# Stupid damned antidepressant side effects **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 28, 2001, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510 "2001-08-28T13:20:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/21 "2001-08-28T16:52:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > I haven’t tried it but I heard if you don’t drink alcohol it is a very effective sleep aid and maybe it will may you sleep hard enough not to have bad dreams. I would caution anyone taking an SSRI (such as Prozac, Zoloft, etc) not to try drinking for a while, if at all. While people do differ (as I’ve found out), some people can have incredibly violent reactions to the mix of SSRIs and alcohol. A friend of mine in high school stupidly took her prozac one night with some hard liquor. She ended up having her stomach pumped, and as I hear it had that not happened, she’d have been dead five minutes later. My suggestion to you, Phil, beyond the customary “talk to your doctor about it” is to get a prescribed sleeping aid. My father’s on a variety of anti-depressant, anti-anxiety etc. drugs and among them are an aid for his sleep and something to help him see (he gets fuzzy vision from one of the drugs). It sucks donkey dick, but it’s better than (in his case) being suicidal. On a somewhat-related note, Phil, has your intake of carbohydrates increased substantially in the past few weeks/months? This was a problem for my father, who had to quit eating pasta/rice every night because he finally figured out that was one thing that kept him so awake and gave him such awful nightmares (I talk about his icky father. He lived it). Now we just have to get him to stop eating half a gallon of ice cream before he goes to bed:) [sub]And to think when I clicked on this thread I thought it’d be about lack of sexual desire, which is one of the more complained-about results of taking Prozac . . . [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/22 "2001-08-28T17:15:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > \*\*What about Zoloft pld? Have you tried it? Also maybe get some melatonin(sp) to help you sleep. There is another drug called “G”(supposably it’s not even illegal at least not yet) I haven’t tried it but I heard if you don’t drink alcohol it is a very effective sleep aid and maybe it will may you sleep hard enough not to have bad dreams. > > I’ve went through that depression crap too. It sux. I feel for ya bro. \*\* “G” is often short for “GHB” (gammahydroxybutyrate), an extremely dangerous drug, especially in combination with alcohol. Several years ago it went through a period of popularity as a party drug, especially among gay men. That is, until it started killing people. Here’s what Gay Men’s Health Crisis has to say about it: > [@](#): > > GHB > (In England, GBH), usually sold as a clear liquid or a powder you dissolve into liquid, is also called liquid E or liquid X. Since its effects are different from X (it actually works, like K, on the GABA system), the name seems wrong. The English nickname for the drug — Grievous Bodily Harm — may be more like it. Not that GHB is always harmful. The right dose may make your sense of touch electric, make you feel like sex, and give you a hangover-free feeling like being drunk. Take a little more, however, and you slip into a deep sleep, often one so deep you can’t be awakened. Just a little more GHB can lead to a coma, and possibly death. > > Sleep — including the deep, restorative sleep known as slow-wave sleep, when the body releases immune-boosting growth hormones — is what GHB is intended to produce, and why it sold briskly over gym and health-food store counters throughout the '80s. If GHB is not mixed with any other drug, those slipping into GHB sleep will usually twitch slightly and awaken some hours later feeling refreshed. But add any other kind of drug that slows down your central nervous system — like alcohol or even allergy medications — and you run the risk of seizures, breathing failure, and even coma and death. Nearly a dozen people at a Los Angeles concert had to be carried into ambulances after doing GHB and who knows what else. A man at GMHC’s 1996 Morning Party had to be airlifted to a hospital after he mixed GHB and alcohol and collapsed. A model in New York took a swig of GHB from an Evian bottle, and woke up a day late for her photo shoot. Two men on Fire Island overdosed on GHB and alcohol, and died. > > The issue is what psychopharmacologists call the therapeutic index — the difference between how much of a drug makes you feel good and the dose that makes you sick. You could take a dozen Prozacs, for example, and problaly not do yourself lasting damage. Do an extra dose or two of GHB, and you may find yourself unconscious on top of your sex partner (really unconscious) or waking up long after the rest of the world has gone on ahead. And since all the GHB you get is manufactured in do-it-yourself labs, you really don’t know how much is in that teaspoon or water bottle you’re raising to your mouth. If you have HIV, you should know that not much is known about how GHB affects the immune system. Growth hormones similiar to the one GHB helps to release have proved useful in treating AIDS-related wasting. Respiratory failure and comas, on the other hand, are definitely not recommended. > > If you have any history of seizures, convulsions or slowed heart beat or low blood pressure, GHB is especially dangerous. > > **Mixing GHB with alcohol, tranquilizers (Valium, Xanax), painkillers or even over-the-counter sleep or allergy medications that slow down your nervous system puts you at risk for coma, breathing failure or death.** Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/23 "2001-08-28T17:18:23Z")
G/GHB/GBH is also most definitely [illegal](http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/ghb.htm) in the United States. ---
