I am wondering what the pro's and con's of anti-depressants are...I really don't know a thing about them, or if they even work. But I also need the side effects. Thank You!
2006-11-19 09:34:54 · 7 answers · asked by tbirnik13 1 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Pros (from a pro on anti-depressants)......
1. Does help with depression, anxiety, anger, sadness
Cons (note there are WAY more)
1. FATIGUE, especially with higher doses
2. If you take SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors), you should expect to have no sex drive or ability to climax. If you are male (as I am), you will have erectile dysfunction with Paxil, Prozac, and even Lexapro. They will tell you that Paxil SR, slow release, will not do this.......it does.
3. Expensive as hell if you don't have a prescription plan.
4. If you run short and don't get to the pharmacy, it will be MUCH worse trying to withdraw than your original depression is. I had terrible confusion, anxiety attacks, etc, after only 2 days without the meds. You must withdraw slowly.
5. You will not feel sad, but the downside is.......you won't feel really UP either. It just kind of takes out BOTH highs and lows. I could not even cry at a really sad movie. I just felt numb.
My 2 cents......try therapy or getting to the problem of your depression with cognitive-emotive therapy. Read some books. Read some philosophy. What specifically are your symptoms?
The worst symptom is wanting to sleep 15 hours per day. I realize that depressed people often do sleep a lot. But with meds you may not be able to stop yourself.
2006-11-19 10:03:21 · answer #1 · answered by Nathan L 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As Salaam to you all, Taking any medication for a true illness is not Haram, even if that medicine has alcohol within it. Enough has been said about anti-depressants by other contributors to this question but it is up to the individual and what the doctor has prescribed that matters. It is up to the individual to take or not take the prescription if they truly think and believe that they can do without it, or the doctor can be influenced into prescribing an alternative medicine. Wa Salaam
2016-05-22 04:31:03 · answer #2 · answered by Daniela 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been on effexor for quite awhile (3years). The one and only Pro is you feel better and that is the whole point. The Cons are they do take some time to get into your system, I felt better after about 2 1/2 weeks. You may get headaches, sleep patterns change, appetite changes, and I got tremors (my arms would jump) that all went away after about 3 weeks, that is the hardest part of toughening it out. You never ever want to miss a dose and you never just stop taking them on your own. Good Luck
2006-11-19 09:45:29 · answer #3 · answered by Cherry_Blossom 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check out www.antidepressantsfacts.com
I was on Paxil for 10 years, have been off of it for about a year. I wish I had never heard of Paxil. If I knew then, what I know now, I never would have started. There are definitely more cons than pros.
2006-11-19 09:45:00 · answer #4 · answered by msuzyq 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
B-12 vitamins work also for a anti-depressant.
2006-11-19 09:53:00 · answer #5 · answered by the doctor 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Post your question(s) on the Library of Congress' website at: lov.gov and you will never go wrong. They have the answers to almost any question you ask as they are the largest library in the known world today.
2006-11-19 10:03:53 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had Zoloft for a while and I hated it--it was so numbing. I'd rather cry if I was sad than not be ABLE to. I weaned myself off of it (with my doctor's approval) and never went back.
2006-11-19 09:43:14 · answer #7 · answered by Mrs. Large Richard 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