Zoloft and Nicotine

[TripEMT]

Yeah...SSRI's and SSNRI's are great for those who need them. I was on an SSNRI to treat ADD, because the stimulants had absolutely no effect. After i got through the hard classes i had to take, i got off of it (weaned over the course of two months.) Sexual side effects suck too, and if you're a creative kind of person (music, art etc.) you can basically kiss that good bye for the time that you're on it, lol.

It's not a physical addiction that you develop, it's a chemical dependency. SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) work weird. you release serotonin, and rather than all of it be re-absorbed and collected, the SSRI's block that action, leaving serotonin in your brain, thus giving some people a mood lift etc...

and if you remember Zyban (the quit smoking thing, which is Welbutrin) it is an SSRI...

[Xobeloot]

I sure do remember Zyban. I tried that many years ago (as a quit smoking aid at that time, not for tre reasons I now take an SSRI).

Anyways, I remember that it was so new on the market, the doctor basically just said "Here, take one of these a day".

Well, in actuality, one of those pills turned out to be about 4 days worth of the drug. I made it through about 3 days and threw the stuff away because it had me head so mixed up.

Now, here I am roughly 15 years later taking the same type of drug for a totally different reason, yet finding the same side effect that I was aiming for 15 years ago :lol:

[Raddleman]

Hey Xobe, have you noticed how easy it is to quit smoking whilst on an ssri? I'm on effexor, an snri, and in stark contrast to the hell I used to go through on a quit, I now find it relatively easy. I've quit again today ops: with no probs at all. I suspect the antidepressants fiddle with the serotonin/dopamine, something to which I guess you alluded in your first post. Be interesting to see if you have experienced the same thing.

[bearcat87]

I'll repeat that for emphasis: we don't belong here. The fact that stone age hunter gatherers are now cubicle collator-distributors is remarkable. But a LOT of us need chemical aids to fit in this world.

Sounds like you have read Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I pretty much agree with you but like all things, everyone has their own opinion.

[Xobeloot]

I definitely have Raddleman. Like you mentioned. That was the point of this thread in the 1st place. It is almost like I am just using snus because I enjoy the taste at this point. The nicotine in both it's natural effects, as well as it's withdrawal symptoms seem to be negated quite a bit by the ssri.

I played paintball today, and as always, when I play paintball, I buy a single pack of cigarettes. I enjoy smoking between matches. After paintball was over, I gave the rest of the pack to my buddy that still smokes regularly, came home, took the dogs out and popped a snus a couple hours later.

[Raddleman]

I definitely have Raddleman. Like you mentioned. That was the point of this thread in the 1st place. It is almost like I am just using snus because I enjoy the taste at this point. The nicotine in both it's natural effects, as well as it's withdrawal symptoms seem to be negated quite a bit by the ssri.

The dose of Zyban they put people on just doesn't compare with the dose of Effexor I'm on. Enough to blow most people's socks off (and enough to cause high blood pressure to a lot of folks, I'm lucky). Ultra-Zyban.

I played paintball today, and as always, when I play paintball, I buy a single pack of cigarettes. I enjoy smoking between matches. After paintball was over, I gave the rest of the pack to my buddy that still smokes regularly, came home, took the dogs out and popped a snus a couple hours later.

That's cool Xobe, good that you can do that. I can do the same, just feel a bit sorry for most people quitting, who would give their left arm to be able to. (and, sadly, I guess some people do).

This thread is a good one, you don't often see folk being quite this candid about psyche-meds. Happy days

[Grim]

See Nicotine Drives my anxiety off the charts.

I use to smoke pot and relax, smoke cigs to relax etc etc.

Then it got to where everytime I smoked pot I felt like I was hopped up on speed.

Heart was racing..... felt like i coudlnt breathe and so on.

So i started drinking more.

Had my first panic attack in 2008.

Have since been to the ER at least 10 times thinking im having a heart attack and even had an EKG since the chest pain was unbearable and I was tired of them saying it wasnt one because im only 24.

EKG was negative and there went 1500 bucks down the drain.

So i started getting perscriptions for .5 mg xanax.

My anxiety then started getting to where I cant even sleep in my own bed with my wife cause i couldnt breathe and had to have the TV on or something with some noise to keep my mind from wondering.

Got to where id have to take 8 of my xanax pills in a day to manage.

Then i got put on Fluxovamine. Its in the same catagory as Paxil/Zoloft.

I hate taking it.

Not only does it take a month before you know if its working but the sexual side effects are terrible.

When U can get it up its impossible to finish......honestly.

