Those with PND, what are you taking for it?

[littleboyblue]

My gp prescribed me Fluoxetine, 20mg, one tab a day.
Is this a low dose?
I ask because my hv got ne the appointment with the gp, I went in, he told me how I felt and didn't give me much time to tell him how I'm feeling, he first tried to give me sleeping pills because I'm clearly just tired and frustrated. I said no way and he then just sort of tossed me the slip for anti-d's and said go back and see him next week.
I don't really want to take them, but kind of feel like I don't have the physical or emotional strength to keep pulling myself out of these difficult days, so maybe I do need something to help me through it.
Anyone else taking this?

So nice to see am not alone.

Am in tears typing this because I was feeling too anxious to do the nursery pick up today (haven't driven for 3 weeks as been at my mums house) and so I asked DH if he could finish 15 mins early and I drive to his work - which is a smaller, easier distance and then he do the nursery run

He got in the car and started going on about why I haven't seen a counsellor yet and that the three weeks at my mum's didn't do any good, we are back to sqaure one (i.e me feeling anxious etc) and I said look, lets put this into perspective, I only asked you to leave work 10 mins or so early. He snapped he was busy and that I need to get sorted

Have been crying and he hasn't even hugged me. I said I needed a hug and he said that won't solve anything and I was just after sympathy

I know he's suffered as a result of me having PND - i.e having to ask him to come back from work a couple of times, but he's had a three week break while I and DS were at my mums so I wasn't expecting him to be so when I got anxious about driving

Anyone else's DH have problems coping with your PND? Its a strain on the marriage really isn't it..I feel awful about it

hoodlum Swimming? What a weirdo gp!
My hv told me she wouldn't want me on them for longer than 3 months, which would mean I'd have to reduce the dose pretty soon and def not ready for that.
It's only been 3 weeks, but I can see a massive improvement already and am now worried about what if I don't like myself unmedicated, iyswim? DP told me then I'd have to stay on them forever. Sod!

PJC I'm so sorry. My dp is generally rubbish at emotional support without throwing in the PND. He has a huge lack of understanding or interest, maybe. He never hugs me. Infact, he has never hugged me just to hug me, it always has to lead to sex, and if I hug him, he calls me a weirdo.
Also, dp says that I use PND as an excuse for everything now, which isn't true. I tried to explain that the symptoms for depression included not being able to sleep, not eating, not being able to make simple decisions, not being able to face going outside some days and so on, and now it's all an excuse. Like he's going to ask me to change the tv channel and I say no, I have PND. Men.

Your GP won't force you to come off the ADs if you don't feel ready - would be very remiss of them to do that

Feel a little brighter now I've been typing out how I feel. Think DH is at saturation point with me though...I didn't even get a hug

Does anyone else feel panicky at thought of whole day ahead coping alone?

LBB 3 months doesn't seen very long to me, now your feeling better you need to sort out things with your DP then you can worrying about coming off your tablets.

Most men are crap when it comes to they're wives and children being ill, and this is an illness unfortunately they don't recognise it as one. My dh was usless last time and it caused huge problems within our marriage fortunately we came out the otherside and this time he is being very supportive, I do make sure I talk to him all the time about how we're both feeling, something we learnt the hard.
Sending you all big hugs xx

LBB sorry I don't mean that to sound harsh, just don't want to think of you taking on too much x

I want to be on them daily until at least the end of august.
Not going to make plans about it though, see what happens. The important thing is how I feel now and how I get through the days.

I think I'm going to ask gp about counselling, I think I need to work through some issues with myself, before I can sort out a couple iyswim.

Counselling sounds like a good positive step

So back at the Dr's today, she wants me to continue, thinks the side-effects will start to disappear in the next few weeks, I think the fact that mentally I'm starting to feel better means the tablets are starting to work. She's given me the questionaire again and asked me to complete it in 3 weeks to see where I'm at? I think I'm getting used to feeling off balance as it's not bothering me so much today. DH says he thinks I seem brighter so I'll just keep going.

How did dp react to your letter?

That sounds good then. I hope the side effects wear off soon, but know what you mean about getting used to feeling off balance.

He read it after I went to bed. When he got up, I asked him what his thoughts were (he's off work today and got up when ds's first went for nap), and he said he'll have to read it again because he doesn't remember what it said. Sod. Don't know why I bothered. Does that not show how much he just doesn't care? Or am I over-analysing? He thinks my problem is that I think too much, I think he doesn't think enough.......

I'm at docs this afternoon for another test.

Been to docs. He gave me another months worth. I didn't re-take the test, because there has to be 5 weeks inbetween, so I have to go back in about 2 weeks.

Littleboy - glad you have another month of the meds. I've had an up and down day...was sobbing to DH that I couldn't cope any more before dinner, then booked up after it.

Not sure whether the 40mg citalopram dose is helping atm..wondering if its making me feel worse..have been on the inc dose for about 5 weeks now

PJC 5 weeks is a long time, maybe it'd be worth having another chat with the gp, see if it's worth trying something else? Although, I still think it's pretty normal to have bad days too.
Hope tomorrow is better for you.

I'm frightened to try something new as Citalopram is what I know and it worked before...but did take longer than 5 weeks before. I have panic attacks too...awful ones where I am urging into the sink with it - do you get that?

