# antidepressants that don't make you tired?



## rrobin (Sep 8, 2004)

I have IBS D and have taken Zoloft and Paxil CR and find I can't live with them because they make me too tired all the time. I even cut my dose down to the smallest dose every 4 days and still it kicks the life energy out of me... Is there any antidepressants that don't make you tired?


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## Commonsense (Sep 13, 2004)

You will have to talk to your doctor and try another antidepressant, if that is the route you think is best for you. There is no antidepressant that is guaranteed to not cause drowsiness, and each person's reaction to each medication is a bit different. You will have to try each drug - sometimes for several weeks - until the side effects stop overwhelming you and you can analyze the benefit vs. the burden of side effects.To my mind, using antidepressants to treat GI disease is like using an elephant gun to kill a mosquito. The side effects can be horrendous, and one thing we do NOT need are more side effects. But only you know what is right for you.


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## california123 (Jun 8, 2003)

Hi Commonsense,HAving to sepnd most of the morning in the bathroom and hoping the same thing wouldn't happen after lunch and dinner is a lot more serious than "Killing a mosquito." My life was in shambles from the six months of chronic D until I got on anti-anxiety med that stopped the D and then anti-depressant med that helped me get my life back. One year later I am virtually off the anti-depressant and have the Xanax down to just .25 mg each morning. NO HORRENDOUS SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE MEDS AT THE START OR HERE AT THE END. I know what has worked for me. Take care.


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## Commonsense (Sep 13, 2004)

Don't take offense. I was offering an a analogy which seemed right from *my* experience. I have IBD with D, so I hear you. But I've also had extreme side effects from antidepressants. When I was taking Zyban (wellbutrin) to quit smoking - WORKED!! - I had visual and auditory hallucinations, as well as generally feeling like I had the world's worse case of flu. For those who do get side effects from antidepressants, it is the LAST thing they need in addition to the IBS we're already suffering from. That's all I was saying. If it works for you, then full steam ahead!


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## AMcCall (Oct 3, 2000)

Greeen,I am currently taking Zoloft, and my body, over time, has become accustomed to it I suppose, because I don't have the drowsiness anymore. And I take 2 1/2 Zoloft pills a day. (I have problems with depression and panic attacks, so my psychiatrist has me on a rather high dose...) He did try me once on Wellbutrin, and I did not experience any drowsiness with that one. But it made me feel antsy. I'm not sure how else to describe it. It was like I couldn't sit still. So I preferred to go back to the Zoloft and just deal with the drowsiness. And now that I have been on it for just over a year, as I said, it doesn't make me drowsy anymore. My psychiatrist assured me that there are plenty of anti-depressants out there that cause less drowsiness...sometimes you just have to try a few to find the right one. I feel for you though, because in the beginning when I began taking Zoloft, it was all I could do to lift my head up out of bed. But it really does get better with time...The best of luck to you in finding the right medication, I know it is frustrating...


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