SSRI Antidepressant Side Effects (& Why They Occur) | Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline, Citalopram

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) Side Effects (& Why They Occur) | Paroxetine, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Citalopram

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) are medications used to treat disorders of depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia. These medications inhibit the reuptake of serotonin back into the presynaptic neuron, leading to increased levels of serotonin in the synaptic cleft. SSRIs can lead to particular side effects, from their normal use and may also cause antidepressant discontinuation syndrome and serotonin syndrome. In this lesson, we discuss these side effects along with the symptoms of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome and serotonin syndrome.

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JJ

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[Dave-nmxc]

I had the worst mood swings, brain zaps, and inability to orgasm while on ssri's. I decided to get off them, and I've found that diet and exercise was able to fix my depression and anxiety completely.

[hollyvipond]

Fluoxetine saved my life. Been taking it for about 7 years and there's such a marked difference in my mood etc ..
I'm on the highest dose and I'm not ashamed to admit that, even as a therapist myself.
Luckily I haven't suffered any side effects with the exception of vivid dreams.

[erinfleming]

"Antidepressant Discontinuation just call it what it is:

[drikoz]

One of the most annoying discontinuation effects from Sertraline for me is the brain zaps, which sadly isn't mentioned in this video, but it's fairly common as far as i've read.
It's like when you're a kid and put your tongue in a 3v battery, but instead of the tongue, you feel the zap in the brain, every couple of minutes and depending on what you're doing.
For me it happens always the following day after I forget to take my medication or when I don't have it available for the day.

[kerrytaggart]

My friend was put on Paxil to deal with complicated grief after her Mom died. She was previously a mentally healthy girl. She decided to discontinue her medication a couple of years later and became suicidal and impulsive. She drove her car over a cliff. Luckily, she survived. She is now on Paxil for life. Love therapy and time was probably a better idea than pills.

[Piekalla]

the SWEATING! omg i'm so glad that that's an acknowledged side effect! mine is so bad. from even just a little bit of exertion, i just end up with sweat dripping down my face. my scalp and hair will get soaked. and most annoyingly, if i go from a cold temperature to a warm tempurature (say, going inside a heated place after being outside in the wintertime) i get sweaty. if i go into an air conditioned building after being outside in the summer heat and just drenched in sweat, it takes like 30 minutes to stop sweating. i'll get sweaty just from getting really passionate and heated about something (like talking about something i like, or playing an intense video game/watching an intense movie). strangers will ask if i'm alright because i just look clammy all the time. it's so embarrassing. i take glycopyrrolate (seriously recommend it if you have a similar issue! or if you're just naturally a sweaty person without meds lol) and it helps signifigantly but but i'm still the sweatiest person i know even when i'm on it. i feel so gross lol but i've just kind of accepted it cuz i'm never gonna stop taking my prozac. if i stopped i'd be completely disabled by my panic attacks, which would on randomly with no trigger and would happen every day (even at night sometimes!). now they only happen once a month, and i wouldn't even call them panic attacks, they're just random uncomfortable bouts of anxiety that i can shrug off with some deep breaths and a klonopin.

[acceptinglife]

Its weird how the side effects caused by SSRIs are in some cases also the symptoms of depression whivh we are trying to treat using SSRIs i.e sleep disturbances, anxiety, weight changes, agitation etc

[kimmarie]

I've been on Paxil for about 25 years with very few of the side effects mentioned. The benefit has out-weighed the heart burn. When I haven't taken it for a few days, the effects seem to be irritability and the most vivid dreams ever.

[rkou]

my psychiatrist gave me sertraline and i can’t talk about how effective it was because i was on it for only a few weeks, but it made me start getting tremors. i still get them to this day even though i stopped taking sertraline an entire year ago, though it happens way less often now than around that time last year. i told my psychiatrist about the tremors and she told me it wasn’t the medication (even though it began once i started taking them??) and it was my own fault. she wouldn’t accept or admit that it was a side effect. thankfully i don’t have her as my psychiatrist anymore, and i’m glad to see tremors mentioned in this video as a possible side effect because i knew i wasn’t wrong

[lindadavis]

Trial and error and I take lowest dose possible. It took a while to find one for me. I feel good emotionally because I found a great Psychiatrist that changed my perspective on so many things.
First, stop caring about what others think. If my house isn't perfect so what? If my hair looks weird, too bad. If my clothes are wrinkly, dont care. Be okay with others lifestyles.

[debbieepperly]

This was indeed helpful. I've been on fluoxetine for many years for depression. I also have a rare form of fibromyalgia which is severe & progressive, and has worsened in the last 2 years. I also suffer with trembling of my hands. I became disabled at 39 due to the fibromyalgia. I am also diabetic & have sarcoidosis (lungs), Irritable Bowel Disease & have injured my back due to several falls. I'm 63 now & am not able to do much at all due to severe pain. This helped me understand that some of the things I'm experiencing could be a result of the fluoxetine. Thank you so much.

[EIRE]

_Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome_
Last year, I foolishly decided to suddenly stop taking Sertraline after using it for four or five years. BIG mistake!! The brain zaps and whooshing sounds in my head were unbelievably horrendous, as well as frequent killer headaches. After trying to convince myself that it would eventually stop in time, I started back on it six or seven weeks later. Never again!!!

[elizl]

I was on Paxil for many years trying to come off of this medication, but unsuccessful because of the constant brain zaps. Finally, I used fluoxetine and since the half life is longer, I was able to discontinue all SSRI’s safely within a week.

[stephss]

You didn't mention hair loss, or ear ringing (tinnitus). This is how I realized the Sertraline was causing issues (as all the other side effects were expected.) Doc moved me to Venlafaxine, and it seems better. ??? Good luck ya'll!!✌🏽

[nemethandrea]

I would also mention that in some cases SSRIs can lower blood sugar, especially if taken in the morning. As an insulin resistant person I experienced it, unfortunately. For this reason I always take it (escitalopram) in the evening.

[jax]

I've been taking sertraline for about 9 or 10 years now since i was diagnosed with autism as a kid and so far i haven't had too many symptoms other than occasional diarrhea and a somewhat higher frequency of headaches than a normal person

[violetgifford]

I never used to sweat much, then all of a sudden I started sweating so much, I didn't realize it was my SSRI doing it! It's so worth it though. I had to try a few because I couldn't stand the sexual issues they caused. But Sertraline has changed my life in so many ways. I would never have been able to have a job without it.

[candicesailsbury]

I’ve been taking Paxil for 25 years and have several of these side effects
This was very informative and I now understand a lot more about me
Thank you

[doilysimpkin]

I have been on Peroxatine for about 20 years and suffer from dry mouth, heart burn, tiredness and virtually no libido. Needless to say, after such a long time, I have learned to live with these side effects. However, I can't get off it. Even reducing REALLY gradually over a period of months, the withdrawals are too much for me to handle. Don't get me wrong, Peroxatine literally saved my life - I just wish it weren't so difficult to stop taking it.

[irondraak]

best advice any could ever hear, Never take them to begin with.