Are meds worth it?

I’m thinking about trying meds for depression but the side effects worry me and I don’t know if its the right choice. I’m kind of at the point of just trying it and seeing what happens but that seems reckless. I’ve got ptsd, anxiety and depression and on top of that my menstrual cycle makes everything twice as bad for two weeks every month. Any advice is appreciated

I have tried so many meds and, with most of them, the side effects were bad and it made it seem like it was not worth it. I am finally on Welbutrin and the side effects are minimal. I hate the fact that you have to try so many before you find The One, but in the end I am glad I did. Everyone responds different and when you are experiencing the side effects it seems like it isn't worth it, but it is. It is worth it because once you find the one that works for you, you begin to enjoy life again. Sure, there will be bad days even when your on the meds, but that is where this website has helped me to hang in there.

I wrote a longish reply to you, but my internet connection dropped when I hit "send', and I lost the whole thing.

I basically asked what else you've tried, such as psychotherapy, diet, supplements, exercise and also how severe your mood problems are right now - if they're about to put you into a life crisis.

If you have the time and opportunity, I would probably try a combination of non-meds treatment first. Psychotherapy, supplements, diets that are directed towards helping mood, exercise (especially yoga), and looking at your "life balance" would all be things to consider trying before you try meds.

I am in my mid-50s. I take antidepressant medication and have for 80-90% of the time since I was around your age.

Not everyone is affected by side effects. I have been on a lot of different meds over the last 5 years and luckily haven't had any major issues with them. Some made me too sleepy, some made me restless, but thats about it really. Everyone reacts so differently so try not to let what you have read put you off. And remember people are more likely to report the bad things rather than the good...

But yeah as jo said, there are other options to consider too if you are unsure.

It ranges from numb and down but still functioning to self harm and considering giving up. I’m in therapy for two years now and probably will be for a lot longer but it doesn’t help my mood. I dont do that good with diet. I have a problem with bingeing. Exercise isn’t too bad. I take my dogs for a walk most mornings and that helps sometimes. I don’t know if the answer is to try to do more on my own first, which is hard to do at times or try a medication and work on a better balance when I feel better, if that makes sense. I always have the negative critic and doubt myself so I usually end up thinking i’m just not doing enough to help myself and really don’t need medication. I don’t trust myself

Given what you said about being in therapy for two years and still dealing with self-harm and bingeing, I would probably go with the meds.

Yes, it does make sense to take medication and then to work on things after you start to feel a bit better.

I don't think that there's a blanket answer to this question, so I'll answer personally: Yes, meds are worth it. If I weren't on meds, I wouldn't be a functioning part of society, or may not even be alive -- I honestly can't say. Yeah, the side effects can suck, but what sucks more, living a life that's no life at all or gaining a few pounds?

No way. My body had been abused by these substances for over a decade and I'm worse off now because of the side effects (some permanent)

Try EVERYTHING you can before meds. They should be the lst resort

Another option (still a med) but if you don't want to go the psychiatric med route is a birth control pill. Sometimes regulating the hormones alone can be helpful. My cycles were out of control and so were my resulting moods a couple years ago. I take Seasonique right now, I get my period just four times a year and it has made a difference. Birth control can have risks and side effects like anything else, but another option

When the mental illness is more debilitating than the side effects (implying there is overall improvement) then I would say, yes it is worth it.

I have tried lots of meds and only had bad headaches as the worst side effect. I'm taking a few now that are helping and they aren't causing me any trouble. It's frustrating that it can take a lot of combinations to get the right medications

They are if you are also willing to work on things.

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer:

Antidepressants don't work on me. I've taken pretty much every med in every class to the point that when psychiatrists see my list even they go, "Oh. That's a lot." I've even tried drugs traditionally used for bipolar even though I'm not.

I also am sensitive and I tend to get side effects. Not everyone does though and that's why meds are tricky. What ultimately worked for me was ketamine and I go for regular injections every few weeks.

At what point should you try medication? Honestly, I don't know. My depression is purely biological. I did all the things people tell you to do besides medication - therapy, supplements, exercise, spirituality, and I still didn't get better. The ketamine is the only thing that fixed it and so I know now what I've suspected for a long time, that I just have screwy biology (I can also trace depression on both sides of my family).

I also know that there's science behind the fact that the longer your brain is under stress, the harder it is to come out of it. Feeling blah is one thing. Feeling depressed is another. A good psychiatrist and a good therapist can help.

So. Is it worth it? I think it's worth a shot in conjunction with everything else.

I think Supanova's advice is very wise. Try all the safe healthy things first before considering antidepressants. Antidepressants often don't work and even when they do, because of oppositional tolerance, they tend to quit after a while leaving you still depressed, but now unable to quit without really crashing.

Here's an article describing what your doctor should tell you before taking antidepressants

Negative Effects of Antidepressants | Mad in America

Here is what I think is a great healthy starting point:

6 Strategies to Eliminate Depression - Dr. Mark Hyman

You may find these notes might help you understand what's going on in your head:

http://egg.bu.edu/~youssef/SNAP_CLUB...0164151576.pdf

- vital

Thanks for the links vital.

Its a lot to think about. I’m sort of leaning towards trying birth control first and see how that goes. It pisses me off to consider it since I see myself a guy so I don’t really want to take more female hormones than I already have but if I get some stability then I guess its worth it.

Dr. Mark Hyman is a questionable source at best (and I feel I'm being generous to him there).

Take him with a grain of salt. Here's a good example as to why one might give him the side-eye: Personalized Medicine Bait and Switch.

Hi Nowhere,

I know he's on TV a lot and that's not usually a good sign, but Dr. Hyman really is one of the leading MDs in the U.S. He was recently appointed to be the Director of Functional Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, which is a very big deal in the medical world.

- vital

For me meds are necessary. I was lucky and the first antidepressant I tried worked. I'm now on a chemical cocktail of meds, which I'm not entirely thrilled about but they keep me functional. Without them, I would have committed suicide years ago.

splitimage

Totally agree. After seeing him on PBS, I read one of his books, and this was the turning point for me in understanding why my health had gone so bad. Total paradigm shift. Instead of isolating all of the body's systems and treating each separately, functional medicine looks at the interaction of the systems and the whole organism integratively.

Perfect example -- if the brain is sick, almost certainly the gut is too. Psychiatrists and old school physicians rarely have a clue about this.

I think in a side by side debate, Hyman would shred 99% of the physicians and psychiatrists out there, in terms of understanding health and disease.

If you do want to discuss meds see a psychiatrist first not a general doc. Ask about trying something like propranolol (for anxiety) or mood stabilizers first before an antidepressant.

That article is from ScienceBasedMedicine.org which, from my reading, is a rabid, hateful attacker of anything that is not strictly mainstream allopathic. Have not seen a more one-sided health resource on the entire internets. Their goal seems to be elimination of choice in healthcare.

I believe you should try it. They CAN be very helpful, but know there may be trial and errors. Be open with your doctor about side effects you are worried about or what maybe holding you back, maybe they have some sort of therapy and can limit the meds. Good luck

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Probably not the best idea but I want to tell the doctor the least amount of information possible.

Why? How will that benefit you?

Because I don't want on my file somewhere I've been abused and have a ton of problems.