# Poll on medication



## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

This poll is in regards to the age at which people have started SSRI treatment and their degree of anxiety/depression.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

Please Vote.


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## Kevin001 (Jan 2, 2015)

I started taking meds when I was 22-23 but not on any anymore. It was meds for anxiety and depression. My issues were pretty bad.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I am still on Paxil, but it's mild anxiety (occasionally peaking toward moderate)


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## meepie (Jun 20, 2010)

Meds from 20-26 not anymore.

Paxil(the worst withdrawl in my life)
Lexapro
Citalopram
Zoloft
Prozac
--------------
Pristiq(SNRI)
Seroquel
Lamictal


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## littleghost (Oct 29, 2016)

meepie said:


> Meds from 20-26 not anymore.
> 
> Paxil(the worst withdrawl in my life)
> Lexapro
> ...


I'm surprised Paxil was worse than Pristiq. I didn't have too much trouble getting off Paxil, but if I forget even one Pristiq, it's horrible.


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## CloudChaser (Nov 7, 2013)

Teenage years, major depression and anxiety.


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

Was on them from age 20 - age 32 or so. Finally managed to get off them after trying for about 6 years then. Tried all of them.


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

i took a few of them and not one had any positive or for that matter negative effect. I gave up them all cold turkey, again with no positive or negative effect on mood which prompted my doc to say that no medication would therefore work for me - luckily she didn't have a clue what she was talking about.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

No poll option fits for me. Tried paxil during a tough period. Make my knob nice and numb. That's it. No good for anything except as a knob number. Will never take it again.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

scarpia said:


> No poll option fits for me. Tried paxil during a tough period. Make my knob nice and numb. That's it. No good for anything except as a knob number. Will never take it again.


So you are taking a medicine atm just not an SSRI I'm guessing?


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

SFC01 said:


> i took a few of them and not one had any positive or for that matter negative effect. I gave up them all cold turkey, again with no positive or negative effect on mood which prompted my doc to say that no medication would therefore work for me - luckily she didn't have a clue what she was talking about.


Interesting. What medicine do you these days?


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

splendidbob said:


> Was on them from age 20 - age 32 or so. Finally managed to get off them after trying for about 6 years then. Tried all of them.


Why did you go off of them? And what made it take 6 years?


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

meepie said:


> Meds from 20-26 not anymore.
> 
> Paxil(the worst withdrawl in my life)
> Lexapro
> ...


How come not anymore?


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

Kevin001 said:


> I started taking meds when I was 22-23 but not on any anymore. It was meds for anxiety and depression. My issues were pretty bad.


How come you don't take medicine anymore?


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

@naes, phenelzine aka nardil, really good med for me that seems to make me immune from anxious or depressive thoughts and gives me the excited outlook on life I had in my younger days.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

SFC01 said:


> @naes, phenelzine aka nardil, really good med for me that seems to make me immune from anxious or depressive thoughts and gives me the excited outlook on life I had in my younger days.


Nice man I have heard lots of good things about MAOIs. Do you experience any side effects on it?


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

not had one side effect on it naes, but from reading the posts on here it does seem quite common to get them.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

SFC01 said:


> not had one side effect on it naes, but from reading the posts on here it does seem quite common to get them.


Hmm, like what are the common side effects people complain about? If you don't remember that's cool, I'm just curious.


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

common ones are bloating, weight gain, constipation, insomnia, fatigue and hypotension but it seems that that these subside and disappear after a few months on it but quite a few people quit because of them when starting up. I feel really lucky as I was expecting to feel like **** for a while but I had nothing apart from daily improvement from symptoms until they had gone, and it hasn't dipped in effect in the 3 years I have been on it.


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## cosmicslop (Nov 24, 2012)

SSRI's never worked for me. I took Zoloft (no effect), Prozac (sleeping too much), and Paxil (fainted a few times) for depression. I have been on an atypical antidepressant for several years now.


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

which one cosmicslop?


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I tried Prozac for a couple months at age 16. Didn't feel any change. 

I also tried Wellbutrin about 10 years ago, for a month when I was abroad. Just bought it at the pharmacy with no prescription. The 2nd time I tried to buy it they asked me for a prescription, so that was the end of that. It did give me more energy but it was a nervous energy. I could feel my heart racing faster than normal. 

Other than that no psych meds. Just booze for socializing. 3 or 4 times I took a beta-blocker for speeches.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

SFC01 said:


> common ones are bloating, weight gain, constipation, insomnia, fatigue and hypotension but it seems that that these subside and disappear after a few months on it but quite a few people quit because of them when starting up. I feel really lucky as I was expecting to feel like **** for a while but I had nothing apart from daily improvement from symptoms until they had gone, and it hasn't dipped in effect in the 3 years I have been on it.


