Issues with SSRIs?

[[bl...]]

I am wondering if anybody has any stories or info on whether SSRIs can cause the same type of issues that Benzos can after years of daily use? My partner has been on them for about 4 years, and is showing signs of what I would think would be similar to a benzo withdrawal or tolerance withdrawal. Constant depression, mood swings, doom and gloom outlook on life… this was not the person I knew 4 years ago, and things just steadily seem to have gotten worse over time. Whenever there is a lapse in taking them for a few days, she goes into an even worse depression/sadness/Suicidal thoughts.. and then takes them again and is “fine”. This reminds me of me with my benzos/benzo taper. So basically I am just curious if this could be what is happening with her. I can’t for the life of me think of the name of the antidepressant, and don’t have access right now to that information. So I’m hoping that won’t be an issue in answering.

Our oldest and youngest are also on Prozac. Just started with in the year for anxiety, and I am wondering if this will cause them issues later on as well. They are currently 12 and 8.

Any info or advice is appreciated!

[[bl...]]

The medication she is on is Sertraline. 

[[Co...]]

Hello @[bl...]. Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

I have no personal experience with antidepressants, but many of our members have taken or do use them. It is well understood that there are many analogous side effects and withdrawal symptoms with antidepressants. But it is complicated, and there are differences too. You should also consider that antidepressants are a much broader class of medications than benzodiazepines, with differences between the sub-classes.

Taking any medication is a compromise. There is a risk-benefit analysis (even if informal), and huge variability in how individuals react to specific medications. Depression can be (and often is) a serious condition - it should not be ignored or wished away.

When your partner is feeling reasonably well, I suggest you talk to her about it - but reassure her that your comments come from a position of concern. And if she is agreeable, that you visit her doctor together to discuss the matter and her potential options.

Other members will be better placed than me to comment on the specifics.

[[...]]

Hi, @[bl...], i took a couple of half a year's prozac courses in my earlier twenties. It was ok but after all the mess i got into due to benzo i feel highly suspicious about antidepressants as well.

Right now i have two withdrawals to deal with - benzo and mirtazapine, which i'd been prescribed a month before i started coming off benzo and i think i can compare them to some extent. For me, benzo wd is absolutely worse but i do feel mirtazapine wd too and see some similarities. 

This is a thread by a newcomer for whom antidepressants seem to have  been the main trouble. Hope it can be of use to you.

 

[[Ro...]]

11 hours ago, [[b...] said:

I am wondering if anybody has any stories or info on whether SSRIs can cause the same type of issues that Benzos can after years of daily use? My partner has been on them for about 4 years, and is showing signs of what I would think would be similar to a benzo withdrawal or tolerance withdrawal. Constant depression, mood swings, doom and gloom outlook on life… this was not the person I knew 4 years ago, and things just steadily seem to have gotten worse over time. Whenever there is a lapse in taking them for a few days, she goes into an even worse depression/sadness/Suicidal thoughts.. and then takes them again and is “fine”. This reminds me of me with my benzos/benzo taper. So basically I am just curious if this could be what is happening with her. I can’t for the life of me think of the name of the antidepressant, and don’t have access right now to that information. So I’m hoping that won’t be an issue in answering.

Our oldest and youngest are also on Prozac. Just started with in the year for anxiety, and I am wondering if this will cause them issues later on as well. They are currently 12 and 8.

Any info or advice is appreciated!

Hi,

   I don't know if you are aware of a site called Surviving Antidepressants, but it gives you the lowdown on discontinuing them.  The website is http://www.survivingantidepressants.org.

     It's unfortunate, but not surprising, that your partner suffered symptoms after the short discontinuation.  Like benzos, AD medication is really intended for the shorter term.  When taking for the long-term not only can they lose their effectiveness, but their discontinuation, like benzos, tend to be more severe.  Of course, like many medications, individual experiences with ADs vary.

    I wish you and your partner good luck.

[[An...]]

For me personally, I have never had any major problems starting and stopping ADs except for the annoying brain zaps. ADs are not addictive in the same way as benzos. Some ppl do have trouble coming off them, but I have never had any major issues personally.

I tolerate Lexapro better than any other AD. It is always better if you can manage issues you are having naturally w/o drugs ofc, but if you can't for whatever reason, I would choose ADs over benzos for medical management. The problem is that ADs don't work for many ppl with severe anxiety and panic.  Also, many ppl can't tolerate the side effects at the beginning of AD therapy. They do not work right away like benzos do. You have to take them for 4-6 weeks to determine if they are helping or not. The side effects you experience at the start of therapy usually wane after the therapeutic effects take hold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest [Do...]]

