Depression

[Hammy]

My GP warned me not to take St John's Wort if you are breastfeeding, as there haven't been any studies to assess if there is any effect on the baby

I've had no voice since March, a sympton now being treated by a speech therapist and put down entirely to work stress and I've found saint John's wort very effective. I was recommended it by the lady in Holland and barrett after i'd refused the GP's prescription of beta-blockers! The only prob I've heard about it is that it can make you more sensitive to the sun. I've also found the Bach Flowers rescue remedy good - even if it's just a placebo effect my mind thinks something has worked!

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Thanks robinw - very interesting! I know this is caused by stress though as the moment I resigned from a very stressful job it started to get a fair bit better. I went back there last week to see some colleagues and by the time I'd got upstairs to the department I could only croak! Weird ugh?! New teaching job in Sept - can't wait!

hello star, you ae not alone. i have have been sufferring from depression for some time, but i am the kind of person that just brushes it to one side, that was until i broke down in tears in front of my GP.it was not having children but seperating from my partner that really brought it on.i am on medication for this, which is a ahort term thing, but something i thought i would never do, i can now see that it isnt the end if you need help, also i dont think this is the right way to go for everyone but it is a start if you can recognise that you are depressed.as for moving to a sunnier climate, i would live to but you have to look at solutions that are within reach.

hello, i was on anti d's for years and i can see the benefits. i also used to work for a mental health charity. i just thought i'd add that staying on them for at least 6 months after you feel better is supposed to be advisable (and having come off them too soon in the past i agree with this advice).i came off when pregnant - i've been prescribed them again but sadly don't care enough to get the presc. filled - still here tho'!!

I've been taking Seroxat for two years, (anxiety, panic attacks and depression) and have tried to come off them 3 times. Each time I get dreadful nausea, heads, dizziness etc. I've tried cutting them in half, every other day and so on. It is harder to come off than one thinks. I desperately want to as I have put on two stone, mostly around my middle, apparently a common sympton. Any one else tried Seroxat (Paxil, Paroxetine) and withdrawn with success?

Hi
Have also taken Seroxat for a couple of years after PND. I tried to come off it about a year ago but felt awful again. Am now trying to come off agin and am down to 10mg per day. What dose are you on? It was reassuring to see that you also put on weight with it.....I couldn't understand why I'd got so much bigger.
Good Luck!!

I had real problems too. Was like being in a goldfish bowl for 10 days. I also had a spontaneous abortion while it happened and I am 100% sure it is because of the seroxat. I didn't even know I was pregnant because my periods were so messed up in the weeks I came off and I am usually someone you can adjust your clock by. I reported it to the side-effects commission in the country I live in but noone really cared.

do you mean you had the spontaneous abortion whilst coming off the seroxat?? or on it?? i took that for years and had several of these but never made a connection. this time had a successful pregnancy which could be for any reason i know, but i came off them sharpish because i felt ok and it was a good excuse to withdraw. it worked for me most of the time but coming off and also the peaks and troughs which occur naturally with depression causing effects as though you are withdrawing (if you see what i mean) felt so grim that it really makes you wonder if you want to put that stuff down your neck. the problem is that sometimes you just don't have much choice if you are going to survive.

someone i knew who was very knowledgable about medication said that they cannot possibly be classed as non-addictive if the side effects on withdrawal are (for some people) so awful. that sounds a bit stupid but makes some sense. if you accept that, then we should be sort of more serious (for want of a better word) about coming off the medication and treat it like a proper part of the illness. my experience was that it was treated as a minor thing because 'it's not addictive'. recovery is such a scary thing for all sorts of reasons. it's such a long journey it's hard to keep motivated, i know. good luck with it one and all.

Kizzie, sorry for the delay in replying, just got back from Dubai! I started on 20mg and after two months went up to 30mg as I was starting to wake at night again. I cut it back to 20mg quite successfully after 3 months.

I have tried taking it every other day, I used to forget to take it and couldn't remember whether I had or not! I am trying to survive on 10mg a day, the first sympton to reappear is the waking and staying awake from 3.18 till 5.23am. Yes, that precise!

I really want to come off, my GP said they weren't addictive and had less side effects than other anti D's. I think they are addictive or else I wouldn't have a problem withdrawing. They have also a long half life which is part of the problem.I also hate this extra weight I am carrying, getting on for 3 stone now, it is the only thing different, I don't eat any more than I did before I started to take them, infact I eat far less.

I'm going to go and see my GP again and ask him about Prozac, apparently you can take them just as and when you need them. Anyone any experience of Prozac?

