Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOs, TCAs, TeCAs)

[Star64]

Another article on Prozac (from 2007):

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2007/may/13/socialcare.medicineandhealth

"All good things come to an end, though, and in 2001, Prozac lost its patent. Eli Lilly lost $35m of its market value in one day - and 90 per cent of its Prozac prescriptions in a single year. Eli Lilly has now come back with Cymbalta, which it hopes will be the next Prozac. This was approved by America's Food & Drug Administration despite another very shaky start. Traci Johnson, a healthy 19-year-old college student, hung herself in the Eli Lilly laboratory while testing the drug at high doses, in return for $150 a day."

On Traci Johnson:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2004-04-14-0404140248-story.html

When drug companies lose their patent they usually come out with another drug which is nearly the same drug. Pfizer did this, when they lost the patent on Effexor, they launched Pristiq which is actually the main metabolite of Effexor, venlafaxine hydrochloride.

Pristiq was marketed for major depression and also as alternative to using hormone replacement therapy for the treatment of hot flashes.

 

[all to gain]

Amen. Addiction psychiatrists told me that only now they are starting to see the long term effects of pregabalin. It was marketed as a wonder drug initially. For me it turned out to be an ongoing horror story

Yep. Until the 'experts' put 2+2 together all the consumers coming forward are simply considered to be giving meaningless reports. It take years until they realise that all those 'anecdotal' reports actually do mean something. Meanwhile lots of people suffer at the arrogance of the medical profession and pharmacological companies.

Never trust a doctor...

 

[Chinmoku]

Gabapentin is turning out to be the same horror story, this is not surprising as they are both gabapentinoids. I was informed pregabalin was the lesser of the two evils years ago but from what I have read and heard both drugs can cause horror stories just like Benzodiazepines.

Indeed, Star, gabapentin seems to be less stable at low dosages, which makes it a dirtier drug. However pregabalin is more powerful, which makes it harder to taper if taken at high dosages. They are nerve drugs, imagine any possible horrible side effect/withdrawal symptom and with nerves into play someone will experience it

 

[MatthijsDJ]

I have great results with Clomipramine. I got it for OCD but it fixed my tinnitus obsession for a great part as well.

For sleep I take 7.5mg of Mirtazapine as well.

 

[all to gain]

I have great results with Clomipramine. I got it for OCD but it fixed my tinnitus obsession for a great part as well.

For sleep I take 7.5mg of Mirtazapine as well.

What do you mean fixed your tinnitus obsession?

I was offered it as a replacement for Prozac, but I see that the side effects include tinnitus in 1-10% of patients so I thought it might make my tinnitus worse.

 

[MatthijsDJ]

What do you mean fixed your tinnitus obsession?

I was offered it as a replacement for Prozac, but I see that the side effects include tinnitus in 1-10% of patients so I thought it might make my tinnitus worse.

I was focusing a lot on my tinnitus, when the Clomipramine kicked in I lost focus on it for the majority of the day.

 

[Artazanasss]

So I asked my doctor to put me off Risperidone and not only she refused to do it, but she prescribed me two new antidepressant SSRIs, Lexapro and Fluanxol, and now not only my anxiety is increased I have constant aggressive attacks which my mother and family suffers from, of course, I am not psychical, but verbal, but I can't control my emotions at all now. I have constant anger and anxiety. Please help recommend me any natural supplement that can replace this poison that is ruining my life.

I'm thinking about trying this. Has anybody else tried this formulation?

https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Mood-Support-with-St-John-s-Wort-90-Veg-Capsules/8214

I need to replace antidepressants and antipsychotics fast, because my mother is starting to have health problems from my constant emotional ruin. Antidepressants and antipsychotics completely ruined my mental state and well being and in turn ruined my life.

 

[ajc]

So I asked my doctor to put me off Risperidone and not only she refused to do it, but she prescribed me two new antidepressant SSRIs, Lexapro and Fluanxol, and now not only my anxiety is increased I have constant aggressive attacks which my mother and family suffers from, of course, I am not psychical, but verbal, but I can't control my emotions at all now. I have constant anger and anxiety. Please help recommend me any natural supplement that can replace this poison that is ruining my life.

So you take every drug your doctor prescribes?

Why did you start on these new SSRIs? You should have refused. Nobody forces them down your throat.

I'm thinking about trying this. Has anybody else tried this formulation?

St John's Wort works for some people, but it's usually quite mild and best for mild depression.

I'm not sure any natural supplement can help your state...

 

[Artazanasss]

So you take every drug your doctor prescribes?

Why did you start on these new SSRIs? You should have refused. Nobody forces them down your throat.