Hi @[bl...] i think you're right. I have over 20 years of experience taking an SSRI which i had to cold turkey cause i started to have horrible paradoxical reaction to it and my body just wouldn't accept it anymore.

16 hours ago, [[b...] said:

My partner has been on them for about 4 years, and is showing signs of what I would think would be similar to a benzo withdrawal or tolerance withdrawal.

It definitely has a very similar withdrawal like benzos in many ways so i will tell you what is different; first of all benzo WD is infinite times worse, nothing can compare benzo acute WD symptoms, SSRI's WD is more sneaky and progresive, it comes gradually and slowing growing overtime, it might be bearable at the beguining and becomes more and more severe and around 6 months it becomes hell.

16 hours ago, [[b...] said:

Constant depression, mood swings, doom and gloom outlook on life…

The worst symptoms as you guessed are irritability cause of the serotonin disregulation and the mood goes crazy, you can get really aggressive and agry all the time. This can make the anxiety rise overtheroof and can also cause insomnia and depresion, i used to cry with every song, movie, or if anyone was clapping for any reason.

16 hours ago, [[b...] said:

this was not the person I knew 4 years ago, and things just steadily seem to have gotten worse over time. Whenever there is a lapse in taking them for a few days, she goes into an even worse depression/sadness/Suicidal thoughts.

It's not her, it's the drug or the lack of it, is not permanent, be patient and think is all cause of the WD.

16 hours ago, [[b...] said:

This reminds me of me with my benzos/benzo taper.

You're totally right.

SSRI's need to be withdrawal as slow as benzos, she needs a year or so of a slow taper to make it safe and avoid a protracted WD afterwards. Check this article, it has all the answers you need about SSRI's WD.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2045125320980573

 

16 hours ago, [[b...] said:

Our oldest and youngest are also on Prozac. Just started with in the year for anxiety, and I am wondering if this will cause them issues later on as well. They are currently 12 and 8.

AD don't heal anything, they won't improve at all, AD will only numb their feelings and will hurt their brain so much. I took it for over 20 years and after i quit it my problem of anxiety was there and even worse than the original issue. I eventually solved my anxiety and disorder with CBT, no drugs and it was fixed for good.

Check this thread and don't put you kids in psych drugs.

It is proven by scientists like Dr. Mark Horowitz that chemical imbalance in the brain is a hoax.

https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/depression-probably-not-caused-by-chemical-imbalan

https://markhorowitz.org/blog/

I hope this helps, reach out if you need more info or have any doubts i have studied this topic for a long time as a victim of this problem.

Edited September 6 by Guest

[[br...]]

Many people here are very Anti  anti-depressant given the fight we have with benzos and the distrust in the medical system and pharma system
so I will give you another opinion on the other side. 

I disagree with fear based statements that lead people to not taking medication and doing more harm to themselves. There is a massive stigma towards Anti depressant medication which can really impact people negatively 
Im not going to touch on the medications for a 12 and 8 year old because that isnt my place.
 

the "you should just be strong enough naturally without it" comments destroy people with MH issues. 

First and foremost Ad are a drug that your brain has a dependency on, it is a daily med, you skip those meds you will likely experience some withdrawal effects , this is indeed a dip in the mood ,  irritability etc. 

IMHO they are not like benzos.  they dont have tolerance issues, they cant stop working but that doesnt seem to be the case here. you dont get a tolerance to xMG of Sertaline, (zoloft)  that being said getting on or off can be pretty terrible depending on the med and how fast you taper.

You cannot just stop taking ADs for a few days, you must taper off of them slowly or you experience withdrawals, you can also experience like benzos Protracted withdrawals. 

in addition to that if you arent proactively in therapy etc with them and you just push the issue aside the depressions symptoms can go away but they arent being reframed with help. 
Meds + Therapy is a powerful combo 

If the intent is to get off it should be done slowly tapered down not just cold turkey zoloft tends to be one of the easier ones to get off of. 

I REALLY disagree with blanket statements and anecdotal evidence that push people into thinking AD are bad. The scare tactics are one of the main reasons so many people struggle with taking them vs not, 

I went down a pretty bad path a while going thinking if i just worked a little hard at therapy, or took a little asha, i would cure myself of my panic disorder.

