Best SSRI?

[alexdotmp3]

What is the best ssri you have ever used? I realize that these medications work differently for everyone, but I'm looking for general consensuses. I've heard great things about Paxil, but then some really awful things so I'm avoiding that as of now. Lexapro is currently at the top of my list. Stories/reviews? Thanks!

[alexdotmp3]

Welp I decided to just bite the bullet and ordered a massive supply of generic celexa. Hopefully it all works out, I've heard mostly good things about it, plus it was cheap. I used generic4all, anyone know of a place cheaper for future reference?

[Longbaugh]

I've used Prozac, Celexa, Paxil(up to 90mg) Zoloft and a few I'm probably forgetting. Nothing but clonazepam and propranolol have worked at combating my anxiety.

[Neuromaniac]

I've tried Prozac, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Paxil, Effexor and others I also don't remember. Effexor(vanlafaxine) XR worked best for me to quell social anxiety and depression.

Withdrawal from Effexor was a nightmare though...I went off it cold turkey a couple times which is not a good idea at all.

when I was younger I took my dose of Paxil and drank a fifth of whiskey, I was stuttering and couldn't speak like I had Parkinson's Disease or something, I learned not to drink heavily with these drugs and they work much better. Also exercise and diet go a long way.

Dietary supplements can also help the overall effect of your mood but be careful; antidepressants and certain supplements can make a dangerous and uncomfortable cocktail. Hopefully you find something that works and are able to use CBT and slowly taper off. Good Luck!

Venlafaxine is an SNRI but I mentioned it anyways cause it worked for me.

[Alternate]

I have in the past for a situational depression used Paxil (the so called 'older' version). It worked well for that but got a weight gain, and did lose the weight but took a long time. Now would be worried about another weight gain that would push me into the weight related health problems. I have some paxil but have not decided yet to take it.

Lexapro is one I keep reading about that people have good things to review about it and seems to be one of the milder ones. Have not researched the weight gain theories on it.

The weight gain stuff makes you wonder, as a lot of celebrities are bound to be on a/d also yet they stay at their celebrity weight.

I was told by professional that some a/d create metabolic syndrome.

Most a/d also have to be weaned off carefully with drs. knowledge.

[Binky]

I've been on a lot of anti-depressants in the past.Zoloft,Prozac,Effexor,Lexapro,Wellbutri etc. are some of the a/ds I've tried.Some worked for me but some didn't help.I now take Paxil (60mgs) & I've been on it for over 5yrs.It has worked wonderfully for my anxiety & depression.I have gained some weight but nothing extreme.Paxil has worked the best for me so far.

[willonia]

I was prescribed Lexapro about 10 years ago and I didn't feel like it worked at all for me. I stopped taking that after about 6 months and then a few years later I began Paxil. That worked much better for me for a while. It helped me sleep and sometimes I would be almost giddy for no reason. But after a while I guess I built up a tolerance to it as my social anxieties and general nervousness returned. I quit Paxil cold turkey and that was one of the worst expereinces of my life. I didn't consult my doctor like I should have, but I just didn't like some of the side effects while I was on it. It messed with my libido, it made my stomch hurt sometimes (which could have been due to something else), and the weight gain, which was minimal. The feeling I had coming off of it after a few years of use was something I never want to experience again.

[grayh]

I was on Prozac for a year and it was O.K. (not very much sexual side effects, myoclonic twitches, etc) but really didn't do anything for my depression because I was not going to therapy. My family doc said that SSRI's make you smarter though weirdly enough.

Then switched to escitalopram (Lexapro) which made anxiety worse and really really really horrible anhedonia (basically lost interest in almost everything, but I guess the purpose is that at least you're not manic either. And horrible problems downstairs.

Switched back to Prozac for a year. While waiting for socialist Health Canada for a Psychiatrist, who doubled the Prozac dose to no avail.

Then he put me on desvenlafaxine (Pristiq, which is a newer version of Effexor) Which was probably the best out of the three in terms of side effects.

Currently taking Wellbutrin XL and the side effects are horrible (myoclonic twitches, increased heart rate all the time like 2 cups of coffee) but gets you out of bed and more motivated to work, etc. But for anxiety this is probably the WORST CHOICE (its not an SSRI though I believe its dopamine-norepinephrine

Finally got Clonazepam from an IOP and WOW! a med that actually works.

Docs just hate prescribing benzos because of the risk, esp in Canada where you don't have to have insurance; anyone can go in and say they have anxiety disorder.

[MojaveJoe]

I took Paxil for 10 years. It helped my social anxiety a bit. Lately, not as effective and I'm tapering very slowly - I've learned I get these weird little "face seizures" if I go too fast. I saw on wikipedia that other people call them "mind zaps" or "mind zings" - really, really unpleasant.

Thinking of trying benzos but I have to keep a certain amount in my bloodstream or I get horrific panic if it gets low (made much worse by my tinnitus). So it works great, but at what cost?

Our doctor swears that lexapro is the best for keeping symptoms down but not sure - I suppose I could try that.

[Mlmk]

I am very familiar with the "zaps". I HATE paxil for that reason. I wish that the doctor that initially prescribed it to me had warned me about how awfully hard it would be to go off of it. Yep it works so well for social anxiety etc. It did the trick for me very well for a long time. It worked for my brother as well. The thing is that it really messes up the old sex life. So, I finally decided to quit taking it. That was HELL. Way worse than stopping norco or anything else imho. Those zaps are bad bad. I am a nurse and it was hard being a nurse and getting through Paxil withdrawal. So I hear you and I am sorry for you. I must say that I have never felt as good as I did on the Paxil. But again at what cost. sigh. I caution anybody to really research Paxil before starting up on it. Be well.