St John's Wort works for some people, but it's usually quite mild and best for mild depression.

I'm not sure any natural supplement can help your state...

I have taken every drug my doctor has prescribed and they have made me emotionally numb except occasional aggression attacks, being a zombie with memory problems, impotence, weight gain and complete and utter disregard for life.

You're right that I shouldn't have accepted new SSRIs, I'm an idiot for it but after saying that I have brain zaps they basically said that they refuse to treat me if I continue to change medications myself and that I should follow their plan word for word or they won't treat me at all. I listened like a moron and here I am ten times worse for it. I will see my doctor Monday and I will tell them that I refuse to take Fluanxol and that I want to naturally get off Lexapro. If they make me sign a paper stating that they're not responsible for it so be it, I won't continue taking this poison any longer. This is the last time they force dangerous psychotropic drugs down my throat.

This formulation I gave the link to not only has St John's Wort, but also 5-HTP, Taurine, GABA, Valerian root, L-theanine, so things that are effective for a lot of people. Obviously 5-HTP didn't really work out for me, but in this lower dose of 20mg, I think I should tolerate it. I don't think this formulation can hurt as far as trying to come off antidepressants.

Also as far as aggression attacks go I have always had them. Even when I was a healthy person with no physical or emotional problems, but the aggression attacks were really rare and happened like once a week or once a month, but now it's almost a daily occurrence. It scares me that my mental state continues to deteriorate while I'm having more and more side effects and health problems from antidepressants and antipsychotics.

Anyway thanks for reaching out and saying your perspective.

 

[all to gain]

So you take every drug your doctor prescribes?

Why did you start on these new SSRIs? You should have refused. Nobody forces them down your throat.

I think it's easy, in the heat of the moment, to go along with what the doctor says. This is especially true if you've been brought up to believe that doctors are experts at what they do and would do nothing that would put the patient in harms way and that they always tell the truth. It's even more true if you are in a depressed and stressed state.

Oh how naive I've been!! I hate myself for it. I will never trust a doctor again unfortunately. All too late in my case though, and I'm sure it is for many others too. It's made me very cautious about letting my kids go to the doctors now, which of course has its pros and cons.

 

[Helheim]

I have taken every drug my doctor has prescribed and they have made me emotionally numb except occasional aggression attacks, being a zombie with memory problems, impotence, weight gain and complete and utter disregard for life.

You're right that I shouldn't have accepted new SSRIs, I'm an idiot for it but after saying that I have brain zaps they basically said that they refuse to treat me if I continue to change medications myself and that I should follow their plan word for word or they won't treat me at all. I listened like a moron and here I am ten times worse for it. I will see my doctor Monday and I will tell them that I refuse to take Fluanxol and that I want to naturally get off Lexapro. If they make me sign a paper stating that they're not responsible for it so be it, I won't continue taking this poison any longer. This is the last time they force dangerous psychotropic drugs down my throat.

This formulation I gave the link to not only has St John's Wort, but also 5-HTP, Taurine, GABA, Valerian root, L-theanine, so things that are effective for a lot of people. Obviously 5-HTP didn't really work out for me, but in this lower dose of 20mg, I think I should tolerate it. I don't think this formulation can hurt as far as trying to come off antidepressants.

Also as far as aggression attacks go I have always had them. Even when I was a healthy person with no physical or emotional problems, but the aggression attacks were really rare and happened like once a week or once a month, but now it's almost a daily occurrence. It scares me that my mental state continues to deteriorate while I'm having more and more side effects and health problems from antidepressants and antipsychotics.

Anyway thanks for reaching out and saying your perspective.

Good luck with that. No one should have to take medicine that is clearly not working for them.

 

[SugarMagnolia]

Prozac Nation? Is the Party Over? (from 2004)
https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/0906/119.html#c24f55649e81

"Doctors and patients have for some time been reporting mild tics and jerks in SSRI users. The tics are usually overlooked, but can develop into tardive dyskinesia (manifested by a freakish "involuntary tongue" that darts out of the mouth, twitching or "running" legs, jerking or wildly swinging arms and gagging)."

This is why I am so skeptical of ADs. Having a tic that causes the tongue to involuntarily and freakishly dart out of the mouth would NOT make anyone feel less depressed. It would probably not go over well at work either.

 

[all to gain]

Could antidepressants really cause brain damage? Experts reveal the pills don't work for most people and could even cause PERMANENT harm

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4197460/Could-antidepressants-damage-brain.html

This crap should really be banned already. Big Pharma screwed up and screwed over many patients who are now suffering badly because of this.

