various antidepressants

[Guest guest]

Hi Annette,

No, no one has really recommended Prozac. Over the last 2 and a

quarter years I've tried Celexa, Wellbutrin, Elavil and Trazodone.

Cannot tolerate wellbutrin at all. It all began when the therapist I

started seeing (my husband and I were separated and I was trying to

work through that). She suggested Celexa might help me " focus " on

issues and help me even out the perimenopausal ups and downs. I never

saw a psychologist or psychiatrist for any clinical depression and a

doctor the therapist knew(and I had seen once) prescribed Celexa over

the phone. I really didn't seem to have too many side effects from

that, except that I began feeling more fatigued, weak and developed

the hip pain and such. Ha- the therapist suggested I " up " the Celexa

to 60mg/day rather than the 40 I was on. I did, for a few months.

Just became more tired.It MAY have put me on slightly more of an even

keel at times, but not enough so that I could really tell.Other

times, I most certainly did NOT feel more " in control! " At any rate,

I went off it cold turkey and didn't suffer anything major right

away.A couple doctors I saw later during that time told me I was on a

VERY high dose of Celexa and wondered why?? I went back on Celexa for

a while this past year, then stopped again. Was given wellbutrin to

try to help me quit somoking- that stuff made me nuts- rapid heart

rate, insomnia, etc. Then I was DX'd with fibromyalgia. Since

rheumatologists and internists use low dose antidepressants for that,

I was put on Elavil(only 10mg a night, working up to 50.)Part of that

time, I was using the Celexa, but stopped it. On only 20mg elavil I

sure slept well, but felt very drugged and exhausted all day, even

with my naps. I think the elavil did help my pains slightly, though

they would still occur, so just not sure. I only took the elavil for

a few weeks. Hated the drugged feeling, plus wanted to eat and eat at

night I asked the rheumy for something else to try and we decided

to try trazadone. I really don't notice an antidepressant effect, but

I take it along WITH ambein at night for sleep. I've tried using one

or the other alone, and usually sleep much better with both combined.

I am starting to cut the trazodone in half, though. Then will cut the

Ambien in half, from 10mg to 5 mg. About 7/8 weeks ago, the nurse-

practioner at my internist's office suggested I might try Zoloft. She

gave me a bunch of samples, saying it's used for PMS and fibro

patients. I'm simply not doing all that well on it. Even

my " allergies " have been worse- but that could be hormonal.I have

become concerned about SSRIs- reported side effects are numerous,

including fibromyalgia- like aches and pains, muscle twitches,

tremors- all of which I didn't have before I ever started these

drugs Coincidence, perhaps. Lynn, I've read up on serotonin

syndrome and that is a concern. Every single doctor has told me I cna

use these drugs in combination, but I'm finding on some websites that

can be a no-no! It appears that long term SSRI use can perhaps

permanently change (damage) some brain sturcture, so much more

research is needed. The possibility scares me. In other words, I am

very confused, plus not sure how to get off the Zoloft. I was really

surprised at what appear to be " withdrawal " symptoms, even at the low

dose I was taking. The last couple of times I saw our therapist

(marriage counseling), she really believes in these drugs for many

people ( I argue with her) and thought it was wonderful I was trying

Zoloft. True, she is NOT a doctor-though she works with them.

My goodness- this is long, but it's my histry with antidepressants,

in a nutshell.