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

Flagging up the discussion to the mods for their input as Jakey could do with some input (Ian offers some great contacts) and with the discussion moving to some uncomfortable and contentious ground, they may want to comment.

Karin ModEunice ModAnna ModClare Mod

Many people have different reactions to psychoactive medication. Sometimes it needs trial and error to find something that works and then titrate the dose. Stimulants usually have fairly short half lives - something like Ritalin peaks in an hour or so and most of it has been metabolised and excreted in less than a day.  Other drugs take time to take efect because they have to build up to a therapeutic level in the bloodstream: they can take several days to have a maximum effect, and then from a few days up to two weeks to leave the system. Statistically, many people self-harm when stopping or changing medication, so it is always a good idea to get proper clinical advice.

Self-medication with street drugs is not a good idea. You do not know what you are getting or how strong they are ... they are not quality controlled like pharmaceuticals. Drugs like cannabis can contain dozens of active incredients in different proportions. Most have not been properly researched in clinical trials like regular pharmaceuticals.

If you want to take chances with your own health, and risk problems with the law into the bargain, then you must take responsibility for your own actions.  But please, do not encourage other people to do so.

Jakey

Please keep trying to get help. From the "Urgent Help" information on this site ...

If you are having a difficult time, you can call the Samaritans any time, day or night, on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

Other helplines and listening services: 

• Mind Infoline: 0300 1233393 for information and signposting (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) 
• SANEline: 0300 304 7000 for anyone experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else (4.30pm to 10.30pm, every day)
• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men 0800 58 58 58, (5pm to midnight every day).  
• Shout 85258 a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.

Do not give up. You are a valuable human being, and your life is precious. Talk to somebody ... the Samaritans are open on 116 1213.

Mainstream psychiatry (when it's been allowed to do the work) has reported good results with MDMA at treating precisely this sort of thing. 

I read the guys post, it reminded me of my own experience, and there was the same sort of desperation I have felt in the past. I felt a genuine need to offer from my own experience of what worked well for me.

I found my illegal drug supplier far more knowledgeable about the effects and correct dosage of his product than my doctor was about the drugs he offered me.

The qualified professional denied point blank the very real side effects I was experiencing, whereas my illegal but quite "ethical" drug dealer actually closely observes the effects of his or her products first hand and knows what they do to you often from personal experience. 

Sometimes you just need a holiday for a few hours from the misery, and even an artificially changed MDMA perspective is better than not getting it at all.

I did choose to make the post, and I stand by that choice, and have not altered it materially except to reword it, so it is less of a recommendation, and more of a testimony of what worked for me back in the 1990's when I was having a crisis such as the original poster describes.. 

Although I don't care much for your bombastic attititude, I suspect we both want the same for Jakey.

A recovery, or at the very least some respite, to give him a chance of being the architect of his own recovery. 

Look.

If the present system and attitudes towards mental health and other issues worked at all well, this forum would be a far happier and better adjusted place than it is. It's full of people complaining about MH services, and the quality of their lives.

It's clear that alternatives need to be explored by those so inclined, and having done the exploring, it's kinda the whole point to share the information thus acquired. 

Suggesting to someone in a mental health crisis that ecstacy could be a solution is a clear violation of the community rules and dysfunctional. You can play the victim. I'm not violating anything. You chose to make that post. I was there with Jakey earlier supporting him. I've seen you taking this victim role over and over and I'm not interested. Take it up with the mods if you have an issue. 

Don't you accuse me of being dysfunctional.

You don't know me and it violates the rules about being nice.

Jakey's current situation is not about you and how you have dysfunctionally coped. You have broken community rules. If you have nothing useful to offer them I kindly suggest you say nothing instead of offering suggestions of drug abuse as a solution. Mods can you PLEASE stay on top of this kind of irresponsible posting. I know you are volunteers that are doing your best but this is a daily problem on here with real life consequences. 

I stand corrected and will re-write it.

That's what you have to offer?

Violation of community rule number 12 "promoting illegal activity or putting a person at risk" 

So right now you’re cross tapering from Citalopram to Fluoxetine?

cross tapering is something of A mixed bag. You still have residual Citalopram in your system (roughly 25% of normal id guess) but now you’ve got Fluoxetine in your system as well.

they may not be playing nicely together. With other drugs they wouldn’t let you start a new one until the old one was fully out of your system. But Citalopram and Fluoxetine are both SSRIs so cross tapering is usually not dangerous. You may have to wait another day or two for the Citalopram to be really out of your system.

that said Fluoxetine has a reputation for being pretty bad with regards to sexual dysfunction compared to other SSRIs. But that might be partly because it’s been around longer and therefore more reports of it have accumulated. I’m told sertraline is one of the less bad ones in terms of side-effects. But all SSRIs tend to at least reduce libido slightly.

basically what I’m saying is give it a couple of days. there are only so many SSRIs a GP can prescribe. If he starts to run out he will start thinking about referring you to a specialist who might be willing to give you something more exotic.

In my experience, pharma meds don't cut the mustard and have weird and horrible side effects. Especially (on me fluoexidine (prozac) and certraline. I really don't like them.

I did however try an "E" back in the late nineties and found one decent rave gave about a week off from being miserable. I've done it about three times, in total over the last thirty years, as I see it as an emergency measure.  

HOWEVER for me an "e" changes me fundamentally, in ways that I don't like, as well as blowing away the blues, so my own personal drug compromise is to dull the pain with Cannabis (especially as cannabis is also an excellent antagonist to the ADD impulse control issue). whilst looking for a more "drug free" solution. 

Mine is not an approved or even legal management strategy, but it seems to work well enough to keep me out of the clutches of  doctors and policemen.

Ok Jakey. Try to get some rest now. If you want I can check in with you tomorrow. I am not available between 10am and 5pm tomorrow but I will catch up with you when I can, if you want. Keep drinking water as much as you can because the side effects from the drugs will leave you dehydrated. And remember that you have a community here that care. Lots of love to you xx

I feel calmer. Overall wellbeing, not sure if it can ever be improved to be honest. Been this way since being held up in a hellhole, and now I'm out of there, it's just gotten worse, but I have more good days which is good. 

That's ok. We're just trying to get through the moment. Do you feel calmer?

Overall wellbeing can wait until you feel able to tackle it. 

I can do everything up to putting something in my mouth. I know this technique, it's called grounding. I learnt it in CBT. 

I'm going to bed in a sec though. I don't find the grounding technique all that useful for overall wellbeing, it only works for chronic issues where logic is working like severe pain (I have an anal fissure, pain is unimaginable) 

Jakey, there's a glitch on the website right now. It's just one of those things. I'm still here. Hold on, ok? If you get to see this then please do this : 

Open your eyes and say 5 things you can see

Focus on 4 things you can touch

Try to notice 3 things you can hear

Take a deep breath and try to notice 2 things you can smell

Find something you can put in your mouth and taste, examples are toothpaste, chewing gum, chocolate

I'm getting flagged for spam. I'm feeling calmer physically but still a bit jumpy in my head. 

Tell me what you're feeling. 

Tell me what you're feeling. 

Ok. Take a sip of water then keep doing the breathing.