Prozac here I come.....

[greig]

Well that's the first one away.:)
I have managed to withdraw from Cipralex 20mg after 8 successful years on the drug. Unfortunately, it did stop working latterly so here I am embarking on another voyage of happiness - hopefully.
My doc has advised I also keep taking Propranolol 80mg to reduce my overwhelming physical anxiety symptons and has also referred me to a psychologist to start CBT.

Good day today - positive stuff going on and emerging - hopefully - from another dark passage in my twenty years of anxiety/depression.

[onceagain]

I'm glad that you are starting a medication that will hopefully bring some relief to you again.. the best of luck

I noticed that you are only just being referred for CBT.. my goodness eight years before they refer you... have you had any therapy in the last eight years at all?

Hope you don't have to wait for too long and that you see some positive results x

[greig]

I believe therapy has come on a bit.
My last therapy sessions in 2002 were seven weeks apart !! I gave up on it as it was a waste of time as there was no continuity. I have been told that weekly sessions are now available but there is time to wait for a space.
I will give it a try. I even considered privately funding it myself !!
My first therapist, back in 1991, was signed off with.........depression. Ironic but true !!

[oneofus]

Greig,

LMAO excellent! You can get CBT online either at http://www.beatingtheblues.co.uk/ or http://www.livinglifetothefull.com/.

[onceagain]

Oh dear bet it is true .. the job must take a certain type of person who can act like a sponge I guess .. soak it all up to help and then squeeze it all out to get on with their own lives.. but guess if they can't do that it must eventually take its toll on them too.

I'm glad that things have improved.. I'm quite new to this meds and therapy but yes you do need consistent help. I had several weeks of counselling and then I've had a huge wait for therapy..I'd already waited a year for the counselling .. but it did help the counsellor i had was really good but in a way she brought a lot of stuff whirling in my head and then it was over.. no more support or someone to pour it out to. I'm a couple of months away from my mentalisation and CBT therapy and it seems like a lifetime to wait.

Whether it works or not just knowing that I can voice my feelings to someone without judgement is always helpful..

Anyways I'm glad things may turn around for you .. please keep us informed of how you are getting on x

[greig]

Thanks guys.
I was talking with my Doc today about this forum. I told him I was a bit selfish and only popped in when I was really low.
Hopefully, I can pop in more and help some others out as well as getting the support I need.

[greig]

Well, here I am almost two weeks into the treatment. Initially I felt good - see start of this thread - but since Thursday, my anxiety is increasing and the butterflies, negativity, worries have all started to niggle away again. I have just had to cancel a hillwalk with my old mate as I feel I cannot cope with the demands of the day. Funnily enough, I feel I could cope on my own better without the company !!
I am unsure as to whether or not it is too early (12 x 20mg Prozac) into the course to be expecting miracles !! I would have expected some sort of positivity now but I seem to have gone the other way !!:weep:

Also, the Bedranol (80mg per day) seemed to be helping the anxiety but that has wained a bit since Thursday as well.

You know guys, negativety feeds itself but you also know how hard it is to reverse that train of thought.

Any ideas.............?

[loulabella]

Oh the wonderful negativity. I am dealing with this too Hun. It's an evil little devil. I don't think there is a black and white answer to this as we all feel negativity in a different way. I suppose starting small is a good step. Think of one tiny little positive thing and write it down. Do the same tomorrow and so forth. Soon you will have a mass of it to read when the negativity rears it's ugly head :) x

[greig]

Amother update.
Almost five weeks into Prozac and still I'm hampered by depressive thoughts and anxiety. I seem to be under huge strain through lack of work - our company has cut our week to only three working days - and I'm finding Friday until the following Wednesday almost unbearable. Too much time to think and too little motivation to do anything about it.
When I am busy, things seem fine but four days a week off work is a lot to deal with.
Any thoughts into whether the meds should be handling this negativity that occurs when I'm not busy??
I'm back at the docs Tuesday, so he may well increase or change meds - again !!!

[Louise2009]

Hiya

I am not sure about the meds, as I decided not to use antidepressants as I had a bad reaction to cipralex, but I do definately know that being off work can be very hard. I did not work for a year and found hanging aroung the house almost unbearable at times- too much time to think etc. I used to try to go for long walks or read a lot to try to fill the time.

Let us know how you get on

xx

[greig]

Thanks for the reply. I actually got a surprise call into work today which really helped. I suppose my big question is -
If I can pinpoint where my mood can be uplifted, why can the meds not control when I time to think ??
It's all a vicious circle ..........bloody recession !!

[greig]

Okay.
Just back from docs and I'm as low as I've been for years. My meds have been doubled to 40mg Prozac a day and my doc has referred me to a psychiatrist now !!!
The thought of this really concerns me but if it the help I need then so be it ! I am still awaiting CBT, now a psychiatrist and also the meds to work. Jeeso - does it get any easier ???

