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no more antidepressants for old me

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Posted 9/2/2006 7:08 AM (GMT -8)
since i have birth to my baby daughter who was 4 months ago , i put on an antidepressant which was  called sertraline and sleeping pills which i took everynight until one of the pills that i was taking was interacting with each other. so i stopped taking the antidepressant and left myself on the sleeping pill which also made me very ill as well physically and mentally before i stopped taking them too as i was still taking them  every night to help me still sleep since stopping the serttraline.  since then  , i have some other new antidepressants which has not agreed with me as i very sensitve to different types of drugs . the very last one that put me on was a  antidepressant called lexapro is a stronger version of celexa who starts woking faster and has a lower side effects  profile . i took lexapro 10mg for a whole month and then had to stop it very adruptly cos it was making me feel a 100 times much more worse . it also suppressed my apetite , gave me severe insomnia , extreme fatigue and full blown really painful migraines which i had all day nearly everyday . i have been a depressive since i was 16 years and i am 37 years old now . tried so many types of different medication since then which some did work and  some  didn't work on me . anyway my doctor has just told me that i will never get any medication at all for my depressive illness anymore . that is scary me alot . i have always relied on medication for my depression .  sad     
Posted 9/2/2006 7:14 AM (GMT -8)
Dont rely on it so much.
Try taking healthy vitamins i know its not the same but it would help alot.
Take Omega 3 fish oil pills they help with moodswings. and im sure other things.

But if these arnt helping you and they just make you worse you need to stop taking them before they damage your body in ways that wouldnt be pretty.
Posted 9/2/2006 7:45 AM (GMT -8)

Hi Sue, Are you seeing a Psychiatrist for management of your medications?  If not I would strongly suggest one as they are more appropriate in treating these type of disorders and are more familiar with the medications and reactions. 

A lot of these medications can have some severe side effects; I have been on several antidepressants in the past that affected me in terrible ways.  When starting a new medication it is so important to keep close contact with your physician incase there is a problem instead of just stopping the medication yourself which can be extremely dangerous.  Often times the doctor will view this as non-compliance with their treatment plan.  I don’t know if this is what the situation is here or not.  But you should be able to speak openly to your physician regarding your medication regime and what to expect in the future.

So, in my opinion I think you need to find out exactly why he feels that he doesn’t need to or wont prescribe you medication any longer.  If it isn’t something that you agree with then you always have the option of finding a new doctor.

Posted 9/2/2006 8:37 AM (GMT -8)
I would not give up on Antidepressants. I took many of the SSRI's to no avail (such as Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, Cymbalta, etc) and had bad side effects. I almost gave up until I was put in the Hospital last year for untreated depression. I was taking SAM-e for three years until it pooped out on me. Before I was put in the hospital, I was relying on "natural" medication for anxiety and depression such as 5-HTP and GABA. However, in my personal experience and opinion..these over the counter supplements are not strong enough for someone with long-term/chronic and major/clinical depression. These are not regulated by the FDA, one does not know where they are made, and how much to take. It can all be quite confusing and daunting. If you want to try the natural/alternative route, I would suggest seeing a doctor who specializes in this..such as a Naturopath. They can put you on a treatment plan, as I am sure they may know the correct dosage for depression. I was relying on the people who worked at Health food stores, who may have never experienced severe depression and anxiety. It just made me feel confused and I had no idea what interactions there may possibly be.

You may want to look into different classes of antidepressants such as Tricyclics, or Tetracyclics. (I am currently on a Tetracyclic called Remeron). These are older meds, but still used as they have been shown to be very effective. Maybe talk to a Psychiatrist who is more knowledgeable about depression and medication rather than a general practitioner/Physician.
Posted 9/2/2006 9:45 AM (GMT -8)
it the psychartrist who told me that medication is not the answer . maybe he is right ! there is natural alterantives out there which is much more safer and healthier than these man made drugs which is full of checimals which will ruin your brain and body in the end if you carry on taking them all the time as they stored in every bit of your body doing more damage   nono    
Posted 9/2/2006 9:53 AM (GMT -8)
Sue, you and your doctor know what is best because everyone is different. Pdoc is right, medication isn't THE answer but a combination of things might be. Whatever you do, don't stop therapy because someone outside of you needs to be able to see what is going on. Depression can fool us into thinking lots of things that are not true, you know that. While you are getting things sorted out please be sure to continue with therapy.
Posted 9/3/2006 3:43 AM (GMT -8)

sexysue said... there is natural alterantives out there which is much more safer and healthier than these man made drugs which is full of checimals which will ruin your brain and body in the end if you carry on taking them all the time as they stored in every bit of your body doing more damage       

Sue, I do understand that this is your opinion of antidepressants.  However, they are completely safe and there is NO scientific data what so ever to support that they "ruin your brain and body" during use or even long term use of them.  Antidepressants have helped greatly for people who suffer from Depression and Major Depression and who otherwise without them may not be here today.

