Hi there

[wanttogetbetter]

I have decided to join this forum as really feel like I could do with some advice and support (as well as offering some myself to others).
I am in my late 30's, female and have suffered with anxiety and depression for as long as I can remember. My husband has a chronic, serious illness and I have a child with special needs and just lately I have been finding life extremely hard. I have been on Dothiepin 75mg for 4 yrs, as that's the only way I can sleep (along with the odd glass of wine or 2 ;) ). The past month I have not been sleeping and have been having severe panic attacks in the middle of the night. I am so tired and scared :( Been to my gp who has been great, diagnosed me with severe depression and has offered me counselling and wants to change my meds to Mertazapine? I have been looking it up and I am really scared to try it. I do not want to gain weight and I certainly don't like the sound of the sleep problems that I have read. I am also on Zopiclone to help me sleep. So I have come off of the Dopthiepin and tomorrow am meant to be taking Mertazapine but am so reluctant, do I have another choice? Thanks for listening :)

[nomorepanic]

Hi wanttogetbetter

We just wanted to welcome you aboard to NMP. We hope you enjoy your stay here and get all the support and advice you need.

Please take some time to read the website articles on the left as well for loads of advice and tips.

[nicola1980]

Hi i tried dophiepin about 8 wks ago as i had a relapse with my anxiety and panic attacks, only reason i was given this particular med is because its safe in pregnancy as we would ideally like another baby in the near future, in the past ive been on citalopram 30mg which worked fantastic for me! I was on 75mg of dophiepin to start with and increased it to 125mg however it didn't help with my anxiety at all infact looking back i think it made me feel worse, it didn't help me sleep and was waking in the night with panic attacks however i stuck with it for around 5 wks then went back to the doc and asked for citalopram so i tapered off the dophiepin and started the cit that day, im now on day 18 of 20mg (did a wk on 10mg) and plan to increase to 30mg next week, its not been easy especially cause ive been v poorly with a kidney infection but feel im getting somewhere!! im also on sleeping tablets at the min and doc also prescribed me diazepam to help me thro any side effects of the cit!! could u maybe go back to ur doc and ask for a diff med? hope this helps!
Nicola xx

[wanttogetbetter]

Hi Nicola (nmp), thanks for the welcome :) I have been looking around the site and it looks really helpful.

Hi Nicola1980, thanks so much for sharing your experiences. Sorry to hear about your kidney infection, that's all you need on top of everything else. I am not sure what to do as due to start the mertazapine tomorrow and there is a big part of me that is thinking maybe I should just go cold turkey and take nothing. I have been off of the dothiepin for 3 days. However reading on here it has scared me that I might get really ill as stopped (gp told me to) and then not starting anything else. I am already slightly overweight but if I put on a stone for example it will make me even more depressed. Seems I can't win??? :( My gp seemed adament that this was the one I should take as I can't take ssri's. what sleeping tablets are you on? thanks again for your help xx