[MojaveJoe]

I've used Prozac, Celexa, Paxil(up to 90mg) Zoloft and a few I'm probably forgetting. Nothing but clonazepam and propranolol have worked at combating my anxiety.

Does propranolol affect your libido?

[deadhorse]

best ssri in my opinion is ganja, meditaion, excercise, positive thinking, and love.

[MojaveJoe]

best ssri in my opinion is ganja, meditaion, excercise, positive thinking, and love.

Unfortunately, unlike a lot of people ganja makes me paranoid (maybe like 50% of the time) so I long ago gave it up.

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I am very familiar with the "zaps". I HATE paxil for that reason. I wish that the doctor that initially prescribed it to me had warned me about how awfully hard it would be to go off of it. Yep it works so well for social anxiety etc. It did the trick for me very well for a long time. It worked for my brother as well. The thing is that it really messes up the old sex life. So, I finally decided to quit taking it. That was HELL. Way worse than stopping norco or anything else imho. Those zaps are bad bad. I am a nurse and it was hard being a nurse and getting through Paxil withdrawal. So I hear you and I am sorry for you. I must say that I have never felt as good as I did on the Paxil. But again at what cost. sigh. I caution anybody to really research Paxil before starting up on it. Be well.

libido is the main reason I started going off it too - I'm 46 and my wife is 35 and its getting harder and harder to maintain interest. So I accidentally stopped taking it for a while at least until I got the face zaps but for a while I was really "feeling it".

It seems like it hardly works anymore anyway. C'est la vie. Incidentally, I read somewhere that a large percentage of doctors are only now becoming aware that SSRI withdrawal symptoms even existed! The consumer, though, has had to find that out the hard way since the Pharma comps sure didn't oddly enough.

[Mlmk]

Pot makes me paranoid as well which is unfortunate as I have so much access to it. Dang. I just don't like the stuff and I have tried several strains. Every few years I'll get talked into trying it again and I end up in a dark room with the blinds drawn praying for that awful feeling to go away lol. my husband told me to sit down, settle down, and it would be over in 45 minutes lol. Therapy and massive amounts of exercise work wonders. Wellbutrin too, but that ratchets up the anxiety a bit but doesn't mess up the sex thing. Ahhhh, the life of chemicals.

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I like wellbutrin ok. I think it isn't quite an SSRI but something similar with norepinephrine...Helps with a sense of well being. Doesn't help with anxiety tho. My experience only.

[Longbaugh]

Does propranolol affect your libido?

I've been taking it for 2 years and I haven't noticed a decrease in libido.

[fish_bulb]

best ssri in my opinion is ganja, meditaion, excercise, positive thinking, and love.

You still get arrested for uh... positive thinking.. where I live.

[Atron]

Everyone responds differently to different medications. It does affect some people’s libido, definitely not others. Actually differently SSRIs have different chances of affecting libido, but might not be significant.

In my experience Lexapro seems to work well for depression, and is often preferred in many situations. My opinion probably doesn’t count for much, but I’d say that it might be the most effective – although maybe not by much.

[grayh]

Actually ganja is hit miss. I'm a member of a dispensary society here and they recommend certain strains for anxiety, pain etc. Some strains make anxiety worse. If you're just getting "ganja" then who knows.

[mani]

Hi

I have been on SSRI'S for about 15 years now, mainly paroxetine (seroxat, paxil) and can honestly say that I have had a love/hate relationship with AD's.

When I first went on paroxetine I had horrendous side effects, making my depression/anxiety 100 worse. It did'nt help that I had a terrible doctor at the time who didn't understand this drug. In my opinion this is a classic 'what works for somebody, doesn't work for other' drugs, as previously mentioned. As it can take up to 4 weeks to work, it's not easy going back to your doctor and trying out a different SSRI's to see whether it works or not.

At present I am tapering off 60mg (highest recommended dose) of paroxetine and asked my psychiatrist if I could change to a SNRI, and have been on 75mg of Venlafaxine (effexor) as I felt paroxetine wasn't working for me anymore.

Tapering has been really tough and am now down to 10mg. The worst side effects for me have been the classic ('brain/body zaps), and waking up covered in sweat due to having horrendous vivid, messed up dreams. You can't underestimate how powerful these drugs are, until you say miss a couple of doses or start tapering.

This the first time I have ever written about this subject, as this is such a deep and personel thing to talk /write about. However a friend of mine recently went on Fluoxetine (prozac), had no side effects and feels much better for being on them.

I am also of the opinion that doctors will much to easily prescibe AD's as it is the easy 'safe' option for them, as I was first told that paroxetine was not in anyway addictive. However I know that these drugs have helped countless people to cope with their respective illness's (including me) and having an understanding doctor is crucial.

Sorry for rambling on but I think I could write a book on this subject, and still won't be finished!

Thanks for listening and I hope the OP gets the help they deserve

[Sly]

alexdotmp3 could you please please keep me updated with your status as I have ordered Paxil from Generic4All I ordered on the 9th January 2012, my order hasn't been shipped yet , if you could please note when you ordered? if your order has been shipped yet that would be very helpful. Also I would like to stay in touch with you over these forums so that we can exchange our views on if the SSRI's help because this is my first time ordering from them and I am sure yours as well... we can exchange views and experiences, please please do post back it would be great to hear from you!!!