I really want to give MAOIs a shot if that's the only side effects and they go away eventually!


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## Virgo (Jun 27, 2016)

I agree with @meepie that Paxil withdrawal is HORRIBLE.

I started meds after teenage years for both anxiety and depression but I don't really know if it's classified "major" or "mild". Both of them seem pretty damn major to me. But I'll hold off on voting.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

Atheism said:


> I agree with @meepie that Paxil withdrawal is HORRIBLE.
> 
> I started meds after teenage years for both anxiety and depression but I don't really know if it's classified "major" or "mild". Both of them seem pretty damn major to me. But I'll hold off on voting.


You should vote major.


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## Maslow (Dec 24, 2003)

I've been on Paxil for almost 10 years. It does absolutely nothing for my social anxiety, but it pretty much cured my neuroticism. I can't sleep without it. I suffered from severe insomnia for some 15 years, but now I can fall asleep pretty easily.

The worst side effect is sexual. I haven't had a decent orgasm since getting on Paxil.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

Maslow said:


> I've been on Paxil for almost 10 years. It does absolutely nothing for my social anxiety, but it pretty much cured my neuroticism. I can't sleep without it. I suffered from severe insomnia for some 15 years, but now I can fall asleep pretty easily.
> 
> The worst side effect is sexual. I haven't had a decent orgasm since getting on Paxil.


That's how I feel regarding Lexapro.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

naes said:


> So you are taking a medicine atm just not an SSRI I'm guessing?


Most mental problems are psychological, not biochemical. Disturbing brain chemistry is not a way to solve a psychological problem. It will likely backfire in the long run.See: _*Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America*_ by Robert Whitaker.


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## Kevin001 (Jan 2, 2015)

naes said:


> How come you don't take medicine anymore?


Don't need them, never helped just made me feel like a "label".


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## AffinityWing (Aug 11, 2013)

Oops, I accidentally voted for during teenage years and for major depression only but I got prescribed Zoloft once too when I was much younger which could have also been for my anxiety. (It did absolutely nothing, other than making me feel dizzy the very first day upon taking it, though.) The only other antidepressant I've taken was Wellbutrin which I was on just last year and it was a horrible experience for SA that I never want to go through with again, although it really helped with my depression at the time. Because of freaking out on it so bad though I think it's made me certifiably pessimistic about trying to treat SA with meds ever again. If I ever get treatment for myself in the future, I just want to try CBT or another form of therapy that doesn't make me feel like a drone whacked out or dependent on meds to survive.


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## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

naes said:


> Hmm, like what are the common side effects people complain about? If you don't remember that's cool, I'm just curious.


Most common seem to be sexual dysfunction (loss of libido, anorgasmia) and weight gain (whether from decreased metabolism or increased appetite, or a combo, not sure).

I've done many different medications, the first of which I started in my teenage years ('major depression and anxiety'). Among them are the SSRIs Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Cipralex.

(currently on Wellbutrin)


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

scarpia said:


> Most mental problems are psychological, not biochemical. Disturbing brain chemistry is not a way to solve a psychological problem. It will likely backfire in the long run.See: _*Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America*_ by Robert Whitaker.


I disagree.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

AffinityWing said:


> Oops, I accidentally voted for during teenage years and for major depression only but I got prescribed Zoloft once too when I was much younger which could have also been for my anxiety. (It did absolutely nothing, other than making me feel dizzy the very first day upon taking it, though.) The only other antidepressant I've taken was Wellbutrin which I was on just last year and it was a horrible experience for SA that I never want to go through with again, although it really helped with my depression at the time. Because of freaking out on it so bad though I think it's made me certifiably pessimistic about trying to treat SA with meds ever again. If I ever get treatment for myself in the future, I just want to try CBT or another form of therapy that doesn't make me feel like a drone whacked out or dependent on meds to survive.


It's ok . They put me on zoloft too as my first SSRI back in the day. All it did was make me fat and tired. Fortunately I lost all the weight once I got off of it. If i had never been on zoloft highschool might not have been so bad, unfortunately I can't go back in time. These days I am pretty much dependent on medicine I would say. I wonder to myself if it was because of all the medicine I took when I was younger or not which is part of the reason behind this poll. Anyways, I just talked about a lot of stuff lol xD


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## rockyraccoon (Dec 13, 2010)

I have been on all the SSRI's and they all sucked. I can totally relate to the guy who said that Paxil gave him numbness and sexual side effects. I am on a whole bunch of other meds now and thank god they don't give me sexual side effects.


