I am too scared to take my anti-depressants

[huffpuff]

GP prescribed them to me on Monday and i am too scared to take them.

I have PND and finally plucked up the courage to ask for anti d's (have been seeing my dr for months about pnd but we both agreed to try and cope without medication).

I am scared of the side effects and how they're going to make me feel.

Im on 20mg of Fluoxetine (sp?)

Am frightened! Please help

friendly advice - maybe in a friendly manner but you dont know this woman she has been prescibed AD's by her doctor - WHICH she has been seeing for months and WHO has agreed a period of non medical intervention

Its not like he had a fuck this attitude - write a script and "NEXT patient please" is it.

its not your mother.

now the girls off to hippy& barretts to get st johns wort when she could have a genuine chemicle imbalance that the tablets could have helped

chill out custy

SeaSalty

AD's are not a 'quick fix'. Your post is going to reinforce OP's fears that she has somehow 'failed' or is 'weak' for accepting that she may need more than exercise or herbal remedies to manage her depression.

AD's let you function so that you can start to address the issues that may underlie the depression.

Jeez Custardo

Take a chill pill

Are you still with us Huff puff?

fine whatever.

they should just shove some more prozac in the water supply and then everyone would be sorted

I agree with you Custy, its right what you are saying.

huff i agree with custardo that you shoudl think carefully before letting total strangers on the internet sway your opinion. however, it seems as if you wanted to hear that there were alternatives as you are uncomfortable with ADs.

Custy, to counter your posts though, very few GPs have any specific training in mental health issues and ime most give ADs out at the first hint of depression....which isn't good imo.

Am also amazed that afaics no one has mentioned looking at therapeutic intervention. Talking to someone might be as effective and less frightening for you personally than ADs.

You would be perfectly entitled to go back to your GP and ask them to refer you for some counselling.

she's seeing the counsellor next week sophable (in one of her posts)

her first post says this

"I have PND and finally plucked up the courage to ask for anti d's (have been seeing my dr for months about pnd but we both agreed to try and cope without medication). "

doesnt sound like a doctor wanting to fob someone off to me.

"How can depression be treated?
There are several different treatments for depression. The most commonly used include antidepressant medication, which may be prescribed by your doctor, and certain forms of counselling, which can help people explore different ways of thinking about and coping with their problems.

However, there is another treatment for depression - exercise therapy - that can be as effective as antidepressants and counselling. Several scientific studies have shown that a regular programme of exercise can help people recover from depression - lifting their mood, reducing anxiety and improving self-esteem and concentration. They have also found that taking regular exercise can help protect people against becoming depressed in the first place."

this from the Mental Heatlh Org website

noone is saying she shouldnt take the anti ds but there ARE valid alternatives for mild to moderate depression

absolutely. but equally huff also sounds like someone that came on here looking for a way out of taking them. she is scared.

she wants help and what is being offered is medication. but that is not the ONLY help that is available.

i think we are in furious agreement by the way, i'm not arguing that she shouldn't take the ADs prescribed.

foxinsocks, I think prozac in the water is already an issue, what with people on it peeing

agree totoally with sophable [fawn]

here's some of the diagnostic criteria to assess whether someone has mild/severe depression

There is actually almost no evidence whatsoever of depression being caused by a spontaneous chemical imbalance. There is also very little evidence that anti-depressants work for the majority of people. In placebo controlled trials they don't do that well. For some people, yes, they do work, but not better than exercise, a good diet, supplements and other practical measures, such as walking outdoors, seeing friends, doing things you enjoy, writing a gratitude journal and many other things. I am not denying that some people find anti-depressants very useful or that depression is a serious illness, but it is not hippy nonsense to suggest there are other very effective treatments.

I know bundle - here's the story I was thinking of

prozac found in water supply

aloha

we agree

I was almost too nervous to read your post

Yes but surely, whether the chemical imbalance is spontaneous or not is not the issue.. it's the fact that it does exist in depressed people and the anti depressants can go some way towards correcting it, thereby paving the way for people to be able to reintroduce the things they enjoy, excersising, socialising etc back into their lives.

I would describe them as a temporary crutch to lean on.

I think if you've been seeing a supportive doctor for months, your PND isn't improving, you've tried to cope without medication, you've signed up to see a counsellor and you've actively asked for ADs, then it's pretty unwise to suggest someone doesn't, at least, try them.

I agree with some of that Aloha.

I worked really hard on my diet. Cutting things out like fizzy drinks, chocolate and sweets, cheese, no alcohol.

At xmas we were given loads of crap food, I gave in and in the next 2 days I felt quite bad again.
So it does have an affect.

huffpuff

You say you have been talking to GP about depression for months. What other interventions have you tried? Have you been able to exercise, eat well, write journal?

For some people, I think PND can get so bad that, whilst you may 'know' that these things will help, you can't actually get motivated or find the confidence to do them.

AD's may help you find the inner resources to make positive changes to your lifestyle.

Talking cures and exercise are very effective but only if you can get out there to do them.

the thread has twisted

the girl came on wanting wanting some informationa bout AD's obviouly becuase she didn't have any.

katysaid gave some good advice

i was bumping with some glib remark - that i thought was funy and huff didn't

seasalt says - have you tried st johns wort.

Now i am not saying there arn't other ways of dealing with depression.

i have my own experiences whch are numerously listed in archives no doubt. I struggle daily. I certainly am not advocating Precribed mecicines as the be all and end all of treatments WHAT i am saying is that maybe she should follow her GP's advice - then try this other stuff.

and that maybe we shouldn't be advocating as a first choice something other than her doctor who knows her history is advocating WHICH i may add - she hasn't tried.

FOR your information.

MY personal view of ADs ( as every opne else puts in a personal view) is for me they didn't work. I stopped crying. For me i needed motivation to get my life on track - i found my motivation.

I didn't think however MY personal experience would have been helpful - to someone scared of taking drugs prescribed by the doctor - a doctor who presumable has more facts than i, a doctor who has been seeig her regularly and agreed on a non medical intervention for the short term.

Hi all - sorry had to take dd to reception class open day (was stressed about that and started a thread!)

Anyway, i have read most of your replies and thanks for taking the time to post.

I have the packet of anti d's sitting on my dining room table and can start them as soon as i want - its just getting started thats the problem.

I know anti d's work for lots and lots of people and some have different side effects to others and some have none at all. Personally, i'm just scared of my anxiety getting worse atm. Silly, yeah i know. But i cant help the way i feel.

Im scared of just feeling any worse than i do right now. I know realistically i may have to go through that to get to the "other side" and be rid of the pnd. I know all that. I know that i need to help myself all i can.

Its just taking the first pill that i cant seem to do.

But......... i think i will start tomorrow morning.

Having read your posts (and im not being swayed here, i have given it lots of thought and have spoken in length with my dr about this) i just feel that i have tried everything else and maybe anti ds in connection with counselling is the way to go.

Have to go and cook dinner now but will be back later.

Thanks for all the advice and support XX

hi huff puff,
i just wanted to say i know how scared you feel as i did too this time last year. i too am on 20mg of fluxoetine and things are so much better for me. i didnt feel worse than before when i started taking them they took about 10 days to kick in and during that time i felt a bit nauseous light headed and spaced out for a few days. i know it sounds silly but a lot of it is pshychology, once i took that first tablet i knew that they were going to help me to feel better so the more i thought that the quicker i felt they had kicked in.
Just remember that PND is a chemical imbalance in the brain and the AD's are there to balance you they are not addictive (esp in such a low dose as 20mg) and they will not alter your personality. They dont cure PND, they just help you stay calm and focused in times of stress .
hth x