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ThomasFromOhio t1_isadxb1 wrote

It would be nice if they found SOME way to try to determine effectiveness of a med for a person before having to blindly scribe it. I was on sertraline for really no reason, but my doc was way too quick in writing a script for it. About a year later I decided there was no reason for me to be taking the med and decided to stop taking it. I'm one of the lucky ones who has a very difficult time getting off the drug. Took me three years to be able to stop taking it and then had withdrawal affects for another year. I could not imagine having to go through that after finding out that the medication didn't work for you at all.

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S3NTIN3L_ t1_isajggm wrote

They do have that process for metabolization of the med but not how effective it will be. Genesight is the main company that does it

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SyntaxError_22 t1_isaqe2u wrote

Chiming in to say the same. https://genesight.com/product/

I was tested through this method a month ago and my meds were changed to align with the results.

I have not felt this good in years.

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tqb t1_isbfbqf wrote

How much did it cost?

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redditcats t1_isbjrbn wrote

Good question. I’d also like to know.

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SyntaxError_22 t1_isbuxua wrote

I have not received the bill yet however I believe she said it was under $200? I will use my HSA account to pay for it.

Honestly, I'd pay more considering how much better I am feeling. It's been a rough past three years clawing myself out of the cesspool of depression. This is the best I have felt in 5+ years.

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taosk8r t1_isn6cgs wrote

I am just curious what you switched to. Im on Mirtazapine and Wellbutrin and they dont do much. Been on Zoloft before and felt like an emotionless robot, and I think a few others in between, but never really found anything that works.

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lurkerfromstoneage t1_isbnobo wrote

Your insurance could cover it. Call them. Ask your psych/prescriber if you qualify for the in office test.

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Poowatereater t1_isb5jh1 wrote

Thanks for this. Going to give it a shot after not having a few different meds do right by me.

What was your out of pocket cost for the test?

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LunaAndromeda t1_iscgj9m wrote

As someone who has tried at least 7 different medications, always with either zero effect or massive side effects, I always wanted to try genetic testing. I knew it existed but didn't know where to get it done. That's awesome it helped you. I might have to look into it.

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JR_Shoegazer t1_isawh4p wrote

I’ve tried one of the DNA testing things and it did not match my experience of finding certain medications not effective.

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amtrusc t1_isb8opa wrote

That’s because they don’t have the capability of telling whether or not a medication will be effective. Results can include information regarding the drug’s metabolism and whether perhaps higher or lower doses may be required, if smoking affects the drug level, if maybe there would be a chance of increased adverse effects, and the like.

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NightlyWave t1_isauh3j wrote

I was prescribed sertraline after one appointment, even after I specifically mentioned my depression symptoms were potentially caused by my undiagnosed ADHD at the time. They refused to entertain the idea of me having ADHD and just threw sertraline at me. Thankfully I refused them and went private for an actual ADHD diagnosis. I'm medicated now and I've not been unhappy since.

Edit - This is in the UK

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isb5u85 wrote

Very happy for you that you have it all worked out! I just wish the doc would have talked to me about possible issues with the med. I learned to ASK questions and research meds on my own before getting a script filled and starting to take it.

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NightlyWave t1_isbzq9g wrote

I probably spent more time researching and learning about neuroscience and endocrinology than I did on my entire degree in computer science. It’s the reason why I knew an SSRI wasn’t right for me because I understood my issue was fundamentally within my dopaminergic system which amphetamines took care of perfectly. It’s nice to finally function and thrive after living a life of the complete opposite.

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LionIV t1_iscbeok wrote

The problem is doctors thinking you’re just trying to get high. Don’t even dare mention that you smoke weed as a way to self-medicate your symptoms away, because then you’ll NEVER get the help you need.

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OCE_Mythical t1_iscgdsd wrote

Man I feel so bad for you, the second you get the dex into you it's life-changing. I remember thinking, "is this how everyone else feels normally?" In relation to mental clarity. Wish it happened earlier for me too, I was about 20 when diagnosed so school was a joke.

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NightlyWave t1_isfi7j4 wrote

Yeah, I had the same reaction as you. I did feel kinda depressed for a little while because I was just thinking about how much I could've accomplished had I been diagnosed much earlier but I stopped doing that because ultimately; the past is the past.

You mentioned "dex". I'm assuming you're taking Vyvanse/Elvanse?

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OCE_Mythical t1_ish2ba9 wrote

Nah I take dexamphetamine 5mg. Vyvance and elvance is lisdexamphetamine, the prodrug of dex. I hate long acting stimulants so I prefer straight dex.

