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561d
What mental health meds (depression, anxiety, OCD) have y’all tried that had minimal side effects? I seem to be very susceptible to any side effects and i do not feel like i’m getting enough benefit from the med to suffer thru it.
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Anxiety (Including GAD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Bupropion
Buspirone
Clomipramine
Nortriptyline
Lamotrigine
Mirtazapine
Gabapentin
Depression
Doxepin
Venlafaxine
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
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552d
@XCxsmic.CalamityX venlafacine caused me uncontrollable manic episodes along with those god awful “mind zaps” that lasted weeks even after I stopped - to be honest, it’s one of the worst drugs i’ve ever taken
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554d
DO 👏 NOT 👏 TAKE 👏 SYMBALTA!!! It caused me to have auditory hallucinations and become uncontrollably emotional. I'm on venlafaxine, it's an MAOI, but it's worked well for me for the past few years so it's worth looking into
@XCxsmic.CalamityX Cymbalta gave me horrible vivid nightmares
Clomipramine has worked well for me so far. The only side effect I've noticed is getting head rushes when I stand too quickly, sometimes i have to stand there and wait until my vision clears? It's a really minor side effect for me though. I'm also considering looking into genetic testing if I can afford it, that might be the way to go.
It seems to be genetic for me, both my brother and I struggle with sensitivity and side effects. Zoloft works for both us. It probably is different for each person so you just have to keep trying. Always start at the smallest dose possible, and take it for two weeks or so to see if side effects get to a bearable point. Once you get there you have to wait 4-6 weeks to see if it helps. It really sucks and I gave up trying for a bit, only to do zoloft on the first try and it worked for me. Also for me I had emotional breakdowns when taking a normal starting dose, and my psychiatrist said that actually can be a sign that it works, but it’s too strong. But when I was too drowsy after taking lexapro for two weeks we decided to stop it.
558d
I'm also very prone to side effects. For me dozepine, lamotrigine, gabapentin, and nortriptyline.
@kat32 *doxepine
560d
Before doing genetic testing I had tried about 7 different medications to find one that was effective - Zoloft for me - and even then once I hit another depressive episode the only thing that brought back the effectiveness of the medication was therapy,, this all to say that genetic testing was definitely most effective for my situation
Gonna be honest, meds are different for everyone. You should consider a DNA test that you can ask for from your psychiatrist or doctor to find out what meds would work for you.
Lexapro so far has been the most beneficial with next to no seriously detrimental aide effects. Decreased libido, but that’s not a big deal to me lol
I think buspar is worth a try even though it didn't help me that much. It's really easy to get off of and my only symptom was car sickness. It did help my anxiety somewhat but I have to drive a lot so the carsickness was a dealbreaker for me.
I had a genetic test (which can be a great option because it shows how your genes might interact with the drug, so which ones might have worse side effects, etc.) and took a recommended SNRI antidepressant for 6 months, but it didn’t help and going on it and coming off of it were hard. A few months ago, I started with a new psychiatrist, and she recommended I try lamotrigine. It’s a mood stabilizer, but it’s effective to treat regular depression as well. The titration process is really slow to allow your body to grow accustomed to it and avoid some side effects, so it takes a little longer to work than some, but I have experienced literally zero side effects, which has been fantastic. I’m starting to feel like myself again.
I am very sensitive to meds too I end up having bad side effects or rare ones so I hate trying new meds of any kind even outside of mental meds
I take mirtazapine (about 5 years now) buspirone for anxiety 4 times daily and bupropion once in the morning. All three work pretty great for me.
@Serenity_Love ^ I took bupropion for a while and it worked great, but the adjustment period was very difficult. it threw my emotions for a real loop in a way I hadn’t experienced before and I’ve heard the same from others. however it helped a lot after that and I didn’t have a lot of other side effects besides the initial mood instability
553d
@strawbrei man that stinks. Yeah honestly only side effects initially for a couple weeks was my anxiety was a bit worse but otherwise it works great. It helped open up my mind and make me more motivated and have more clarity in life.
@strawbrei I tried bupropion and it threw my anxiety wayyy off the charts, it was awful. if I keep taking it will that go away eventually? or is it maybe just not the medication for me
zoloft has always treated me well!
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@strawbrei I will say this though, about Zoloft. I was on it when I was a teenager and after one year it stopped working completely for me.
Have you looked into genetic testing?
@Davchun I have a bit, I am just unsure of the costs and if I would be able to afford it.
@Rachy I got genetic testing, it’s expensive but my psychiatrist told me to literally not pay it when they send the bill lmao
@Rachy what insurance do you have?
☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision
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