Can AD's cause depression? - Anxiety Message Board

rose30 · 10-24-2004, 09:34 PM

Has anyone noticed that after being on meds for a while
they seem to stop working and cause depression? I have been on paxil for a couple of years then switched to lexapro for a week (that didn't work) couln't deal with the withdrawal/sideaffects so my Dr put me back on paxil for a week and raised the dose. Then I went back to her and told her I wanted off the paxil because I heard the side affects/withdrawls are horrible and she switched me to zoloft. Now with the zoloft I feel i'm in a bad depression in addition to the GAD I have. Could the switching of medication or being on meds for too long cause depression? Anyone have experience with any of this?

hry33 · 10-25-2004, 01:23 AM

to rose, 1 week wasnt long enough to try the lexapro, if you had depression before starting your antidepressants it may have returned, but I havent heard of these meds causing depression

have the antidepressants helped much with your GAD? if not theres not much point in still taking them

I think paxil at a higher dose would be your best bet if you want to stay on an antidepressant but 2 years is a fairly long time.....

for most, paxil isnt all that hard to quit, just taper off slowly and accept there will liekly be some after effects

BTW paxil, lexapro and zoloft are all SSRI or prozac type meds

rose30 · 10-25-2004, 04:08 PM

ThankYou for your reply.
I have been on some kind of medication for a long time
and I blame the Dr. for that. I was young when this started 23
and I didn't know, neither did my mother. We both have since educatated ourselfs on anti -depressants. I would have never started if I knew then whet I know now.
I have been on some sort of SSRI forever it seems. No attacks
and it seemed to work but I still had very bad fears of having one
these fears were almost as bad if not worse then having the attack. Now as I'm older 31- I see the damage the meds have done to me. I was told about paxil..and decided to try someting else with the lexapro I know one week was not long enough but
the side affects from coming off the paxil/side affects from going on a new med was just to much for me- I could not take the shakes and all the stuff that went along with it. I was put back on the paxil and it was ok...still the fears but no shakes.. But I really wanted off paxil.. So the Dr has now put me on zoloft 50 m to start this was a week ago and although I was upset with everything that was going on..I was never depressed. well now after a week on zoloft I'm extreamly depressed, I don't want to be alone, I'm starting to shake again, crying for nothing.... but after seeing my DR today she said that was to be expected your system is void of the medication and it takes a couple of weeks to really work. She gave me more zoloft 100m and said to take a kloinipin when it gets really bad. Can anyone Identify with me??

rose30 · 10-25-2004, 04:13 PM

ThankYou for your reply.

meersee · 10-25-2004, 05:15 PM

you are probably starting out on a lower dosage of zoloft than what you were taking with the paxil. Since anxiety and depression are so closely linked to one another, once you are taking a lesser dosage than you are used to, you can start to feel a depression. give the zoloft time and slowly up the meds until you feel you can function. I've taken zoloft for years and have had minimal problems with it, unless i forgot to take it for a couple days, then i would experience depression. Good luck to you..