SSRI

SSRI questions and answers

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Q: ssri.............?
Anyone been on an ssri then switched to another. and have the other one work better? Why was it better? Less side effects? Or did the ssri just work better?

A: It takes a little time to find the right one for you; one that takes care of symptoms and has the least amount of side effects. For me, Cymbalta works best. Other people react better to different meds. Remember it takes time to find the right drug/dosage, so be prepared for some ups and downs. Once you find the right one normalcy returns to your life. You will be happy again.

Q: What are your experiences with sexual dysfunction while on SSRI antidepressants?
Do some of you have anorgasmia (not being able to orgasm) while taking SSRI antidepressants? Or not? Which SSRI seems to have the least amount of sexual dysfunction? If you do have sexual dysfunction while on an SSRI how do you go about telling your sexual partner about it? Are you honest with them?

A: I've had some problems with SSRI. Be honest with him, but also be willing to explore. When I was younger I thought orgasm was what it was all about. Now I have discovered sensuallity and there are multiple avenues. Also we have found that many times playfullness has ended up in orgasm. There are psycological factors in this. The self fullfilling prophecy "I can't achieve orgasm, therefore don't try." By enjoying each other's closeness you may be surprised what happens.

Q: What is the difference between benzodiazepines and SSRI's?
How do these drugs work and why are the SSRI's so much easier to get?

A: 1. Benzos affect GABA receptors. - GABA regulates Nerve excitation . This means anything with neurons will be affected. Depennding on the type it can be both a stimulant and a depressant. -Benzos have peculiar half-lives (the time it takes something to wear off). They tend to stay in the body longer than needed. So it is like your body is high for a long time. -GABA also affects muscle signals from the Central Nervous System. Because GABA has a wide variety of uses in the CNS, when a ton of nerves get excited your body says, "Hey I want more of that!" -Benzos are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. They also have bad withdrawl symptoms. 2. SSRI's are Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors. They trick your body into using more of it's natural serotonin. , -Serotonin is a mood regulator. It affects how we are happy, sad, angry, all those good emotions :). -They are better for you because they just make your brain use the Serotonin it was about to throw away. 3. SSRI's a more specific than Benzos since Serotonin (a nerotransmitter) affects just mood (and sleep) but GABA (technically an amino acid) affects so much that it has more side-effects and it's highly addictive. So, naturally medical professionals are going to use the safer drug I'm sorry if that seems long-winded, but I tried to simplify it for you. That's how they work in a nutshell..

Q: What is the difference between one SSRI and the other?
Over the years I have been prescribed everything from Prozac to Effexor. I thought these meds all worked in the same way, why so many choices in ssri's?

A: They are basically the same. There are many different serotonia receptor sites and some work on different sites causing various side effects. If you want to be a zombie just keep taking them.

Q: How many people are currently taking an SSRI? How many people are taking a stimulant like Ritalin?
Any statistical information would be useful, eg what percentage of the population took an SSRI in 2001-2007, etc. Sources would be helpful?

A: I used to take an SSRI.

Q: How soon after stopping tramadol can you start taking SSRI's (lexapro) , without the risk of seizures?
I was on Lexapro, but had to stop taking it due to pain issues where I had to start taking tramadol. Was advised not to take these two together because of the risk of seizures. Now, I am severely depressed and I want to get back on SSRI's right away. Does anybody know how long I must wait once I stop taking the tramadol?

A: have a 3 day washout period to be safe (probably don't need quite that long) and then commence your lexapro

Q: What is the difference between all these SSRI medications?
What is the difference between SSRI medications like Paxil and Zoloft? I know that there are a whole bunch of them.. but what makes them different?

A: They mostly differ in technical things like their pharmacokinetics and some differ in the way they're synthesized (stereosynthetic differences). Some have longer half-lives than others whereas some are excreted unmodified to a larger extent. It's these subtle, often minor differences that allow for each of these products to obtain a unique patent for use.

Q: How do doctors determine if I need an SSRI or an SNRI for depression?
I've been on Effexor 300mg (SNRI) for years but have been feeling really down lately and have been worrying a lot. My psychiatrist was thinking of trying me on Zoloft (SSRI). Do you think Zoloft would work for me? I was taking an SNRI before and now she wants to put me on an SSRI. I'm scared it wont work and I will get worse! Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

A: Well, SSRIs certainly are a step back from SNRIs and SNRIs certainly aren't first-line treatment, they act on two neurotransmitters rather than a single one - I've been on Effexor for about a year and it was only because a whole stack of SSRIs had failed to work - however, I would have a little faith in the practioner, when you think about it - you could have tried another SNRI that did not work and a bunch of SSRIs that did not work, and while they all claim to do the same thing, for some odd reason people seem to respond differently to them and what works for one person doesn't work for another. Perhaps because of the failure of your medicine your doctor is placing you on one which is more widely prescribed in hopes that if it works for most people it will work for you, where others have failed. He/She might of thought that the drug was making your symptoms worse or new symptoms may have emerged which they deemed better treated by Zoloft. Give it a chance.

Q: What is the best meds or herbs to mix with an ssri medication for anxiety?
I know your not supposed to mix certain herbs or meds with ssri's. But are there any other meds or herbs that are good mix with celexa that would help my anxiety even more? please help

A: If your current dosage is not properly managing your anxiety, then speak to your psychiatrist. He/she can alter the dosage or put you on a different medication in an attempt to get a more adequate result. Do not try to diagnose or treat yourself with anything not specified by your doctor. SSRIs may be prescribed to everyone and his dog these days, but they still aren't something to play around with. Best of luck

Q: What SSRI has the least sexual side effects?
Im suffering from every anxiety disorder in the book and have currently been on Paxil. It's been working GREAT, only thing is I can't climax .. At all. It's horrible, because my libido is sadly extremely strong (which seems like it'd be a good thing, but trust me, it's frustrating) and the paxil makes it so I still feel horny, but can't ease it.. It's not worth it. So was just wondering if anyone knew the best SSRI with the least sexual dysfunction. Thanks so much.

