advertisement
Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
InfiniteSadness
Grand Member
InfiniteSadness has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 985
10 yr Member
58 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 25, 2012 at 11:42 PM
  #1
I know some people take it only weeks or months and others for years- like me.. which worries me being on it that long or forever. I'm worried about its effects on my brain. Also, because the treatment is so ambiguous- doesn't fully cure- sigh...
InfiniteSadness is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote

advertisement
~JD~
Member
 
~JD~'s Avatar
~JD~ has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2012
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 150
10 yr Member
29 hugs
given
Default Dec 26, 2012 at 11:11 AM
  #2
I've been on quite a few SSRIs (as you can see in my signature) and you couldn't pay me to take another. I'm still supposed to be on 40 or 50mg of Fluoxetine (trade name Prozac), but I took myself off of it without telling my pdoc.

You start feeling the effects of an SSRI about 4-6 weeks after you start taking it, unless your brain has been exposed to an SSRI in the past, in which it will only take about a week for a new one to kick in.

Not sure what you mean by "how long" you should take it, though. Elaborate a bit?

Hope I can help

__________________
Medications I have experience with:
Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax, Klonopin, Adderall, Seroquel IR, Seroquel XR, Abilify, Buspirone, Trileptal, WellbutrinXL, Latuda, Zyprexa

Don't forget to hit the "Thanks" button if someones post was helpful ^_^
~JD~ is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
adel34
Grand Member
adel34 has no updates.
 
Member Since: May 2012
Location: Chicago IL
Posts: 800
10 yr Member
1,014 hugs
given
Default Dec 26, 2012 at 07:12 PM
  #3
I've been on zoloft for about two years one time, and about a year and a half this time. I've heard you can take it forever. I think you're asking how long one can safely be on this medication and about what the long-term effects on the brain are. I'm not sure about this, and honestly don't know if the psychiatric world has a clear answer. I may just ask my pdoc the next time I see him and see what he says. Maybe others who have been on these drugs long-term, for years, might have an oppinion.

__________________
Check out my blog:
matterstosam.wordpress.com
and my youtube chanil:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mezo27
adel34 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
onionknight
Grand Member
 
onionknight's Avatar
onionknight has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Grad school =_=
Posts: 803
10 yr Member
309 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 26, 2012 at 08:53 PM
  #4
I've been told by my current pdoc I will need to be on an antidepressant for the rest of my life unless I want to relapse into depression.

I've heard other places that four-nine months might be enough to treat the illness.

I don't think there's a concensus in the medical community, or at least one that isn't bias toward keeping us on meds. So much of our knowledge comes from sharing experiences places like this. If you're really depressed now and are having good results with a medicine, I would stick with it until you have coping skills and a plan you trust to help you stay well if you go off the meds.

__________________
"What you risk reveals what you value"
onionknight is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
InfiniteSadness
Grand Member
InfiniteSadness has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 985
10 yr Member
58 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 26, 2012 at 11:03 PM
  #5
The thought of being on it forever is dreadful.... Guess i'm afraid of the "drugs" as some people call them and all the people against them.. and stuff. ssris never worked like 'amazing' for me, and ive tried a lot.
InfiniteSadness is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
sugahorse1
Upwards and Onwards!
 
sugahorse1's Avatar
sugahorse1 has no updates.
 
Member Since: Mar 2010
Location: Kent, UK
Posts: 7,878
10 yr Member
309 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 05:08 AM
  #6
I also believe that one can generally stay on SSRI's forever if one has really bad depression.

__________________
"I'd rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. Robert H. Schuller"

Current dx: Bipolar Disorder Unspecified

Current Meds: Epitec (Lamotrigine) 300mg, Solian 50mg, Seroquel 25mg PRN, Metformin 500mg, Klonopin prn
sugahorse1 is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
InfiniteSadness
Grand Member
InfiniteSadness has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 985
10 yr Member
58 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 06:47 AM
  #7
Wait, but wont they eventually STOP working and you just keep switching from one to another?
InfiniteSadness is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
~JD~
Member
 
~JD~'s Avatar
~JD~ has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2012
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 150
10 yr Member
29 hugs
given
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 08:39 AM
  #8
Quote:
Originally Posted by InfiniteSadness View Post
Wait, but wont they eventually STOP working and you just keep switching from one to another?
No, they don't "stop working".
The human body/brain does not build up a tolerance to SSRI's like most other drugs.

