Very unpleasant side effects from antidepressant

[burntout77]

Hi All,

After many years of not being on antidepressants because of their uncomfortable side effects, I found myself spiraling downward in major depression. I had never had it this bad in my life. But I also have Sjogren's now and didn't want to complicate the disease any worse. However, I decided to start an antidepressant that I was on in '98 that seemed successful but they were said to have stopped selling it in the United States, so at that time a few years later I had to get off of it due to not being able to get it anymore. Or so I thought. Now I found out they have it in the generic form Nefazodone. I do not recall any unpleasant side effects when I took it before, and my husband had commented on how much more happier I was and it was like a miracle. Well, now I just started it again yesterday and the nasty side effects are really bringing me down. My skin felt on fire, hot and cold chills, couldn't sleep at all even after taking an Ambien. My pupils are still dilated and my vision is blurred. I'm talking to myself all night long while I try to research more info on my phone and can't see the print much at all. Yesterday, any type of food made me nauseated, the pills are eating away at my stomach so I take 40mg of Prilosec now. I doubt very much if I will have a BM at all for a week. Dry eyes, dry mouth, dry and stuffed up nose, can't breathe. Now this morning I am dizzy but having my coffee okay, not nauseated yet. Have had head jerks in the night, tics. Hope that goes away. Hope it all goes away. Not sure that being on this drug is such a godsend anymore. All the other antidepressants gave me the same problems, I thought this would be different. But, I am 20 years older, weaker, depression about killed my mind and functionality. So, not sure if this is all worth it. My skin feels like I am burning in heck, and the next minute I am chilled to the bone. Well, anyway, just thought I'd share that with you. Oh, and another thing. The male nurse practitioner claims this med has virtually no side effects, and he says if I have side effects it's all in my head. He said most people with anxiety issues tend to make all that up, that you're not really feeling side effects. Is this guy for real? What an idiot. Not going back to him. Need a real doctor that knows all the downfalls of Sjogren's Syndrome, the fatigue, the deep depression, brain fog, dryness, and the pain. Antidepressants can be really evil, but in some cases they might actually improve someone else's condition. So, everyone is different, I suppose.

[eye2dry]

Hello.

I was put on Cymbalta for joint pain and to help me with my depression.
I have been on it for 5 years  now. My depression surfaced about the same time as
Peri menopause started and undiagnosed RA and sjogrens.

Everything that is going on in my life is still there but the antidepressants make it easier
To bear and actually smile and have fun like others do. I am no longer frozen with worry
And what ifs...and panic feelings.

It is nothing to be ashamed of to admit your anxious...depressed.....and taking medications to
Treat it so you can enjoy your every day life as full as you can. Yes, finding a medication that will
Work for you can be a hit and a miss.

I know several depressed patients through my years as a nurse that are successfully treated with
Meds and fall into the....I don't need them now...pitfall. You don't feel you need them bc they are
Working.  Stopping them without your Dr's input could trigger a major mental health crisis.

A good rheumatologist will be a godsend and I pray you find one.

Take care.
Shelly

[irish]

I am wondering if it is the dosage you are having problems with not specifically the antidepressant itself. There are so many things to know about drugs these days and I always tell people to try and find a psychiatrist if possible to deal with a depression.

One thing that can occur with antidepressants is serotonin poisoning. This is when we get too much of the serotonin in our antidepressant. The simple solution is to stop the drug when we have weird symptoms and call our psychiatrist. Family physicians are not always tuned in to this and can miss it entirely cause it is something we can blame on other things. Serotonin can keep building up and eventually one can get high fevers and the situation can become fatal.

My one son with lots of autoimmune diseases was complaining to me one day about some symptoms and as we talked the light bulb went on in my head and I told him, you have serotonin poisoning. He then told me his psych had increased his antidepressant. I did tell him to take no more med and call psych on Monday morning. He told me later she decreased his antidepressant.

Sometimes symptoms just sneak up on us. We spend so much time dealing with all of our ailments and then some weird thing comes up and we will dismiss it only to find out later it was signigicant. Just wears us out doesn't it. Irish

[warmwaters]

It's possible that a different med or a different dose might work.  Over 20 years, your body can change in a number of ways. 

I just started up on an immunosuppressant that I felt great on 5 years ago, and it was a disaster. Felt miserable, had all kinds of balance and emotional issues, and just needed to sleep. Stuck it out for 2 weeks, then stopped Don't know what changed, but it is no longer the med for me.


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