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1348686 tn?1310654243

Good Anitdepressant

O.K.so I've reached my breaking point and I think I am going to have to start taking the antidepressants.  I just have a couple of questions.  First are antidepressants safe to take if you have a heart murmur?  How long does it usually take before you begin to see results?  Can anyone recommend a good one?
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Avatar universal
Regarding the heart murmur, it depends on the type. Most are functional systolic flow murmurs (benign). If that is the case and your electrocardiogram is normal, there are no absolute contraindications. If it is a pathological murmur or if you have an abnormal electrocardiogram, you'd want to avoid the MAOI (ie: Marplan, Nardil and Parnate), Tricyclic (ie: Anafranil, Elavil, Pamelor, Sinequan and Tofranil) and Tetracyclic (ie: Desyrel and Remeron) classes, as those possess potent anticholinergic and alpha-adrenergic properties, and hence, are cardio-toxic. SNRI's (Cymbalta, Effexor and Pristiq) are relative contraindications, as they have the potential to severely raise blood pressure and induce left ventricular hypertrophy.

Helpful - 0
1344219 tn?1279201027
Hey,

I also just came to my breaking point after xanax was not doing enough. I have just started Cymbalta. NOW let me warn you there is ALOT of ppl that have had bad side effects but trust me it is worth it. Getting through the first day is hard. I had some nausea and lots of tingling and anxiety but the worse thing you can do is go off them straight away after you start them cause they can make you even worse than when you started them. Hope you get a good one x
Helpful - 0
370181 tn?1595629445
Both Charetti and MMahon have given you the best advice we can, which is that your questions and concerns need to be addressed by your doctor.
As was stated above, there are many excellent antidepressants out there, it's finding the one that works for YOU that you and your doctor will work on. Sometimes you find one that works for you the first time, and sometimes it's a trial and error process. Don't get discouraged by this. I tried 4 different ADs before I hit on the one that I could live with and that really helped me. It's name doesn't matter because if we all told you what worked for us, every antidepressant in the book would be mentioned.

I am also unsure of the heart murmur question. That one is for your doctor.
And the length of time it takes to begin to feel relief is different for everyone and different with the medications. There are some where you actually begin to feel better in as little as a week, and others that may take up to 4 weeks. One of the things we often tell people on this forum is that when you are starting on antidepressants, patience is a real virtue. Too many people think they should feel better very quickly and when they don't, they insist on trying something else. Please make sure you talk with your doctor specifically about the time the med will take to reach therapeutic levels. Ask about side effects so you'll know what to expect and keep in close contact with your doctor during the first month or so that you're on it.
And keep us posted because we've all been...........or are..........where you are now.
Peace
Greenlydia    
Helpful - 0
1291268 tn?1274810922
Go and see a psychiatrist and they will be best able to determine which anti-d will best suit your symptoms and other medical conditions.  What we recommend may not be the best for you and your personal situation.
Let a good competent doctor guide you in the right direction.
Helpful - 0
1034192 tn?1445509784
There are tons of good ones out there and I dont remember hearing that having a heart murmur matters.  I take remeron and wellbutrin, but I have also heard some positive info about cymbalta.  Just remember that if one doesnt work try anohter, one pill doesnt work for everyone.

Usually you can see a difference in as little as 2 weeks but could be 4 or 6.
Helpful - 0
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