Are there any calming antidepressants?

the only thing i can think of is sertraline, which is what the doctors perscribed me but i am yet to take it due to the side effects it has sometimes. 

let me know how you get on? 

It's annoying to hear I know but go back to your GP and tell them how you feel. I know the side effects from some medications are horrible and it may take a while to find the right one or dose. Have you ever considered therapy along with your medication ?  Best of luck with everything. 

I take escitalopram and that didn't give any start up anxiety for me, it also seems to help with sleep

Thanks everyone for the replies, before sertraline i was on escitalopram 20mg which worked fantastic for 7-8 months and then just stopped working which led me to sertraline. Sometimes you get either a really activating antidepressant which gives you anxiety or a really sedating one which is too sedating. Something inbetween would be good! I was looking at duloxetine but read that it stimulates dopamine which can cause anxiety. I know theres lots of different ones out there its a fear of trying them.

Hi Donna

​A change in meds would be the best course of action, I'm not a Dr but was a 3rd year med student who happens to have anxiety and depression. Some people just can't tolerate Sertraline which i'm sure your aware is an SSRI. Mirtazipine might be a better option as it targets Norepinephrine not Serotonin (SNRI) and i've found that combo works well for me. However before trying a different class of anti d the Dr will most likely switch you too a different SSRI, probably citalopram or fluoxetine (prozac) both are well tested and relatively easy anti d to try for at least 2 weeks, if still no joy. I would ask your Dr about amytriptiline It's a tricyclic anti d but has sedating properties. You might have to do a fairly quick taper (no side effects) and might even be taking both for awhile whilst making the switch. Call your Dr and disscuss this with them. Going on the limited knowledge I have it would seem that Sertraline is not the right anti d for you. I've been on almost all of them and it took a long while to find the right drugs (in my case 2 different classes of anti d's) It's basically trial and error. If you and your Dr decide to try a SNRI I would ask for venlafaxine (effexor) 1st. I was on that for about 6 years and had no problems with it at all, but it will take experimenting to find the right one. It's not a one size fits all thing. Hope this helps ya a bit. Get in touch with the Dr for a med review, you could print this out and take it with you if you want. Feel free to contact me again or you can pm me if you prefer. Hope this helps, you will get better just goatta keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Thanks for the advice I am also taking amitriptyline but only for sleep at night 10mg as sertraline gives me insomnia. My doctor did offer me mirtazapine but im unsure about trying incase it makes me too drowsy to look after my children. Iv heard some good reviews on mirtazapine. Iv read it only causes drowsiness at lower dosages. What were your experiences of starting mirtazapine? Did the drowsiness wear off? Thanks

I have just been changed to sertraline and it has the oppisite effect with it wear off really quickly.

I would say if you have been on it for 4 months  and it is not agreeing with you go back and see your doctor

Stay strong

Hi donna i am on sertraline 25mg zolft it is and i take lorazepam to help with my anxieties, I also take trazedone and lamotrigine as well. At times i can't stand the side effects and at times my anxieties feel down not as bad. 

You should talk to your doctor if you did good with it being at 50mg than see if he can put it down to 50 again, also maybe you need an antianxiety medicaton with this like lorazepam generic for ativan 

Elizabeth

I also tried Prozac but it really increased my anxiety out of control (after around 7 days of taking it) and also disturbed my sleep. I came off it after 11 days but the anxiety hasn't subsided yet. Apparently it's an activating AD, but is too activating in some people and so causes anxiety. I also tried venlafaxine for 2 months but that didn't help my anxiety or depression

The really activating ones seem to make anxiety worse. I think those are more for people with bad depression. I myself have never had depression just anxiety and mild ocd but iv struggled to find an antidepressant as good as escitalopram. But unfortunately it stopped working after 7 months and the highest dose is 20mg. So im now on sertraline and been on that since october 2015. Im a bit worried about trying mirtazapine incase i wake up every morning like a zombie. Other than that it doesnt sound too bad! Wish i knew of some less activating antidepressants.