**Author:** ![caircair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@caircair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caircair)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/24 "2001-08-28T18:05:31Z")
Having been on Prozac for years (and Paxil for a few months, I switched back to Prozac since Paxil did NOTHING for my depression) I find the dreams are occasionally disturbing, but not a problem. Mainly because I’ve been able to relate the disturbing dreams to whatever is bothering me during the day. MY problem with the Prozac (and the Paxil) is the sexual side effects. My libido is non-existant on these pills, but fortunately, spouse is VERY supportive. He’s told me “I’d rather have you happy and unsexed than depressed but horny.” We’re dealing with this the best way we can. Meanwhile, hang in there and keep trying. Better Living Through Chemistry will win in the end! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/25 "2001-08-28T18:06:34Z")
My shrink had me on another anti-depressant that I took at bedtime because it helped me sleep. Used that for a couple years and it started to not work so I changed over to another, then that prescription ran out and the only things keeping me awake at nights are my dogs. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/26 "2001-08-28T18:11:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by caircair \* > **MY problem with the Prozac (and the Paxil) is the sexual side effects.** When he asked if I had a problem with that I told my doctor that it was kind of a relief to finally not be intensely horny all the time. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/27 "2001-08-28T19:28:26Z")
I am on Celexa now, after switching from Paxil, and UI definitely have the dream thing too. They are not terribly disturbing, but just much more realistic and clear than they used to be. They usually occur when go back to sleep after resetting the alarm. The side effect that pisses me off is the forgetfulness. I guess in easing the obsessiveness, these meds also ease my grasp on useful things like calculating in my head and the words for things. Lately I’ve been using a similar, but the wrong word for things. I used to be able to “feel” the right word and come out with it but that takes a lot more effort with these meds. And lower libido is fine; helps with that whole celibacy thing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SpaceGhostofArrakis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@SpaceGhostofArrakis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpaceGhostofArrakis)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/28 "2001-08-28T19:36:25Z")
[hijack] You want weird dreams try eating the food in tha Cadet cafeteria here, then read \* The Metamorphosis\*[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/29 "2001-08-28T19:49:27Z")
Oooooh! The forgetfulness! I had almost… My brain was like a sieve before the meds. It’s worse now. The dreams are no problem. They were long and boring and about the same stuff before and after. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/30 "2001-08-28T20:32:03Z")
[AA members] Hi Rez [/AA members] I have been taking Zoloft since 1996. It has been pretty good to me. The first couple of weeks I get amazingly jumpy and need to run around alot and stay up late and don’t eat. Two weeks later I’m back to normal but in a much better mood. The only side effect is the sexual side effect. I have been off Zoloft for about two weeks now. I decided to see what life was like on the other side and also wanted to make sure I could quit (no, Zoloft is not considered to be addictive AFAIK but who really knows?). I am going to have to go back soon. I am getting increasingly touchy about little stuff and things around our house are starting to break. I was interested in seeing if anyone else has had this side effect: when I come off Zoloft (I do it every once in awhile) I get hyper-sexual. I don’t act inappropirately, but the stuff that runs through my mind - whew! I make myself blush! Going back on the Zoloft knocks it down a notch and eventually I am back to what I guess is normal. The thing is I don’t remember being this was before Zoloft. Other than that, I have been very lucky that I have tolerated it pretty well. Sorry for turning your thread into a IMHO topic! I sincerely hope you find a drug that works for you, pld! ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/31 "2001-08-28T20:37:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OxyMoron \* > **Mixing GHB with alcohol, tranquilizers (Valium, Xanax), painkillers or even over-the-counter sleep or allergy medications that slow down your nervous system puts you at risk for coma, breathing failure or death.** Bolding mine. \*\* [/QUOTE] Well I said not to mix it with alcohol. I am not sure about antideppressants. He should talk to his docter first to make sure. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/32 "2001-08-28T20:46:21Z")
I feel your pain. I’m on Serzone, a wonderful antidepressant that also has a sedating effect. It also has minimal effect on my libido. Mostly, it’s used by people with anxiety problems as well as depression. I’m also on Depakote, a mood stabilizer, for symptoms of bipolar disorder. Between the two, I usually do OK. I have noticed vivid dreams, although they’re rather pleasant. I’ve also noticed a tendency to want to eat less, but I think that’s a symptomatic thing rather than an effect of the drugs. Robin ---
**Author:** ![FalconFinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@FalconFinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalconFinder)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/33 "2001-08-29T01:55:23Z")
I forgot to mention in my earlier post that the reason I switched off of Prozac was because it was knocking me out! It was almost a narcolepsy type thing and it was very disruptive of my day. They put me on Ritalin to keep awake. I took it one day and said forget it! I was alternately sleepy and wanting to run run RUN around the building! Kind of like Homer Simpson in that trucker episode! ---
**Author:** ![Edlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8797f3/32.png) [@Edlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edlyn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/34 "2001-08-29T02:20:36Z")
Phil: FWIW, get off the damn stuff. ---
