chillfan: Prozac for seasonal affective disorder?

[chillfan]

Hi, I’ve suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder for over 20 years, and I’ve tried all of the over the counter things, the light boxes, etc. to no avail. 

 

This past winter, I was prescribed Prozac, but I’ve always been very leery of these psych drugs. So I decided to try St. John’s Wort *again* instead, at a much higher dosage. While it was very well tolerated, it didn’t really do much against my depression.

 

My question is this: is it ok to take an antidepressant for 4-5 months every year and quit without doing the slow taper? Or would it even be worth it to taper and I’m just stuck on an SSRI forever? It’s hard to get good advice on this, even from medical professionals who all seem to think SSRIs are as harmless as Prilosec.

[chillfan]

(To clarify, I’m not on an SSRI yet, but I’m strongly leaning towards starting one next winter.)

[ChessieCat]

Hi chillfan and welcome to SA,

 

I am very pleased that you are doing your research before starting an AD.  At least that way you can make an informed decision.

 

It can take as little as one month for the brain to fully adapt to a psychiatric drug.  Thereafter it is best to taper it.

 

Going on and off a psychiatric drug can have a cumulative effect on your nervous system and if you went on and off it each year there may come a time in the future that your nervous system becomes sensitised or destabilised.

 

Because SA is a site for tapering / withdrawal of psychiatric drugs we are not able to offer any advice about whether you should or should not start an antidepressant, which antidepressant to take and whether you should take it only during the season when you suffer from your disorder or all the time.

 

I would encourage you to learn more about psychiatric drugs before taking any.