I genuinely almost lost my life due to the scare tactics and pushy people who think  ADs are bad and do more harm and destroy your brain. I listened to those people far too much and i almost genuinely took my life over it.
I have an 8 year old child, who almost didnt have a mother because she could not "will herself" out of her panic disorder because she "wasnt trying hard enough" " wasnt using lavendar" "wasnt doing the right exercise or eating"

Ive never seen anyone experience that with heart meds, or blood pressure meds, only mental health medications. 

thats my two cents on it



 

16 hours ago, [[b...] said:

I am wondering if anybody has any stories or info on whether SSRIs can cause the same type of issues that Benzos can after years of daily use? My partner has been on them for about 4 years, and is showing signs of what I would think would be similar to a benzo withdrawal or tolerance withdrawal. Constant depression, mood swings, doom and gloom outlook on life… this was not the person I knew 4 years ago, and things just steadily seem to have gotten worse over time. Whenever there is a lapse in taking them for a few days, she goes into an even worse depression/sadness/Suicidal thoughts.. and then takes them again and is “fine”. This reminds me of me with my benzos/benzo taper. So basically I am just curious if this could be what is happening with her. I can’t for the life of me think of the name of the antidepressant, and don’t have access right now to that information. So I’m hoping that won’t be an issue in answering.

Our oldest and youngest are also on Prozac. Just started with in the year for anxiety, and I am wondering if this will cause them issues later on as well. They are currently 12 and 8.

Any info or advice is appreciated!

 

[[br...]]

Oh I forgot to mention one thing to consider is TMS therapy, if you guys have insurance coverage for it 

[[br...]]

1 hour ago, [[A...] said:

. The problem is that ADs don't work for many ppl with severe anxiety and panic. 

For me personally they have, i have severe panic disorder. i guess it will genuinely depend on each individual 

[Guest [Do...]]

21 minutes ago, [[b...] said:

Many people here are very Anti  anti-depressant given the fight we have with benzos and the distrust in the medical system and pharma system

Is not me who says this is Mark A. Horowitz, Joanna Moncrieff, Ruth E. Cooper, Tom Stockmann, Simone Amendola, Michael P. Hengartner who says and prove it in a paper.

21 minutes ago, [[b...] said:

I genuinely almost lost my life due to the scare tactics and pushy people who think  ADs are bad and do more harm and destroy your brain.

I guess you didn't even bother reading the papers i linked but so i will copy a little quotes:

"There is no other accepted pharmacological mechanism for how antidepressants might affect depression. If antidepressants exert their effects as placebos, or by numbing emotions, then it is not clear that they do more good than harm".

"We conclude that it is impossible to say that taking SSRI antidepressants is worthwhile, or even completely safe".

Again i don't say this, its scientists, researchers who do.

 

Edited September 6 by Guest

[[br...]]

27 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

Is not me who says this is Mark A. Horowitz, Joanna Moncrieff, Ruth E. Cooper, Tom Stockmann, Simone Amendola, Michael P. Hengartner who says and prove it in a paper.

I guess you didn't even bother reading the papers i linked but so i will copy a little quotes:

"There is no other accepted pharmacological mechanism for how antidepressants might affect depression. If antidepressants exert their effects as placebos, or by numbing emotions, then it is not clear that they do more good than harm".

"We conclude that it is impossible to say that taking SSRI antidepressants is worthwhile, or even completely safe".

Again i don't say this, its scientists, researchers who do.

I’m not interested in arguing with someone at all 

it doesn’t appear that you are sympathetic to anyone’s other opinions or research except your own

and that’s fine 

but you won’t rope me into your argument because that isn’t what I’m here for

I do think it shows just what you’re after when you quote the part where I genuinely almost took my life to push your stance

 

its heartless and the people I’ve had to deal with who push this narrative 

The only people you are showing research from are anti antidepressant from surviving antidepressants they have an agenda they are biased  

we can all show and “prove” our opinions with biased  research 

 

please don’t re-engage with me after your absolutely heartless quote of me almost taking my life to push your narrative some more with your passive aggressive “I guess you didn’t bother to read” comment 

 

 

Edited September 6 by [br...]

[[Co...]]

2 hours ago, [[b...] said:

Many people here are very Anti  anti-depressant given the fight we have with benzos and the distrust in the medical system and pharma system
so I will give you another opinion on the other side. 

I disagree with fear based statements that lead people to not taking medication and doing more harm to themselves. There is a massive stigma towards Anti depressant medication which can really impact people negatively 
Im not going to touch on the medications for a 12 and 8 year old because that isnt my place.
 

the "you should just be strong enough naturally without it" comments destroy people with MH issues. 

