Dangers of SSRIs

[ricardo]

Steveo
I am drawn to this part of your post.

My biggest concern is my suicidal attitudes and deep deep depression as well as my constant non specific anxiety. I've had anxiety my entire life but never to the point where it's constant and non specific

but firstly I admire you for being so frank in your post.

I am no doctor but though many people will argue that severe anxiety leads to depression it is not always the case but to have suicidal attitudes is something that you must address.

Googling can make one even more anxious and some professional medical sites will list all the side effects of every anti depressant and they vary from saying they are generally quite tolerable and then give a whole list of side effects and that includes having suicidal thoughts.
No two people react the same to any one drug and there are a mutitude of reasons for that including age, if one is taking any other form of medication as well for totally different condition, or simpy the side effects outweigh the original diagonis and one just can't carry on taking them.

I believe SSRI drugs are the most commonly drugs prescribed these days and they all work basically in the same way but with small deviations.
They help a lot of people but only mask the problem though in some cases they help the initial problem, people feel better,come off them as instructed by their doctors only to relapse some time later.Others acccept that one pill a day for an unspecified period of time gives the person a better quality of life which I always gauge from 0 to 10 .
I won't talk too much about myself but just to say I have been prescribed nearly every SSRi feasable and before that MAORI's and have had mangeable times and times when I am practically housebound with real physical side effects 24/7 and the side effects of any SSRI are horrendous for me.
I can't personally link extreme anxiety with suicidal thoughts but with deep depression I can.

I believe you really need to go back to your doctor or better still a psychiatrist and talk everything through, and if you are not satisfied with what they suggest try and find another specialist in this field who you can realate to, as this is so important.

[Lissa101]

Hi mate,

I've been thinking about this a lot ever since my last chat with my GP. He told me that I shouldn't be too keen to stay on ssri's as we don't know the long-term effects yet. He says they've been shown to effect how the brain forms memory. I did some google-ing and found a good piece:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-pet...b_1077185.html

It's so confusing :(

xxx

[steveo]

I do strongly Echo Auntie Moosie here in which I am really not trying to scare anyone against taking SSRI's! They truly help so so many people. This thread post is more intended for those of us who have been on them for a while etc.

Last March, my girlfriends brother died after a very long battle with alcoholism. He had been very unwell for much of his adult life. My girlfriend was obviously ruined, as any sister would be.
She took some time off to grieve and got herself slowly better over 4 months until she was ready to go back to work. She's a primary school teacher so she has to be very happy and positive and to me, she is the most positive person ever. She's amazing.
She comes from wales which is where I met her but couldn't get a job there so had to work in London and live there but comes home every other weekend to see me and her family. One weekend she came home last November time, and her parents were getting rid of all of her brothers items. A lot of memories there with hit my girlfriend very hard. She was too upset to go back to London as she hadn't properly got over her loss. She decided to take a few weeks off to continue to grieve back at her family home. She needed a doctors note this time around. She went to her doctors and obviously she was upset and in tears and just explained she lost her brother back in March and that she's still finding it slightly painful and needs a few more weeks so needs a doctors note.
Without saying anything he said 'I think what we'll do is put you on some anti depressants and give you some diazapam just for a short while'. She said 'NO!'
I'm so so happy she said no. There is nothing wrong with my girlfriend. She lost her incredible brother. She is grieving. The doctor didn't explain SSRI's to her OR diazapam.
To me, that doctor should be struck off. Attitudes towards SSRI's and patients NEEDS to change. My girlfriend could quite easily now be having withdrawal issues due to the diazapam (Which I'm having now after only 4 weeks, and told I was perfectly safe to stop at any time) and she could of reacted terribly to SSRI's. She wasn't offered counselling or anything else, surely because that costs the NHS money. Citalopram costs pennies which is why it's the first line of drug. Same with Prozac for depression.
I used to be on Escitalopram when I first started an SSRI when I was 17 and I don't remember any issues coming on the drug. I was switched back in 2007 and wasn't told why. I've now discovered an NHS document explaining that despite the benefits of escitalopram, it costs £30 compared to 44p for Citalopram so patients now have to be changed over.
We are not even being given the best treatment options. We are not being closely monitered and I think MOST GP's are not educated enough on the dangers of SSRI's.

I can honestly tell you, if it wasn't for my dad, I would of died on Thursday night. I wouldn't be here typing now. I've never suffered depression to this level, and I've never suffered anxiety to this level after having it over 23 years. Yes a level of my depression is caused by how bad and crippling my anxiety is, but to want to kill myself.... that's just not me. I've got some terrible terrible cuts on me right now. I mutilated myself with a stanley knife.

These drugs have done something to me. Citalopram, the drug that worked so well for me before, has changed me.
On another note, Diazapam, which I was told was safe to keep taking, is also causing me big problems. I've taking it for almost 4 weeks now and only through a few people on here telling me, I need to taper off slowly. I was told I could come straight off by the GP's. 2mg now no longer does anything for me. Yet another chemical in my brain messing me up!
I honestly feel non human right now! I'm so so scared that there are these chemicals in my head, taking over my emotions and increasing my anxiety and depression and I can't just STOP taking them!

We all know SSRI's cause SSRI withdrawal. We are NEVER told that when we start taking them!

Something needs to be done. Maybe we could get a petition going to try and change the way that we are just given SSRI's as a first line of treatment? We need proper educating on the good and bad sides of them, we need telling that they MIGHT not work, we need CONSTANT monitering on the medication but most importantly we need counselling as a first line of treatment. I used to LOVE the NHS and be so so proud of it. It made me so proud to live in a country of free health care. That was until I was a nurse. I can't believe the cost cutting measures there are. Patients are not being given the best treatments available or the best medications. I've seen drug reps at work! I've been taken out to LAVISH lunches and given many freebies by drug reps as they try and push their drug and treatment to our surgery. They are more pushy that broadband suppliers!!