**Author:** ![SFCanadian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SFCanadian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SFCanadian)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/35 "2001-08-29T02:32:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Edlyn \* > \*\*Phil: > > FWIW, get off the damn stuff. \*\* Nothing like generalizing… I’m always amazed that people have no problem telling others to get off anti-depressants… There is a REASON people take them… Depression… Then again, maybe you tell people with broken arms to get rid of their damn casts… If you are having problems with your anti-depressant, talk to your therapist and/or doctor. Maybe it needs adjusted… SFCanadian ---
**Author:** ![bwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@bwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwk)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/36 "2001-08-29T04:47:30Z")
I used to take Zoloft, and the only problem I had with it (besides the price) was that it didn’t help my depression. They gave me Trazodone a long time ago, to take at night for chronic pain that kept me from sleeping. I didn’t know it was for anxiety also. It didn’t do anything for the anxiety, though. I take Paxil, and have hypersomnia – I want to nap all of the time. But, I had been taking Pax for a really, really long time before the hypersomnia started. Who knows. Paxil does help a lot though. I don’t obsess and freak so much and don’t want to crawl into tiny spaces anymore. But I’ve always had the crazy, disturbing dreams, before I started taking any kind of medicines, since before my teen years! At least you guys know your mind has an outside _reason_ for producing this stuff… besides just being really _weird_. My mom and grandmother had the same thing, so I think it runs in the family. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/37 "2001-08-29T05:04:43Z")
Tell us about the dreams! I love hearing about dreams, the weirder the better. Eh, maybe I’ll just create a new thread in MPSIMS… ---
**Author:** ![Feynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@Feynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feynn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/38 "2001-08-29T06:21:27Z")
I take Wellbutrin/Zyban. I’m a really happy smoker now for anyone who’s wondering. Sexual side effects occur far less with Wellbutrin, the complaint I have heard from anyone taking it is that is had made them hyperactive insomniacs. This will happen if you take your dose late in the day so my rule is to take my last dose at 4:30pm except for today. I was really busy and lost track of the time, I think it was 6:15 and now it’s 12:25 am and I am just wired. Perhaps that has more to do with having a really shitty day at work than my medication. At least I didn’t act on the urge to smack my co-worker upside her fucking head when she flipped out and started spouting nonsense. But that’s a subject better suited for it’s own thread. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/39 "2001-08-29T15:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wildest Bill \* > > Well I said not to mix it with alcohol. I am not sure about antideppressants. He should talk to his docter first to make sure. \*\* Oh, I included that just to emphasize the risk! 🙂 I initially started on Wellbutrin, but that made me too hyper and didn’t calm the anxiety. Paxil has been terrific for me - very slight sexual side effects (and I’m not even sure about those - I’m not getting any younger, after all), maybe an oochlet of weight gain (I’m not sure about that, either - since I’m not getting any younger, after all ;)). Keep trying. Having to adjust them is just part of the process. ---
**Author:** ![moggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8c91f0/32.png) [@moggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moggy)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510/40 "2001-08-29T16:37:51Z")
I guess I should consider myself one of the lucky ones- I’ve been taking Zoloft for about 4 or 5 years and had nary a problem. I’ve heard, though, that with some people it can change their personality and stuff. I never had that happen, it just evened out my moods, and, more importantly, I haven’t been suicidal since I’ve been on it. I take 100 mg. once a day, and for a short while, I increased it to 150 mg once a day- I did notice very vivid, very strange dreams while taking the increased dose. pl, I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older, caffeine has really started to bother me. If I drink, say, a 20 oz. bottle of Cherry Coke anytime after about 5 pm, it keeps me awake that night. If I happen to drink any caffeine during the day, I make sure that I drink plenty of water the rest of the day, to flush my system (and just 'cause it’s good for you). Have you tried limiting caffeine intake? Another thing that has helped me get to sleep quicker is to soak in a hot bath right before bed. It relaxes the muscles and just feels good. I’m going to recommend a CD to you, I tell everyone about it because it’s wonderful. It’s called “Deep Peace”, by Bill Douglas featuring the Ars Nova Singers, on the Hearts of Space label. This is some of the most beautiful, relaxing music I’ve ever heard. Some of it is choral music,and there are a couple of instrumentals- don’t know if you’re into that kind of music but it’s worth a shot. I have found that if I listen to a particular tape or CD as I’m falling asleep, and listen to it every night for a while, I become “conditioned” to hearing that music as I’m falling asleep, and it helps me relax because it’s something I’m used to. You might try listening to the same thing every night- I also found that when I tried to switch to something different, I would pay too much attention to the music and have trouble getting to sleep! Good luck! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-damned-antidepressant-side-effects/78510.md?page=3)