Keep the new or return to the old?
So I’ve been on antidepressants for at least 15 years. I started in grad school on lexapro and then at some point switched over to sertraline. I had been on that for at least ten years before deciding I was tired of the sexual side effects so I decided to take things into my own hands and just cold turkey last August. Dumb move, I know, but I didn’t realise the impact they were having on me since I couldn’t really remember life without them.
I remember one incident after coming off meds of becoming emotionally overwhelmed while traveling, but other than that it went relatively smoothly and the sexual side effects were totally gone. I felt like a new person.
The down side came at the start of April. I don’t know if it was a delayed side effect or the stress of a project at work combined with some home stuff, but things got bad. I called the doctor to see about getting back on meds and told them I wanted something without the sexual side effects so they put me on Citalopram.
I’ve been on that for just over two weeks. First 10 days sucked, but I seem to be normalising. Thing is, I am noticing that there do seem to be some side effects on citalopram I don’t love. I have another consult with my doctor to talk about how things are at the 4 week mark. Wondering if I stick it out on new med or see about going back on the meds I know. I have some big work projects coming up and I feel like I may already be drawing some attention for not performing at my previous level.
I imagine I’ll just stick with new meds and ride it through as a lifer. Looks like citalopram can have some heart issues when I pass into old age, but that’s a future me problem…. Immostly interested in hearing stories and seeing how other people have dealt with this.