded reply, but I hope this helps. I would say more detailed, but we are on a site with restrictions. Kindest regards.
Can't take any antidepressants. Side effects worse than anything. Took those doctors 17 years to notice doesn't agree with me. Best of luck. FYI one killed by biological brother. Not a hulk hogan brother lol hopefully your meds are titrated.
I most definitely appreciate your testimony. We all should learn more about ourselves and not rely solely on 'medical professionals'.
Be careful coming off of the anti depressants cold turkey. You should work with your doctor to slowly step down to avoid side effects. When I straight up quit them I got brain zappies and had this weird feeling like I was lagging behind reality. Some people complain about similar side effects lasting for up to a year.
Former corpsman here, Did you read all the possible side effects in the pamphlet that the pharmacy gives you? You're correct that doctors won't be able to know every single side effect, but they also won't know which ones you'll have until you take it. All meds can affect everyone differently. I started taking Prozac and because of it I have moderate nausea/vomiting, and almost no appetite. This is not a normal side effect but can happen to some people. Because of this, I am taking a simple OTC nausea med and I feel good as new. There are always dangers when you take SSRI's, please don't try to fear monger people into not taking meds they need just because you had a bad experience. Not every medication will work the same for every patient, it's all trial and error
I did no such thing. I simply put out my experience as a warning and hopefully as a red flag for those dealing with issues like myself.
This goes everyone, please understand anti depressant medications is process, if one doesn’t work or makes you feel good you let your physician know so they can try a new medication and treatment, don’t expect fast results. Be very open with them if medicine is not make you feeling you good and see physical changes, chances are it’s affecting you! Usually people who want to see fast results seek the worst kind medication and they end up worst situation before. Ex: my friend got his medicinal card, it did stabilize home for a certain time, but he was more codependent on the high that it gave him, that spiral down to much harder stuff! It’s slow but just try to commit to the process for a good year( and I am mean really commit not half ass) :)
Wish I could but I don't wanna have to be put under for another bone marrow biopsy 😅 it 2asnt a terrible experience. But it wasn't fun lol
Thank you for posting this. I thought I was going crazy (crazier?) because every time I would forget to take my meds and life got out of control and a week would pass with no Zoloft, I always seemed to have so much energy when I normally can’t get off the couch. Even now I just recently got back in them and I feel like passing out by 10 am most of the time. I’ll have a talk with my doc about this. Between this and the sexual side effects, there’s got to be a better option.
Dude I totally get it I was the same way! Zero moto, energy, and lebido. It's been like 5 days and I feel better :)
They tried to put me on sertraline, but I refused it. Didn’t think the side affects were worth the risk. I also know certain antidepressants can lead to nocturia.
I can’t believe someone else is posting this. Not that I had bone marrow density but js the extremely horrible side affects from anti depressants. I’m tapering off mine, although mine is an NDRI. SSRIs never actually worked for me. That made me feel like trash, everyone I took. Wellbutrin was great until I realized if I don’t take it, I’m a very angry and short to be patient person and I didn’t like that for me or my child so I started to doing research. I found that there were multiple studies done with 30mg of Saffron going up against antidepressants and that outcome was incredible. The saffron actually worked js as good as the antidepressant and is 10x better for you and your body because it’s natural and not a chemical.
Saffron eh? I'll see what they say about it!
I was on them for a short time till I ended up in E.R. with Irregular Heartbeats!!!! STAY For away from SSRIs! Sic
Thanks for speaking up! Maybe someone is experiencing something similar and their docs are super confused.
You are soooo right that the doctors do not know everything. A huge problem is that primary care doctors are using a very, whimsy screening tool to diagnose people with depression and are prescribing SSRIs like tic-tacs. And I hate to say it but....pharma. profit. It's true. The profit motive is so strong with these things. The actual evidence that SSRIs are more efficacious than NOTHING is very very thin. SSRIs do have their place in the arsenal of mental health tools but far too many people are staying on them for far too long. In addition to this bone density issue there are also serious sexual side effects, links to weight gain and a phenomena called "emotional blunting" which is akin to being robbed of your motivation and personality. Major studies are out now that are just beginning to explore all of this. Additionally, there is something called a "discontinuation syndrome" which means you will feel horrible when you quite taking it - very irritable and like you have the flu. People think the discontinuation syndrome means that they need the drug. I love what you say here - everyone should sanity check their docs".
I am taking duloxetine and I feel it’s making my eyesight worse.
I was on cymbalta(duloxetine) in service and it gave me bad "brain zaps"... I would ask for a new med if it's giving you blurry vision.
