Performance and antidepressants

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Jonah42

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Does anyone know if antidepressants have much of an effect on athletic performance? I've been on them a few months now. Sometimes at the end of training I feel exhausted, but I have fairly poor cardio anyways. I've also gained a bit of weight even though I'm training regularly.
 
Jonah42 said:
Does anyone know if antidepressants have much of an effect on athletic performance? I've been on them a few months now. Sometimes at the end of training I feel exhausted, but I have fairly poor cardio anyways. I've also gained a bit of weight even though I'm training regularly.
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Ask your doctor.

I would think that it depends on the type of antidepressant. I'd assume that one that acts on dopamine (Wellbutrin, for example) might help with drive and focus whereas more inhibitory drugs might make you feel lethargic/zombie like.

I doubt a ton of research has been conducted on athletic performance but, yeah... Ask your doctor.
 
anecdotally, yes, absolutely. especially SSRI's and Benzos.

that doesn't mean you should stop, especially if they're improving your quality of life.

i came off of everything after about a year. i think i sought medication hoping they would re-wire or kickstart some magical brain function, and in the end i just felt cloudy.

i didn't have less total anxiety on benzos, it was just a lot less severe. SSRI's made me feel even more sapped than the benzos did. i don't think i've gone more than a month on any one in particular. i did about 6 months of wellbutrin and didn't notice much in the way of side effects or mood changes.

the best medicine for me has been exercise. the days i don't feel like getting out of bed are the days i make damn sure that i do. the people i know struggling the most with depression are the people that sulk around and let it consume them, and i've been that person. even just something as simple as a half hour run does a great job of getting me out of my own head while getting endorphins flowing.

training has become a definite catharsis for me, so when the medications made it more difficult to train it was almost compounding the problem.

i now think of Pharms as a supplement rather than a solution, palliative more than preventative.

it's awesome you're working through things. that's the most important part. try not to tie happiness to the intangible or the ideals, but find it in the everyday. happiness isn't a moment or an object, it's a lifestyle choice. there is plenty of good amongst the bad. just keep working at it and don't be so hard on yourself. take it day-by-day, every day.
 
RJ Green said:
anecdotally, yes, absolutely. especially SSRI's and Benzos.

that doesn't mean you should stop, especially if they're improving your quality of life.

i came off of everything after about a year. i think i sought medication hoping they would re-wire or kickstart some magical brain function, and in the end i just felt cloudy.

i didn't have less total anxiety on benzos, it was just a lot less severe. SSRI's made me feel even more sapped than the benzos did. i don't think i've gone more than a month on any one in particular. i did about 6 months of wellbutrin and didn't notice much in the way of side effects or mood changes.

the best medicine for me has been exercise. the days i don't feel like getting out of bed are the days i make damn sure that i do. the people i know struggling the most with depression are the people that sulk around and let it consume them, and i've been that person. even just something as simple as a half hour run does a great job of getting me out of my own head while getting endorphins flowing.

training has become a definite catharsis for me, so when the medications made it more difficult to train it was almost compounding the problem.

i now think of Pharms as a supplement rather than a solution, palliative more than preventative.

it's awesome you're working through things. that's the most important part. try not to tie happiness to the intangible or the ideals, but find it in the everyday. happiness isn't a moment or an object, it's a lifestyle choice. there is plenty of good amongst the bad. just keep working at it and don't be so hard on yourself. take it day-by-day, every day.
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Been on Paxil for over 15 years. Currently a blue belt looking at my purple. Trained all my years with Paxil. Decided to try and get off Paxil. My jiu jitsu game improved but my mental state off the mat collapsed. I was able to think and feel the game with more clarity. I had to weigh the pros and cons and I decided that a moderate increase jiu jitsu performance was not worth the dehabilitating anxiety and depression that followed. Hope this helps!
 
SSRIs wont affect you, benzos will destroy you, antipsychs will just tire you out, especially if you are on a high dosage.
 
I don't know about drugs, but depression alone will have that effect on you.
 
Some SSRIs can cause you to become dehydrated more easily, thus making you feel like you tire out more easily.
 
As somebody who is totally unqualified to say this.. Get off em.
 
RJ Green said:
anecdotally, yes, absolutely. especially SSRI's and Benzos.

that doesn't mean you should stop, especially if they're improving your quality of life.

i came off of everything after about a year. i think i sought medication hoping they would re-wire or kickstart some magical brain function, and in the end i just felt cloudy.

i didn't have less total anxiety on benzos, it was just a lot less severe. SSRI's made me feel even more sapped than the benzos did. i don't think i've gone more than a month on any one in particular. i did about 6 months of wellbutrin and didn't notice much in the way of side effects or mood changes.

the best medicine for me has been exercise. the days i don't feel like getting out of bed are the days i make damn sure that i do. the people i know struggling the most with depression are the people that sulk around and let it consume them, and i've been that person. even just something as simple as a half hour run does a great job of getting me out of my own head while getting endorphins flowing.

training has become a definite catharsis for me, so when the medications made it more difficult to train it was almost compounding the problem.

i now think of Pharms as a supplement rather than a solution, palliative more than preventative.

it's awesome you're working through things. that's the most important part. try not to tie happiness to the intangible or the ideals, but find it in the everyday. happiness isn't a moment or an object, it's a lifestyle choice. there is plenty of good amongst the bad. just keep working at it and don't be so hard on yourself. take it day-by-day, every day.
Click to expand...

Fuck i posted before reading this.. Ill just do the old 'This'
 
When I first started taking SSRIs they made me hyperactive as shit. Shame I wasn't training back then.

Also, there is nothing wrong with feeling exhausted after training.
 
Jonah42 said:
Does anyone know if antidepressants have much of an effect on athletic performance? I've been on them a few months now. Sometimes at the end of training I feel exhausted, but I have fairly poor cardio anyways. I've also gained a bit of weight even though I'm training regularly.
Click to expand...

Personally, my short lived experience with SSRIs led to not training for over a year and an marked increase in suicidal ideation. Which....has not been awesome. So they weren't for me and got in the way of being on the mat.

Make sure your diagnosis is correct. Major depressive disorder can be co morbid with or resulting from other mood and personality disorders, making the antidepressants the wrong tool for the job anyway. Don't let some lazy doctor prescribe you some jolly pills to send you on your way, get a psychtriast on it, then get a second. No point dicking around with your brain chemistry for long periods of time unless it's absolutely the right thing to do in the circumstances.

Good luck, I hope you are getting the help you deserve.
 
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