 

[ThomasW]

I got Tinnitus from Amitriptyline last year and I've got it down to about <5%, you can read my story here:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/my-ototoxic-stress-induced-tinnitus-is-nearly-gone.38880/

I would not recommend taking Amitriptyline for Tinnitus because it is an ototoxic drug that can give you T to begin with and also has the potential to make it much worse.

I read a paper saying one of the way Amitriptyline works is by decreasing Nitric Oxide production. This reduces blood flow and circulation which is one of the mechanisms that causes T. If you T is caused by blood flow problems then it will make it worse. I read a few posts from people saying how they were sleeping better but now had more tones and an increase in pitch.

Now on the other hand one of the way Amitriptyline can lessen Tinnitus is by regulating Glutamate and increasing GABA which is a proven way of decreasing T caused by noise trauma. It also calms your mind and nervous system which is why its used as a sleep aid and is prescribed for people having trouble sleeping because of their T.

 

[MichaelSF]

Anyone taking ADs with any success at all?

 

[Artazanasss]

So I'm tapering off antidepressants successfully. I tampered off Risperidone slowly from 2 tablets to half a tablet and I replaced Escitalopram with 5-HTP (lower dose, I break the 400 mg tablet in half) and adaptogens (Ashwagandha, Rosiolla Rosea). I am also taking Melatonin at night to help me sleep because insomnia is a common side effect from quitting Risperidone and I can honestly say I never felt better. My anxiety is a lot lower. My aggression attacks are gone. My nausea is better. Even my mood is better. I lost a little weight by combining my lower antidepressant dosage with intermittent fasting 18/6. I am a little drowsy from 5-HTP sometimes so I think I might replace it with something else in the future, but that's not a big deal considering I'm starting to feel like my old self. My emotions are still not fully recovered and the antipsychotic Risperidone did cause some damage like memory loss, akathisia, dystonia, and impotence, but I hope it will get better over time.

I also did well by cutting out toxic people (my sister) from my life that did nothing, but drain my emotions, humiliate me and insult me and now I'm only left with real family like my mother.

So yeah I am doing quite good and I encourage everyone to go the natural route instead of dangerous antipsychotics and antidepressants that cause extensive damage and long-lasting side effects.

 

[Tweedleman]

Fuck I miss my old self before I damaged my hearing. That happy, confident guy that was full of joy, physically and emotionally fit for life and enjoyed life like hell is pretty much dead. Fucking tinnitus and hearing loss and psychological disorders that were mediated by heavily psychotic drugs and loss of closest of my family members have ruined all of that. I'm suffering so much and my doctors don't seem to give a single care.

I'm right there with you. Since my hearing damage and T escalation people at work tell me I'm "a shell" of my former self. I was outgoing, positive (mostly), and supportive of others. Now, I have no interest in anything. I struggle to leave the house. I take pleasure in nothing. Nobody wants to be around me and I don't blame them, although I still resent them for it. I realize this is no way to live, and there is no going back in time. Hopefully hearing regeneration comes soon and is everything we need it to be.

 

[Tweedleman]

I got Tinnitus from Amitriptyline last year and I've got it down to about <5%, you can read my story here:
https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/my-ototoxic-stress-induced-tinnitus-is-nearly-gone.38880/

I would not recommend taking Amitriptyline for Tinnitus because it is an ototoxic drug that can give you T to begin with and also has the potential to make it much worse.

I read a paper saying one of the way Amitriptyline works is by decreasing Nitric Oxide production. This reduces blood flow and circulation which is one of the mechanisms that causes T. If you T is caused by blood flow problems then it will make it worse. I read a few posts from people saying how they were sleeping better but now had more tones and an increase in pitch.

Now on the other hand one of the way Amitriptyline can lessen Tinnitus is by regulating Glutamate and increasing GABA which is a proven way of decreasing T caused by noise trauma. It also calms your mind and nervous system which is why its used as a sleep aid and is prescribed for people having trouble sleeping because of their T.

Interesting. My T is from hearing damage. My Dr. prescribed 10mg amitriptyline and I'm about 3 weeks into taking it nightly. Great shit for sleeping. There was one night I noticed a significant drop in T volume and intrusiveness. Went from a 4.5/10 to a 3. Hasn't reoccured yet, unfortunately. The next morning I was back up to baseline, very disapointed. Usually it just seems to change the tones. In the morning I don't wake up any more positive than I would if I drank whiskey or smoked pot the night before. It's that same feeling of defenselessness and oh god I have to make it through another day.

 

[LukeYoung]

Amitriptyline, 20mg at night.

Taking for pain and also depression and anxiety issues, probably need to go to 25mg for the anxiety and depression.
Could be placebo, but my tinnitus is quieter since being on it.

