Hello, is anyone on medication for depression/anxiety/ADHD?
I am just curious as I’m going down the route with my doctor regarding diagnoses as an accumulation of symptoms over probably years. Regardless of the outcome or what it gets a label of I need something to change, my head is the worst it’s been for a long time.
My wondering is (although it’s not like it can really get much worse) is do the meds affect anything else negatively? I love to train so I don’t want to impact the only thing that kind of gives me routine (like I say though meds might help it if headspace improves). I also want to sleep better not worse, and I’m trying to lose some weight so I’m not sure if certain meds might impact that. I realise being in a better place mentally would kind of negate these anyway but I don’t want to compound my symptoms lol by having no motivation to train, tired & fat(ter).
Hopefully it’ll only be short term (not sure) and all your replies would be anecdotal as everyone will respond differently but yeah.
Or maybe private message if people don’t want to outlay on here?
Most of these meds cause a dry mouth, dry mouth in a by itself already increases the chance of getting caries but if you consume sugary things frequently that’s a recipe for disaster.
I would suggest getting cognitive/ behavioural therapy instead, they work as good (probably better even) than pharmacological interventions but without any side effects (nor addiction/ withdrawal risks)
It’s all cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for me as the neural pathways have been established for over 50 years. (for me the most likely thing was trauma was before I could really remember anything, in my case death of a bio-parent when I was five.)
I was on ADHD meds for a while, but that was treating a single symptom, not the root cause.
For me the combination of cycling and CBT are the only things that help me manage things. There’s no cure, so management is really the best I’ve got. Upside, I might have an inside track on using FSA to pay for bike stuff?
fwiw I’ve been taking escitalopram for a couple of years. I haven’t noticed any negative side effects, and did help lift my mood.
I have to take medication for allergies - eczema and sinuses - so I’m really not bothered by a second pill in the morning with my anti-histamine (which probably does blunt my training, but not as much as sinusitis, or poor sleep because of scratching!).
I think this will totally depend on what they end up prescribing.
I have IBS and unfortunately anxiety resulting from it which at one point led to shakiness in my right hand.
An annoyance more than a huge problem, but our GP ended up prescribing Propranolol.
After doing a bit of research myself and finding out it can effect heart rate, I had concerns and went down a different route.
Key point, check side effects of what is being prescribed from a “normal” person point of view and that view of someone doing multiple hours at high intensity a week as you may have to make a decision or compromise.
It’s what I read in the English dental literature, it’s the dutch word and the dutch article in Wikipedia is called caries and although the main article in English is called tooth decay the first sentence gives caries as a synonym and both the Oxford and Merriam Webster dictionaries list caries
Yeah thats where i am at now. If it reduces my issues sleeping and generally in life then it might negate any losses fitness wise. Given i run, cycle, lift, eat healthily and havent had alcohol for over 2 years then i’d hope id have a fighting chance in taking a low dose at least lol. Ill see what doc says and continue on the holistic ideas too.
I am also taking Escitalopram (Lexapro). I was in a very bad spot mentally before starting and also a dad of a little one.
The first few weeks I was REALLY exhausted. However, after a bit the exhaustion subsided and things are good. I have had multiple people comment on my demeanor since taking it. Wife, friends and mangers have said I seem different. Which is interesting because I don’t feel different.
Pros:
Less stress and anxiety for sure
I’m happier
WAY better sleep
Cons:
When I wake up at night I’m simply annoyed because rather than being anxious or stressed about something, I’m simply just awake.
Also wanted to mention I am taking Lexapro in tandem with seeing a therapist, who I used to see weekly and since beginning Lexapro he suggested I could go down to down to bi weekly because of my marked improvement.
I have used a few meds in the past, but nothing gave me more positive benefits as the negative side effects I had, although I think I’m in the minority of how badly my body reacted to them (like couldn’t train at all, much less have any quality of life). For others I know they work well, and are well tolerated. However nothing works as well as a good therapist IMO. For me CBT didn’t work well, but EMDR did. My wider point is that a good therapist is more important than the exact method they use, ex CBT, as they will be able to tailor to your specific situation.
Thats kind’ve what concerned me, is my demeanor hardwired now or is it prone to change (sounds it is which is good). Don’t know if people or I would know how to react if I had a polar opposite mood one day
I am prescribed xanax for anxiety. I get prescribed a very small dosage (.5mg pills), and often will only take half. I get prescribed a lot per month but take them very sparingly just because it can be very addictive. I take it maybe 5-7x per month.
Because of how relaxed it makes you (which I can see how people get addicted), I won’t take it before exercise, even in the same day. Fortunately my cycling is almost always in the morning, and my strength training around lunch.
I should probably take something like Lexapro, but as a whole my mental state has improved a lot since changing my work environment a couple years ago.
also on Escitalopram (generic of Lexapro) 10mg daily for the better part of my adult life, long before cycling. Been on and off a bit over the last 5 years, but with some major life changes in 2024 I hopped back on and it made a world of difference for myself. Better mood, more energy ( I lose a lot of willpower to do anything when I’m in a depressive state), more mental clarity. some side effects for me are intimacy issues (pretty well documented with SSRI’s), and “swimming brain” when I’m dosing off the medication.
Overall, I’m a better person and partner when I’m actively taking lexapro. Please consult with your doctor, and not an internet forum. Bike riding will always be there, mental health issues are a very large issue that need to be addressed on a case by case basis with a medical provider.
I’ve gone on and off SSRIs twice now in the last 2 years.
I became passionless, i gained weight. It never felt worth it to “work on myself”
In a way, that is a good thing. The meds kept me functional day after day. During periods of stress where I knew in the past would have sent me over the edge, I would simply get up and get going. It’s an autopilot kinda feeling. Everythings just OK just the way it is.
My training did suffer, because who cares if I got slower. Who cares if I’m gaining weight, Im fine sitting here on the couch.
About 2 months ago I started tapering off Paxil, and nearly immediately after getting to a half dose I was pushing for a promotion, I was interested in chasing a new senior title. The desire to do more just started bubbling up. And I’m confident the meds were clouding that drive.