Posted 9/16/2006 3:21 PM (GMT -8)
Hi Sexysue,

Unfortunately, alternative medication also has synthesized chemicals in them, and none are completely safe and without side effects and possible interactions with food or other medications. St. Johns Wort (if you google it, it will show all the side effects) is not completely safe as well as many others. Just because it states that this is "natural", does not mean it is healthier or mean they are "natural" by any means. No one knows where these homeopathic remedies and and herbs are made, whats really in them, the dosage to take (three to six pills a day is pretty vague) and they are not FDA regulated. Please be very careful and research any medication, whether alternative or traditional.
Posted 9/16/2006 5:48 PM (GMT -8)

i have taken nearly every single AD on the market and had overwheleming ly bad  side effects from all which is why either they stopped working or didnt work for me.

i have tried the litany of them all even remeron. i had a brain eeg and Qeeg which showed in nov 05 when i had a seziure that i scored (0-4)

a '1' which is not normal. 4 is the worst epliesy i think gran mal.

so i can say that becasue of taking some of these AD for over the years on and off, that i think it helped to casue some of my brain to misfire.

i tried zoloflt again, it put me to sleep for 18 hours nearly straight.

i do think some of these espec EFFEXOR are quite dangerous to you r brain and function and can make you worse coming off them. i know i been there and my brains are cooked from them all but still i search out the right pill to shoot dwon what i have wrong with me. at 50 it is no easy task the dcos throw up their hands and this all began with a crash taht i didnt want ask for or need

Posted 9/19/2006 6:45 AM (GMT -8)
Sue,

I am sorry your feeling badly.  The drugs didn't work for me either but they do work for a lot of people.  Take a look at my thread if you are thinking of natural alternatives.  Also there are a lot of holilistic therapies that may help.  Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!

:-)  Annie

Posted 9/19/2006 3:42 PM (GMT -8)
I just think of when I am depressed..that my depression is very dangerous if left untreated..I think of it in terms, that my brain chemicals is damaged, misfiring and off balance - which in itself is very dangerous..and that the antidepressants make it balanced again. Like a diabetic who needs insulin. They don't deny themselves insulin. Chronic and severe depression can be dangerous if self-treated without a doctor or holistic practionioner or left untreated. I thank God for antidepressants every day..they may not be perfect..and they may have their side effects..but for the first time in forty years..I feel normal and can function..go to work..and have stable relationships with my friends and co-workers.
Posted 9/20/2006 8:39 AM (GMT -8)

Rianna, My depression is just as you described yours...extremely dangerous if left untreated.  I couldn’t have said it any better myself.  No, these medications are not perfect and they do have their side effects and down falls of when you have to come off of them.  I too have taken several antidepressants that didn’t work for me and made me feel worse or even psychotic if you want to go there....BUT, I hung in there with my doctors to find the right medications to treat it.  First it was Zoloft which I was on for about 5 yrs then it started to quit on me so I had to go off of it and started on Effexor XR.  This has been a life saver for me because I was at a very low point when I started it.  I won’t elaborate on that...

Sue - It is so important to keep in mind when making strong opinions about medications that everyone is different and is going to react differently to them.  What works for me may not work for you...but I wouldn’t want to scare someone off from getting on antidepressant treatment just because of one's own personal opinion and experience.  Please keep this in mind....
Posted 9/29/2006 9:52 AM (GMT -8)
I agree with you both- if left untreated depression is very dangerous.  I would never advocate going off something cold turkey or without speaking to your dr first.  I went off the drugs gradually.  BUT I did speak to professional and it took a few months for me to do it.  I also want to add that if you start taking something else like an herb to tell your dr bc there can be interactions....Just be careful and check in with a professional. 

Stay Healthy and Take care!

Annie

Posted 10/2/2006 1:26 PM (GMT -8)
Rianna...I am confused. It was your recommendation that had me call my wife and head to Costco for Sam-e. Now I read that you gave up on it.

I'm in a boat now where I am actually afraid to try anything until I have all the Oxy IR out of me and I know more about what is going on with my adrenal problem. I sure hope the Sam-e that worked for you at least for awhile works for me.

My hope is that Sam-e maybe have pooped out as other anti-depressant drugs do after awhile.
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