I have been on antidepressants since 2010 with no break but have changed types. For me there is no fog or any identifiable symptoms from using them. If I forget a day then I know about it however! That said other people have different experiences and do get side effects, so it really depends on the person.
In terms of HRT there was no interaction at all. I'm on Venlafaxine which is a second line SNRI antidepressant. You'd probably start on a SSRI like Sertraline or Fluoxetine as they are far less stressful on your system and have very few interactions.
There is no problem being on them if you feel you need that help. And as long as you need too.
Charlotte 😻