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Antidepressants have stopped working after 10 days

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by lottaotter, Dec 19, 2022.

  1. lottaotter

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    I was prescribed Sertraline (Zoloft in the US) recently and to begin with it worked amazingly.

    I could actually taste food again and didn't want to kill myself anymore. I cancelled the plans I had to kill myself on my birthday in January.

    But as of yesterday I don't feel the effects anymore. Is this normal? I feel almost as low as I did before, and I'm spiralling quickly. I have no support network at all.

    I am really scared
     
  2. Cinnamoon

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    Support networks come in different forms. You have this site as a form of support, hopefully that helps a bit. Also, have you thought of contacting organisations like Mind? They might be able to help you in a few different ways.

    Antidepressants can work but they usually take time. You may have experienced a placebo effect when you first started taking them. But that doesn't mean they won't work if you keep taking them regularly.

    Are you still having appointments with your therapist by the way? Talking therapy can also help.
     
  3. lottaotter

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    Thank you. This site is pretty much the only support I have. I'll have a look at Mind. I'm not really sure what they do.

    I really hope they start to work again soon. I can't afford for them to not work.

    I won't see my therapist until the middle of next month now and unfortunately we agreed that would be my last session. A decision I'm regretting.
     
  4. mnguy

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    Hey bud, I'm sorry you're feeling so down again, it's so frustrating! :frowning2: If you like the therapist, let them know you changed your mind and how low you're feeling again. I hope they might even find a way to see you sooner or another resource to help. Please keep talking with us and I hope you feel support. Warm hugs going to you!
     
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  5. lottaotter

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    Thanks @mnguy the therapist doesn't have any slots available until after New Year unfortunately but I think he will be on with me telling him then that I still want to continue the sessions. It's a long time to wait, so I will keep coming on EC and whining to you all probably :/ to keep me sane
     
  6. bingostring

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    Meds are a bit difficult to get right instantly. You should discuss with your doctor first as it may just mean you need the dose changing. Plus there may be other meds more suited.
    You may like to be referred to a psychiatrist for a more specialised assessment / prescription
    Don’t lose heart as - with proper advice - you can always maintain a good balance.
     
  7. mnguy

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    It is a long time, wish they could refer you to a group for support, even online. I hear about group therapy but how to find one that's legit? Until then, you keep coming here and posting whatever you want and someone will be here, somewhere in the world, which is pretty cool, you got this! :hugging:
     
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  8. Aspen

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    I'm on Zoloft too. It's not that it "stops working" so much as it hasn't actually started. Medications can take a few weeks to really become effective. My doctor told me it would be about 4-6 weeks and 6 weeks was about right for me. I also started to feel better immediately but that could be explained by a placebo effect or just the general mood boost that comes from being able to do something about how you're feeling.
     
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  9. lottaotter

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    Thanks @bingostring @mnguy and @Aspen

    I am feeling a bit more stable today due to the realisation I had last night about how much I have been craving for the approval of people in mainstream gay culture who I have been letting dictate how I feel about myself. I shouldn't be giving anyone that power over me.

    I am seeing the doctor in the New Year for a review of the medication. I have a lot of shame around taking it, which is why I was despdrate to come off it quickly, and also not go up to a higher dose. Everyone around me is very negative about anti-depressants.
     
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  10. chicodeoro

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    I understand that feeling of shame, but please Lottaotter, like me using them is just doing what you have to do to survive.

    I'll be three years in on mine come June. Yes, I eventually want to come off them, but I'm not out of the woods yet in terms of my mental health.

    Beth x
     
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  11. mnguy

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    Glad you're feeling more stable bud! It would be nice if the meds erased that sense of shame bc it holds so many back from trying. I took a long time to try it myself and should try something else or an add on maybe. You seem to have a number of social connections so that's supposed to help. Without those, maybe no med will be enough to feel good. You don't need those guys and they're too exhausting anyway haha. I hope you will meet more people who appreciate you for the sweet and caring guy you are in the coming year! :hugging:
     
    #11 mnguy, Dec 20, 2022
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2022
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  12. bingostring

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    Don’t let shame come in to it. If only you knew how many people are on meds these days.

    Only you and your doctor need know and he/she will certainly not be judging you
     
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  13. FireFox

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    You have to give them more time, I'm on Sertraline and recently been increased to 150mg. The first time I was on them it took almost 3 weeks for them to do anything but any concerns you have regarding the medication please see your GP, as support network goes you have this site as a first step so that is good and you can build from that.

    One more thing, no matter how good medication is, you'll still get the low points as well but for the most part irons out the highs and lows.
     
