Depression (major depression)

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• October 7, 2011 8:31 a.m.

  I am the first to say that antidepressant pills or SSRI's are thrown around without, what seems to be, any sufficient reason to take them. From all the side effects that have been discussed already, I read an article on CNN about the connection with Zoloft and children born with Autism. It is devastating to hear that medications are being prescribe to pregnant women with the risk of having a child permanently damage by something that could’ve been avoided by the doctor. It shouldn’t be the first solution the doctors suggest.

  - Penelope

• July 19, 2011 1:59 p.m.

  Calling somebody when you have problems with anti-depressants is extremely important. Though, I would call a therapist, before I called a general doctor.

  - Therapy Specialist

• June 10, 2011 9:21 a.m.

  Great article, it's really important for people to know these signs. Of course if they see any of these signs they should talk to a doctor right away.

  - Mark

• June 2, 2011 10:03 a.m.

  Having doctors on call is the fastest way to learn if your side effects are becoming dangerous and harmful. Especially with depression medicine, it is important to know exactly what kind of problems you are having, and how to further deal with them.

  - Blog Specialist

• June 1, 2011 9:40 a.m.

  This is a great article I was happy that I got some solid information out of it. When is the right time to call a doctor and seek professional medical attention

  - Blog

• April 23, 2011 6:13 a.m.

  I lost my son in a tragic way I can't talk about now. I've been on several meds since then for depression. I was put on Pristique a few weeks ago and felt better in just a few days. I had broke my back in Jan and was having alot of pain, so my CNP put me on Cymbalta also, to help with my pain. I took 30mg for 1 week, as directed, then went up to 60mg. The day after I did that I woke up a very sick lady. I've had a heart attack and have 4 stents already. I called the ambulance, I was in atrial fibrillation and BP of 212/127. They tried several things to convert me in ER. I was admitted with Serotonin Syndrome, put on heavy blood thinners, and finally had to be sedated and shocked yesterday. Thank God I converted to normal sinus rhythym with one shock. I am bruised and sore from that. Drs took me off Cymbalta and put me back on restoril for sleep and continued Pristique. I am home now, feel tired, on meds to continue sinus rhytym and strong blood thinners for 6 wks. I woke up that morn wringing wet with sweat, rapid, irregular heart rate and nauseated. My CNP should have known the potential for that and told me.I could have died, so make sure you know what your taking and the interactions with your other meds. Thank God I am a disabled RN and knew something was very wrong and I am okay now. Be careful people!

  - Louise April 22, 2011

• December 2, 2010 4:09 p.m.

  Has anyone suffered hair loss as a side effect of Lexapro? I'm a 59-year-old woman whose been on this antidepressant for almost 6 years now. The hair loss started within 6 months of taking it and I now have extreme hair loss in the front part of my head where my bangs are. The hair loss extends from my bangs to the middle of my scalp. My gynocologist and pharmacist have both told me that antidepressants do cause hair loss. The pharmacist searched on 2 different web sites and found confirmation that Lexapro does cause hair loss. A female coworker friend of mine has taken Zoloft for the last 15 years and she has very noticeable hair loss on the top of her scalp. She is certain the Zoloft is to blame since her doctor also told her that antidepressants can cause hair loss. I had blood tests done before I started the Lexapro. The tests showed that I had more of the female hormones and testerone hormone than the average 53-year-old woman. My thyroid was also checked and the blood test revealed that it was in excellent condition. Because of the blood test results, my doctor is telling me that the hair loss was not caused by lack of hormones and was probably caused by the Lexapro. The Lexapro is no longer helping my depression and insomnia is now a big problem as well as the hair loss. I would like to know if anyone out there who has taken Lexapro for at least 5 years has suffered from hair loss. If that's you, will you please post a reply here and let me know. Thanks!

  - Melinda

• October 26, 2010 11:35 a.m.

