Not wanting to take antidepressants

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Since getting hired on my current unit (I have been a nurse for 6 months) I have slowly felt myself go down the tubes. At first it started with anxiety, then gradually developed into irritability, not wanting to go to work, becoming more intolerable with family members, and some patients, and being a you-know-what to my husband. I felt keyed up at work, and on off days, I would ruminate about having to go back in. There was a charge nurse who told me that my feelings were all due to being a new nurse, and that things would get better after the first year. I was glad that she told me this(finally, someone could relate) but a year...that's quite a while to feel this way. Anyway, 6 days ago I went to my doctor. She prescribed Lexapro 10 mg. I have taken Lexapro before, with no problems to speak of. However, I noticed from the first day that I had decreased urine output, GI upset, and lack of appetite. I only noticed the urine part because I had to do a urine test for a job, and I thought, "I drank that whole bottle of water 2 hours ago, and no results." This is VERY uncommon for me. Moodwise, I feel better, not touchy and irritable, and my husband LOVES the new me, he says I am easier to get along with. But I am concerned about what this pill might be doing to me internally. My question is, does anyone know of anything that I could do that would naturally enhance my mood? Even reading certain types of books...self help, etc. I think I need to set some clear goals for myself and work like mad to meet them, if I am not going to continue on the antidepressants. Before becoming a nurse, I had a tendency toward negativity, from time-to-time. I feel like there is a better person inside, I just don't know how to get her to come out without a little coaxing from medication. I am starting Yoga for the first time today. I just do not want to have to rely on antidepressants to make me feel good (no offense to anyone who currently takes them). Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

Give the antidepressants a try. I was standing in your shoes 8 years ago and now I gladly take my Zoloft. I have tried going off of it 3 times in the past 8 years. No withdrawals or anything near that but after about 2-3 weeks the depression crept back in. Sign me happy on antidepressants!

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I have suffered from depression since I was in the third grade. I could not concentrate, did poorly in school, basically spent my teen years hidden away in my room, did not take care of myself...I never realized what I felt was depression until I was in my late 20's. After a mental breakdown, a doctor prescribed Lexapro 10 mg. I have to say, at first it made me very somber, I would clench my jaws, I lost my appetite (though to me, that is GOOD)...but after a few weeks these side effects subsided and I honestly believe Lexapro saved my life. My thinking slowed down and got clearer, I could actually concentrate! I no longer dreaded waking up in the morning.

My prescription ran out and I was off the med for about 6 months, but my symptoms of depression started to take over again and I went to see the doctor about a month ago. He put me on Lexapro again and told me it is likely I will have to take this stuff the rest of my life. He told me that the good news was that studies in people taking this long term show no real threat that it is harmful.

Knowing how I feel without Lexapro vs. with Lexapro I would rather have ten good years than 20 miserable ones.

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Give the antidepressants a try. I was standing in your shoes 8 years ago and now I gladly take my Zoloft. I have tried going off of it 3 times in the past 8 years. No withdrawals or anything near that but after about 2-3 weeks the depression crept back in. Sign me happy on antidepressants!

Thanks for responding.

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I have suffered from depression since I was in the third grade. I could not concentrate, did poorly in school, basically spent my teen years hidden away in my room, did not take care of myself...I never realized what I felt was depression until I was in my late 20's. After a mental breakdown, a doctor prescribed Lexapro 10 mg. I have to say, at first it made me very somber, I would clench my jaws, I lost my appetite (though to me, that is GOOD)...but after a few weeks these side effects subsided and I honestly believe Lexapro saved my life. My thinking slowed down and got clearer, I could actually concentrate! I no longer dreaded waking up in the morning.

My prescription ran out and I was off the med for about 6 months, but my symptoms of depression started to take over again and I went to see the doctor about a month ago. He put me on Lexapro again and told me it is likely I will have to take this stuff the rest of my life. He told me that the good news was that studies in people taking this long term show no real threat that it is harmful.

Knowing how I feel without Lexapro vs. with Lexapro I would rather have ten good years than 20 miserable ones.

Thank you for responding. I initially had the jaw clenching, yawning, and major tiredness. This time, I have that, plus lost appetite, nauseous feeling, decreased urination, and kind of somber. Things don't seem to get to me. I have even noticed that I am not using profanity. Used to be, it was part of my daily language. My husband says I am more willing to take part in things outside of the house. I never noticed that I was such a shut-in. I always just said, "No thanks, that doesn't appeal to me." Thinking back, MOST things did not appeal to me. I go back in to the doctor on May 4. At that time, I am having blood work, since I haven't had any in years, and she will evaluate how I feel on Lexapro. I hope my blood work is ok. There was a nurse at work who told me that she had a patient who took Lexapro and ended up with palpitations, and finally had to get a pacemaker. That's scary. Having decreased urine output scares me. I was reading that antidepressants have been used to treat bedwetting in kids. I can't quite understand how it works...something about decreasing bladder relaxation and contraction. I was also reading that they have anticholinergic effects.

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

I have tried so many different AD's and none have helped me...not at all like how any of you describe. All have given me pretty terrible side effects that ultimately made me discontinue use of them and try another. Overall, they have failed me miserably and i am still struggling, still hoping this will go away on it's own, but doesn't seem to want to.