First and foremost Ad are a drug that your brain has a dependency on, it is a daily med, you skip those meds you will likely experience some withdrawal effects , this is indeed a dip in the mood ,  irritability etc. 

IMHO they are not like benzos.  they dont have tolerance issues, they cant stop working but that doesnt seem to be the case here. you dont get a tolerance to xMG of Sertaline, (zoloft)  that being said getting on or off can be pretty terrible depending on the med and how fast you taper.

You cannot just stop taking ADs for a few days, you must taper off of them slowly or you experience withdrawals, you can also experience like benzos Protracted withdrawals. 

in addition to that if you arent proactively in therapy etc with them and you just push the issue aside the depressions symptoms can go away but they arent being reframed with help. 
Meds + Therapy is a powerful combo 

If the intent is to get off it should be done slowly tapered down not just cold turkey zoloft tends to be one of the easier ones to get off of. 

I REALLY disagree with blanket statements and anecdotal evidence that push people into thinking AD are bad. The scare tactics are one of the main reasons so many people struggle with taking them vs not, 

I went down a pretty bad path a while going thinking if i just worked a little hard at therapy, or took a little asha, i would cure myself of my panic disorder.

I genuinely almost lost my life due to the scare tactics and pushy people who think  ADs are bad and do more harm and destroy your brain. I listened to those people far too much and i almost genuinely took my life over it.
I have an 8 year old child, who almost didnt have a mother because she could not "will herself" out of her panic disorder because she "wasnt trying hard enough" " wasnt using lavendar" "wasnt doing the right exercise or eating"

Ive never seen anyone experience that with heart meds, or blood pressure meds, only mental health medications. 

thats my two cents on it

Thank you for posting this, @[br...]. You make a lot of sterling points there.

[[Co...]]

1 hour ago, [[D...] said:

Is not me who says this is Mark A. Horowitz, Joanna Moncrieff, Ruth E. Cooper, Tom Stockmann, Simone Amendola, Michael P. Hengartner who says and prove it in a paper.

'Prove it in a paper'? I somehow doubt it. But if you link the paper, I'd like to take a look.

[Guest [Do...]]

34 minutes ago, [[C...] said:

'Prove it in a paper'? I somehow doubt it. But if you link the paper, I'd like to take a look.

In a paper that explains what evidence they have found or in this case not found with many tests and a research of over 50 years.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0

Nature magazine, not a wikipedia cheap article.

I know don't agree this but don't try to make it look like i am conspiracy theorist with a earthflat scam. This is Dr, Horrowitz and other from the best univerities.

[Guest [Do...]]

2 hours ago, [[b...] said:

I’m not interested in arguing with someone at all 

it doesn’t appear that you are sympathetic to anyone’s other opinions or research except your own

and that’s fine 

but you won’t rope me into your argument because that isn’t what I’m here for

I do think it shows just what you’re after when you quote the part where I genuinely almost took my life to push your stance

its heartless and the people I’ve had to deal with who push this narrative 

The only people you are showing research from are anti antidepressant from surviving antidepressants they have an agenda they are biased  

we can all show and “prove” our opinions with biased  research 

please don’t re-engage with me after your absolutely heartless quote of me almost taking my life to push your narrative some more with your passive aggressive “I guess you didn’t bother to read” comment 

I am sorry you have beacome a rude and embittered person cause of your experience but there is no way i am gonna let it pass you talk to me in that tone.

Of course im not gonna engage in any conversation with you, and you are the typical person that spread the shit in the fan and expects asks other to not respond.

Don't worry i will just block and ignore you cause is the only reply you deserve for being so unpolite and rude.

[[Co...]]

11 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

In a paper that explains what evidence they have found or in this case not found with many tests and a research of over 50 years.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0

Nature magazine, not a wikipedia cheap article.

I know don't agree this but don't try to make it look like i am conspiracy theorist with a earthflat scam. This is Dr, Horrowitz and other from the best univerities.

 Well, you did use the word 'prove', which is a very high standard indeed.

Thank you for the link.

[Guest [Do...]]

2 minutes ago, [[C...] said:

 Well, you did use the word 'prove', which is a very high standard indeed.

Thank you for the link.

Well they did prove their point in the pares and several pro pharma psychiatrists responded and Mark and others responded to every critic. Is Mark Horowitz onw of the bad ones now? is his content gonna be ban too?

https://markhorowitz.org/blog/

[[Co...]]