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

naes said:


> Why did you go off of them? And what made it take 6 years?


They never really did anything for me. I thought they might have been marginally helping though, and trusted the doctors (I was young) and feared my OCD getting worse if I came off them. So I stayed on them for a good few years. Every so often I would try to come off them and 3-4 months later my OCD would get way worse, which I was told by the doctors was my illness relapsing due to me not taking the meds, so I started up again.

When I was age 32-33ish I had enough of the side effects (immense weight gain, no libido, apathy etc) and was convinced they weren't helping so I just stuck it out, and sure enough after 6-7 months of fairly hellish "discontinuation syndrome" I started slowly feeling better, and a year or so later I was almost normal. My OCD slowly got better and better over the next 5 years, despite multiple attempts by doctors to put me back on SSRI's.

Not the biggest fan of doctors or SSRI's.


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## Mc Borg (Jan 4, 2008)

Maslow said:


> I've been on Paxil for almost 10 years. It does absolutely nothing for my social anxiety, but it pretty much cured my neuroticism. I can't sleep without it. I suffered from severe insomnia for some 15 years, but now I can fall asleep pretty easily.
> 
> *The worst side effect is sexual. I haven't had a decent orgasm since getting on Paxil.*


Yeah, that was one of the worst things about it.

Paxil is the only prescription med I've been on. It (very) subtly helped with SA. I quite cold turkey after like 10 months or so (do not recommend).


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

*@ scarpia*, I disagree too, although no doubt many issues are psychologically related, biological reasons must also play a huge part. Despite the knowledge we have these days the brain is still along way from being understood so I dont think anybody can point to just one or two reasons and say that is the culprit.

Although having looked briefly at Robert Whitaker's wiki entry, can't say I disagree with a couple of his points.


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## Rains (Jan 20, 2016)

I started taking SSRIs in my teenage years, but I currently take nothing. Can't remember exactly how many medications I've tried (they were a mix of SSRIs and other things), but it's over 10. Mostly useless.


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## ShatteredGlass (Oct 12, 2012)

I started taking Zoloft, mainly for social anxiety, when I was 17. It certainly helped a lot back then. Now, though.... not so much. I'm thinking of switching to an SNRI in the future.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

splendidbob said:


> They never really did anything for me. I thought they might have been marginally helping though, and trusted the doctors (I was young) and feared my OCD getting worse if I came off them. So I stayed on them for a good few years. Every so often I would try to come off them and 3-4 months later my OCD would get way worse, which I was told by the doctors was my illness relapsing due to me not taking the meds, so I started up again.
> 
> When I was age 32-33ish I had enough of the side effects (immense weight gain, no libido, apathy etc) and was convinced they weren't helping so I just stuck it out, and sure enough after 6-7 months of fairly hellish "discontinuation syndrome" I started slowly feeling better, and a year or so later I was almost normal. My OCD slowly got better and better over the next 5 years, despite multiple attempts by doctors to put me back on SSRI's.
> 
> Not the biggest fan of doctors or SSRI's.


I'm glad you are off the meds then! I've tried to go off medication too but have also suffered horrible discontinuation syndrome that left me EXTREMELY depressed. I think I would have to try to titrate off my medicine way slower if i was to give it another go...


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

naes said:


> I'm glad you are off the meds then! I've tried to go off medication too but have also suffered horrible discontinuation syndrome that left me EXTREMELY depressed. I think I would have to try to titrate off my medicine way slower if i was to give it another go...


Yeh, for sure, it wasn't the easiest thing to go against basically everyone telling me to stay on them (doctors, family etc). But they were making me worse, I am sure.

I came off too quickly as well which was really stupid, it should be done super super gradually to let your brain recover I think, if you have been on them for a long period of time and struggle with discontinuation. If I did it again I would switch to liquid prozac and reduce over 3-6 months or something.

But, I guess the question is, are they helping you? And it isn't an easy question to answer if you have been on them for a very long time perhaps, because you can't really remember what it was like beforehand.


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## twitchy666 (Apr 21, 2013)

*I need wheels*

two used twice a day

can use four

the above means I do have 6-wheeled days

walking to a destination for chores, including waiting too long to be served!
then all the way back gets me disappointed
not efficient movement
when highly humid, as usual. any breeze is a bonus

behind windscreen suffering dense traffic stress
is not as good as outside in self-propelled fresh air - serious acceleration, or downhill


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

did you get back in that shop twitchy ?


