I've been prescribed 7 different antidepressants so far; fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), lofepramine (Gamanil), venlafaxine (Effexor), paroxetine (Paxil), mirtazapine (Remeron) and atomoxetine (Strattera). With the exception of mirtazapine, they've all been ineffective and have produced intolerable side-effects. What have other people's experiences with anti-depressants been like? I know that some people take them and the angels sing, but how common is that?

Here's a breakdown of my experience with each one:

Fluoxetine - Induced psychosis, paranoia, amplified anxiety, altered perception of speed and time.
Sertraline - Same as fluoxetine.
Lofepramine - Made me sleep 12+ hours a day, was barely functional when awake, drastically lowered my mood.
Venlafaxine - Made me sleep 18+ hours a day, was barely functional when awake, drastically lowered my mood.
Paroxetine - Felt tired, low mood, struggled to function.
Mirtazapine - Reduced my anxiety by a small amount, helped with sleep, caused mild constipation and dry eyes.
Atomoxetine - Caused fatigue, sleep disturbance, extreme apathy, demotivation, constipation, dry eyes, elimenated anxiety.

GP's here seem very keen on antidepressants, prescribing them for anything psychological or neurological, while being extremely averse to anything with abuse potential such as benzos, regardless of comparative efficacy, and have their hands tied by the regulatory framework, being unable to prescribe valium for more than 4 weeks and being unable to prescribe stimulants at all without the instructions of a psychiatrist. I was prescribed the fluoxetine, sertraline, lofepramine and venlafaxine in succession when I complained of fatigue and an inability to concentrate, then a few years later I was prescribed paroxetine followed by mirtazapine when I complained of anxiety. Atomoxetine was prescribed by a psychiatrist to treat ADHD, the rest were prescribed by GP's.

First, be careful with drug mixing in case you still have extras of your old drugs and get the sudden urge to experiment. I think some or many of the drugs that you've listed are MAOI's which are big no-no's to mix with either Strattera or Dextroamphetamine, and even to take within 2 weeks of having taken these.

I can't answer your main question, but I want to address the issue of sleep...
My brother was feeling tired all the time and it turned out he had arythmia and has an enlarged heart. Some doctors actually gave him 5 years to live, but it took him a year to go see an expert cardiologist that told him the other docs were full of it.

So, perhaps a trip to the cardiologist or to a sleep clinic could help.

I asked my GP about getting referred to a sleep clinic, but he said that the only one reasonably local dealt only with sleep problems caused by breathing difficulties. I've had blood tests to check thyroid function, blood glucose, iron levels etc, and they came back normal, though I had to get the thyroid one done twice because it was inconclusive the first time, and I've been examined with a stethoscope, though I don't know how effective that is at finding things.

None of the AD's listed are MAO inhibitors; 3 are SSRI's, 1 is an SNRI, 1 is an NaSSA and 2 are NRI's.

It sounds like your hands are tied as far as what can be prescribed so lets get into theoretical crazyness. Once upon a time i tried a combo commonly referred to as "california rocket fuel". a cocktail created by Stephen Stahl basically the uhm guru of modern neuropharmacology. Its just a high dose of effexor and remeron but they potenate each other greatly to the point that theres even possible danger of serotonin syndrome. This is 1 + 1 = 4 as far as potenation and it certainly altered my brain chemistry.

Keep in mind i was taking this for treatment resistant dysthymia (continuous serious depression) and have not the slightest as to its effects for other disorders.

The only antidepressant that has worked for me at all is Wellbutrin. It's certainly no panacea, but it helps with my low energy and takes the edge off of my depression. It looks like you haven't tried it yet. It's worth a try. Plus, it helps some people with their ADHD, though I haven't been so lucky.

I asked my GP about it a while ago, while I was waiting to see the psychiatrist about ADHD, but the GP couldn't prescribe it, since it wasn't licensed for any use other than cessation of smoking.

Man, the UK is so backwards!

I asked my GP about it a while ago, while I was waiting to see the psychiatrist about ADHD, but the GP couldn't prescribe it, since it wasn't licensed for any use other than cessation of smoking.
I don't know how your system works, but I'd ask your psychiatrist about it.

I don't know how your system works, but I'd ask your psychiatrist about it.At the moment I'm trying out dextroamphetamine, so I'll see how that works out first, although if the dex doesn't work out well, my next med to try would be methylphenidate, and bupropion would come at some point after that.