Yes, I was told to start antidepressants at 1/4of a dose to prevent side effects….

When I was younger before I was finally diagnosed, I often wondered if my doctor had given me a placebo. I had also started to have allergic reactions, just rashes then to antibiotics. So there was only 1 cephaclor, that I had been taking. I'd been taking it safely for several years. 1 day saw doc, pickuped up prescription & first pill out of bottle my throat started closing. Anaphylaxis shock. My husband got me to the doctor office. He would save my life 2 more times only from pain medications. Then after my appendix ruptured and was gangrene I was begging doc to give me demerol because been taking it safely. Yup, on way to surgery I had a severe reaction. This was 3 years prior to my fibro diagnoses. After my diagnoses there was a new doctor in town who wanted to learn more about it and I was his willing gueny pig. He tried me on soooo many different things. Thru him I learned that people have different metabolisms that affect the way our bodies metabolse medications. You might check out the pharmacology sciences of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenetics. I never did understand the "high" people say they get from pain meds. I'm an ultra rapid metabolser so I can't get a high. Its why many people with Fibromyalgia have allergic, opposite and non reactions to medications. Even different brands of medications. I'm having a big problem with hydrocodone right now. The only brand being dispensed in my area is the 1 that my body flushes.
Ironically the FDA in 2024 approved the DNA test that will tell if you will become addicted to opiods. I had the DNA test done at my expense in 2018 to see which antidepressants would help.
I'm lucky and live in a small town so know my pharmacist really well.
Hope this helps you realize, it not all in your head.🤗

This was super helpful! Thank you!