# R U on Anti-Depressants? I have a ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 7, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532 "2003-02-07T19:10:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MemoryGongs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@MemoryGongs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryGongs)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/1 "2003-02-07T19:10:57Z")
Mental Health Post of the Month I am on Effexor, 300mg a day and since I got on them I have had an intense craving for starches ie, bread, rice, taters etc. Anyone else go through this? Anyone else have wonderful stories to share about meds? ;j for some reason i love the happy orthodox jewish man, even tho i am not happy, jewish nor orthodox ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/2 "2003-02-07T19:38:43Z")
Paxil, to control obsessive/compulsive disorder… Dry mouth, and the absolute annihilation of any trace of libido I might once have had… But no hunger pangs or cravings… Trinopus ---
**Author:** ![FyreFiend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/919ad9/32.png) [@FyreFiend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FyreFiend)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/3 "2003-02-07T21:38:20Z")
Zoloft here to help with Anxiety Also dry mouth. I still have a libido but any act takes forever to complete (yes, you can last too long) ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Scratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@Chicken\_Scratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Scratch)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/4 "2003-02-07T21:43:04Z")
Former user of Celexa to battle depression. No weird food cravings, but every time I yawned, I had to hold onto something because of the vertigo. ---
**Author:** ![lamafish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@lamafish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lamafish)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/5 "2003-02-07T21:47:58Z")
also on celexa currently. I think that i sleep more now and definatley have a harder time reaching orgasm. can be both good and bad…depends if you are trying to impress someone else or yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Mad\_Matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Mad\_Matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mad_Matt)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/6 "2003-02-07T21:48:25Z")
I was on Effexor 300mg for about 12 months. No cravings I can remember. Make sure you taper off the dose (with the agreement of your doctor) when you come off them. I ran out a couple of times - and it was not a lot of fun by day 2 or so. Effexor was brilliant for me, but different people respond differently to the same meds. I didn’t get on with many others, including Seroxat (Paxil in the US). Best wishes to all who have posted so far. (Is this in the correct forum? I don’t want to get flamed, and am a newbie/lurker, but I’m not sure) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/7 "2003-02-07T21:51:12Z")
Effexor but I always had a craving for starches so I guess I wouldn’t have known the difference. It did make climax harder to achieve though. While not a eal problem before it meant I could go a while longer than usual which made my partner very happy. Also made me get drunk far too easily…had to watch that. Drinking merrily along as I was used to then it would jump me all of a sudden and I’d be a jibbering idiot (at least moreso than I was normal for me). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/8 "2003-02-07T21:53:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mad Matt \* > **Make sure you taper off the dose (with the agreement of your doctor) when you come off them. I ran out a couple of times - and it was not a lot of fun by day 2 or so.** I’ll second that. I ran out a few times as well and the withdrawal was a drag. Fairly bad shakes, dizziness and such for me. If you are going off the stuff have your doctor recommend a ramp down routine for you. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/9 "2003-02-07T22:11:42Z")
Wellbutrin SR for depression. Messed up my sleep for a while (bad insomnia) but that seems to be fading. No effect on my libido, unfortunately… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JoltSucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JoltSucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoltSucker)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/10 "2003-02-07T22:45:01Z")
Serzone. Dramatic weight gain, but at least it didn’t clobber my libido like the other drugs I tried. When I first started, my dosage was a little too high, and I saw “trailers” early in the morning. That’s where you move your hands and see an after-image of them trail along behind. Was first on Zoloft, it almost completely clobbered my libido, and I had problems with delayed ejaculation. In other words, I could hump all night long without climaxing, if I didn’t really concentrate on doing it. Added Wellbutrin to counter the sexual side effects of Zoloft. That improved things slightly, but I was lightheaded a lot and had ringing in my ears. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu\_Tashoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@Gozu\_Tashoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu_Tashoya)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/11 "2003-02-07T23:22:08Z")
Used to be on Celexa. Harder time reaching orgasm, and, apparently contrary to everybody else who takes it (according to my psychiatrist at the time), had a _harder_ to fall and stay asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_D\_oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jane\_D\_oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_D_oh)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/12 "2003-02-08T00:18:29Z")
