About mood altering drugs...

[Rex_Goodheart]

I'm not really sure what product my wife is currently taking... she's got the vial with her...

But stuff like Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil... are the long-term effects OPPOSITE of what they're supposed to achieve in the short term?

I find her growing testier, moodier, more paranoid.... or maybe it's just MY own effect on her. *sigh*

I'm about to cry.

[mdmc]

1. hang in there rex goodheart

sometimes meds have side effects...sometimes chicks are moody...peace...peace and low stress...time to go for a bike ride!:patriot:

[Bridget Burke]

2. Drugs work differently on different people.

Try to find out what she's taking. Copious information was probably stapled to the bag when she filled the prescription. And there are official websites. (There are also unofficial websites--beware those that recommend herb tea & good thoughts over any medication at all.)

Sometimes drugs take a while to "kick in." (Heh.) And sometimes another drug will do the job better. Try to broach the subject--although it sounds as though it might be tough. Try to get her to talk to the doctor.

[Shine]

3. Hmmm...sorry to hear that.

I don't know much about those types of drugs, but it sounds as if you could both benefit from some couples' counseling, to work out your mutual unhappiness.

Hang in there and good luck. :hug:

Welcome to DU, too, btw! :toast: Here's to positive new changes....

[slide to the left]

4. From someone who's family all takes them

Its genetic on my mom's side so there are a few of us that take SSRIs

If she is not responding well to them there could be a few reasons. 1. She isn't depressed, she is bi-polar, 2. Wrong dose, 3. Wrong drug.

Effexor seems to have been the most effective one for my mom who has take several. I have been on Effexor for a few years and am very thankful. Effexor works on 2 chemicals and not just one like then drugs you listed.

Sometimes, after a while, the dosage needs to be changed, or the drug needs to be changed. And sometimes, its not chemical and she needs counseling.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Very good post, but also want to add that it could be hormonal. I find

that I have some symptoms similar to being bipolar, but that's not what it is. It's very cyclical for me and seems to be tied in with my periods.. so I am on Prozac to help with the depression and anxiety that has followed me around for most of my life.

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. Allow me to echo Ms. Burke

There are a lot of different SSRI's out there, each differing from the others by just a molecule or so, and everyone's chemistry is different. I did poorly on Wellbutrin and Effexor, wonderfully on Lexapro.

Also, it can take up to a month for the desired effects to be evident, while the negative side effects can start almost immediately.

It takes careful monitoring to find the right med and dosage.

Now watch this thread get locked. :D



I almost forgot an old O'Rex truism: "All the problems in the world are drug-related — too many, not enough or the wrong kind."

[LaraMN]

6. I think I SUCK on anti-depressants, because I seem to have anxiety

issues, moreover, and they often exacerbate them. You really have to work closely with your doctor to find what works (not that I ever have! lol).

[Metta]

7. I presume you've shared your concerns with her.

Seems to me like an honest thing to do.

[Taverner]

8. Keep a close watch on her

Sometimes MAOI inhibitors (like Paxil and Zoloft) can actually exacerbate symptoms.

If it gets too much, ask the doctor to perscribe something else. A lot of mood altering drugs is trial and error, unfortunately.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. My Prozac doesn't affect me that way. I think maybe you need to

find out what she is on and ask her if she feels like it is helping? :hug:

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[xchrom]

12. takes at least six weeks for them to kick in.

the effect is cummulative.

if you are more than six weeks into the process -- maybe you should have a talk with her.

because -- it's also about her physical health.

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

13. It took my Paxil a month to kick in .

[Deja Q]

14. Or permanent chemistry alteration...

Not a direcft example, but I have a relative who became allergic to cold medications after receiving a different type of medication for a different illness. It may have affected her biochemistry.

Oh, if you know of drugs that grow testies, there are plenty of people who'd benefit from taking it. Most of them are the alpha, SUV-owning, gun-toting, or otherwise bullying type because they have to compensate for something...

[NMMNG]

15. That would depend

I don't know what her diagnosis is of course.

*Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and other SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), along with other antidepressants can work great for some people and not-so-great for others. Everybody's personal chemistry is different so, of course, their response to a specific drug will be different. One must also take into account how other medications/supplements they take will affect a given drug.

Furthermore, if a person is given a diagnosis of depression but actually has bipolar disorder, taking an antidepressant can actually bring on symptoms of mania. That may be why you are seeing increased irritability, mood swings and even paranoia. I had a similar problem, which is how my doctor came to determine I was bipolar II. He put me on mood stabilizers and I had a much better response.



*None of this is official medical advice, as per DU rules.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

16. My mom was once almost normal.

Then she was prescibed xanax, paxil and percoset. Then she went CRAZY(!!!!) for a couple years. Now, she's weaned off it all. She is almost like a sane person again. I don't trust that shit. I'll take benzos (i.e. xanax to pass out on a long flight) and I'm on adderall for ADD but most of that stuff scares me and I feel that it fucks you up, even though people have tried to prescribe it to me before.