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Soupppdoggg t1_isarh8e wrote

Yep had no effect on me. But came with withdrawals. So crappy.

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PastaBob t1_isaxht0 wrote

Not even the stamina boost in bed?? I took it for months just for that, but didn't like the "distant emotions" feeling it gave me.

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Qaz_ t1_isbr18p wrote

I think there are meds that help with that but don't cause the emotional issues to that degree (mostly because they have such a short half life that they leave your body and you just take it before you have sex). It's relatively recent but I don't know if insurance would cover.

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isb6766 wrote

Not sure sertraline helped me at all with the mini anxiety attacks but I hear you on the withdrawal!

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UsefulTrader t1_isb9tk9 wrote

I am also prescribed for 200mg Sertralin every morning and I'm really feeling great. I went to the psychiatrist to see if I had ADHD, instead I was prescribed for Anxiety and depression. Is the withdrawal really that bad? Or should I be concerned? Also I don't mind taking it for the rest of my life if it makes me feel good?

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I_Am_Jacks_Karma t1_isbarep wrote

Have you ever missed a dose? Those brain shocks are very unpleasant and takes awhile to go away. Withdrawal is obviously different in severity for every individual but if you've ever missed a dose or two you have a good idea of how it will feel

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UsefulTrader t1_isca3ci wrote

I have. I didn't feel anything too severe. But I must tell you that 200mg is my stepped up dose. I started with 50mg a day for the first month (that's also when I missed a dose because I rescheduled my appointment a day later, so I went on 31st day instead of 30th). Along with Sertralin I am also taking Zolpidem 5mg and Amitriptyline 25mg.

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isbdhdh wrote

Yes! I forgot all about those. My wife and I were on sertraline together and both ran out at the same time, a week before vacation! I thought we were going to kill each other, no joke. Luckily the script came in the mail a few days after we ran out and we were back to just wanting to kill each other in time for vacation. :)

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isbd68u wrote

For some people about a third if I recall correctly, it's extremely difficult to stop taking the med. You have to reduce the amount you take over time. Some people can do that over the course of a couple months. I wasn't so lucky. In addition, I gave up at one point and just started taking it because my mood in addition to other issues were really that bad.

Some people also build up a tolerance to the med and have to increase the dosage. I don't know if this med has a max dosage, but if it does, when you hit that point and it stops working as well as it used to, you'll need to stop taking the med, most likely before starting a new one.

I am not trying to scare anyone or tell anyone not to take this drug. I'm just sharing things that I wish I knew so I could have made an informed decision before taking it.

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DrBimboo t1_isbg14g wrote

Does not have to be. I had 200 mg for years, and the same as you, I wouldnt have minded taking it for the rest of my life.

But at some point I felt the only contact point to my problems was taking the pills, so I tried to stop, and there were 0 problems.

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UsefulTrader t1_iscblgr wrote

That sounds very reassuring. Thanks. As mentioned above I did miss a dose but didn't feel anything. Maybe because my brain is not yet used to it?

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Greengiant2021 t1_isbej6f wrote

I found it worked well till it didn’t, I was immune to it in under a year. I’ve been through 4 different antidepressants, they all ended up being useless after 10 to 12 months. The withdrawal can be brutal. It’s all an experiment really. Everyone is different, good luck.

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UsefulTrader t1_iscbcsv wrote

Thank you. I hope you are doing well. Also I don't mind if they stop working after a year because I need help now as I have a very crucial exam of my life in February and the only thing holding me back is my out of control mind. When I take my pills, the reaction my roommate gives me, really makes me feel bad, as if I'm at a mental asylum taking my meds.

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Greengiant2021 t1_iscl4yl wrote

It’s none of your roommates business what you put in your body. Don’t let small minded people hold you back. I get it that you need that bit of help regarding your exams. Do whatever it takes to get your best results.

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feelings_arent_facts t1_isbh6ci wrote

Pick up a milligram scale and take a piece of sandpaper. Every day, shave 1 milligram of your pill down. So if it weighs 200mg, do 199mg, 198mg, etc. etc. You can do 2mg drops to if you want. Go as low as you can. If you have symptoms, ask your doctor to go on Prozac and titrate off with that. It has a longer half life.

Also, sanction this with a doctor first and with regular updates with your psychiatrist and therapist...

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Best-Dragonfly t1_isbzxcn wrote

This is potentially poor advice, sertraline tends to be film coated tablets, if you tinker with the coating you might affect the absorption rate causing effects you might not anticipate.