It slows down nerve signals and that is why it works for pain.
Maybe it can work for also tinnitus.

Haven't experienced adverse effects (tinnitus related).

 

[Lane]

I just want to briefly mention that sometimes drug "seem" to work. But that doesn't mean they're not doing damage that's cumulative and long-term, and may not show up for months or years. IMHO, it's always better to seek out super safe non-drug alternatives. There's plenty of them out there, from herbs, intermittent fasting, yoga, mediation, etc, etc. There's many other benefits to these approaches from just the better ability to cope with tinnitus.

 

[LukeYoung]

I just want to briefly mention that sometimes drug "seem" to work. But that doesn't mean they're not doing damage that's cumulative and long-term, and may not show up for months or years. IMHO, it's always better to seek out super safe non-drug alternatives. There's plenty of them out there, from herbs, intermittent fasting, yoga, mediation, etc, etc. There's many other benefits to these approaches from just the better ability to cope with tinnitus.

Most drugs will have side effects or warnings for long term use damage.
There are always side effects, and while natural would be best, it just isn't realistic for everybody

 

[Lane]

Most drugs will have side effects or warnings for long term use damage. ...... There are always side effects, and while natural would be best, it just isn't realistic for everybody

Just because there are warnings doesn't begin to tell you how a particular drug is going to affect a given person. Two years ago, I was given a single dose of a supposedly benign anti-nausea drug called Promethazine. When I reported that I experienced severe hyperacusis, tinnitus, and a host of other debilitating symptoms, the doctors that treated me said that wasn't possible, even though all my symptoms and more were listed as possible side effects. -- Don't trust doctors; don't trust drug labels; limit drug use as much as possible. This is realistic for most people. I think it's imperative to keep in mind that drugs are generally speaking inherently risky endeavors--I think especially if someones ears are already vulnerable.

 

[Lane]

intermittent fasting 18/6

Hi @Artazanasss -- Thanks for your positive report, and congratulations on all your improvements. I too have been doing intermittent fasting similar to what you're doing, and wish I would have discovered this many years ago. The benefits feel almost innumerable, from feeling lighter, better digestion, better sleep, better mood, etc. -- I think if more people would try this, they would be much less likely to consider any kind of brain damaging drugs.

 

[LukeYoung]

Just because there are warnings doesn't begin to tell you how a particular drug is going to affect a given person. Two years ago, I was given a single dose of a supposedly benign anti-nausea drug called Promethazine. When I reported that I experienced severe hyperacusis, tinnitus, and a host of other debilitating symptoms, the doctors that treated me said that wasn't possible, even though all my symptoms and more were listed as possible side effects. -- Don't trust doctors; don't trust drug labels; limit drug use as much as possible. This is realistic for most people. I think it's imperative to keep in mind that drugs are generally speaking inherently risky endeavors--I think especially if someones ears are already vulnerable.

I agree, you basically just repeated what i said but longer.
All drugs have risks, but some people have no choice, while relief NOW is better than worry what may be in future.
If it wasn't for amitriptyline i'd be dead, by suicide.

 

[Tweedleman]

I agree, you basically just repeated what i said but longer.
All drugs have risks, but some people have no choice, while relief NOW is better than worry what may be in future.
If it wasn't for amitriptyline i'd be dead, by suicide.

I agree. Especially if your sleep is in jeoprady, amitriptyline is a pragmatic approach. You gotta do what ya gotta do to keep going. The working world unforgivingly demands we keep up with it despite our maladies.

 

[Jack V]

For those of you who have had some relief using a tricyclic antidepressant, how long did you find it took to work?

Thanks.

 

[MichaelSF]

Amitriptyline, 20mg at night.

Taking for pain and also depression and anxiety issues, probably need to go to 25mg for the anxiety and depression.
Could be placebo, but my tinnitus is quieter since being on it.

It slows down nerve signals and that is why it works for pain.
Maybe it can work for also tinnitus.

Haven't experienced adverse effects (tinnitus related).

Really happy for you Luke, that's great!

 

[MichaelSF]

I agree. Especially if your sleep is in jeoprady, amitriptyline is a pragmatic approach. You gotta do what ya gotta do to keep going. The working world unforgivingly demands we keep up with it despite our maladies.

Sad but true, get busy living or get busy "dying"

 

[LukeYoung]

I agree. Especially if your sleep is in jeoprady, amitriptyline is a pragmatic approach. You gotta do what ya gotta do to keep going. The working world unforgivingly demands we keep up with it despite our maladies.

Really happy for you Luke, that's great!

Thanks mate.

 

[Lane]

get busy living or get busy "dying"

@MichaelSF -- Shawshank Redemption? (If my memory serves me correctly)