Help and Advice needed, V unhappy

[Jacs]

Hi,

I guess I better start at the beginning; I am in my mid 30’s and have suffered with anxiety and depression since childhood.

6 weeks ago I was sent home from work, after a few weeks of feeling low, having burst into tears at work. I went to see my GP who prescribed Mirtazapine. However after 4 days of sleeping 20 hours a day, I went back to see my GP and asked for something that would make me less sleepy.

I was given Prozac and by day 7 my anxiety levels had risen so high that I ended up in hospital. I was given 15mg of valium immediately and prescribed 2mg x twice a day and 4mg at bedtime. The doc was reluctant, so was I to prescribe any other antidepressants because of my severe reaction to the Prozac.

Initially the valium did help and but the depression was still there and after weeks it got to the stage where I was having very distressing suicidal thoughts (I have no intention of carrying them out).

I returned to my GP once more and have been put on 35.7mg of Venlafaxine twice a day, 4mg of Valium 3 times a day and 7.5mg of zoplicone at night.

The first few days I felt very sick and drowsy but after about 8 days I did start to feel a little better. My GP has advised me to cut down on the valium so yesterday I only took 2mg at lunch time inside of 4mg. I went to bed with a slight headache and a pain in my chest.

This morning I feel sick, quite depressed again, anxious and my suicidal thoughts have returned (although again I have no intention of doing anything about them).

I have an appointment for CBT and counselling etc. but that isn’t until the end of the month.

I feel so messed up. Is it all the drugs I been on that is making me feel this way? Is it valium withdrawal or am I just having a bad day?

Any help, support or advice would be appreciated, especially if you have experience of being on the above.

[munkeyinblack]

Hi,
Sorry to hear your feeling so low, I dont have any personal experience of the medication you mentioned but I take sertraline and it took 2 months for it to work and settle down. many of these medications are slow release and it gets worse before it gets better. Your doctor should have told you this.


I was incredibly lucky that i didnt have many side effects bar being sleepy and a few other minor things but i know everyone is different and the way your feeling could be side effects.

have you looked at the medication forum on here? It may give more advice.

Sorry i cant help more and i do hope you feel better soon

Tc
Munkey
x

[Jacs]

Thanks, I am just tired of feeling so low :weep: Frighting this is the hardest things I've ever done

[shoegal]

Hello. Thank you for sharing your story. Anxiety can be a very distressing and debilitating disorder. I'm sure the meds have made things worse as they do tend to in the first few weeks. You are not going mad and you will get through this. Hang in there. I hope you feel better soon. :flowers:

[Jacs]

Feel even lower today.

Find the suicidal thoughts very destressing :weep:

I feel I will never get better.

[snowgoose]

hello Jacs

so sorry to hear how low and distressed you are ..........this is such an awful illness and sometimes it does feel as though we arre trapped forever in hell.
there is hope and recovery Jacs .............you will get better :flowers:

I do think you should contact your doctor today and tell him/her about your suicidal thoughts and extreme low mood though. Do you have any family friend support around ? dont forget the Samaritans are there for a listening ear xx

You will get better in time ....perhaps it was too soon to lower the valium dose eh?
thinking of you x

[Jacs]

Thank you. I do have family around me but they are so worried about me as it is, I simply can't bother them anymore.

My doc is away until next week but when I complained about feeling very sick on them during the first few days, she just gave me some anti sickness drugs and told me I must continue with the Venlafaxine.

I am hardly eating and am only a few pounds away from an anorexic BMI.

Lowered the valium as I am very scared of becoming addicted, have been on it for nearly 6 weeks now. You read such horrible stories about people who take it long term and then try to stop.

V V low and distressed. I so look foward to sleeping each night, the zoplicone puts my lights aout, as it the only peace I get.

Feel I'm a hopeless case and will never be normal again.

[Jacs]

Am even worse today, the sleeping pill didn't work and I hardly got any sleep.

Also weighed myself this am and by BMI is now offically anorexic :weep::weep:

[Typer]

Its so awful to feel you are sliding downward. I guess reducing Diazepam, even after 6 weeks is partly to blame.

It seems really important that you speak with someone...another doctor perhaps?

Is it possible to have a referral to a psychiatrist so that you may get a place with a local mental health team. It sounds like you could do with a lot of support right now.

medications are fine, so long as the doctor finds you some flesh and blood support. I know you have the CBT appointment - but it seems like maybe you need to really talk to someone as well.

[Jacs]

Thanks but I have already seen a psychiatrist he recommended support from the local mental health team but my first appointment, along with my assesment for CBT isn't til the end of the month.

Wish I could afford to go private but can't so guess I will just have to stick it out with the NHS. Am seeing my GP on monday for a review so will just have to hang on til then. :weep:

[loops81]

This sounds just like my b/f, do you think the reduction of diazepam could have done this. Have a look at withdrawal from Diazepam, can make you anxious, depressed and suicidal thoughts x

[Typer]

Oh I see. Its a shame you have to wait so long. yes hang on and hope your GP is helpful. Take care

[sarah1984]

Is there a crisis mental health team in your area who might be able to help? Where I live, I can phone up any time of day/night and I will get a response within 4 hours. The crisis team work 7 days a week, from 9am till 8pm on a weekday and reduced hours at the weekend. When they are not available, I can phone my local psychiatric hospital and speak to the bleep holder, who is the psychiatric nurse on duty. The crisis team also do home visits.

Good luck with your appointment tomorrow.

[Spy]

Hi Jacs,

I also felt like I couldnt wait for the NHS CBT so I'm doing telephone CBT via Anxiety UK who can put you in touch with therapists in your area. Going through them is much cheaper than normal private practice. I'm paying £12 a session - it might be good for you to just get started until your appointment comes through?

Some medications can have side effects of increased anxiety and suicidal thoughts, it finding a balance between the side effects and what will help. If the meds are making you feel so ill and you can't talk to your GP you should try and contact NHS Direct for advice or get a second opinion from another GP.
I'm on Paroxetine but have been told to come off it because I'm not tolerating it well - similar symptoms to yourself, I'm starting to feel much better now I've reduced the dosage. It can feel like things are never going to change but sometimes a couple of days really does make a huge difference.

Take care of yourself and make sure you insist on getting the help you feel you need.

xx

[Jacs]

Thank you all for your help and suport, it really has helped.

I've been feeling a bit better of the last day of so; eating, all be it small meals, sleeping a bit better and feeling a lot less anexiety and depressed.

However I have to cut my Zopcloine from 7.5 to 3.5mg and loose another 2mg of my Valium (will be down to 8mg day then). So I think I might be for a rough few days!

Think the combo of my body getting use to the Venlafaxine and all its side effects + all the different meds I've been on lately wasn't a good combo to say the least!!

I may have quite a few 'downs' to come but it's nice to feel an 'up' for a change :)

Think the Venlafaxine may be working at last :) (touch wood)