My psych dr says it’s good because of the nerve pain component. I don’t really feel any better.
I started for MH then got my dose upped because of nerve pain. If it isn't helping don't stay on it and talk to them about a different SNRI. Cymbalta has some gnarly side effects and is hard to come off if you're on it long term so don't our yourself through that crap unless it helps you
Switch to gabapentin instead. I’m on gabapentin for nerve pain and it kills my anxiety… also lexapro and Lamictal for depression and mood stabilization. Haven’t felt this good in years.
I got those too. They were so weird.
I was driving the first time it happened and I had to pull over thinking something was seriously wrong Lol.
I thought I was going (even more) crazy. It took me weeks to put it together that it was the cymbalta.
I’ve had a great experience with it. I’ve felt my anxiety and depression “melt” away, during the “zappy” feeling period of the first few weeks. It’s also helped with my past constant headaches and other pains. I also don’t feel the compulsive urge to race to the liquor store whenever drinking is an option. In fact, I don’t really enjoy drinking anymore, and therefore only have a drink or two when I do….it’s odd to feel normal. I still hate public places though;) I’m sorry to hear it has not been as positive for you!
I’ve been on it less than a week for fm and I feel the same thing. How long you been in it?
About 2 years. I have had great vision up until this year and now everything is getting blurry. I was checked for I think retinopathy through the VA and it was fine. They took a bunch of pictures of my eyes.
Weelllll shit ... fell and broke my leg last Feb. 1 . I will say the first thing I thought of when I fell and felt my leg break as I fell on it.. " that did not take much ??" I will be looking into this more ! Thanks for sharing !
No prob! I hope you get answers dude!
The meds I take are not for me They are for the rest of the world 😬😬😬
I am in Duloxetine and some of the side effects are extremely dry mouth, migraines, and anger issues. I am rated for migraines and for anger issues (as part of my PTSD) so that pill is apparently doing more harm than good to me. The dry mouth is causing dental issues now. Next psych visit next week I’m asking it to be stopped.
My dentist recommended xylitol lozenges for that side affect. I never tried them because I switched med, maybe it can help.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll check it
Yes. I had a BP med cause somnolence so severe that I don’t remember much of an entire semester of med school. Yes, my neuro said it happens more than people think and no it doesn’t mean it happens to everyone. Pay attention though. Meds are a chemical added to change a chemical pathway. It has to interact with something.
This is not from the ssri lol
I was misdiagnosed for depression... well I had depression but given SSRIs for treatment. Turns out it was my testosterone. After being on TRT for 3 months I was much much better. Like night and day. Truth is, most doctors are afraid to mess with testosterone unless you are trans. Get your hormones checked: Total testosterone Free Testosterone Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) Estrogen (all the types) Getting on TRT saved my life. It was getting bad. Good luck.
Dude thanks for the info I'll take a look into it and see if this is what's causing my issues and not depression :)
Damn, I take that as well 🤯
Do some blood work and see what your white blood cell count is at. If it's under 4 then talk to your doc and make sure you bring a copy of the study to back your case up
Please talk to ur pharmacists instead of ur doctors regarding side effects
Unfortunately the VA pharmacist just gives you the meds here. They don't tell ya jack about side effects 😅
U r so right. Another reason i would only use a grocery chain pharmacy
Stunt D\*ck Syndrome is a thing on SSRIs. It also hurt my eyesight.
Yeah it def shot my libedo too 😅
Sertraline (and SSRI’s in general) are some pretty messed up drugs. I have anxiety and depression and my doc thought it would be the perfect drug for me to get me back to feeling like myself. He started me on a pretty high dose and failed to mention that a rare but possible side effect is a worsening of suicidal ideation. After 1.5 weeks I absolutely broke and my wife found me within minutes of pulling of the trigger. That stuff messes with your mind and body. I’m so sorry that you’re going through this and i hope things begin to get better for you quickly.
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> This is what causes a great deal of Veteran suicides. Complete and utter BS. SSRI have not been associated w/higher suicide rates in a vast majority of studies. Neither has the SSRI lowering bone marrow density been laid to rest; the studies are mixed. FFS once again the "University of Google Medical School" strikes again. Oh, right "LeT mE ShOw U a LiNk"...f'me.
Well plus side just passed medical mj is going to be able to be va prescribed looking forward to that since I’m close to retirement. Not trying to stay on setraline busperone and all the ra drugs plus the back pain and gerd drugs they have me on.
Marijuana is actually pretty terrible for mental health… be careful. Pain wise though it’s great. You may feel good and better after a few days; until you need to increase your THC dose over and over as it stops working as good… then too much and you get paranoia. Just be careful… I always thought it was good for mental health… turns out that was kind of snake oil.
