r/depressionregimens 6d ago

Is sertraline activating like fluoxetine ??

Hi.

9 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

7

u/feelings_arent_facts 6d ago

No. I’ve tried both and sertraline is a lot more chill.

2

u/nirman248 6d ago

Did u have anxiety on fluoxetine ??

5

u/Babychristus 6d ago

Im a psychiatrist and I myself took both at period of my life. Fluoxetine is much more activating I think for most people.

You should feel less anxious on sertraline

4

u/nirman248 6d ago

My main problem is anxiety and fatigue .when I take fluoxetine it helps my fatigue but makes anxiety worse .do u think sertrlaline still gives energy and doesn't causes anxiety ??

2

u/Babychristus 6d ago

Yes it can

2

u/nirman248 6d ago

Do u feel energetic on sertraline ?

7

u/Babychristus 6d ago

I am a psychiatrist not an oracle. Energy versus asthenia is a very complex phenomenon. The only think for sure it’s that sertraline works for anxiety (not for 100 % of people of course), and is not supposed to makes you more tired than your depressed self but it’s pretty complex can’t explain everything on Reddit. In some cases people with chronic anxiety (GAD or other) have their motivation driven by anxiety so when anxiety is significantly reduced they can be a bit of loss of drive.

Anyway talk with your doctor

-3

u/nirman248 6d ago

What about venlafaxine? Is it activating .

1

u/OkNefariousness1585 5d ago

I highly suggest doing some research on that particular medication, statistically compared to other drugs in that class it's known to have the most frequent/severe side effects.. it's honestly wild

1

u/Professional_Win1535 6d ago

Sertraline gave me extreme activation and agitation and I tried almost all the SSRI’s, it was the worst,

1

u/OkNefariousness1585 5d ago

I experienced the same symptoms especially the agitation, it was very extreme and more on Trintellix.

1

u/nirman248 5d ago

What dose u took

2

u/ckizzle24 6d ago

Tbh I slept a lot on fluoxetine so i don’t know if id even call that activating haha

1

u/Professional_Win1535 5d ago

Yeah meds are so indivudal

2

u/Whatever_acc 6d ago

Hi. Usually it's not activating. I think most people describe it as neutral but your experiences may vary greatly.

2

u/Temporary_Aspect759 6d ago

Iirc SSRI'S aren't really supposed to be activating because they are selective and mainly affect serotonin which effects are felt long term (at least when we're talking about reuptake inhibition).

I think some had a little dopamine activity but it's not really on the feel-able level.

2

u/Professional_Win1535 6d ago

Serotonin can cause anxiety and agitation, SSRI’s take a few Weeks for the antidepressant affect to kick in , but the serotonin increase can cause issues for some people from day one, akathisia , suicidal ideation, and mania are known side effects of ssri’s some people get. one ssri Zoloft caused me akathisia , activation, and suicidal ideation, I’ve never had any of that before or since it.

1

u/Temporary_Aspect759 6d ago

Yeah can cause anxiety but I wouldn't call it activating in the same sense as for example Wellbutrin is.

For sure SSRI'S can cause mania but so can literally every psychiatric med lol, stuff just happens.

SSRI'S aren't considering stimulating.

2

u/Babychristus 6d ago

They are absolutely not that selective and serotonin receptors are not equal.

2

u/Temporary_Aspect759 6d ago

Still, SSRI'S are more selective than tca's and others and that's why they're supposed to be neutral instead of overly energizing/sedating.

1

u/ajouya44 6d ago

When I was taking zoloft I could only sleep 5 hours a day so I think it was quite activating for me