Posted by Bean on December 7, 2005, at 9:08:02
I have been experiencing bouts of depression mixed with anxiety for a number of years. I have been avoiding antidepressants based on past negative experiences, but I now feel a need to reconsider. About 8 years ago, I had an extremely intense agitation reaction to Zoloft, meeting descriptions I have read for a serotonergic reaction. I had been using St. John's Wort for 3 months when I tried the Zoloft (I have wondered whether there was an additive reaction). The St. John's Wort had no affect prior to the Zoloft, but when I tried switching back after the Zoloft reaction, I experienced constant agitation and anxiety. Many years ago, when experiencing depression during a period of situational stress, I was prescribed a Tricyclic (don't remember which). It didn't help, in fact made me feel worse the first few weeks, and caused extreme somnolence and 20 pounds weight gain. I stopped taking it after about a year, and dealt with the situational stress directly, after which I felt fine for many years.
So - what is recommended for someone who seems to be either non-responsive or overly sensitive to various antidepressants? For whatever it's worth, I also seem to be quite sensitive to caffeine and decongestants (I once read a post by a doctor who believed such sensitivities correlated with anti-depressant oversensitivity). Thanks!
poster:Bean
thread:586427
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051203/msgs/586427.html