I'm sorry for my very long rant. I feel I've got alot of my chest right now. I just feel I need to tell someone how I feel. I'm not one of those anti medication people at all! I love medication. But something needs to be done about SSRI's. This post wouldn't exist if my dad hadn't of found me on Thursday night.

Thanks for reading this.

[ricardo]

I feel your emotion steveo, but it's a sweeping statement to say a doctor shold be struck off for prescribing SSRi and diazapam to your sister for a short time.It is not uncommon in a case such as bereavement for a doctor to do as this doctor has done.

You may be sensitive to diazapam but speaking as a long time user taking 2mg once or twice a day for 4 weeks shouldn't give you major withdrawl symptoms.

I feel you really need some expert advise and quickly, to help you and to fully explain any anti depressant that is given to you and if after a week or so you feel they are giving you side effects that you feel you can't cope with,tell the doctor and together reassess the situation.

[Lissa101]

I think GP's need more training in dealing with anxiety disorders. I've seen 3 GP's over the last 4 weeks (because I have the flu, needed a sick note and I'm coming off meds) and each one has gave me different advice. The first said I should switch to citalopram from zoloft, the 2nd said I should try pregabalin and the 3rd said I shouldn't take SSRI's at all because my problems are psychological (he didn't offer any therapy) and SSRI's are dangerous. What to do?!

I had truely awful withdrawal from zoloft - the night terrors were unbearable and I became scared of random objects (like the charm on my necklace). I'm now stuck on a low dose just because I can't come off them. The only option I have that gives me some hope is to pay for a private psychiatrist to get some expert advice on meds - which I really can't afford. It's so confusing, I just wish there was some reliable guidance.

[steveo]

The only option I have that gives me some hope is to pay for a private psychiatrist to get some expert advice on meds - which I really can't afford. It's so confusing, I just wish there was some reliable guidance.

Now this is my personal experience but that won't help too much either. I paid £240 to see a CONSULTANT psychiatrist. The 'top dog'!

I saw him in his house. I sat across a long posh dining table while he spent the entire time scribbling notes and not looking at me. I was clearly in distress and fighting back tears. He just kept saying 'yeah yeah yeah' as if I'm telling him something he's heard so many times before that to me, it's not effecting my life.

He said 'well this is a clear case of just upping your Citalopram to 30mg and starting Pregabalin for a month and keep taking Diazapam. If I hadn't spent 20 minutes asking questions then it would of been a 20minute appointment.
Now the Pregabalin made me WORSE because I explained my worse problem was depersonalisation so he put me on a medication with the main side effect being 'feeling spacey or drunk'. Tried it for 2 weeks and came STRAIGHT off it. It took me 3 days to be able to call him again to explain that I'm no better and he said 'well just stop Pregabalin and up to 40mg Citalopram'. He told me on the day of seeing him that I would be back to normal in 2 weeks. This was on the 16th of Feb.

My dad was so happy at this news that he cried. I started my new medication regime with such a positive attitude despite not feeling any different for weeks.

Now this isn't the case with every psychiatrist. My mum saw one in Surrey and she said he was so kind and caring and spent so much time with her.

I would of rather spent £240 donating to this website.

[JaneC]

Psychiatrists etc are a terrible mixed bag. My last contact with the MH services was with a nurse who was truly fantastic, better than some of the psychologists/iatrists I've seen. If I had wanted to see a psychiatrist on that occasion I'd have waited a year. Sadly I don't think things are going to improve

---------- Post added at 13:38 ---------- Previous post was at 13:32 ----------

On the ssri issue, I think It's worth pointing out withdrawal problems aren't a given. I cold turkeyed off Prozac once when I became pregnant and had no trouble at all.

Wishing you a good day Steven.

[Pipkin]

Steven,

I don't think anyone on here is trying to scare people. Everyone who's commented has experience of ADs and what's really obvious is how we're all different. No matter what, we need to be aware of potential side effects.

Regarding first-line treatment for anxiety being SSRIs, the NICE guidance is quite clear that this shouldn't be the case. From memory, I think they are third line and, even then, it is upto the patient to make the decision based on all the information being made available. I know my GP follows this to the letter but many don't.

The NICE guidance also states benzos should only be prescribed for crises and only for a maximum of (if I remember correctly) 2 weeks. Only when I've been at my absolute worst have GPs suggested short-term use of diazepam but have suggested beta blockers as preferable. I've always heeded this advice and have never taken diazepam. For me, beta blockers completely calm me down but I do recognise that benzos have their place for short-term crisis situations.

There are some interesting viewpoints here and I think everyone is being fair and balanced in their comments.

Pip

[steveo]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-pet...b_1077185.html

This article has shocked me the most.

This could very well explain why I've been on SSRI's since I was 17 for 11 years, and then came off after feeling fine for YEARS, and then now at a point where I can't get through the day. I have NEVER been this bad in my entire life, EVER.

I honestly believe that the 11 years of taking SSRI's whilst my brain was still developing, has damaged my brain somehow or the process of serotonin has compensated as it says in the article.

More and more and more is coming out of the woodwork about the dangers of SSRI's and they are a fairly newISH drug so we don't really know the long term side effects. I also don't know anyone who has constantly been on an SSRI for 11 years.

[BobbyDog]

I know most GP's now will not give Antidepressants to people under the age of 24. My doctor advised me of this when I took my son to see him as he suffers with anxiety. This is due to the fact that the brain of a teenager/young adult is still in the developmental stage and also because of the suicide risks associated with taking AD's at such a young age.