Freaked out! Can antidepressants give long term side affects?

[*pixiedust*]

Dear all,

I am very upset as it took me years and years since I had an allergic reaction to citalopram to try different tablets.

Anti depressants seem to give me side affect in just 3 days! Even the low doses.

The thing is, I tried dosepline and I was going through a stressfull time anyway but withing three days I was getting really angry and very anxious to the point I went to the nurse and was running a fever! I was so upset and stressed and anxious that she took me off them immediately. The thing is this was months ago and I have felt even worse since then! Is it just a coincidence? I have had stuff going on but I'm sure my anxiety is much much worse.

Then, about a week and a half ago I was given amiltrytaline. Within four days I was taking off them because they werent sure if it was my athsma steroids or the amyltriptaline making me even more anxious, I couldnt even go to my local shop which is about 300meters away. I have had a couple of viruses too and I have been felling so unwell since, very weak, very faint, very sick, very very shaky and very anxious.

I have been taking Setraline for two days, I'v had episodes of extreme excitement, and happyness which I have had a few times before, tbh its to the point it scares me a little bit. Maybe its just because I'v been so low for so long but I'm worried its mania. However, my constant worry about the same thing going round and round in my head seems to have stopped (I think I have OCD?). Obviously these tablets seem to affect me way to quickly. If I get too excited I have all this emotion and and I almost feel like I'm losing it! Fear I'm gonna do something really stupid or embarrasing! Is that just panic mixed with excitement? My friend has had to deal with me in that state before and I actually scared her, it comes on very quickly and sometimes quite randomly :-( could it just be that I dont get that happy that often and maybe being happy happy is a bit foriegn? I'v had depression on and off for 8 years and I been in a bad patch for 3

Anyway, I read somewhere that even after stopping taking them, the tablets can leave you with unwanted side affect for a very very long time......

Is this true? I'm very worried now :-(

Actually, I'm worried in general, I'm confused, I dont know whats going on with me and I got out of a relationship about six weeks ago that was very controlling and told me what to wear, where to go, what to do, how to act everything. My personality seems to keep changing and I dont really feel like I know who I am! One minute I wanna be classy, the next I want to look hot, the next I wanna be laid back and cool, the jobs I want to go for change all the time, the tattoos i want, if I want, the jobs I want, I cant decide what to study because I keep changing! One minute I want to be a beauty therapist, the next I wasnt to study ancient religion, then music, then science, then social work, then childcare. I feel lost, I really dont think I know who I am, who I want to be, and sometimes I feel like I give up, I dont care, as long as I settle down with someone I will be happy.Maybe I just need to stay single for a while and find me. But I had this quite a lot, my personality adapts to who I'm with or hanging out with and my personality seems to change, I dont know if its mood swings? I can be sweet and nice then I'll turn grumpy and angry, then later i'll be nice and very sensitive, then later I'll be not caring what anyone thinks. My ex said he couldnt deal with not knowing which one of me he was gonna pick up! but surely that depends on if he was being horrible or not?! I do feel like there are so many versions of me :-(

I am so confused and lost

[alankay]

Pixie, any side effects will go away in time. Only at higher doses will sexual side effects(sides) hangs around. They even go away sometimes. Zoloft(Sertraline) can give you some passing sides when starting as all SSRI's can. Hang it there with it even at a low dose. 50 mg is the base dose so I bet you're at 25mg which is a good way to start if you are sensitive to meds.
In any case any side effect that you get would go away if you ever discontinued the med. Don't go for the fear mongers out there who say they cause anything permanent. They don't.
Your anxiety will be effected by such events as break ups or anything that causes stress by increasing it for a while.
Hang in there and you'll calm down by working with your docs and the med.
You are likely also paying too much attention how you're feeling which is common. PM me any time. Alankay

[*pixiedust*]

No, I'm straight on 50! Which I'm suprised (and a bit upset) she gave them seeing as I'm usually so sensitive :-( but to be fair, my depression and anxiety has been so bad for a long time, and its been really really bad for months, thats probably why. I hope they arent too strong :-( would that be causing the excitedness or do I just need to get used to them? I'm still getting really bad panics. I'm not used to being happy! The extreme excitement is as scary as a panic attack! I am so anxious about it. And yes, I get really really anxious on meds, worrying about the side affects and I start getting very small panics about it. But it has almost instantly stopped the OCD bothering me, in just two days! (is this another suggestion they are gonna be too strong?) You are such a good help Alankay, I was really hoping you would reply

Much <3

[vonnhelsing]

i get depressed when i dont feel anxious and panicky.. like if i'm having a good day and feeling fine i'll be happy at first but then i get depressed thinking oh its probably not going to last and i'll be back to my anxious self later on. i hate it! i've really forgotten what it's like to be really happy and not constantly feeling ill and worrisome.. :l im terrified of taking meds too! cause i had a horrible reaction to one in the past..

[alankay]

Pixie, yeah it can cause you to feel abit different and most anxious folks can get scared over that. In time this will go away. If it really bothers you ask the doc if it's OK to go with 25mg for a week or two then move to 50mg and keep it there. If you are hanging in there OK keep it at 50mg. It's the base dose so it should not be that bad.
I was always afraid a med would "make me someone different", etc, and I've been on fluoxetine, zoloft, celexa and now lexapro. It never happened but I did get anxious and pay way too much attention to how I was feeling in hindsight. I was anxious and worried about everything so it made sense I'd worry about that too, right?
My advise would be to stay on the zoloft even if you need to drop the dose for a while so your system gets more used to it. In time it should work to lessen anxiety and OCD symptoms. But it can make us feel a bit "off" but that should pass and you should start to feel better. I don't think it's too strong a dose either.
PM me any time at all and I'll keep an eye out on posts by you. Alankay.

[*pixiedust*]

Aw, thankyou so much alankay, u are such a great help. I'll take it again tomorow and see how I am, I'm gonna try and hang on in there with it :-) I got a meeting with my welfare officer coming to my house on a special visit because I'v been so depressed and anxious and had so much time off work....I hope I havent got ridiculous excitement when he gets here! He'll have travelled 65 lol. Awkward :-) Thankyou, I'm feeling so much better than I was earlier. I'm gonna go to sleep now :-) night x