Suffering Through Anti-Depressants' Side Effects

FIRST PERSON | I'm a sufferer of untreatable chronic depression; a Yale University study from this week showing that some patients actually get worse while taking antidepressants rang true for me. It seems that the "non-responders" -- those who show no improvement in two months -- can get sicker due to side-effects from the medication.

My Experience with Antidepressants

Over 30 years, I took:

Tricyclics (Amitriptyline, Desipramine, Imipramine hydrochloride)

Monomine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)(Isocarboxazid, Phenelzine)

Selective serotonin reputake inhibitors (SSRIs) (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft).

When none of those worked, doctors tried to get me to take the new Seratonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) Cymbalta or Effexor, but once I read the side effects, I was disinclined to try them.

Side Effects of Cymbalta and Other Commonly Prescribed Antidepressants

The common side effects for Cymbalta include nausea, dry mouth, headaches, drowsiness, fatigue, dizziness, constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, sweating and abdominal pain.

There are worse side effects, that occur in 2 percent to 5 percent of users such as vomiting, sore throat or runny nose, upper respiratory infections, coughing, shakiness, muscle pain, blurred vision, and more. The sexual side effects include decreased sex drive, impotence or inability to reach orgasm.

Insomnia is a common side effect in all but the tricyclics, which have their own set of problems. I didn't sleep well for over 20 years and when I did I had bad dreams.

Some anti-depressant side effects they don't like to mention include worsening of depression, overly aggressive behavior and suicidal thoughts. There is also "musical ear," or hearing something like a radio or television playing in the other room. That made me fear I was having auditory hallucinations until I read that the drugs were causing it.

Is the Cure for Depression Worse Than the Disease?

The old adage that sometimes the cure is worse than the disease is so true with antidepressant medications. I have learned to control my depression to a great extent with herbs, exercise and most recently with meditation.

I don't deny that antidepressants help some people, but there are alternatives without the side effects. Trying to have some kind of "normalcy" to my life is what drove me to spend 30 years downing pills that only made me worse. I wish I never had.

References:

Some People with Depression Actually Do Worse With Medication, Study Finds

Types of Antidepressants

Cymbalta Side Effects