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Pleasant_Carpenter37 t1_isbfovz wrote

I had the opposite experience. It was VERY effective at helping with my depression, but oh God, the side effects were awful.

Tapering off it was as easy as starting it for me.

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isbi2ug wrote

augh! what were your side effects? Glad you didn't have problems getting off the med. Most people don't but enough people do that there should be mandatory precautionary discussion with doc before a script is written.

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Pleasant_Carpenter37 t1_isc7aak wrote

Caused problems in the bedroom. It turns out there IS such a thing as lasting too long :\

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benchmarkstatus t1_isbdv0s wrote

What were the withdrawals like? I had been on it for 15 years or so and every time I went off, I’d get these horrible brain zaps if I didn’t perfectly taper off. Finally quit for good six months ago and it left me feeling Kind of weird.

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isbf0ut wrote

I SOOOO forgot about the brain zaps until first reminded about them by another poster. The brain zaps for sure, but I also had a personality change. Very irritable. You could say good morning and I'd snap at you. Not sure I ever recovered from that 100%. I also had dizziness, and an overall just unwell feeling. Several months after weaning myself "off" I had mild symptoms of the same and kept wondering what was going on and thought of going to the doc until I realized it was the sertraline. Took about a full year for those side affects to finally go away.

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Tzayad t1_isbh04d wrote

I've always heard of "brain zaps," and I wonder if that's what i was experiencing when I came off of Zoloft.

It wasn't in my brain though, so I didn't connect it right away. I was having weird jolts/tingles traveling down my arms. Was happening for months, then I started on a different anti depressant, and those zaps immediately went away

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isbhuqy wrote

I would suggest that they were. I also remember to some minor degree jolts running through various parts of my body.

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SilentScyther t1_isbiay4 wrote

I hated getting off of sertraline but thankfully my symptoms were confined to only a couple weeks. Dealing with that for a year sounds awful.

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ThomasFromOhio t1_isbjma5 wrote

It was what it was. What's amazing is that most people can just stop taking the med cold turkey without any problems.

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TheFlayerDuder t1_isbittk wrote

As someone who was on multiple anti-depressants at various strengths, I wish I had this to help me before my brain got fried on this shit.

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Ocean_Soapian t1_isco7mm wrote

They do. I took a test called Genesight. It breaks up the medications into three groups based how how well your body metabolizes them. Once I got that test, both meds I started were absolutely perfect. It's like I have a new life.

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empteevessel t1_isk26gx wrote

I took it too, albeit many years too late in my opinion. Results made so much sense, learned I had a moderate or sever gene interaction with all but 6 of the 20 some odd antidepressants listed in their panel. These pharmacogenomic tests shouldn’t be such a damn secret, would save years of trial and error for so many people.

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Ocean_Soapian t1_isld0mv wrote

Yeah, I had mine done at age 33.

I try hard not to become too caught up in my regret and sadness over not having the test available to me sooner. Almost no professional medical doctors know about it now, so it's not like I could have gotten it done in time to save all the years of agony over having severe MTHFR and not being medicated properly when i was younger. I would have had a much easier time in school, and in life in general.

But, I can't tell you how relieved I am to know that I'm not just lazy or useless, and that there was a legitimate medical reason for why doing things that seemed so easy for everyone else was so difficult for me.

I'm just very thankful that I've got another 30 or so years ahead of me where I get to have a better, more normal life experience. It makes me sad for those in the past that didn't have an explanation or a cure as to why they struggled so hard.

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ThomasFromOhio t1_iso16nz wrote

That's great to know but I wonder why it isn't more commonly performed. Wonder if it's $$$?

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Ocean_Soapian t1_isp6e69 wrote

It's expensive, but I don't think that's the reason why. Almost no general practitioners know about the test, or what MTFHR is. I think it's just still too unknown.

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BlueLeatherBucket t1_isgcx9f wrote

Curious what side effects you experienced when trying to get off the drug? I experience sever brain flashes whenever I forget to take it after a few days. Anything else you had to deal with?

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ThomasFromOhio t1_iso1jv5 wrote

Definitely the brain jolts which I TOTALLY forgot until another redditor posted about them. Also very very irritable. Dizziness if I recall correctly and overall not feeling well at all. When I was finally able to "stop" taking the med, I had a few episodes of not feeling well sort of hard to explain the exact feeling and wondered what was causing them and then I recalled the ssri I was taking and I instantly accounted those symptoms from that drug. Those lasted for about a year after completely being off the med.

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firstorbit t1_isbekc7 wrote

Yeah fuck that drug and doctors who prescribe it immediately. It is good for lasting longer in bed though.

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