__________________
Medications I have experience with:
Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax, Klonopin, Adderall, Seroquel IR, Seroquel XR, Abilify, Buspirone, Trileptal, WellbutrinXL, Latuda, Zyprexa

Don't forget to hit the "Thanks" button if someones post was helpful ^_^
~JD~ is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
cybermember
Anonymous32910
Guest
Anonymous32910 has no updates. Edit
 
Posts: n/a
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 10:08 AM
  #9
Quote:
Originally Posted by ~JD~ View Post
No, they don't "stop working".
The human body/brain does not build up a tolerance to SSRI's like most other drugs.
Actually, they can stop working; there is even a name for it: tachyphylaxis.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ant...ssants/AN01312

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts....ty_3288-1.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18694599

I have had to switch antidepressants several times due to this problem. It's hard to know why it happens, but in a few patients this can be a problem. Generally, switching to a different AD has corrected the problem quite well.
  Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
InfiniteSadness, sunrise, venusss
onionknight
Grand Member
 
onionknight's Avatar
onionknight has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: Grad school =_=
Posts: 803
10 yr Member
309 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 10:31 AM
  #10
Also, I think SNRIs (Effexor) have a lesser chance of pooping out.

There's no certainty it will or will not ever happen for you though. Take it one year (or month, whatever you're comfortable with) and see how you feel.

__________________
"What you risk reveals what you value"
onionknight is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
~JD~
Member
 
~JD~'s Avatar
~JD~ has no updates.
 
Member Since: Dec 2012
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 150
10 yr Member
29 hugs
given
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 01:07 PM
  #11
Quote:
Originally Posted by farmergirl View Post
Actually, they can stop working; there is even a name for it: tachyphylaxis.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ant...ssants/AN01312

http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts....ty_3288-1.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18694599

I have had to switch antidepressants several times due to this problem. It's hard to know why it happens, but in a few patients this can be a problem. Generally, switching to a different AD has corrected the problem quite well.
Previous exposure to an SSRI/SNRI increases the initial efficacy and decreases the amount of time it takes the medication to start taking effect on the the serotonin or norepinephrine ruptakes.

Also, your examples include:
1) A single patient on 20mg of Celexa.
2) A single study spanning a total of 83 test subjects
3) A doctor saying that some people may experience a "poop-out effect" (very professional wording) but the entire article explains how it can be attributed to a multitude of other factors.

So I'll stick with my original statement.

__________________
Medications I have experience with:
Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax, Klonopin, Adderall, Seroquel IR, Seroquel XR, Abilify, Buspirone, Trileptal, WellbutrinXL, Latuda, Zyprexa

Don't forget to hit the "Thanks" button if someones post was helpful ^_^
~JD~ is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Anonymous32910
Guest
Anonymous32910 has no updates. Edit
 
Posts: n/a
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 01:47 PM
  #12
JD, You said AD's don't stop working. Clearly, they do stop working in some cases, apparently with enough regularity that they do study this as an issue for some patients. Another study said this isn't a hugely common problem, but it does seem to occur in about 8% of the cases. The doctors use "poop-out" simply because that is the colloquial/layman's term that has been used by patients in the past, and those particular articles were for patients, not doctors. Do they know why it happens? No, not clearly. It may be a number of factors, including some genetic factors. It is a real problem for some patients, myself included.
  Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
venusss
Maidan Chick
 
venusss's Avatar
venusss has no updates.
 
Member Since: Mar 2010
Location: On the faultlines of the hybrid war
Posts: 7,138
10 yr Member
14 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 01:58 PM
  #13
Quote:
Originally Posted by ~JD~ View Post
Previous exposure to an SSRI/SNRI increases the initial efficacy and decreases the amount of time it takes the medication to start taking effect on the the serotonin or norepinephrine ruptakes.

Also, your examples include:
1) A single patient on 20mg of Celexa.
2) A single study spanning a total of 83 test subjects
3) A doctor saying that some people may experience a "poop-out effect" (very professional wording) but the entire article explains how it can be attributed to a multitude of other factors.

So I'll stick with my original statement.

from what I read here and elsewhere (personal experiences), they do indeed stop working.

__________________
Glory to heroes!

HATEFREE CULTURE

venusss is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
sunrise
Legendary
 
sunrise's Avatar
sunrise has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jan 2007
Location: U.S.
Posts: 10,383
15 yr Member
106 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Dec 27, 2012 at 07:58 PM
  #14
This may be hard to believe, but psychiatrists and other prescribers actually do use the term "antidepressant poop-out" among themselves. Not very professional sounding, but it has high communicative value! This phenomenon occurs fairly regularly (thanks farmergirl for the 8% figure, I have previously heard about 20% for poop-out), and they just don't know what causes it. As JD wrote, it is not caused by tolerance. The mechanism is unknown. Switching ADs is the typical solution.