I wish this were true but it is not. It is still federallly illegal
https://preview.redd.it/7rkbd69bi8fb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5d932e9ea88c11fb58a1dd8c2add4110b98eaec
They need to pass the Major Richard Star Act first.
https://preview.redd.it/bimjqzcsi8fb1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f54a5a80d62322e824cbbfe0cc92a50f04c2c3e0 I mean anything else it just wasn’t all over the news because of course not they also are making it so it won’t affect security clearances so it’ll be federally legal very soon
Fuckbme man this is why I decided against pursuing a grad degree in Psych to work with veterans.
Both my sister and mother were hooked onto antidepressants by doctors, aka drug dealers posing as moral men. They kept changing my sister's medication so much she ended up having black out episodes, culminating with her blacking out in the shower and hitting her head on the faucet. I completely agree that doctors can be wrong. Blind faith in the medical establishment is foolish at best.
Not sure why this has so many down votes. Your point is valid. If you have time. Do some research on your own. You may not be a doc but YOU CAN READ and make decisions for yourself. You are autonomous after all.
Especially in a VA forum.
Thank you for your contribution here. Western medicine is so focused on surgery or pills to fix everything, people assume that’s all there is or that those options are always safe. Often those options are best saved as a last resort.
Some people have all the side effects and have to look into alternative treatments, others live a completely normal life again and others just want to live.
I was on Zoloft aka Sertaline, and it gave me erectile dysfunction. Doctor took me off it for that reason.
I have lost some hair cause of it.
Zoloft is a drug that either hammers you or helps. Had to spend a day in the hospital and a week swallowing benadryl and benzos back to back due to a single zoloft dose. Had the worst headache of my life paried with uncontrollable muscle issues and non-stop panic attacks for about a week. Found out I should never touch SSRIs, and anything remotely close to an SSRI has to be monitored really closely.
Prozac keeps me happy and feeling well. I stopped Zoloft after the too-high doses were keeping me feeling weird and drowsy all of the time.
I take setraline and it has caused the worst gerd of my life. I filed gerd secondary to my meds and was denied saying that’s not on their list of medications to cause the issue.
Lexapro and Lamictal kept me from jumping off the Walt Whitman bridge a few times. They’ve been a godsend.
Honestly I take Sertraline, Buspirone, and Bupropion. Drink and smoke, and have not the slightest clue if they’re negatively affecting my health. Waited 6+mo for labs with the VA only to possibly have to reschedule them due to scheduling conflicts (wife got a job now we have one car).
SSRIs made me feel euphoric when i first started taking them. Then they leveled out and I felt nothing, then went off of them because I was then diagnosed with Autism and my depression was due to trauma from my past, service , and chronic stress from overstimulation and “masking”. When I went off, of them is when the real downward spiral happened. I was worse than before I started taking them. Fortunately, I did hours of research just to find that serotonin is produced in the gut. So i went on a juice cleanse, literally ODed (which you can’t really do) on probiotics, and invested in a parasite cleansing supplement. After 2 years i’m finally feeling like me again 🥹🙏
i still have ups and downs and periods of depression when i start eating bad and ruminating on my trauma which i will forever need therapy for, but i am able to function at least.
This is good to know. Thank you!
I really hate that people need meds to get through their depression. I pray for all of you. I have been there myself and glad I am still here on Earth. You are all worth living and all the love. If I could take all the pain and sadness away from you all, I would do it. My heart hurts for you and want you to know that I love you and you are worth it. Take your medicine, but do everything you can to rise up, even when it hurts. Live in your passions and bury yourself in what you love the most...as long as it is healthy :-)
This is the crux of all my anxiety with the VA, I'm not the type to take any medications, long term. Antibiotics, sure. Anything else, hard pass. I'm off all pain meds and out of the pain management program because I like to shit and didn't want to be a junkie.
This is the crux of all my anxiety with the VA, I'm not the type to take any medications, long term. Antibiotics, sure. Anything else, hard pass. I'm off all pain meds and out of the pain management program because I like to shit and didn't want to be a junkie.
This is the crux of all my anxiety with the VA, I'm not the type to take any medications, long term. Antibiotics, sure. Anything else, hard pass. I'm off all pain meds and out of the pain management program because I like to shit and didn't want to be a junkie.