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  14. Mihael

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    Depression is a stress-induced condition just like many others. Some people get migraines after a stress (like me), some get depression, some get auto-immune diseases, some don't sleep, some catch infections or gain weight due to stress...

    Also whichever doses you need to take is individual. Just like any other condition. And depends on a lot of different factors than may not have anything to do with how severe your condition is. It may depend on your metabolism, how effective your liver works, how well you absorb the medication etc.

    I don't tolerate well most medications, but I have one that I need twice the usual dose.
     
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  15. Colm

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    You shouldn't feel any shame about taking antidepressants, they are really common. If your current one diminishes in effectiveness (which can happen), you should talk to your doctor to increase the dosage, or try a new drug, or augment the current one with another drug type. The process of finding the right drug tends to be quite experimental and even drugs within the same class can vary hugely in effectiveness for different people. Definitely don't give up hope, because there are always new treatments in development. There are small everyday things you can do too, like exercising, getting sunlight, reducing internet / device usage, and having a good diet. I know these might sound trivial, but collectively they can manage the depression and keep it from being overwhelming. Also, have you tried meditation? If you close your eyes and sit still, you'll probably discover that your mind sounds totally chaotic and incoherent, flitting endlessly from one thought to the next in an insane monologue. Meditation can help put a distance between your thoughts and yourself, so you don't have to identify with thoughts automatically. Depression is often maintained by obsessive rumination, usually on pointless thoughts like "what if the past had been different?" or "what will go wrong in the future?" or "if only I had a completely different personality and physical appearance", and recognising that these thoughts are present, and how irrational they are, can remove some of their power.
     
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  16. lottaotter

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    I exercise every single day.
    I have been trying meditation for over a year
    I get as much sunlight as I can in this climate
    I eat a balanced diet
    That is why I am on medication
     
    #16 lottaotter, Dec 20, 2022
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2022
  17. lottaotter

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    @chicodeoro @mnguy @bingostring @FireFox @Mihael
    Thanks all, I got really excited when I thought the medication was working straight away, and maybe it was, but at the moment I just don't seem able to stop myself from spiralling into a bad mood again and again so maybe it does need longer or I need a higher dose. These tablets are literally keeping me alive at the moment, because I was suicidal before I started on them. Getting through each day is very, very difficult at the moment as there are so many other things going on. This time of year is not a good time of year for me (or a lot of people). Thanks for your support.

    @Colm I'm sorry my previous reply to you was harsh, because I know you suggested all these things as ways to help, and that you wouldn't necessarily know what I have tried (and continue to try). The therapist and the doctor both agree that I am doing all I can manage to manage depression, anxiety and all the other shit that comes as collateral damage of having a really shitty life so far. I really wish I could do mindfulness meditation correctly, but after over a year of nightly attemtps, I've stopped, because it just made me beat myself up and feel miserable for failing at it.
     
  18. Chip

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    Hey, I'm really sorry you're having difficulty with this. If you saw an effect from Zoloft in 10 days, it was most likely placebo. The way SSRI antidepressants work is that it typically takes anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks to begin to see an effect.

    Also, it isn't accurate to say that depression is stress-induced; it is far more nuanced than that, and while stress, and the hormones thhat are associated with it, does do a lot of things, depression isn't generally a common effect.

    I do strongly recommend therapy, because much of what you are describing is in the cognitive realm rather than the neurochemical realm, and you'll get some really good impact from working with a good therapist.

    In the meantime, things you can do that will help include getting outside during the day and walking or doing other physical activity, exercising, and interacting with people you trust and have a good connection with.

    This will defintely get better but you will need to work at it, and the zoloft is a good start... but just the start.
     
  19. Mihael

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    Maybe my wording isn't medically accurate with the stress. I mean that it comes from a prolonged exposure to stress hormones. The way we react to different things, including feeling stressed, has roots in the cognitive end of things as well as childhood, past experiences and probably other things as well. Combined with unfavourable circumstances. But I have experienced it and know for a fact that I start to feel sluggish and down after a month or so of stressful events. Apparently it's it's very common, although as you have said Chip, not everyone feels the stress in the first place even in difficult situations due to what they were taught in childhood directly or indirectly, how positive their past experiences were, how good they actually cope, set boundaries and so forth, and due to success or lack thereof in working on it all.
     
  20. Colm

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    Chronic stress and depression are linked, without a doubt. @lottaotter maybe your doctor could combine sertraline with bupropion? That combination can be more effective than an SSRI alone.
     
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