  I've had depression since before I was a teen, though I was officially diagnosed with severe depression at age 16. At that time, I went to a doctor and he put me on antidpressants. Let me tell you: Teens need to be watched on these meds! I was extremely suicidal (more than usual :( ) for about 2 months and my parents wouldn't listen to me. My dad won't even acknowledge that depression exists, even though he has been married to my mother for 25 years and she has had severe depression since long before that. Anyway, I finally got my older sister to believe me and she convinced my mom to get me off the meds. Back to the doctor, put on the same meds as my mother. At one point she ran out of meds cause the insurance was being stupid and we shared meds. Talk about screwed up. These meds did absolutely nothing for me. I quit them cold turkey after 3 months of taking them. I asked my mom how she thought I was doing 2 months later and she congratulated me on seeming well again. Then I told her that I hadn't been taking my meds. :) Yay for reality check. I think that there is probably a medication out there that I can take, but I've been too scared to go and talk to a doctor and go on scary meds again. I've now been off of them for 3 years and I'm having a hard time even thinking about getting up in the morning. Thank goodness for good friends who believe me and are trying to help!

  - Candace

• September 24, 2010 7:08 p.m.

  As a note, if your side effects don't go away after a few weeks, it's a good idea to speak to your doctor about potentially trying something else. I stuck with a lot of medications because they were "supposed to go away eventually" and ended up wasting months and months on things that were just never meant for my body. I don't think my doctor realized just how severe they were. Severe side effects after weeks on a medication is a sign that it is not the right one for you.

  - Emotional Umbrella

• June 22, 2010 1:15 p.m.

  I have a motherly concern over my daughter whom i know takes somekind of antidepressant for anxiety. All she does is take the medication without any theraphy to gradually get her off the meds. What concerns me is the fact that she is on meds and also drinks alchohol. I don't see her getting better, but worst with her behavior. She has an 8 year old son that has to care for himself when she goes into a deep sleep. She stays up all night and sleeps during the day. She is not working at the moment due to a problem that she is involved with from saying something inappropriate at work and her manager turned her in. i encountered her bad behavior from bursting with anger and over my phone and left a nasty message saying that she disowning me and she wants to beat me up because she got angry for talking to someone about her anxiety. i spoke to her best friend to help her and talk with her that i was willing to watch her son while she go get help. My concern was the way she live and feel that she is abusing antidepressant and alchohol and even marijuana. I feel that with all of these things happening in her life that her son is not growing up as a healthy boy. When he was kindergarten, he was held back because of poor attendance and that's because she can't get up for him. I've been concern her for so long and don't know who to talk to. She had an outrage with me yesterday and left a nasty message on my phone disowning me and swearing a storm and calling me names. help!

  - beeg

• June 14, 2010 12:56 a.m.

  I was/am on a host of other meds, Dr gave me Cymbalta and the next 20 hours was the worst self induced experience of my life. The only way to describe it is thinking back to those old 60's movies where people taking/abusing drugs would get overdosed or according to the movie, "got ahold of some bad/bad drugs. Threw themselves out of windows or whatever was quickest and easiest to end it all. I've had a bad anxiety experience during eye surgery, 911 called and spent another 9 hours of hell in the ER waiting for something to be done. They were looking for whatever was causing this heart attack I was having which of course, wasn't. That experience was mild in comparison to my experience with Cymbalta, horrid isn't close to a good description. Dr want's me to try it again and try to quit the regular prescribed and necessary meds I am on for just long enough to get used to the Cymbalta. Not no, but hell no, will I take a chance to go through that again. I need something, isn't there any anti-depressants that don't have bad side effects?????

  - Stephen

• October 15, 2009 10:08 a.m.

  does prozac cause ldl cholesterol to go up? mine is 200 hdl is 60 triglyceride is 121

  - joianna

• September 21, 2009 1:23 a.m.

  I was given Buspar for anxiety management.I took the 1st dose at bedtime,it was 7.5 mg then again at breakfast.I had a horrible reaction.....VERY dizzy,nausea,heart pounding, and bad anxiety then I was fainting.Made it to my bed,laid there till these horrible effects left.I threw that Rx away.I've become VERY sensitive to medicines now,I'm 55.I think Dr's don't realize how potent these meds are.

  - gepe

• August 12, 2009 10:21 p.m.

  What about changes in vision? I took fluoxetine for about 5 weeks several years ago, and I've had premature presbyopia ever since. I tried bupropion recently, and within 2 days of taking it, I had severe presbyopia. Every doctor I've mentioned this to acts like I'm nuts. I hate doctors. And pharmaceutical companies.

  - Trevor

• July 27, 2009 8:59 a.m.

  I would also add changes in anxiety levels. I experienced a severe anxiety attack when I took Zoloft. It was so severe I ended up in the ER.

  - Marie

• July 23, 2009 2:45 p.m.

  There was no mention of changes in urination. Cymbalta can cause urinary retention.

  - saba