I don't have panic attacks, I just felt completely useless, like the worlds worst mum, like every decision I made was the wrong one, and guilt. Over everything. Guilty about having another baby, guilty that I couldn't give ds2 100% attention 100% of the time, guilty that ds1 was too young to understand that I still loved him, guilty that I couldn't give ds1 100% attention 100% of the time.
That is def the worst for me, the guilt and the self-doubt. The prozac seems to have put a stop to that though, and I now realise that I am a far better mum than I thought I was, and it's not the end of the world if one of them cries for a while when I am busy with the other. I think they have helped clear my mind enough to see that I am one person. I do my very best and I just have to hope that that's good enough.
I had a really bad weekend though, ds1 was very hot, temp went to 105 and I was very scarred, dp wouldn't come home from work, so I told him we were over. so I still get a bit clouded, but all in all a thousand times better.

How long were you on them before? Maybe your body built up some sort of barrier to them? Have you told your gp about the panic attacks? What do they say? Must be awful

PJC I've had some horrible panic attacks, really frightening thankfully they've now stopped thanks to the meds. Like you although I'm having horrible side effects I know they worked well last time so am relutant to change, I did try Prozac last time but they sent me hyper!!
These things really do take time and I don't think you wake up one morning and feel fantanstic it's very gradual. Many people on Ad's say they really didn't feel better for 3 months and then suddenly they tought 'actually I feel much better now'.
Like I may have mentioned before my DH was pretty usless last time. I often called him at work and he's be busy and unable to help! I guess what's different this time is that he understands more and I have a really good group of friends that help me through the days. There children are all at school now so have the time to help, they are so great.

Have you got any other family or friends that could help you out?

LBB how you doing today? How's things with DP? I hope your working it out together

I've got my mammogram tomorrow which I'm a bit apprehensive about. I'm not worried they'll find something just that it's really meant to hurt, expecially as I'm so small [hmm}

Evening. I din't know that Prozac could send you a bit hyper. This would explain the recent behaviour of a mum at my play group. She has been taking them for a while, but came off them and has recently gone back on them.
I'm god today. Tired. I wrote a letter to dp and have had no response, but everything seems to be back to normal. He never talks about these issues whenever we row or have a bad few days, it's just forgotten til the next time which isn't very healthy.

What time's your mammogram tomorrow? I'm sure you'll be fine. Let us know how you get on. Goodluck

evening ladies. Sorry that dps/dhs are generally being arses. Its really hard for anyone not feeling PND to understand it - I'm really lucky (you could say) that my lovely friend across the road also suffers, so we have lots of coffee and citalopram chats Anyone else would think we were mad, but we know what each other is experiencing..

hoodlum it definitely makes a difference to talk to someone going through the same thing. I tend to be quite honest about most things, and a few days ago, a woman I have met a few times at playgroup said she was amazed at how well I seemed to be coping with 2 so young, so I told her. Prozac. At first she thought I was joking, but when she realised I was being serious, she started looking at me like I have 2 heads! (I don't btw)

What I find amazing, is that there are a lot of us out there taking medication for depression and yet in RL, hardly anyone admits to it. I spoke to a mum in my work a while ago about it, and I know she had similar as she was off for months with it, she didn't even want to chat about it! I'm very upfront about it as its the only way forward

Hate all the breezy oh yes its all easy blah blah comments!

You poor thing, its a bloody awful time when you have a little crying baby and a toddler. I had ds2 when ds1 was 3. He was a nightmare baby, would not let me put him down ever unless being pushed in pram, he was such hard work, 3 demanding and backslid in his toilet training. At one point I was wiping ds1's pooey backside whilst ds2 was attached to my breast - after a C-section. I eventually went on fluoextine also (same dose I think) and it was marvellous. Gave me the runs a bit and lost my appetite but it was worth it. Saw me through that really awful patch. When I came off it after 8 months I was able to cope much better - it's just a really really hard phase to get through. You have all my sympathy. It will get better tho - ds2 now 2 and really enjoying them both.

you'd be amazed how many mums are on medication. silly woman for looking at you like that.

not 3 mean ds1. I must go to bed...

PJC Me too. I feel that if me talking and being open about my experiences helps just one person feel slightly better about theirselves, then it's worth going through. Another mum I have been chatty with (just about normal kiddie stuff) seems to be having a rough time getting her dd to eat, sleep and generally do anything. It looks like it's really getting her down. She commented on how I would have been heavily pregnant when ds1 was the age of her dd and she asked how I managed, I told her that luckily, ds1 has always been quite good and 'easy' at most things, but now I find I need a little boost so I am having meds to help, and for a second, I think I saw relief pass over her face, think it made us both smile.
kiera Thank you. Always nice to be reminded that we will come out the other side There's 18 months between my 2. At the moment, I'm kind of wishing we'd left it a bit longer, but I know that'll change in a few months.

Can I ask those of you who are taking or have taken prozac, did you get side effects? If so, how long after you started taking them?

I started 5 days ago and feel fine. Actually I feel much happier (placebo effect?) - perhaps because it's a relief to admit that things were getting too much for me.

No side effects so far, but perhaps it takes longer for them to appear?

I agree that it's good to be open about taking ADs, I think depression is stigmatised far too much in our culture. However I'm not sure how many mums I will talk to about this. Have so far only confided in two friends, both of whom have professional background in psychology, so I suppose it was a safe bet that they'd be understanding and supportive. I will try to be brave and open about my AND/PND, whichever it is.

Next week I need to tell my midwife that I'm taking prozac. I am praying she won't use it as a reason to oppose my hopes of a homebirth. I had DD at home 2 years ago and I want to do the same again.

naturelover I wrote out a reply earlier, but I got crashed out of the site. Again.
I'm on prozac, it's been about a month now. The only side-effects I have had is really bad PMT, but don't know if that's connected, this is my 1st period (TMI), and for about a week, I felt really drained about 30 mins after taking pill in the morning. Think this happened in 2nd week.

How is everyone today?