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

SFC01 said:


> *@ scarpia*, I disagree too, although no doubt many issues are psychologically related, biological reasons must also play a huge part. Despite the knowledge we have these days the brain is still along way from being understood so I dont think anybody can point to just one or two reasons and say that is the culprit.
> 
> Although having looked briefly at Robert Whitaker's wiki entry, can't say I disagree with a couple of his points.


Here's a link to a pdf from the paper published in Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry 7(1) · January 2005

http://pt.cchr.org/sites/default/fi..._Psychiatric_Drugs_Rise_of_Mental_Illness.pdf


> Over the past 50 years, there has been an astonishing increase in severe mental illness in the United States. The percentage of Americans disabled by mental illness has increased fivefold since 1955, when Thorazine-remembered today as psychiatry's first "wonder" drug-was introduced into the market. The number of Americans disabled by mental illness has nearly doubled since 1987, when Prozac-the first in a second generation of wonder drugs for mental illness-was introduced . There are now nearly 6 million Americans disabled by mental illness, and this number increases by more than 400 people each day. A review of the scientific literature reveals that it is our drug-based paradigm of care that is fueling this epidemic . The drugs increase the likelihood that a person will become chronically ill, and induce new and mote severe psychiatric symptoms in a significant percentage of patients.


Also see this:



> *Tardive dysphoria: the role of long term antidepressant use in-inducing chronic depression.*
> 
> Treatment-resistant and chronic depression appear to be increasing. The recent identification of antidepressant tachyphylaxis, the loss of antidepressant efficacy over time, is only a partial explanation. This is an emerging evidence that, in some individuals, persistent use of antidepressants may be prodepressant.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21459521


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## SFC01 (Feb 10, 2016)

@scarpia, thanks, completely agree with the first extract re prozac and the same goes for other ssris - I haven't read anything that suggests they are great medications and no doubt in some individuals they will have adverse effects, but then again there is always that risk with any type of medication.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

splendidbob said:


> Yeh, for sure, it wasn't the easiest thing to go against basically everyone telling me to stay on them (doctors, family etc). But they were making me worse, I am sure.
> 
> I came off too quickly as well which was really stupid, it should be done super super gradually to let your brain recover I think, if you have been on them for a long period of time and struggle with discontinuation. If I did it again I would switch to liquid prozac and reduce over 3-6 months or something.
> 
> But, I guess the question is, are they helping you? And it isn't an easy question to answer if you have been on them for a very long time perhaps, because you can't really remember what it was like beforehand.


Yeah it is hard for me to know because I only know what discontinuation syndrome feels like when I go off them and I am obviously really anxious and depressed then, but that is because I am suffering from withdrawal. I really want to go off of them though because of the sexual side effects. I seriously can't stand the sexual side effects.


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

naes said:


> Yeah it is hard for me to know because I only know what discontinuation syndrome feels like when I go off them and I am obviously really anxious and depressed then, but that is because I am suffering from withdrawal. I really want to go off of them though because of the sexual side effects. I seriously can't stand the sexual side effects.


Nope. Well the sexual side effects are basically life destroying in themselves. In the UK they won't even prescribe Wellbutrin to help with that, its just "do you wan't to treat your mental health problems, or be able to orgasm?".

Except, that isn't really the choice being offered, not in my experience. It's a really tough decision to make. You have to potentially commit to a year of possibly feeling awful (if you are unlucky and get the prolonged discontinuation). And you can't even be sure it isn't your original problem getting worse, so its a very unpleasant gamble to take on.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

splendidbob said:


> Nope. Well the sexual side effects are basically life destroying in themselves. In the UK they won't even prescribe Wellbutrin to help with that, its just "do you wan't to treat your mental health problems, or be able to orgasm?".
> 
> Except, that isn't really the choice being offered, not in my experience. It's a really tough decision to make. You have to potentially commit to a year of possibly feeling awful (if you are unlucky and get the prolonged discontinuation). And you can't even be sure it isn't your original problem getting worse, so its a very unpleasant gamble to take on.


Yeah my NP said the same thing to me and I wanted to smack her in the face.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

splendidbob said:


> Nope. Well the sexual side effects are basically life destroying in themselves. In the UK they won't even prescribe Wellbutrin to help with that, its just "do you wan't to treat your mental health problems, or be able to orgasm?".
> 
> Except, that isn't really the choice being offered, not in my experience. It's a really tough decision to make. You have to potentially commit to a year of possibly feeling awful (if you are unlucky and get the prolonged discontinuation). And you can't even be sure it isn't your original problem getting worse, so its a very unpleasant gamble to take on.