[greig]

Update.

Over two weeks of 40mg and 7 weeks since I started Fluoxetine. I am not really convinced that they are working for me.
Initially, the depression eases but the anxiety remains and in time, my depressions seems to creep back in. I believe 8 weeks is the considered time to allow Fluoxetine to work ?? Any feed back on this would help a lot - thanks.

BTW, start CBT tomorrow - things are moving at last !!!

[Bexmumto3]

I've been on Fluoxetine for quite a few months now & had my dose doubled around 5-6wks ago, this is the 2nd time I have been on these tabs & they worked within no time at all the first time but this time I've been struggling more & have felt as if they haven't made a great deal of difference for me either but I'm going to keep persevering as I have had bad reactions to other tabs I have tried so don't really want to try any different ones.

Hope you start to see/feel some improvment soon & good luck with the CBT tomorrow.

[Cat80]

Just a warning, fluoxetine shouldn't be prescribed to people with GAD. I was given it by a temp Dr last year (as my Dr was away) and took it for 4 weeks but felt absolutely terrible, the worse being my anxiety was worse than ever. Went back to my own GP who was very surprised I was given it for GAD as it shouldn't be used to treat that as it actually makes the anxiety worse in many cases and not just when starting up but permanantly.

It's should be used for anxiety such as panic attacks and OCD or depression but not general anxiety. I never knew this so just took the tablets. I stopped as soon as my Dr told me too (she made me stop straight away) and it took 2 weeks for the symptoms to go away as fluoxetine has quite a long life. I would go back and ask for something else. Do some research online and you will see a lot of people have had the same reaction.

I really hope you find something that works for you, GAD is terrible. I am still suffering now after over 3 years of it and still trying to find the magic cure.

[greig]

Thanks for the replies !!

Interesting thoughts on GAD and Fluoexetine. Sometimes like Bex, I feel it does work but it does not curb my anxiety the way Cipralex did when I it worked.

[JaneC]

Just a warning, fluoxetine shouldn't be prescribed to people with GAD.

Cat, I'm sorry but I don't think that is correct - it is the opinion of your GP, not a fact, and i my experience GPs don't always really know what they are talking about. Of course it doesn't work for everyone, and yes, it did make my anxiety worse to begin with, but I worry about someone taking it coming on here, reading that and thinking "Oh my God, I'm on the wrong meds", when it IS a recognised treatment for GAD :hugs:

[Cat80]

Sorry Jane, didn't mean to scare anyone. Just doing some research myself have found it's prescribed a lot for general anxiety but isn't one of the best out there. my GP says Dr's do prescribe it as it's one of the oldest anti d's out there but trials have shown in a lot of cases it's not the best one to go with as it can increase anxiety for a lot of people compared to other ssri's and it doesn't settle down the longer they are on it, hence why she won't prescribe it for people who are after treatment for daily anxiety. She's a general GP but does specialise in mental health so I trust her and I did feel better 2 weeks after stopping them.

It's hit and miss with tablets but it is good to look into them as well. GAD is a terrible anxiety and I just don't think tablets help it. Tried 7 anti ds so far and none have helped. My Dr said talking therapy helps much better than any meds would but they didn't work either, think I'm a lost cause lol

[greig]

First CBT session today.
It went well with lots of food for thought. Looking into this, I can begin to see why this therapy can be so successful. Looking forward with optimism again.

[joannap]

i disagree re prozac - i was on it for about a year and it was the only ssri i did NOT have increased anxiety with to begin with. it is also a well known fact that any ssri can increase anxiety hundredfold to begin with - i had this with lustral and citalopram.

i for one have stopped looking for a magic cure - unfortunately THERE IS NO SUCH THING! This is because anxiety is a natural behaviour that gets out of control - the cure lies within via acceptance, imcreasing self esteem and living a life that is compatible with the amount of stress you can take. For me that means working from home, lots of sleep and winding down time etc. I know what i am talking about because i have had major GAD for 14 years and tried every herbal supplement/therapy out there. Searching for an outside cure helps to keep you trapped in the cycle. It really is moving towards the feelings and fears that gradually calms the adrenalin levels down and anyone who has gone through it and out the other side will tell you this xx

[JaneC]

Hi Cat, sorry you've had no luck with either meds or therapy, I can't imagine being in a situation where nothing helps - if it weren't for both, I just wouldn't be here any more - although I've had some bad experiences too. Has your doc tried any of the older tricyclics? I had a good spell on one, but some of the side effects just never went away. x

Greig, glad the CBT looks good for you, It's been really great for me in terms of challenging and stopping negative thoughts. Re your earlier post, I'd say it took about six weeks of 40mg fluoxetine for me really to feel the benefit - so there is still hope!