My wife definately gets satisfied but then she feels bad that I dont get there as well.

I tell her as long as she gets hers im happy.

These meds suck..... but hopefully ill stop feeling like im dying everyday.

Doesnt help I have a deviated septum ( not drug induced, was born with it ) and I cant ever breathe anyways.

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

I appreciate this thread and especially Grim's last post. I just recently put the puzzle pieces together about my "issues". I am pretty sure now that I have panic disorder. I have had many attacks over the years and never new what they were. It runs in my family as well. Honestly, I don't know what to do, it is getting worse. I don't really want to get on Rx drugs, but am heavily self medicating as I have for many years. Every day is becoming a struggle. The good news is that knowing is half the battle. Rock on guys I feel you.

[Raddleman]

sexual side effects are terrible.

Hearing you on that one, I've basically given up, I've been on these pills since 1999, and sex for me is about as much fun as watching the toilet flush.

Doesnt help I have a deviated septum ( not drug induced, was born with it ) and I cant ever breathe anyways.

I was born with a deviated septum, and had a septoplasty in 1998. The doc threw in some plastic surgery on my nose (rhinoplasty) for a couple hundred more. Worked a treat, but the state of your nose for a few weeks is ouch.

Oh and I had a pinnaplasty (otoplasty) in 2001. I'm addicted to plastic surgery :P . Not really, just didn't like dumbo ears, and had £2k to spare. Well worth it (got teased in school, etc.)

[Norwester]

I've been taking Buspar since early last fall and this stuff works great for me. The only side effect for me is occasionally mild dizziness after taking it. That only last for 5-10 minutes. Its non-narcotic and habit forming though they say there can be a rebound effect if you quit taking it suddenly. I found out about it on a GAD forum and some people swore by it and others said it didn't help at all.
http://www.rxlist.com/buspar-drug.htm

[yellowpurple]

...anyone looking to curb their anxiety should seriously consider trying Picamilon (niacin w/GABA molecules attached). I tried to use it as a study aid (it is marketed as a stress/focus support). Anyways, it sedated me big time (not the effect I was looking for) and I don't use it anymore. I only took 150 mg once daily. Check it out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picamilon

[bearcat87]

I've never been on medication for depression but experience it during the coldest and darkest winter months. Nothing I've tried really seems to help. I've done light therapy, herbal stuff like st. johns wart, and actual therapy. Pretty much I just have to be totally aware of how I'm feeling during winter and do what I need to get better. Sometimes going out with friends, watching a movie, going out to eat, reading a book, etc. I don't think I could deal with the not enjoying sex part of the meds. Man I love to ****!

Spring is just hitting in northern Missouri. It's amazing how much better I feel when the sun is shining, its warm, and leaves are on the trees. I had a psychologist diagnose me with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Not all in the mental health field accept it as a real condition. I think I can speak for all that our mood does go down some during the winter but I do think it affects some worse than others. All throughout my elementary-high school career my grades, attitude, and delinquency got much worse during winter. I'm planning on moving to a warmer part of the country in a year and a half. Hopefully that will help!

Best of luck to everyone.

[yellowpurple]

...one can never underestimate the importance of taking an Omega 3-6-9 and a Vitamin/Mineral/Antioxidant complex every morning. This along with an equal amount of aerobic/anarobic exercise every couple of days can really balance you out (in every way imaginable). Remember to consume some protein before and after the workouts ...oh yeah, don't forget to sleep a little bit too...

[Jason]

I went through the whole anxiety thing a couple of years ago....the chest pains, trouble breathing, trips to the ER......it all sounds very familiar. People who have never gone through it cannot begin to know what it feels like; that's the hardest part. Everybody thinks you are blowing it out of proportion, and they don't understand that although it's mental, there is a lot of physical pain involved.

I seriously thought about medication, but after seeing my brother have so much trouble getting off of them, I decided against them. My mother still has to take them (anxiety disorders are hereditary in my family, yay for me). I tried almost all of the herbal stuff like St John's Wort, Kava, etc. and it worked somewhat, but it really may have been placebo effect more than anything else. Honestly, what really helped me the most was knowing what I was dealing with. Once I read up on it and talked to other people who had it, I felt a lot better.

Oh, and nicotine helped A LOT. I smoked my brains out while all of that was happening, but it always made me feel better. I really wish I had discovered snus back then.

[NonEntity]

I am curious about these SSRIs. Do they kill sexual desire or only the ability to perform? Having a normal drive and no ability to do anything about it sounds pretty depressing by itself (or like marriage, but that is another topic).