Are there any antidepressants that don't make you feel like ***? (sensitivity to side effects)

I have only ever taken antidepressants once many years ago - and it was Citalopram. The side effects were HORRENDOUS and I would never dare take another SSRI again as a result. They made me feel suicidal too - extremely so that I was all ready to make plans and do it, not just thoughts. Thankfully I had my husband with me to get me through it - he had to take time off work because I wasn’t safe to be left alone. I’d never take them ever again. I’m sorry you’ve had a terrible experience with this drug too. Take care.

I was at a lecture where a psychiatrist was talking about the risks of changing antidepressants. What he said made sense ... basically, if someone is very depressed they don't have the motivation to even kill themselves. Starting or changing medication results in the person still having suicidal ideation, but being less depressed. As a result, they can act on the negative thoughts before the full antidepressant effect of the medication takes effect. Certainly on in-patient wards patients who were changing their medication were supposed to be monitored more closely at such times.

SSRIs work by reducing the reuptake of serotonin at the synapse between neurons. Serotonin is involved in passing electrical "messages"  across the junctions (synapses) in the chain of nerve cells. In non-technical terms, serotonin is like the acid in a car battery -  it is needed for the cell to "spark". The body then reabsorbs the excess and the cell returns to what you might call the "off" position, waiting for a new signal to come along. SSRIs leave more serotonin in the synapse. It takes time for the neurons to get used to the new level of serotonin. It is a bit more technical than that, but that is a rough analogy.

No doubt that happens in some cases but certainly not in my case. I was put on them for severe anxiety. I was not depressed and not experiencing suicidal thoughts in any way prior to taking them. As I stated in my post above, within a couple of months of starting Citalopram I was experiencing constant suicidal thoughts. Thankfully all those suicidal thoughts went away within days of stopping them.

I was not warned that they could cause suicidal ideation in non depressed patients. In my view they are potentially very dangerous indeed and shouldn't be prescribed so freely by GPs. Sure patients on inpatient wards can be monitored closely in that environment. GPs prescribe them after a 5 minute chat, often never having seen the patient before and possibly never seeing them again.

Those patient information sheets list every  "side effect" that is ever reported using a Yellow Card (or the online system that replaces them). They can be useful for warning about drug interactions, foods to avoid (grapefruit and grapefruit juice have a lot of interactions) etc., but they can be quite tedious to read.

RTFM!

Since my first run in with the medication suicidal thoughts fairy I tend to read them every time I'm prescribed something new. If you don't know about the side effects or possible interactions with other drugs/food/drink etc., then how are you supposed to know what you should and shouldn't do or be worried about?

From the Patient Information Sheet for Citalopram >

" Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder
If you are depressed and/or have anxiety disorders you can sometimes have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. These may be increased when first starting antidepressants, since these medicines all take time to work, usually about two weeks but sometimes longer.
You may be more likely to think like this:
• If you have previously had thoughts about killing or harming yourself.
• If you are a young adult. Information from clinical trials has shown an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in adults aged less than 25 years with psychiatric conditions who were treated with an antidepressant.
If you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself at any time, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away.
You may find it helpful to tell a relative or close friend that you are depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and ask them to read this leaflet. You might ask them to tell you if they think your depression or anxiety is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behaviour."

I know, how many of us actually read all the PIS, even if we are autistic?

From the Patient Information Sheet for Citalopram >

" Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder
If you are depressed and/or have anxiety disorders you can sometimes have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. These may be increased when first starting antidepressants, since these medicines all take time to work, usually about two weeks but sometimes longer.
You may be more likely to think like this:
• If you have previously had thoughts about killing or harming yourself.
• If you are a young adult. Information from clinical trials has shown an increased risk of suicidal behaviour in adults aged less than 25 years with psychiatric conditions who were treated with an antidepressant.
If you have thoughts of harming or killing yourself at any time, contact your doctor or go to a hospital straight away.
You may find it helpful to tell a relative or close friend that you are depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and ask them to read this leaflet. You might ask them to tell you if they think your depression or anxiety is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behaviour."

I know, how many of us actually read all the PIS, even if we are autistic?

Those patient information sheets list every  "side effect" that is ever reported using a Yellow Card (or the online system that replaces them). They can be useful for warning about drug interactions, foods to avoid (grapefruit and grapefruit juice have a lot of interactions) etc., but they can be quite tedious to read.

RTFM!

Since my first run in with the medication suicidal thoughts fairy I tend to read them every time I'm prescribed something new. If you don't know about the side effects or possible interactions with other drugs/food/drink etc., then how are you supposed to know what you should and shouldn't do or be worried about?