Which SSRI did you take?
Fluoxetine, currently 30mg / day. I take it with buproprion 300 mg / day. (I realize Buproprion is not an SSRI but thought you'd like to know) I've been on both for about a year and a half.
How has it helped you?
I have very little depression or anxiety these days; its truly amazing. I used to be severely depressed with suicidal episodes, unable to work or study. I know have a stable office job with career potential and the resilience to get over the normal hurdles in life. I still have short depressive episodes here and there, but am generally able to come out of it after <week, most of the time just a few days. I also still have anxiety attacks, but those are almost non existent and are usually resolved in a day or two. Looking back now, the meds combined with good therapy (CBT) has made all the difference in the world.
If it didn't help, did you find yourself worse off?
n/a
Can you tell me about any negative side effects you experienced? (The ones I am most concerned about are weight gain and decreased libido)
When I first started taking buproption at 300 mg it made me jumpy, kinda anxious and more angry. I never actually exploded at anyone, it was just internal. However after a few weeks, maybe a month that went away completely. Fluoxetine initially made me extremely tired - beyond anything I've ever experienced before or since. I cut myself some slack, let myself sleep more and after a few weeks or a month that went away for the most part. I used to me a very, very peppy person and now I'm just a very peppy person - I'm not sure if that's related to the fluoxetine or the monotony of working in a cubicle though. I haven't experienced any weight gain that isn't explained by my changing from a regimented manual labor job to a flexible desk job where there's often free food hanging around for the taking.
Did you have withdrawal, or any negative side effects, if you took them and then got off?
n/a - I'm still on the stuff
