Anti depressant making depression worse?

claire65 · Post by **claire65** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:18 am

I was just wondering if Anti-depressants have made anyone feel more depressed? I am almost positive this is what happened to me.

I started taking Celexa after an extreme episode of anxiety this past september. It seemed to work for a couple of months, but i was having alot of episodes of anxiety/depression. My dr. switched me to Effexor, which worked okay (not great) for about two months, but i got depressed again. So it was raised to 225 mg and thats when i got REALLY depressed, almost suicidal. I immediatly went back to 150 mg but it didnt make a differnce.

One day i missed a dose and my depression was much better the next day. However when i tried to go off of effexor altogether i got very anxious. So then my dr. added wellbutrin to the effexor, which did absolutly nothing for my depression.
At this point my Dr. said she thinks i might have Bipolar 2 disorder, and that why the anti depressants were not working for me, and she put me on Lamictol, a mood stabilizer. I have since done a bunch of research which says that Anti-depressant can make someone with bipolar have more manic episode, and/or a lot more depressed. I have absolutly no mania only depression, but it seems like this is what happened to me.
I am now on Lamictol and totally off the Effexor and Wellbutrin, and my mood it much better, Thank G-d!
Anyways, i'd love to know if anyone has had any similar experiences,
Thanks for reading.

onedayatatime · Post by **onedayatatime** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:24 am

I didn't have much luck with anti depressants due to the side effects and the only thing I could take was a very small dose of Prozac. I don't take anything now but I did notice that although the Prozac helped my anxiety it did make me a little depressed. What you mentioned was interesting, as I guess some now feel that previously diagnosed depression in some is actually a soft bipolar or bipolar 2 condition. Apparently the criteria may be that if an anti depressant poops out, doesn't work at all, or makes you worse then it may be a soft bipolar or bipolar 2 condition and that a mood stabilizer would be effective. It sounds like you found something now that is working for you, and yes I did find that some anti depressants made me worse.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:31 am

I think its interesting that the anti depressants seem to take away anxiety, but cause depression. Its like you cant win...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:33 am

I guess if you are bipolar than meds may effect you differently. Glad you have find the right meds now.