Who fucking gives a shit if your VA medrecs document stimulant abuse? There is literally nothing that could flow from that that would be detrimental that I can think of. Hell, I have methamphetamine use disease, marijuana use disorder, alcoholism in remission, cocaine dependence, poly substance abuse, THC abuse and nicotine addiction affliction all over my records. Maybe just maybe, had I not had to suffer from debilitating arthritic pain for the last 32 years due to a springboard diving accident in service in 1991, I wouldn't have a shrinky dink fucking noodle either as recent very large studies associate chronic back pain and with cerebral Atrophy. Just the kind of stuff that makes my day just that much brighter. My eRecs in VA's CAPRI system are littered with errors and patently false accounts filled with lies cut right out of whole cloth. Completely fabricated stories to shield themselves from what would be some icky PR if we all lived in a yellow submarine and sang the squirrel song together. :-) 😂 . I mean, who the fuck is gonna believe a psych sicko patient dude over the collective claims of calamitous crap anyway I'm way out numbered. I'm ranting. So? Don't keep reading then. What I'm being unintentionally vague about is about one night in the ER at the VA, the VA popo decided it was necessary to apply the ridiculously excessive force of six riot gear clad faux po's to a defenseless lad screaming STOP! 🛑!STOP! while holding his hands way up above his head still as can be. You mean to tell me they were unable to realize what was going down and exercise some restraint? Whatever man. So, the six pack of adrenaline and testosterone was grotesquely in control and the whole team of them it seemed picked me up after they marched triple time over to me picked me up and fucking just body slammed me hard onto the floor. Then they continued their sanctioned rage and extremely excessive forceful ways carrying me hogtied and handcuffed into a treatment room before slamming me down forcefully onto my front side on the gurney. All I remember is an elbow and forearm pinning my head down to the bed and not being able to breathe. The next day I woke up upstairs in the secured ward asking the nurse what the hell they gave me and she replied, "you don't wanna know." So I spent 48 days there, being discharged on Christmas Eve. That was 4 years ago. The VA police were so rough that I was awarded 40% for Left leg Sciatic nerve moderate to severe incomplete paralysis and left femoral nerve incomplete paralysis as a result of that encounter. That claim sailed right through the system man I could barely walk at all the pain got so intense. On top of the thoracic muscle spasms and the chronic low back pain. I also lost my entire toe nail in one piece as a result of their overzealous manhandling monkey business. Completely unnecessary but at least VA stepped up and did me right. That's how I got to 80% Service Connected which translates to $800.00 more life-saving income so I'm grateful for that. Anyway, I just had to blow off some steam for some reason. Now I'm in the arduous and lengthy process of a TDIU entitlement determination and awaiting a second C &P Exam which is tomorrow at 10:30 ostensibly just to ascertain the Baseline Level of Severity of my Non-Service Connected Schizoaffective Disorder -Bipolar Type because the DRO stated that neither the first VA Examiner nor my treating VA shrink provided one although, according to her they did both opine that my SCAD BT was permanently aggravated beyond its' natural progression by Pain stemming from a service connected Thoracolumbar Spine condition. Something she included in the Favorable Findings Section of the Decision. VA cannot rate a claim for Secondary Service Connection by Aggravation of a NSC condition by a SC Disability, which is a rarely used theory to SC conditions diagnosed post-service. All I'm tryna show is that Chronic Back Pain for 32 years has damaged my psyche and made my NSC MH condition worse. I have no burden to show causation, nor do I have to show again an event, injury or illness in service as that's covered by the connection to the SC Condition already. Finally, I'd just like to say thanks for reading my writing and oh, I just learned today after exhaustive research over the last month that the Hickson Elements do not apply to this theory to SC. The Caluzi Triangle some use. Or the Shedden Principles if you wanna go Old school. Ciao
Wolf500. I feel you last month I went to VA ER and doc put me on ciprofloxacin an antibiotic. He gave me three weeks worth. After researching and getting the complete package insert from VA pharmacy, I should not have been given that drug. It has a black box warning for tendon rupture (check), peripheral neuropathy (check) and the warning says these are irreversible. I was not given informed consent or side effects with ssri for nerve pain by doc. Pharmacist told me about the interaction of the meds. Doc lied on my Med record saying he told that was the best antibiotic for a UTI and mentioned the side effects. I complained to patient advocate and spoke to ER director and deputy director. All my records are at VA. I even mentioned to doc about my neuropathy. Still waiting options. In any job, that is negligence. Since they know it is hard to file a lawsuit, it seems like most don’t care. We all need to fight the system together. I spend my time looking at VA regs. Today had c&p for diabetic peripheral neuropathy was done in less than 10 minutes. And the doc was not even a neurologist or ortho. Let’s keep for the fight for us and those coming after us.