Quote:
Originally Posted by onionknight
Also, I think SNRIs (Effexor) have a lesser chance of pooping out.
I have heard this too, that ADs acting on more than one neurotransmitter have less chance of pooping out. So SNRIs and TCAs poop out less frequently than SSRIs.

__________________
"Therapists are experts at developing therapeutic relationships."
sunrise is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
InfiniteSadness
Grand Member
InfiniteSadness has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 985
10 yr Member
58 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jan 13, 2013 at 03:21 AM
  #15
But if it doesnt cure, isnt it like false hope?
InfiniteSadness is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
hamster-bamster
Account Suspended
hamster-bamster has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2011
Location: Northern California
Posts: 14,805 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
3,729 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jan 15, 2013 at 05:04 PM
  #16
Quote:
Originally Posted by InfiniteSadness View Post
But if it doesnt cure, isnt it like false hope?
in really hard cases in which an AD is not an optional life improvement but a must-have, it is like insulin.

Does insulin cure?
hamster-bamster is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
InfiniteSadness
Travelinglady
Legendary Wise Elder
 
Travelinglady's Avatar
Travelinglady is feeling tired.
 
Member Since: Sep 2010
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 47,782 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
22.8k hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jan 15, 2013 at 06:14 PM
  #17
We are told that disorders such as Bipolar are life-long and must be treated, by drugs and I think also by therapy. Sometimes I do think the drugs have too many side effects, but I don't think many of us have much choice. I do wish psychiatrists would keep a better eye on how long they keep people on the same drugs. Even pain meds tend to "poop out" with long-term use or else more and more of the drugs are needed to produce the same effects. I have been on MANY drugs over the years and now only take two just meant for my bipolar, thank goodness.
Travelinglady is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
InfiniteSadness
InfiniteSadness
Grand Member
InfiniteSadness has no updates.
 
Member Since: Aug 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 985
10 yr Member
58 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jan 16, 2013 at 03:56 AM
  #18
Quote:
Originally Posted by hamster-bamster View Post
in really hard cases in which an AD is not an optional life improvement but a must-have, it is like insulin.

Does insulin cure?
What about herbs/supplements?
InfiniteSadness is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
hamster-bamster
Account Suspended
hamster-bamster has no updates.
 
Member Since: Sep 2011
Location: Northern California
Posts: 14,805 (SuperPoster!)
10 yr Member
3,729 hugs
given
PC PoohBah!
Default Jan 17, 2013 at 01:37 PM
  #19
Quote:
Originally Posted by InfiniteSadness View Post
What about herbs/supplements?
I do not get your logic. I was comparing AD's in hard cases to insulin for insulin-dependent diabetics.

Herbs or supplements are just substances that you ingest; there is not much of a distinction in principle between herbs and medications - you ingest something that you hope would make you feel better. Herbs grow and medications are produced, so there is that little distinction but it is not that big. If you really want to be substance-free, you would want to look at things such as therapy, exercise, improving social functioning, yoga, or whatever of that sort - those things do not involve ingesting substances.

If you want herbs, there is evidence that St John's Wort is more effective than placebo for mild to moderate depression: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...00553-0017.pdf

But it is just like with medications: you have to try it and see if it works for YOU. Clinical trials just show a tendency of the herb to outperform placebo in a group of people but not in every individual case. It gives some hope without a guarantee that it would work for YOU.
hamster-bamster is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
Odee
Grand Member
 
Odee's Avatar
Odee has no updates.
 
Member Since: Jun 2012
Location: Ohio
Posts: 786
10 yr Member
476 hugs
given
Default Jan 19, 2013 at 06:03 PM
  #20
Long term use of SSRIs has simply not been researched. There's no definitely answer for how long you should be on them.

I was once described the guidelines for length of AD therapy as such: Around seven months for a first-time depressive episode after full remission of symptoms, two years for a second, indefinite after the third.

I do believe that untreated mental illness is far more deleterious to your brain than an AD. Research the facts: Depression and mental disorders damage certain parts of the brain and can cause a positive feed back cycle increasing the severity of the illness. Longer treatment on ADs before discontinuing them prevent relapse and thus prevent the destruction of mental illness on the brain.

However, if you don't feel completely better on an AD you may not be getting the protection against the effects of a prolonged illness.
Odee is offline   Reply With QuoteReply With Quote
 
Thanks for this!
ba.ll.oo.n, InfiniteSadness
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:41 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® — Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.



 

My Support Forums

My Support Forums is the online community that was originally begun as the Psych Central Forums in 2001. It now runs as an independent self-help support group community for mental health, personality, and psychological issues and is overseen by a group of dedicated, caring volunteers from around the world.

 

Helplines and Lifelines

The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here.