Effexor, and I am happy with it. No starch cravings but just the other day, I thought, man I want some protein, red meat, chicken, pork, tofu, anything at all that was high in protein. Eventually settled for a chicken breast. Maybe a piece of steak tonight. Oh, and no sex drive at all, either. ---
**Author:** ![shoe1234](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@shoe1234](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shoe1234)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/13 "2003-02-08T02:01:31Z")
I sympathize with anyone who takes psychiatric medications. I know from personal experience some of the disadvantages to people with mental health issues–both on and off medication. I’m not currently taking any antidepressants but have been on _Zoloft, Remeron, and Paxil_. I was diagnosed with Bi Polar Disorder, sometimes generically referred to as a form of manic depression. These meds caused exacerabation of my manic propensity all three times inducing increased energy, hyperness, inability to sleep, increased urination, and/or inability to concentrate. I’ve been on: _Lithium_, which caused frequent upset stomach and weight gain; _Zyprexa_, which made me extremely tired to an almost zombie-like state(which I believe is why they often prescribe it for bedtime) and caused severe munchies(my overnight fridge raiding was well over normal); \*Haldol[i/], which caused the more severe exhastion and sleepiness than _Zyprexa_, as well symtops resembling slight drunkenness; _Cogenton_, a side affect stopper that made me on-edge; and currently(by itself!), _Risperdal_ on which I have re-gained the weight which I lost after discontinuing _Lithium_ and _Zyprexa_, and I sleep much more than normal. I got over-prescribed for the _Risperdal_ and started drooling a lot. Out of all of my experience with psych meds, I am more satisfied with my overall condition now, than during many other periods.🙂 [This site](http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/eff1153.htm/)’s list of adverse reactions and side affects to _Effexor_ doesn’t seem altogether too similar to what’s in my ‘97’ PDR. The PDR(Physician’s Desk Reference) does mention “orgasm disturbance,” “impotence,” “abnormal ejaculation/orgasm,” and “taste perversion.” ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/14 "2003-02-08T02:12:55Z")
The typing of the topic is depressing me. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/15 "2003-02-08T02:32:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MemoryGongs \* > \*\*I am on Effexor, 300mg a day and since I got on them I have had an intense craving for starches ie, bread, rice, taters etc. > > Anyone else go through this? Anyone else have wonderful stories to share about meds? \*\* Amazing how different people can have such different reactions to the same medication. I started on Effexor a couple of months ago, and it absolutely killed my appetite. About a week after I started, I sat down one night and calculated my caloric intake for the day. It was under 1800 calories. (I’m 5’11", was about 310 pounds when I started on that med-about 285 now.) That was a bit scary, and I started making a point of getting three healthy meals every day. Appetite’s mostly back now, but I learned some better eating habits while my snack cravings were turned off. 🙂 I’ve mentioned it before on the boards, but this is probably an appropriate place to bring it up again. The first med I was on for depression was Luvox; my primary side effect was inorgasmia, difficulty in reaching sexual climax. No major reduction in sex drive, and it seemed like a really cool side effect for a while. “Hey, baby-I’ll pound away all night if you want!” After a month or so, I was more like, “Get me the hell of this stuff! NOW!” It can get really old when the only way to climax is after about 45 minutes of intense masturbation. Not to mention the chafing … ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/16 "2003-02-08T04:19:25Z")
Off to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/17 "2003-02-08T05:47:25Z")
Poster girl for Serzone strikes again! For me, Serzone works just as well as Paxil for my anxiety disorder, except without the side effects. I feel, well, normal. You guys also taking these kind of drugs probably know how great a feeling that is, to just feel normal again without having to work so damned hard at it. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/18 "2003-02-08T06:59:53Z")
Celexa user here, I seem to have an increased appetite on the stuff but that might be a side effect of my depression. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/19 "2003-02-08T13:10:02Z")
Effexor for about the past 9 months. My appetite had seriously gone away during the deepest part of my depression. It came back some once I was on the medication but I do have bouts of nothing tasting good. I also get periodic bouts of my sense of smell going into overdrive, it seems to be rare. I’ve had a slight decrease in sexual desire, but no real problems with performance. No starch cravings, but occasional sweet cravings, which is very strange for me because I hate most deserts, candy, and chocolate. The withdrawls when I ran out a time or two were just as bad as others have described. My insomnia came back with a vengence, along with getting the shakes, and a decline in my concentration even when well rested. Good luck to all on anti-depressants. I seem to have found a happy medium with Effexor, so far, once my doc adjusted the dosage level a bit. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532/20 "2003-02-08T20:11:06Z")
I was only on Effexor for about a month. I didn’t notice any changes in appetite/cravings, but I did lose a few pounds (I’m already extremely skinny for my height) and I did have to deal with the sexual side-effects (inability to achieve orgasm / no sex drive). My doctor figured that I should try something else due to the weight issue, so now I’m on a relatively low dose of Welbutrin. No complaints here - no side effects I can identify at all. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/r-u-on-anti-depressants-i-have-a/153532.md?page=2)