Anxiety & antidepressants

Posted , 16 users are following.

Do you ladies think antidepressants (AD) can be a cure for anxiety? !

I have a 9 year old daughter. I feel sorry for her & feel very guilty. I am 49 and anxiety is too much that I don't want to do much outside the house, don't like inviting her friends around & dealing with other mums. My daughter is a very bright & very energetic girl. There is a world out there. I am sure she will learn and love it if her mum takes her out to places. She doesn't complain. She seems to be happy with what we are doing together but she doesn't know what she is missing. I feel awful. So I wondered if I take AD would I be a different person??? Will I feel more energetic and outgoing? If not AD, what else???? I hate this big PAUSE in my life. Help.me out of here!!!

1 like, 30 replies

30 Replies

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  • Posted

    Probably not a cure, but they may be helpful. Everyone is different. I'm on an older AD, it's called Trazodone. It's a SNRI not a SSRI. I cannot take SSRI's, the side effects were too much.

  • Posted

    I was on citalopram about 2 years ago, 10 mg, had very little side effects other than I gained about 5 pounds and nothing else in my life stule changed, it may have helped the anxiety a bit, but not enough that I felt great, after about a year my anxiety got worse. My Doctor changed me over to prozac, I suffered through 12 weeks and believe me I suffered, anxiety was worse, my low moods were worse, I wished a bus or car would just hit me, so I stopped those. Some say that after awhile those side effects will stop and had good results with prozac but it was too scary for me. I've been on absolutely nothing for a year, I just stick to my Yoga every single day. I have days were I have lots of energy and happy go lucky, friendly, then I have days where I'm tired, I don't want to go anywheres or talk to people.

    I too have extensively (probably too much) explained this to my sons that are now 18 and 22. My thoughts are men need to know this stuff, so in the future when their wives get moody they don't take off and divorce her. ( I also explained PMS and pregnancy moods)

    It's all so difficult to say what will work, everyone has different body chemistry. I gave them a try, they aren't for me; I wish they had of worked though. As long as you know that you may have to tough through some side effects in the beginning...anything is worth trying.

    • Posted

      That’s great Samantha that you have educated your sons and it’s a complex subject to talk about . I mean how do we explain in words how we are feeling ?? The severity of everything.... unless you’re going through it you would never understand . 

      AD’s didn’t work for me either tried them twice lasted 3 days on one and 2 weeks on the other . It’s a hard pill to get on and then even harder to get off them .

    • Posted

      It took 6 weeks of being on antidepressants to work for me and it was hell for the first 2 weeks but I knew it was going to be hard, but thankfully I stuck with them and they have made a huge difference to my life, anxiety is barely there now, only have the odd nervy day now and again
    • Posted

      Lol. When I explained it, the youngest said he would buy a camp in the woods and go there if his wife was being moody. That kid cracks me up, he may be in the woods a lot when he gets married.

      I had explain it, my poor kids put up with me flipping out or crying over nothing for a few years.

      Yes, Im pretty sensitive to a lot medication, an alergy pill can make me loopy.

    • Posted

      It’s great they worked for you life is too short to be miserable and yes I only lasted 2 weeks couldn’t take it . 
    • Posted

      Yeah it was very hard going at first, I kept thinking this is so miserable but my doc said please be patient the longer your on them the better it gets, so I thought well I'm miserable anyway so what have I got to lose, 5 months on and I'm so much happier and not so scared of everything, however I always remember to take my pills the thought of missing one terrifies me lol

    • Posted

      That’s fabulous Haley ... and yes we feel like crap anyway so feeling a bit more crap doesn’t make any difference .

      I’m on the BHRT patch which hopefully helps with anxiety too when it fully kicks in . You need the patience of a saint to get through all this ! 

  • Posted

    Oh I am right there with you. My kids are 13, 11, and eight. Hit me like a tornado at the beginning of this year but got really bad in April where I was having nonstop panic attacks, round the clock anxiety, nonstop crying, horrible hot flashes, breast pain for weeks, tremors,everything!  After four months of that missed  my period for the first time in my whole life just recently. Needless to say it has not been a great summer for my kids. I couldn’t bring myself to do any big trips I was just too exhausted and moody and on the verge of  losing my mind. I am still wracked with guilt. They go back to school in a few days. I decided hormone therapy is probably not for me because of other health factors. I might experiment with some antidepressants but for now I have relied on Ativan when I need it and that really does the trick without making me dopey or tired. I take half of a 25 mg. That’s a very small dose.   I still feel the same just with a lot less anxiousness. 
    • Posted

      Yes I understand the guilt thing, my youngest daughter is 14 and started her periods at the same time as I started peri, it's like we have the same symptoms but opposite ends of the scale, so hormones deffo have a lot to answer for lol, I tried to explain the situation to her and she understands now so don't feel as bad but my AD has helped chill me out

  • Posted

    ImagineCelebi

    Great post.

    Guilt for sure has played a part of this miserable phase that i have been in.

    I have 13 & 16 yr old boys. Ive told them all about it. I told them not to worry about me that im doing my best, and for them to carry on doing what they want, and i will cater to them as well as I can physically and emotionally.

    I couldnt resonate with you more about not wanting to talk w other moms, socializing, etc. Its a JOB, and i fake it enough. I find it exhausting to have to pretend all day, i absolutely hate it. Im a genuine person by nature so having to pretend you feel good when you are limping along.

    Anything that is more than i can handle , i do not want part of, but only for my kids will i go the extra lenght--like driving them where they need to go, seeing that they are somewhat interacting and happy and content. 

    They worry about me though, and that makes me even worse. I told my 13 yr old. PLEASE dont worry about me.

    x0x0x

    • Posted

      Gosh yes when we go out nobody would know we’re going through hell ! In the darkness of our own homes though it’s a different story . 

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