Alibubbles, you need to take Prozac every day, it takes about 14 days to kick in. I didnt enjoy taking it, found it suppressed every emotion, didnt enjoy being a zombie.

Hi Alibubbles,
I took Prozac first and to be honest hated it. I felt absolutely terrible on it - even worse then before. BUT I have a friend who took it for PND and she calls it her miracle drug. So....I think they all work in different ways on different people. It does have a longer half life than Seroxat (so you can take it say every other day if doctor suggests it - but that doesn't mean you can take it as and when you need it- still needs to be taken on a regular basis.)

Ems, In USA Prozac has been licensed for PMT, a friend's GP (in UK) has recognised this and has prescribed her Prozac which she take for only 7-10 days a month. I know prozac hasn't got a half life so when you don't take it you don't get withdrawal - so I'm told. I don't know if this is true.
I just want to find out as much info as possible before I see my GP again.

I woke up this morning with a real crashing headache and sense of distance,trembly, dizzy, breathless, hard to explain the feelings really, but I know it is because I haven't taken any Seroxat for 3 days. I've taken 10mg this morning, let's hope it works soon!I never thought I would be taking antidepressants, I, like someone else on here said, normally brushes this sort of thing to one side. Believe me, when you think you're going to die - heart attack symtoms, chest pain, pain down your arm, panic attacks, sense of being outside yourself, it is not easy to seek help.
I went to my GP three times in 15 months, each time he sent me away and said come back in two weeks. It was not until I broke down in his surgery he said, Yes, you are depressed, you have generalised anxiety, that he gave me Seroxat saying these aren't addictive and have less side effects than others.
The nightmares I had were scarey, like light bulbs exploding in my head! but at least I could sleep and the panic attacks disappeared overnight. I think I sleep too heavily now, but at least I sleep! I'd never suffered loss of sleep before, even when the children were babies, they both slept through from 4/5 weeks old, and never woke up in the night. Now they're teens, they still sleep forever, they just go to bed later than us!

Thanks for reading this, it is good to hear from other people, and to know that you are not alone. My biggest problem was admitting to my closest friend I was on Anti D's, she was mortified that she wasn't aware that I was having a problem, one that I couldn't even share with my best friend. It seems to be something one is ashamed to admit.
Everyone says I am the one who copes, keeps 10 balls in the air, one handed! ask Alibubbles. she'll know, she'll help etc. They were all stunned when they found out, so never be surprised to find out who has depression, it may be your best friend!
I'm not ashamed to admit it now, probably because I feel more in control and am on my way to being better, it helps to talk about it, but it enver fails to surprise people when they hear me confess!
Good luck to anyone else like me and thanks to all for help and suggestions.

Kizzie, I didn't get your post until after I'd posted mine, so probably seems to be out of sync. Thanks for the info.

Alibubbles - I know what you mean about other people not realising you are depressed because you seem to be the one always coping. I found that the best thing I ever did was admit to my friends and family that I was depressed - I find it so much easier to cope with my 'black days' now.

My mum has always said that depression is in some ways like alcoholism - often hidden from others; recovery cannot start until YOU admit you have a problem; never truly goes away, once a depressive always a depressive even if you haven't had an attack for ages.

I no longer take anti-Ds - I've found that having a support network of close family and friends works far better for me. And a really good crying session once in a while does you the world of good - even if you haven't got a clue what you are crying about!

HELP - someone just sent me an instant message in response to that last post - but I hit the wrong key and lost it! Whoever you are - if you're still reading - please get in touch again.

Thanks

As with any illness, depression need treatment by a specialist.
Find a good psychologist, and talk you problem through.
Pills wont fix the problem - it just buries them.
I know, I've been there.
First quack kept me dosed up on all sorts of tranquilisers for five years.
It nearly cost me my marriage.
Found a new Doctor who was marvellous, he treated the symptoms.
We sorted out what was depressing me, and set about curing.
That was thirty years ago. I've been well ever since.
Wouldn't touch antidepresants now, including Prozac.
Heard too many bad stories about Prozac.
Don't be ashamed to seek medical advise and talk it through, find out what is causing your depression.
Your brain gets to be like a mixed up filing cabinet, and needs to be sorted out.
Depression is an illness and nothing to be ashamed of.

I talked to my GP about counselling, but decided that wasn't what I needed.
I don't need to talk to a stranger about my problems. I didn't have any problems, I just felt ill. I am very close to my mother and father, and sister, despite the fact my sister lives in Riyadh. I talk to her every other day. I needed something to help with the physical aspects of my illness. Seroxat did this, quicker than I could have thought possible, I didn't realise how awful I felt until I felt better.

