To plead to go back on anti depressants

[shouldnthavesaid]

GP took me off anti depressant about eight weeks ago - she said her concern was it was causing physical side effects (urine retention) and I'd be better off not taking it. I managed to come off it slowly over a week or so but I'm feeling myself more anxious , always wanting to sleep (but rarely falling asleep properly) or cry , thoughts of self harm (haven't done anything) and dwelling on past negativity . Dizzy and lightheaded and becoming more ne4vous of going out alone.

I accept anti depressants aren't a magic cure for things but I feel like they were just helping me remain stable.

I saw GP last week and explained , she said if I could beat it with anti depressants I can do it without too , just make the same decisions I did before etc.

I've got dihydrocodeine from hospital for chronic pain and I've occasionally been taking that to sleep or relax which isn't good :(

Would it be unfair for me to phone surgery and say I've given it another week and can't do it ? I have a major transition coming up and I need to not be depressed/anxious/obsessive :(

depression/anxiety are symptoms not diseases. This means that anti-depressants are everything between utterly useless and life saving , short term and permanent depending on the person and the reasons for their depression/anxiety.

OP I don't think your GP was wrong to suggest coming off them - you might have been fine. But you aren't, so you go right back in there and get back on them.

Often with MH you find people suggesting ridiculous things..but in this case the idea was sound, just wrong in this case, and tbh I know people with very much physical illness who are also constantly getting swapped on and off things and having their doses jerked around by self-important GPs.

You just need to get back in there and explain that the plan hasn't worked.

"GP did say she will talk to the nurses at surgery to see if maybe they can show me how to do self catheterization , but she said she isn't sure they will be able - and only other way they know of involves a day case admission to hospital , which has a long long waiting list. No real continence nursing services for young people she said (I'm 26) .. urology said as I only need an indwelling for four-seven days every 4-6 weeks teaching me to ISC isn't worth it apparently. "

That sounds like a load of rubbish. I was taught ISC in a 30 min appointment with a urology nurse in a consultation room at the hospital. No admission needed. I don't even have full retention. And I was 24, so I don't see what your age has to do with any of it.

I would really suggest changing your GP. They may ask why you aren't seeing her, but that's fine. Just say that you wanted some advice from someone else or just use the excuse that you couldn't get an appointment with your main one and didn't feel you could wait any longer.
You're moving in 8 weeks, so even if it annoys your main GP, it doesn't matter.

Good luck!

The female anatomy isn't difficult. You have three holes, only one leads to the bladder, you need to keep everything clean while you introduce the catheter and the ISC kits come with a pre-attached bag that will drain the urine, which is half the battle that new nurses have when they are learning to catheterise.

But the main issue is that there are so many antidepressants that if one is causing a side effect, there is another one that can be used.

go to a different doctor. Mine was the opposite and told me off for stopping. It's an illness!

I'll definitely speak to her. They've said until I've had surgery I shouldn't take any tablet that causes retention at but that's easier said than done when in chronic pain. They did say urethral opening is quite high up and hard to visualise but I'm sure I could do it by feel if I must. That sounds good that they have a bag attached, when they did an ISC in hospital they used a sick bowl to catch the wee and I wasn't sure if that's how I'm meant to do it at home. I'm a bit worried about the pain/stinging and if I hurt myself accidentally but rather try than keep going as I am . Chronic pain , depression and waiting on what seems an endless list for this surgery isn't a good way to be.