Is it true that anti-depressants can make you MORE depressed?

Question

I've been on anti-depressants for years, and I still get very depressed.

Right now, I'm on a lot of medication, all for depression.

I'm on 80 mg of Celexa.
.5 mg of Risperdal
200mg Provigil

Answer 1

Celexo, Risperdal, Provigil (Modafinil) are all anti-depressants. The most commonly noted side effects associated with these medications are extra pyramidal effects (sudden, often jerky, involuntary motions of the head, neck, arms, body, or eyes), dizziness, hyperactivity, tiredness, and nausea.Some of them a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and get you more sleep or dizziness.

The conditions created by these drugs may aggravate the situation some times and taking too many types may complicate the problem. These drugs may cause you to be addictive to it and will not bring in permanent cure.

My advise to this is for the time being try to be with one drug only instead of taking many, duly consulting your problems with your physician. That also you have discontinue gradually.

I also suggest you to analyze your problems, Personal etc. and request you to take things easily as it comes without bothering much. You should come out of your depressed condition. Do not be along. Be in company with some of your loved one or parents and discuss various thing of your liking. Do not think about your future or any thing negative. Negative thoughts should not come up and you see and think everything as positive only.

Discussing more with people about your problem itself will create more problems and suggestions. For instance for this question see the responses. You have Learned the the names of all medicines connected to depression. My condition may be different and it will not be yours and anyone's experience will not suit you for betterment or cure.

You can also try to learn Yoga and meditation, which can/will ONLY bring you to normalcy and make you happy. It may take time but start it immediately and continue. Meditation can be attempted immediately while for Yoga if you get a good instructor it would be better. Wish you all the best...

Answer 2

Dear Heron,

I know the hell that is major depression that requires multiple medications so I feel for you. In my particular case, however, the day I took Celexa I felt mental anguish like I've never known before. So yes, anti-depressants can absolutely worsen your illness. People react differently to different medications. For me personally I recall the following:

Horrible Effects: Celexa, Luvox, Prozac, Lithium, Risperdal

Positive Effects: Effexor XR, Paxil CR

Serzone: Insatiable desire to sleep 12-14 hours per day.
Remeron: Didn't really feel anything except sleepy.
Zyprexa: Daily trips to the Dairy Queen.
Cymbalta: No noticeable change.
Desipramine: No noticeable change.
Wellbutrin: Literally wanted to pull my hair out of my scalp.

Right now my meds are 375 mg of Effexor XR, 100 mg of Paxil CR, 40 mg of Focalin XR, 4 mg of estazolam. It took a long time to tweak them to a satisfactory caliber.

My point is don't be afraid to tell your doctor (you should be seeing a psychiatrist) that what you're on is not working. There are innumerable pharmaceutical options so don't be apprehensive to experiment cautiously with your psychiatrist's consent and direct instructions.

There will not always be great days either. You should not still get "very" depressed "often" however. Paxil CR is the most potent of all the SSRI drugs and the generic (paroxetine) is available for $4 at Target and Wal-Mart pharmacies.

I'd also recommend reading "Change your Brain, Change your Life" by Dr. A. Amen. Psychotropic drugs will only take you so far and this book helped me get to a new plateau of well being.

Answer 3

Have lived among it for a long time( GF , Mother , cousins & a couple friends ) , & the only constant is that no regimen of medication is permanent , or 100 % effective when it is working . A matter of constant adjustment, and waiting out the bad times. Maybe you need to adjust the meds?Does sometime seem to be worse when it fails, than with no meds. Try to hang on to the thought that the worst times aren't permanent .If it gets bad , be sure to tell somebody .(please!) Unreality can be worse,(feeding on itself) and more likely , if you keep it all in. ( This question a good start )

ps makemeaspark, your response assumes that there is a reason for the depression . You are confusing the colloquial/pshchological meaning of depression with the medical definition. Some things ARE depressing, but clinical depression ( and seasonal depression) is a problem because there is no event-based reason . Just bad brain chemistry .

Answer 4

Each person's brain chemistry, metabolism, etc.is unique so we each process things differently. Different classes of meds target different parts of the brain.

We can build up a tolerance to a drug after taking it for a while, causing something that has worked well in the past to be less effective.

Ask your doctor about trying a different medicine, dosage, or combination. Do not experiment on your own!

I've been on anti-depressants for most of my life. It usually takes a while to find the combination that works for me. I'll be fine for years, then I find myself getting more depressed too often or for too long a time. When I tell my doctor, he might suggest a change in the dosage of what I'm already taking- sometimes more, sometimes less. If that doesn't help, he will suggest changing a medicine BUT only one at a time.

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

A small minority of people can experience a worsening of depression when on antidepressants. It's not really clear if it's the direct effects of the drugs that worsen the depression or if the drugs are not working and the depression itself is becoming more severe. You didn't say if you've tried different types of antidepressants. What may work for one person may not help another at all. Often people will have to try several different drugs, or combinations of meds, before they find what works best for them. The lucky ones respond to the first drug they try. Prozac and Zoloft didn't help me at all but Paxil worked very well for me.

Answer 6

Does not apply to all of the anti-depressants. If you are even concern about this issue in the first place you should really start seeking help. Plus, you may always wish to consult the doctor or the pharmacist before they prescribe to you the drug. Some of the anti-depressants does contain the side effects that allows one to experience slight weight gain. Of course you may wish to highlight this to your doctor and he can prescribe to you a different type of drug that does not contain that certain side effect.

Answer 7

When you first start taking antidepressants, usually you end up more depressed for the first two weeks, as your brain adjusts to the different levels of neurotransmitters in the synapse by downregulating/upregulating the appropriate postsynaptic receptor groups. I'm no doctor, but if you're still feeling depressed, you should perhaps see your physician and maybe change your drug regimen. No one drug works for everyone, so maybe you just need to tweak the dosages or the drugs you are taking in conjunction.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

It depends on the individual. Some people do very well with anti-depressants but others, like me, can't tolerate them at all.
When I was on Celexa, I felt depressed and anxiety- ridden and suicidal! I didn't have any better luck with other anti-depressants.

Perhaps you should see your doctor, but also try some good quality psychotherapy. Don't forget that exercise out in the fresh air is a good natural anti-depressant. It worked for me (along with faith in God) but I realize that it is not enough for everybody.

Don't forget that God is interested in your feelings and really wants to hear from you.

Answer 9

Don't isolate yourself and be sure to get help if you have self harming thoughts.

Meds can effect people in many ways. Psychotropic meds can take up to several weeks to get to a therapeutic blood level. I have the diagnosis of major depression. It took time for my body to find the right combination of meds for me. I went through several different meds and combinations of them. I see my psychiatrist every month. I feel one must also being in counseling.

Hugs!

Answer 10

Yes, it is possible. Especially when you first start taking them because you get side effects before the drug actually starts working as it is intended. Many SSRIs (such as Paxil and the like) can make you tired all the time as well. Also, some of them cause very severe withdrawl symptoms if you quit them cold turkey.