Anti-depressants And Their Affect On Bodybuilders....

[LongBeach_Patriot]

I have a history of chemical imbalance in my family and a bunch of my family members (mother, grandmother before she died, aunt) are on anti-depressants. I'm not on AAS; Just TRT, Test Cyp 100mg E5D, doctor prescribed. Just to give a background.

I've been fighting it for years but I think I'm ready to give in and see if it can help balance out my moods and help with my depression which has been occurring more and more for a while. I HATE taking medications and I feel that I can control my own mind and shouldn't need meds to balance me out but I also am a realist and don't want to feel this way anymore.

Given, a lot of aspects of my life are not doing well at the moment so it's extra bad at the moment and I know an Anti-Depressant wont all of sudden fix everything in my life and make it perfect, but maybe it can help me at least get a better outlook on things and get me out of my rut and on the right track.

My main concern (as vain as it is), is that I don't want it to affect my body and my training. Training is my biggest passion, like many of us on here. My training partner and best friend is very adverse to them even though he could probably use them also but he also is established in life in many ways I am not. He tells me there is a huge reliance on them and they interact with many other medications and drugs (I don't do drugs though, maybe just a little weed once in a while and I drink socially once a week, but only a few drinks. I'll do molly a few times a year also when I go to EDC/Clubs. I was a pothead for 13 years and quit 2 months ago cold turkey). I also have another buddy who started taking AD's and his outlook is a lot better and he is high on life (so much it's almost irritating at times).

I would really appreciate some advice and input on how taking and Anti-Depressant will affect me and my training and whether its something I should try out. I'm really tired of feeling like this and really the only time I feel amazing is when training and post workout from the endorphine high, pump, and simply doing what I love to do. There's also a couple other hobbies that make me feel good but it shouldn't be like this and I realize this. I'm not a bitch, but I also don't want to feel the way I do.

Thanks very much,

 

[Mr.Anderson]

Cognitive therapy helped out my depression issues a lot. I would try months or years of that before jumping on the meds. controlling your thoughts/thought pattern/outlook = controlling your brain chemicals for the most part. Youtube it, terms like "cognitive therapy for depression" etc.. ALOT of good stuff out there!

 

[Rastas]

Antidepressants may assist in your recovery but will not heal anything. They will mask your problems enough for you to go and seek the help you need to resolve these issues that have been manifesting, obviously for many years. I love natural therapies. See a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, look into NLP as suggested above. Megatron will chime in when he sees your post. He has personally helped me before.

 

[LongBeach_Patriot]

Antidepressants may assist in your recovery but will not heal anything. They will mask your problems enough for you to go and seek the help you need to resolve these issues that have been manifesting, obviously for many years. I love natural therapies. See a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, look into NLP as suggested above. Megatron will chime in when he sees your post. He has personally helped me before.

Thank you both for the kind informative responses. Yes, Megatron has helped me in the past. Will wait to hear from him.

 

[juced_porkchop]

great advice in this thread! I also rec KavaKava for short term.

 

[MBB]

There are supplements, natural alternatives that act just as well as anti-D's but without the side effects:
- 5HTP - boosts serotonin - better alternative to SSRI
- Tyrosine - boosts dopamine - alternative to something like a DRI
- St John's Wort - boost all three neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine)

The first two are the raw materials needed to make the neurotransmitters, the St John's Wort acts as a natural SNRI so some care does need to be taken.
I would try these before hoping of another anti-D (I was on anti-D's for 2 years) as a lot of the time Dr's give you the wrong one and although you don't have the crippling depression anymore, you become emotionally blunt and unable to feel anything.

 

[BimmerDude]

Hi,

I'm a staunch advocate of antidepressants because they can really help a person to mellow out if she/she finds the right one that works for him/her. After you've been on them for a while you will start to feel a whole lot better. The pharmacodynamics of the antidepressants are different from those of narcotics or benzodiazepines. They help you to stay calm and focused but they don't make you high or 'cover things up' with an over-sedating effect. They do tend to have some anticholinergic sides though, and they do have the strange effect of prompting suicidal ideations in some people. Unlike with the benzodiazepines (valium, ativan, etc.), dependency is generally not an issue, though coming off them has to be done slowly. These medications do not play nicely with hallucinogenics like molly so its good that you gave that up. A little weed once in a while won't hurt, as long as its only once in a while. The SSRIs or SNRIs are the drugs that most clinicians will probably start with, and they are metabolized by the CYP450 2D6 pathway. This is the same pathway used by some of the more common PCT gear. Obviously the competition is not a good thing. Some other side effects of antidepressants are weight gain and low T, which are diametrically opposed to the goals of a cutting cycle. In other words, you may find that your gains are not as optimal as they would probably be if you weren't taking the antidepressants. But once you're on antidepressants you have to take them consistently for them to work.

All this may seem a bit confusing but its going to come down to deciding to have a healthy mind first, and then making bodybuilding a secondary priority. My opinion is that you should give up using gear and do some natural building while you go on the medications that will help you to straighten out your mind and your life first.

 

[hop12]

Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea. Fatigue. Fever (pyrexia). Alteration in taste. Confusion. Shaking, usually of the hands (tremor). Visual disturbances. Seizures. Nervousness or anxiety. Agitation. Pain in the muscles and joints. Rash or itching

 

[BeauBody38]

Antidepressants can indeed have varying degrees of affect on muscle growth and recovery time but generally to a very small degree.

Go back on the drugs and sort out whatever it is that's making you need them. In a few months time you can taper off them safely when you are really ready to do so.

As far as how much they effect your training, try not to worry about it. My personal experience is that if you are in a place that you need SSRI's but don't take them, this will affect your training even more.

 

[CYP11A1]

Antidepressants are one class of medications that affect everyone differently. They can change your feelings about life good or bad. The worst part is that the positive effects aren't generally felt in the first few weeks but the side effects are, while the side-effects may get better just as the positive effects are kicking in. Some people will go through 3-4 different agents before finding one that works.

From a chemical perspective I'm not sure they would affect your recovery or muscle growth in any significant way but if they help you feel better about your life you'll train harder, eat better, recover more effectively.

All that being said if I got to the point where I felt like I might need one again, I'd try cognitive behavior therapy first.

 

[Roush]

FYI - proviron (part of the AAS arsenal) was once prescribed as an anti depressant - I'll be throwing it in with my next cycle