Not sure what you meant by "nope" btw.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

meepie said:


> Meds from 20-26 not anymore.
> 
> Paxil(the worst withdrawl in my life)
> Lexapro
> ...





littleghost said:


> I'm surprised Paxil was worse than Pristiq. I didn't have too much trouble getting off Paxil, but if I forget even one Pristiq, it's horrible.


I am worried about the Paxil. I am on 20mg, but still gained 40 lbs (despite the 18-24 miles a week runs I do)....and then the bruxism. I have to go back to the dentist after Christmas because my back tooth has a "ding" in it from the clenching.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Anti-depressants are like the birth control pill, hahahahaha.


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## SplendidBob (May 28, 2014)

naes said:


> Not sure what you meant by "nope" btw.


lol, I actually meant "yep"  - weird. Wasn't disagreeing


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

millenniumman75 said:


> I am worried about the Paxil. I am on 20mg, but still gained 40 lbs (despite the 18-24 miles a week runs I do)....and then the bruxism. I have to go back to the dentist after Christmas because my back tooth has a "ding" in it from the clenching.


I have to wear a hardcore retainer at night because of the bruxism my SSRI gives me. I literally chewed through my normal retainers like a dog, not even exaggerating. As far as lexapro goes I don't think it puts weight on me at all (but I can't really know unless I went off of it) but I remember back in highschool when i was on zoloft it legit made me fat and I am a naturally skinny person. I then got bullied because I had SA AND was fat. That worked out great.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

splendidbob said:


> lol, I actually meant "yep"  - weird. Wasn't disagreeing


lol xD


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

komorikun said:


> Anti-depressants are like the birth control pill, hahahahaha.


yep...


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

naes said:


> I have to wear a hardcore retainer at night because of the bruxism my SSRI gives me. I literally chewed through my normal retainers like a dog, not even exaggerating. As far as lexapro goes I don't think it puts weight on me at all (but I can't really know unless I went off of it) but I remember back in highschool when i was on zoloft it legit made me fat and I am a naturally skinny person. I then got bullied because I had SA AND was fat. That worked out great.


You'd be SASsy at any size. Skinny or "large and in charge".

The dentist asked me about a mouthguard. I actually bought one over the counter, but am afraid to use it for fear it will shift my teeth (I had braces). I may need to wear it during naps to get used to it.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

splendidbob said:


> Nope. Well the sexual side effects are basically life destroying in themselves. In the UK they won't even prescribe Wellbutrin to help with that, its just "do you wan't to treat your mental health problems, or be able to orgasm?".
> 
> Except, that isn't really the choice being offered, not in my experience. It's a really tough decision to make. You have to potentially commit to a year of possibly feeling awful (if you are unlucky and get the prolonged discontinuation). And you can't even be sure it isn't your original problem getting worse, so its a very unpleasant gamble to take on.


Especially since the SSRIs are just a placebo. See The Emperor's New Drugs - Exploding the Antidepressant Myth, a 2009 book by Irving Kirsch. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor's_New_Drugs

Studies show they only score slightly better than placebos - and that's only in people with acute depression. But the shrinks insist the drug they are giving you is helping. because if they didn't trick you into buying the snake oil then they wouldn't have jobs and couldn't pay their student debt.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

millenniumman75 said:


> *You'd be SASsy at any size. Skinny or "large and in charge".*
> 
> The dentist asked me about a mouthguard. I actually bought one over the counter, but am afraid to use it for fear it will shift my teeth (I had braces). I may need to wear it during naps to get used to it.


Huh? Anyways, make sure the mouth guard is a hard mouth guard. You don't want the cheap squishy ones, they're bad for you.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

naes said:


> Huh? Anyways, make sure the mouth guard is a hard mouth guard. You don't want the cheap squishy ones, they're bad for you.


:lol - SASsiness is a state of mind, not a physical size (SSRI fat), yo!

It is one of those that you put in boiling water - I guess that is for the top teeth, the bottom side is harder rubber. I am afraid I might gag or accidentally swallow it or something.


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## naes (Nov 1, 2013)

millenniumman75 said:


> :lol - SASsiness is a state of mind, not a physical size (SSRI fat), yo!
> 
> It is one of those that you put in boiling water - I guess that is for the top teeth, the bottom side is harder rubber. I am afraid I might gag or accidentally swallow it or something.


Just make sure it isn't chewy.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

naes said:


> Just make sure it isn't chewy.


It think it is for the top teeth, but it's only to keep it in place.
I worry about fillings, though.


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