I have taken anti D's before for PND, I have two children a year apart - our choice, I was sterilised when my son was 5 months old, but fell pregnant after 12 weeks, had a termination at 7 weeks 5 days, which they also botched up. I didn't have a problem with the termination, I only wanted 2 children and close together. It was the right decision.people said I would always think about the child who would have been born, it's birthday etc, But no, neither of us did. I thinl my husband has forgotten about it completely. I have until the subject comes up, I'm not ashamed of it, even though I lost a close friend who was having problems conceiving and had 3 failed IVF's.

I became weepy and emotional, irritable etc. went to see my GP who said I was depressed and gave me Prothiadin (Dothiepin) gain I didn't realise how bad I felt until I felt better. I took them for 10 months and weaned myself off them very succesfully.
One morning I woke up and thought, I feel great, I am better, it was exactly one year to the day I'd had the termination. This was 14 years ago.

I am the last person anyone would expect to be depressed, confident, outgoing, motivated, intelligent, dynamic - I could go on for ever! infact I think depression is a very misleading word, or else my understanding of it is very different to everone else's.

I have the most fantastic caring loving husband, lovely children (apart from being teenagers!) a lovely house and a good income, what more could I need? Some people would call me selfish and self indulgent, but I give generously of my time to others, Post natal support, school gov, talks to GP/clinic post natal mums on returning to work and looking for childcare, active uin local politics and much more, studying for a BA(Hons) in ECHS, and more! probably to my own detriment. I have also just volunteered to train for Parentline.

Infact, I think being able to sound off here is one of the best outlets. I am so glad I found this site, thank you to all for your contributions

Sorry about the double post, I thought it hadn't posted.

Depression doesn't have to be caused by problems within your life, as such. It can be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain, which maybe is what happened to you, Alibubbles.

Hi everyone.
I was totally and utterly opposed to the pills before I started taking them and tried absolutely everything else first. My sister begged me not to take them because she thought it was the beginning of the end. So did I. In the end I was so desperate and so ill that they really were the last hope. I had no history of depression.
I understand entirely when people say that pills aren't the answer but I'm afraid sometimes they are the ONLY answer.
It's taken me a long time to accept this but I was very seriously ill because of a chemical imbalance in my brain. There was nothing wrong in my life and ironically had everything to be happy with / to live for.
I did have counselling - but this was to cope with the trauma of having Post Natal Depression.

alibubbles, i'm really interested in what you mean by depression being a misleading word. i think it's perhaps overused (someone once told me that the term 'clinical depression' is meaningless and is just used to make it sound more acceptable as an illness rather than just feeling sorry for yourself). what does the term mean to you that makes it misleading???

i think maybe that when you've had a bit of experience of being ill with depression you start to know when you feel unhappy and when you are depressed. in some ways it can be really scary to realise you're not unhappy, but you are depressed. although, as you say in that case it's probably a chemical inbalance. i'd rather have 'real' problem to solve. (that's quite an interesting thing to think - so depression isn't a real problem?? or just a bad choice of words???)

• at college my tutor said that it's hard to be happy when you're clever and sensitive. my baby's dad thinks about nothing - i think to an extreme degree - i find myself doing the thinking for him and wonder about all sorts of tragic experiences he may have had which makes him refuse to think about anything. i asked him once if he was smacked as a child (talking about how having a baby makes you look again at how you were brought up) - he said he didn't know - how can you not know?

Gumsy, I think it is probably people's perception. When you hear some one say "Oh she's depressed........she's on antidepressants......what does that present in your mind?

Anyhow, I went to the GP on Thursday and said I have been trying to come off Seroxat for three months and three times, he asked me what symptoms I was getting, it is withdrawal I am experiencing. I had a really crap day yesterday, sick, nauseous, dizzy, not safe to drive, lousy, irritable....get the picture! Bloody miserable, I never felt miserable when I was"depressed"

I asked about using Prozac at the same time and explained what I'd read on the internet, he was aware of having seen something in one of his journals, so gave me Prozac for 2 months to try.
Now I've got them I'm scared to take them, I don't feel too bad today because I gave in and took 10mg of Seroxat yesterday afternoon.

I have only taken about a total of 6 tablets (20mg cut in half) since the beginning of August and my usual dose is 20mg a day. I went from 30mg to 20mg no problem. I am going to try cutting in half again (5mg) in a few days time. SEROXAT is addictive, don't let anyone tell you otherwise, even the patient info says it isn't. Us Seroxat users know otherwise. I never thought I would be addicted having successfully used anti D's 14 years ago.