6 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

I am sorry you have beacome a rude and embittered person cause of your experience but there is no way i am gonna let it pass you talk to me in that tone.

Of course im not gonna engage in any conversation with you, and you are the typical person that spread the shit in the fan and expects asks other to not respond.

Don't worry i will just block and ignore you cause is the only reply you deserve for being so unpolite and rude.

Is the wrong answer. It would have been better to acknowledge @[br...] feeling that you bulldozed right over her revealing some heavy stuff.

FWIIW, I do not think you meant to cause any ill-feeling. I skip over all kinds of important things all the time - I don't mean to. But your response only compounded your original error. And it was an error. The better cause of action would have been to acknowledge the offense, apologise, and move on. What would you have lost by doing this?

[[Co...]]

3 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

Well they did prove their point in the pares and several pro pharma psychiatrists responded and Mark and others responded to every critic. Is Mark Horowitz onw of the bad ones now? is his content gonna be ban too?

https://markhorowitz.org/blog/

Again, it was just your use of the word 'proof'.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200811/common-misconceptions-about-science-i-scientific-proof

[Guest [Do...]]

7 minutes ago, [[C...] said:

Is the wrong answer. It would have been better to acknowledge @[br...] feeling that you bulldozed right over her revealing some heavy stuff.

FWIIW, I do not think you meant to cause any ill-feeling. I skip over all kinds of important things all the time - I don't mean to. But your response only compounded your original error. And it was an error. The better cause of action would have been to acknowledge the offense, apologise, and move on. What would you have lost by doing this?

I am not apoligising for have being offended. I am the one that has being attacked despite my response if you don't acknoledge this we have a problem here.

Edited September 6 by Guest

[[Co...]]

16 hours ago, [[b...] said:

I’m not interested in arguing with someone at all 

it doesn’t appear that you are sympathetic to anyone’s other opinions or research except your own

and that’s fine 

but you won’t rope me into your argument because that isn’t what I’m here for

I do think it shows just what you’re after when you quote the part where I genuinely almost took my life to push your stance

its heartless and the people I’ve had to deal with who push this narrative 

The only people you are showing research from are anti antidepressant from surviving antidepressants they have an agenda they are biased  

we can all show and “prove” our opinions with biased  research 

please don’t re-engage with me after your absolutely heartless quote of me almost taking my life to push your narrative some more with your passive aggressive “I guess you didn’t bother to read” comment 

FWIIW, I think the above is fair comment.

All: When a member tells us how our comments make them feel, we should try our best to acknowledge this, even if we feel we are 100% correct. We can still post our thoughts, but do not dismiss their feelings. Their feelings should be undeniable, even if we do not understand why they feel that way.

And before anyone pulls up examples of me failing to adhere to this line - do as I say, not as I do. My personal failings are just this and do not negate my words here.

[[Co...]]

2 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

I am not apoligising for have being offended. I am the one that has being attacked despite my response if you don't acknoledge this we have a problem here.

I really did not view @[br...] response as an attack. She just stated how your post made her feel.

[Guest [Do...]]

1 minute ago, [[C...] said:

FWIIW, I think the above is fair comment.

All: When a member tells us how our comments make them feel, we should should try our best to acknowledge this, even if we feel we are 100% correct. We can still post out thoughts, but we should not try to dismiss their feelings. They should be undeniable, even if we do not understand why they feel that way.

And before anyone pulls up examples of me failing to adhere to this line - do as I say, not as I do. My personal failings are just this and do not negate my words here.

I would't have a problem to aplogise if i hurt his feelings if he said it politely, i am not gonna take anyone's frustration.

I am sorry colin, you know i always try to help people with my best and i am active memeber in this comunity but i will just give up posting if this is what is takes to be respected.

There is no way i am gonna allow anyone to misstreat or disrespect me.

This memeber is blocked and so no further engage will happen and as i will not post any more answers i will not be able to bother anyone.

I hope everyone is happy with this solution.

[[Co...]]

8 minutes ago, [[D...] said:

I would't have a problem to aplogise if i hurt his feelings if he said it politely, i am not gonna take anyone's frustration.

I am sorry colin, you know i always try to help people with my best and i am active memeber in this comunity but i will just give up posting if this is what is takes to be respected.

There is no way i am gonna allow anyone to misstreat or disrespect me.

This memeber is blocked and so no further engage will happen and as i will not post any more answers i will not be able to bother anyone.

I hope everyone is happy with this solution.

I'm not happy with it. It is a poor solution. I don't wish to see you stop engaging at BB.