I'll have a few days where I feel maybe the sky isn't falling and I am able to get out there and hike or do SOMETHING to make me feel a bit better. But then, the next day, I lay in bed crying dreading even moving! Since manic depression runs in my family, I wonder if I could have some milder form of it? I am currently trying Cymbalta, but it has made me sicker than all, so I have to get a special dosing today from my psych and start out VERY low if I want to continue. If that doesn't work, we will try Lamictal as a last resort, she says. So far, been on Lexapro, Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin. None helped all that much. On Lex I was a walking zombie (a side effect that never waned like the nausea did), Effexor made me feel drunk and psych said that was not normal so dc'd, Prozac seemed to have the least side effects (except for the sexual ones), thinking maybe I did not give that one a good enough try but my psych switched me to Cym before we could finish on it, thinking it was a better match. Finally, Wellbutrin made me itch like crazy no matter what type I was on..I was allergic to something in it. Plus, I was a raving irritable ***** most of the time I was on it. :uhoh3:

It is a very good sign that Lex is working so well for you already. I would stay on it, especially if the SE's are not debilitating...

Good Luck!

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Specializes in Level III cardiac/telemetry.

I am probably going to be taking ad's for the rest of my life. They have literally saved my life, but I understand all your reasons for not wanting to take them. But remember that depression is a medical condition, just as if you had diabetes. There are some alternatives, such as supplements (St. John's wort, and SAM-E that I can think of right now). I would also suggest counseling. You are adapting to a new job and new stress, and maybe you need some help getting new coping techniques or maybe just someone to listen. I've been in counseling for a long time, and it definately helps, but for me I need counseling and drugs. Also, there are other meds that might not cause the same side effects for you. Just remember that most side effects will go away in a few weeks if you can tolerate them for the short-term.

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hmm. non pharmacological interventions: cognitive behavoral (sp) therapy, excercise, music therapy. talk therapy works. get out with some friends.

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Specializes in Hospice, Internal Medicine.

I started taking Prozac three weeks ago and I love it so far. I wasn't depressed but the stress from nursing school made me extremely irritable and I was losing my temper with my son all the time. Now I am able to walk away when he's arguing with me and trying to push my buttons. The only side effect I've noticed is decreased appetite, I consider that a bonus :)

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Great start with the Yoga. Try to find other things (reading, exercising, journal writing etc) that you can do that youd enjoy before you decide to get off the medication. Its all about finding ways to cope with all that stress. I found that exercise helped me. I was on Paxil then Zoloft for a year then got off with once I found things that would help me cope with depression and anxiety. But give yourself time to figure it all out.

~Belle

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Good questions, and excellent advice here ....

I will ask the members participating here to refrain from discussing medicines or herbal supplementation, however. Alternatives to therapy are often sought and discussed and can be successful. But clearly no one can take the place of your health care provider when it comes to finding what may work, medicinally.

Thanks for understanding and enjoy the discussion!

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I had heard of many nurses on lexapro that had the same urninary problems you stated!

I felt the same way you did...it was effecting my work and home life so bad I turned to drinking on my days off (never EVER 24 hours before a shift though!!! Thank Goodness! I kept that rule as supreme!).

Lucky for me, my hubby who is a paramedic saw the signs within a week or so and told me very nicely. I got to the MD's right away...I was self medicating!!! NO...I didn't want that!!!!!!

He put me on a small dose of paxil, which did WONDERS for me! I am back to my old fun happy self, even at work! Things don't pile on me anymore, infact I was able to shrug off and choose my battles again! It was wonderful!

Again..I too didn't want to be on them long term. I just hit a stress point where work wasn't fulfilling, and I ignored the fact that I was feeling like others though I was dirt! Mean patients, rude docs, other staff at work being less than supportive...I just blamed it on something I must have done to upset them...and that spiraled!!!!!! I didn't even know I really was doing it!

In addition to the medication, I got some really good books on depression (not the MD stuff..more like Depression for dummies! LOL, I wasn't in the mood for high concentration at that point! LOL!). I did some of the exersizes by making goals per week, then per daily for myself and got back on track..and learned about the hidden things I was doing to hurt my own self esteem daily!!!!!!!! It was a serious eye opener!!!!

I still take my paxil though, I can feel a difference when I don't and that is okay with me! My mother had probelms with depression, and so does my brother! It is a seritonin thing with us as we are finding...so it wasn't just 'in my head' it was really 'in my head physically" too!!!

I find joy in my job again (and I switched jobs too...and work agency where I have more control over my own schedule which I guess was a probelm I had that I was not fully aware of...being a mom was important and I kept putting it aside with work excuse!).

My family is happy, everyone including me is happy! My doc is estatic because he was very very worried about me and we are friends! He is so happy this worked, and saw the difference right away! I was always great with his patients...now I am even better and I smile all the time!!!!!

I never wanted antidepressants...but once I looked at the fact it may be a physical as well as emotional probelm...I was able to focus on my goals and stay at only 10 mg a day!!!!!!!!! (most people take 20 or more!!!).

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