Yvonne
23-07-06, 09:26
Hi All
I wondered if anyone could offer me some advice as I'm having a bad time at the moment with meds again!!! All comments and points of view welcome please.
Came off Citalapram 6 weeks ago due to the fact that I only ever had a partial response to it. It was raised to highest dosage of 60 when I developed dry eye syndrome which was very painful.
I was then put on Nortriptylene and this caused an irregular heart rythm and I had to stop taking it abruptly after four weeks.
I was then put back on 30mg dosage of Citalapram for three weeks which had little effect on my depression and anxiety. In fact I know the Citalapram made my anxiety worse.
Six weeks ago the psychiatrist decided to try me on Sertraline - she wanted to try another ssri before moving on to Venlaflaxine or Duloxetine.
I had to decrease the Citalapram over a two week period and stop whilst I was on a 50mg dosage of Sertraline. I then had to up the Sertraline to 100mg. Saw the psych again and told her I was still tearful and anxious. She said that I would need 150mg of this medication and I had to raise it at the end of the following week.
All this time I was feeling no better but just kept hoping that once the med kicked in I would feel better.
The following day after raising to 150mg I woke with a bad back ache, very stiff at the base of the spine and in the buttock area. I didn't worry too much at first and thought I may have strained myself.
A week went by and nothing was easing the back pain. I was taking Paracetemol which was having little effect.
I did do a little research on Sertraline to see if there was any side effect of back ache. There was but it was something like one in a 100 people and therefore wasn't mentioned on the patient info leaflet.
I told the psych about my back and she said it was purely coincidental and that she had never come across back ache or stiffness in that area with Sertraline. I told her I was still feeling very low and she said it was early days yet med wise. I knew that and I guessed that it may take up to 8 weeks for this med to kick in.
The psych told me to go to the gp and get my back checked out which I did. The gp has no involvement with my anti depressants since she withdrew me from Seroxat nearly two years ago - and she did it the wrong way and I went into a bad withdrawal. It was then she handed me over to a psychiatrist to sort out the med situation.
She looked at my back and made me turn this way and that etc. She said that it was muscular - no sign of injury. She told me that exercise is good for back ache. I told her I exercise daily more than most.
I asked her if it could be the med causing it and she said that the meds can cause muscular aches. I asked what I should do and she did not want to comment. She told me it was up to me! What did I think I should do?!!!!
I managed to squeeze out of her that if it was her she would be inclined to decrease the medication. I told her that I was feeling very very low and she said that anti depressants don't always work for people. She said it's a matter of lifestyle as well.
I wanted to scream at her that for the last year and a half of suffering from awful depression and anxiety I have tried and tried and tried. I have walked into panic despite feeling dreadful. I have forced myself to keep getting out all the time. I don't sit and feel sorry for myself all day I have tried everything I know.
I reduced the med last Wednesday to 100 and my back is still very stiff and even getting dressed is hard.
I feel very low and am crying at the drop of a hat. The decrease of Sertraline from 150 to 100 may have made me feel worse and I am aware of that but I just feel like I can't win.
I am seeing the psychiatrist on Friday of this week but I don't know if I can suffer the back ache that long. It's a really awkward situation.
I would be very grateful to hear anyone's advice or what they think about this current dilemma I'm in.
Take care all
Yvonne
Y Goble
I wondered if anyone could offer me some advice as I'm having a bad time at the moment with meds again!!! All comments and points of view welcome please.
Came off Citalapram 6 weeks ago due to the fact that I only ever had a partial response to it. It was raised to highest dosage of 60 when I developed dry eye syndrome which was very painful.
I was then put on Nortriptylene and this caused an irregular heart rythm and I had to stop taking it abruptly after four weeks.
I was then put back on 30mg dosage of Citalapram for three weeks which had little effect on my depression and anxiety. In fact I know the Citalapram made my anxiety worse.
Six weeks ago the psychiatrist decided to try me on Sertraline - she wanted to try another ssri before moving on to Venlaflaxine or Duloxetine.
I had to decrease the Citalapram over a two week period and stop whilst I was on a 50mg dosage of Sertraline. I then had to up the Sertraline to 100mg. Saw the psych again and told her I was still tearful and anxious. She said that I would need 150mg of this medication and I had to raise it at the end of the following week.
All this time I was feeling no better but just kept hoping that once the med kicked in I would feel better.
The following day after raising to 150mg I woke with a bad back ache, very stiff at the base of the spine and in the buttock area. I didn't worry too much at first and thought I may have strained myself.
A week went by and nothing was easing the back pain. I was taking Paracetemol which was having little effect.
I did do a little research on Sertraline to see if there was any side effect of back ache. There was but it was something like one in a 100 people and therefore wasn't mentioned on the patient info leaflet.
I told the psych about my back and she said it was purely coincidental and that she had never come across back ache or stiffness in that area with Sertraline. I told her I was still feeling very low and she said it was early days yet med wise. I knew that and I guessed that it may take up to 8 weeks for this med to kick in.
The psych told me to go to the gp and get my back checked out which I did. The gp has no involvement with my anti depressants since she withdrew me from Seroxat nearly two years ago - and she did it the wrong way and I went into a bad withdrawal. It was then she handed me over to a psychiatrist to sort out the med situation.
She looked at my back and made me turn this way and that etc. She said that it was muscular - no sign of injury. She told me that exercise is good for back ache. I told her I exercise daily more than most.
I asked her if it could be the med causing it and she said that the meds can cause muscular aches. I asked what I should do and she did not want to comment. She told me it was up to me! What did I think I should do?!!!!
I managed to squeeze out of her that if it was her she would be inclined to decrease the medication. I told her that I was feeling very very low and she said that anti depressants don't always work for people. She said it's a matter of lifestyle as well.
I wanted to scream at her that for the last year and a half of suffering from awful depression and anxiety I have tried and tried and tried. I have walked into panic despite feeling dreadful. I have forced myself to keep getting out all the time. I don't sit and feel sorry for myself all day I have tried everything I know.
I reduced the med last Wednesday to 100 and my back is still very stiff and even getting dressed is hard.
I feel very low and am crying at the drop of a hat. The decrease of Sertraline from 150 to 100 may have made me feel worse and I am aware of that but I just feel like I can't win.
I am seeing the psychiatrist on Friday of this week but I don't know if I can suffer the back ache that long. It's a really awkward situation.
I would be very grateful to hear anyone's advice or what they think about this current dilemma I'm in.
Take care all
Yvonne
Y Goble