Hello darkness my old friend

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Been off WP for a bit. Missed everyone. Hope you are all well.

I got obsessed with some online business classes and blissed out on that special interest for awhile but the last couple of weeks have been rough. I have been getting more and more depressed for some reason. I am to the point where my psychologist has suggested I see a psychiatrist.

My question to you (who are on meds): What SSRI (or other type of antidepressant) works for you and what dosage works for you? Also, if you have had success with any other meds (anti-anxiety agents, etc.) let me know.

I am not attempting to treat my AS, btw. I want to treat my comorbid anxiety, OCD-like symptoms, and depression. In my early 20's I had a breakdown and was prescribed imipramine (tricyclic antidepressant) and xanax (anti-anxiety drug). Xanax is the one drug I can say worked like a charm but it was very habit forming. However, I would take it again (at this point) if prescribed. A few years later I also tried Zoloft (sertraline) with not much luck.

I practice mindfulness and I'm well-versed in CBT techniques but I'm in a fairly deep hole right now. I think I need a medication assist to climb out and get back on track. Please let me know what has worked or is working for you.

Thanks in advance.

High CBD marijuana--specifically, Harlequin

I didn't find antidepressants worked for me at all after you test, acknowledge and discount the placebo effect - I-took-a-pill-therefore-I-must-feel-better. Then again, I was never on them for depression and maintain I have never been depressed despite doctors bandying about the term. I was on them for a chronic physical pain condition to interrupt the brain's ability to perceive/process pain messages from the body, and thus bring down the amount of painkillers I was on to below liver-frying degrees. Maybe that discounts me from the focus group.

Any of these drugs work better for some people and less well for others, it always seems to be a bit of pot luck whether one will work for you or not. I have seen this topic come up here before and I don't think you will see a pattern from your poll, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

Any of these drugs will take some time work, for a more immediate response you could try 5-HTP, which is a precursor of serotonin, so your body produces more than it normally would.

If you do start taking 5-HTP and then see a doctor, you will need tell them as combining this with anti-depressants is not recommended.

I have never taken anything and I never will. What works for me is to allow myself to feel whatever I need to feel and just ride it out and wait for it to pass. Sometimes it takes months and can be very debilitating but it always passes eventually. I know that can't work for everyone and I have no problem with people taking medication if they need it and it works for them but I just wanted to share what works for me. So please, no need for hate comments to my post here.

A friend told me that trazodine is the best.

Nocebo also exists so no you can't really say it was a placebo effect, and even if it is placebo, so what?

I recently stopped cymbalta, snri. It worked better than wellbutrin, Zoloft, effexor for me, but not enough to stay on it with the side effects.

I keep asking for an MAOI but have yet to get prescribed one. All the research I've done says I should do better on them than any form of ssri from my symptomology.

Skibum: how can you abide months of depression with just knowing it will get better eventually? I can't abide an hour.

Like everything else in life what works for one does not necessarily work for another

Finding the AD that works best for you (alleviates negative symptoms with minimum unwanted side-effects) is hit-and-miss although a competent Consultant will match to your presentation instead of having a "favourite" drug (a lot do this)

Give the medication time to work and look after yourself while it is taking effect. Expect some negative side-effects and be prepared for them. Any good Consultant will discuss these with you (ALL drugs have side-effects) and may have ideas on coping strategies. having some community support at your GP surgery or contacts for a psychiatric nurse professional for advice/moral support is very useful.

I wish you the very best with this.

I had nothing but bad effects from antidepressants. I guess though Sertraline (Zoloft) had the least bad effects and was the easiest to take. I still wouldn't recommend it though.

This was actually what I self-medicated with (just regular old cannabis) starting around 15 years of age. I didn't know I had AS at the time but it did alleviate all the social issues, anxiety, and depression. I have thought about trying it again (medicinally) but the last few times I smoked (some time ago) I had severe anxiety attacks. Tolerance is probably shot.

I do think marijuana is a great drug with a lot of potential for treatment of autism-related mental health issues. I hope more research is done and the legal barriers can be overcome. I'm a bit leery of doing anything illegal at this point. Maybe I'll move to Colorado



Thanks for the input. Hope things are improving for you with the pain. That's an interesting application for antidepressants. Going to read up on that.



Thanks for the tip on 5-HTP. Agree that this is a bit of pot luck whether one will work or not. Just hoping to get some initial ideas from other AS folks on what I might try once I see the doctor. I'm guessing I might have to go through a few rounds of meds until we find something that works.

Thanks for the input skibum. No worries. I definitely agree that everybody handles things differently. I have been med free for about 12 years but I have just reached a point where I feel meds might help. You're right, though, about just letting things flow. That does help me get through a lot of rough panic attacks. One of my therapists always told me to "be like a tree in the wind."



Thanks for the info. Glad that helped your friend. I'll look into it.




I have heard MAOI's are quite effective but only as a last resort (due to lethal interactions with various foods or other drugs). Good info on Cymbalta. I'm curious about the SNRI's but I need to learn more about them. I'm curious about the side effects you had on that drug. They must have been severe for you to quit.

Thank you, Gartog. That means a lot. I am pretty nervous about this journey but really tired of feeling bad. Great advice here.




What side effects did you encounter? Curious about those. I'm guessing this might be one of the meds I am prescribed.

I have found that Escitalopram @ 10mg and Citalopram @ 40mg were quite good with no noticeable side effects.

I tried Sertraline @ 150mg for a while and it didn't do much for my depression/anxiety. It did make me sweat quite a lot though.

I've been having problems again recently and now I'm on Fluoxetine @ 60mg, but I wouldn't say there's much improvement. I think I'm getting the sweating side effect with this one as well. I also seem to have gotten 'sexual' side effects.

Thanks, Steve. I think I read that Temple Grandin takes a low does of Fluoxetine as well? Don't quote me on that. I had considered asking my psychiatrist about that drug choice.

One thing I worry about is my sensitivity to meds. I feel like a lower dosage (than NT's would take) would be ideal. I am very in tune with my body (way more than I should be) so I'm always looking for side effects like you mentioned. The slightest twitch or tremor and I get freaked out:)

I have read about the sexual side effects of some of the drugs. Hope I don't encounter that but it's good to know.

My body doesn't handle meds very well, so I stay away from prescription drugs. If depression hits too hard, a very small dose of 5-HTP (50 mg once or twice a day) usually helps. At other times, Rhodiola has helped too, but my every day medication against depression is definitely dark chocolate. I can't do without it.

I'm with you on the dark chocolate, Ivory. I usually have that before I go to bed to boost my serotonin levels. That's the second suggestion on 5-HTP. I'll definitely have to investigate that a bit further.

Never heard of Rhodiola. I'll check that out as well.