A: Your problem is very common, so first of all- don't let it upset you. The common SSRIs all have high rates of sexual dysfunction. If you have that problem on one of them- then you will likely have that problem on all of them. There are many things that I do not know about you. Your doctor is the only one who is qualified to make the appropriate decisions about your mediation therapy. So, be sure you listen to him/her. But, I want you to know about a therapy that you may not have considered. The medication that I think would be worth considering is Effexor. Effexor works like all of the great antidepressants: it affects serotonin, dopamine, and serotonin. But, it affects them all at lower levels. Plus, Effexor is FDA approved for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). So, it has been studied on thousands of people and it has been proven to be effective at controlling anxiety. Most people who have anxiety, and do not want to get into the benzodiazepines, AND fail SSRIs because of side effects, end up starting on Effexor. Effexor is a great medication with a proven track record of success. Make sure you talk to your doctor about it. Also, ask your doctor if he/she thinks it would be wise to gradually increase the dose over several weeks until you at a dose that works well for you and has a tolerable amount of side effects. Also, Effexor XR is more effective and has a more tolerable side effect profile than Effexor immediate release. Good luck.

Q: What would happen to a person who overdosed on SSRI’s?
If somebody overdosed on SSRI’s (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), what would happen to them? Would they feel extremely happy and then die? Would they just get really high and then sick? What would happen to them?

A: Take your pick: Somnolence, coma, nausea, tremor, tachycardia, confusion, vomiting, and dizziness. And/or: mydriasis, convulsions (including status epilepticus), ventricular dysrhythmias (including torsade de pointes), hypertension, aggressive reactions, syncope, hypotension, stupor, bradycardia, dystonia, rhabdomyolysis, symptoms of hepatic dysfunction (including hepatic failure, hepatic necrosis, jaundice, hepatitis, and hepatic steatosis), serotonin syndrome, manic reactions, myoclonus, acute renal failure, and urinary retention. I don't think you'd feel too happy or very high.

Q: Does anyone know if SSRI medication actually helps premature ejaculation?
No jokes please, all serios answers. I was reading that SSRI medication that is related to anti-depresents greatly delays males from reaching climax. And since this is the only medication that ive heard that will help PE i just wanted to know if anyone else knows if it works. Thanks.

A: I'd assume so. I'm a female, but the side effects are going to be similar in either gender. When I was on zoloft, it took a significantly longer time for me to have an orgasm- which actually ended up being the reason I decided not to take it any longer. It can be prescribed to men for premature ejaculation, and judging from the effect that it had on me, I don't doubt that it doesn't help. For me it was frustrating, for someone with PE- I can understand how it could be a great deal of help. This side effect is very common, but I'm not sure if everyone who takes an SSRI has it. Keep that in mind.

Q: What's the difference between Tricylic's and SSRI's?
What is the actual difference in these two anti-depressants? I am a treatment resistant patient that does not respond well AT ALL to SSRI's and SSNRI"s, so my doctor wants to try me on a Trycylic. Being that they're the original anti-depressant and are not discussed much I'm curious. My doctor said have have less effect on seritonine and work more towards norepinephrine. What does that mean?

A: The difference in whether they work via one neurotransmitter or the other is nice theory but not particularly useful clinically. The important part for you is that the side-effect profiles are somewhat different, and in the event of suicidal ideation, you should be aware that tricyclic overdoses are truly nasty and difficult to treat. That, not mechanism or success rate, is why SSRI's have become more popular. The TCA's still work quite well, and picking an appropriate one to take advantage of its side-effect profile (a strongly sedative one if you're insomniac, for instance) can be particularly useful in some people.

Q: What exactly are SSRI's and is there a kind without side effects?
My doctor said that my levels might be off and that's why I am a huge germaphobe, anxious, and even depressed. He said look up "SSRI's" and get back to him. If I want to take them, to tell him and he'll get me them. I don't know where to look though. I looked a little and haven't found what he was talking about. He told me to look up something with many many different types. I'm lost! Please help me...What exactly did he want me to look up?

A: They are a class of antidepressants that make my libido go away. They don't cure my depression either. I'm taking remeron, and it helps right away with depression to a small degree, and it helps me sleep. As far as I know it's not a controlled substance, and you just take it in the evening.

Q: What is so bad about SSRI antidepressants?
I am being treated for clinical depression with an SSRI called Fluoxetine (Prozac in the US, I am told). I am really glad to have it, because I finally feel better after about half a year of taking it, following years of untreated depression. Now some people, when I tell them what I'm taking, go "whoa! That stuff will make everything much worse!" What are they on about? When? Why?

A: Prozac is a killer drug dude. It can cause you to become even more depressed so badly that you can even progress to thoughts of suicide or even attempt suicide. First know the warning signs. #1. Periods of time of having very favorable emotional thoughts of feeling very good about yourself and not a bit depressed. Then the pendulum swings in the opposite direction and you begin to feel depressed again. The cycle repeats itself many times. This is known as mania. Better known as bipolar disorder. #2. Prozac causes the same symptoms of bi polar disorder which will tell your QUACK shrink to then prescribe another dangerous drug such as adderall or zyprexa to "treat" these new symptoms. This is an extremely dangerous situation since both of these drugs have killed over 30,000 people both here in the USA and overseas combined. If I were you get your GP to wean you off of Prozac slowly because going off of it cold turkey can be deadly. I wish you the best of luck. And I do hope you find an alternative to taking this horrible medicine (or should I say poison) good night