For everyone putting off going on ADs - PLEASE read this!

[Flamesparrow]

The depression is a big part of what is making you wary.

You don't want to admit it is "that bad", you want to bounce back, it is just a phase, "normal" people can snap out of it.

I have now been on them for about 6 weeks, and I feel more me than I have felt in a long, long time - possibly in years. If I can convince just one of you to go to your GP and try them, then I will have done something good today.

They aren't a magic bullet. They won't fix money worries or relationship problems. They will help actual depression though.

Just try.

i too have ignorned mild PND for almost 5 years! last month i could feel myself falling into a real black hole - and someone recommended Rholiola (sp?), which has make me feel about 75% better thankfully. I am going to give them longer to see if i continue to feel better if not i will pop off to the doctors to see how what they say,

I have been put off AD's as they docs put me on them about 2 yrs ago, adn they made me feel dreadful.

Glad they are working so well for you

Just to echo what others have said - ADs kept me going through many bits of my early 20s, and once I'd sorted my life in other ways it became clear that I have bad SAD - which is alleviated a bit by bright light, exercise, good diet, lovely people in my life, but lofepramine enables me to hold down a job during those 3-4 months each year.

If you're not suicidal and don't have problems with constipation, old-style ADs such as lofepramine often don't have the side effects that modern ones do (they have some different ones, admittedly). I also appreciate knowing that in over 30 years there's been no link at all between taking lofepramine while pregnant and any baby problems.

notcitrus, i have SAD too - do you still need them in winter?

myermay - depending on how much other stress is in my life, I start taking the ADs sometime between the first of October and mid-November, and quit late Jan to end March. My birthday is early November and I'm almost always on them by then, but importantly feeling better - they take about 3 days to start working.
Last year was good - started last week Oct, ended around mid Jan, never needed to increase the dose. The year before I was ttc and despite knowing the lack of risk, tried to cope without. Got to about 6 Nov and MrNC and family were all telling me to just take the pills! A week later I was wondering why I was trying to make things so hard for myself...

I get the lightbox out at the start of September each year, and from mid Sept (earlier if it's gloomy) will spend much of the evening sitting next to it. Also have in my diary each year fortnightly huge red scribbles saying "Have you thought about the happy pills yet?","Do you need the happy pills?""Take happy pills" and "START TAKING THE HAPPY PILLS NOW!!!"

Which can lead to people running away when you're on the train and flip through what you need to do that week...

littlewoman, its really interesting that you say that your house is tidy. Joking aside, I just cannot muster the energy or the inclination to tidy the house - I just feel defeated by it all the time.

i have terrible pmt and attacks of "blackness"

plus irrational anger and irritability

i take starflower, agnus castus, vit b & e and this helps but am still not fab.

have toyed with the idea of seeing docs on and off for few years but shy away...

and don't flame me but do you have to declare on health questionaires (ie life insurance, jobs etc) that you take ADs/suffer depression?

do i suffer from it?

tbh the only thing that sometimes makes me feel like me is a drink but for that reason i rarely drink...

i'm sorry, i'm rambling, it has not been a good day...

what will the doc most likely give you?

Sadandglum - glad the tablets are working. Maybe try these rhodiola things i'm taking - they have def. cured my irritability and calmed me down - which my dp is very happy about. I still sometimes feel like crying and overlook into things however much better than i was before.

I think you do have to declare that you are on ad's for life insurance, but i wouldn't for jobs etc.

Anywthing is worth a go. Out of interest why are you not wanting to go to the doctors?

what is rhodiola?

don't want to see dr - what if they don't take me seriously? what if they do?

don't think dh would be very happy- his x-wife took loads of ADs and other stuff and was a full on nutter - maybe it will remind him too much of bad stuff...

feel rubbish this morning but going out so will put on the happy face

is getting more and more difficult to keep up the happy face though

sadandglum, i found out about rhodiola on mumsnet, do a search.

I'm having a bit of a dull day today, just feel a bit low, but the sun is shining so it's all good!

Have you spoken to you dh about it? i don't think you can compare youreself to his ex tbh. Maybe give these herbal ones a bash, go to a good nutrition shop and get their advise. If not improved in say a month then go to the doctors. They will take you seriously.

I was prescribed ads abotu 2years ago and they made me feel so ill that i threw them down the sink.

I'm giving myself a bit longer on these and then i will go to the docs. I'm sick of ignoring it and just want to be me again.

Good luck