Relapse! Coping, Symptoms and Tips.

[Carnation]

Wow Sue So glad you on board on my thread x

[Mrsmitchell1984]

Hi Mrs. M. You are NOT butting in - we are all in this together and any post I write is for ALL of us!

Yes, I am still on anti-depressants and am never going to stop taking them. It started in my late twenties when I was needing so much tranquilizer to be able to care for my children and function that I was afraid I was going to be addicted and dependent and forever need to keep increasing my dosage. My doc begged me to give in and try Prozac, but thankfully warned me that it would get worse before better. It was a rough 8 weeks but then they kicked in and I finally felt what it was like to live a "normal" life - something I had NEVER had. No more anxiety or panic attacks, and I actually started enjoying life without mental suffering! It was a life-saver and miracle drug for me, and I repeatedly told everyone (doctors and family) that there is no way I was ever giving them up and going back to the horrible way I was living before.

That was 30 years ago, and I'm still on the same low dose (the lowest dose) I started with. Now that a lot of the stress has disappeared from my life, I have mentioned to my doc that perhaps I should try weaning myself off slowly, and she always answers with "Why? It's been working for 30 years, getting off of it at this point would be a long, slow, painful process, and it's not hurting anything - leave it alone!" So that's what I'm doing. The only time I have anxiety symptoms now are if there is something particularly stressful going on OR, more commonly, when my thyroid levels shift (I have no thyroid and it's all controlled by medication). But the anxiety episodes are NEVER as bad as they were before Prozac. They are all manageable and just uncomfortable. Before Prozac, I was pretty much housebound, was constantly holding onto things when walking, and constantly in an agitated, sensitized state where I was jumpy and "on guard" and fearful. Sleep suffered, appetite suffered, family suffered. Anyway, sorry to get long-winded - the simple answer is "Yes, still on it, always will be." Various doctors have told me it's a chemical imbalance in my brain and I need this drug just as diabetics need insulin and cancer patients need chemo.

Thanks for taking my words to heart, Mrs. C. and thank you for keeping that option open for the future. You will do it in your time, when YOU are ready or when you are mad enough to say "ENOUGH! I want to start enjoying my days completely and fully and I'm not going to put up with this constant struggle anymore!" But yes, do look into giving up dairy, just for a week or two, and see if you notice any difference.


Sue

Wow Sue- that is incredible. I wish I had doctors like yours. Prozac has definitely been a lift changer for me but I keep coming off of it because I felt el better and because doctors tell me to. Every time I come off the same problems come back.

i have heard from people on this forum though that the more you stop
and start- the less effective it is and so I am scared it will not work this time. So yes I wish I had just stayed on it the first time it would have saved me a lot of problems and given me a better life. It’s a gamble as to whether it will work this time- I have had some good days though.

Xxx

[Mrsmitchell1984]

Wow Sue- that is incredible. I wish I had doctors like yours. Prozac has definitely been a lift changer for me but I keep coming off of it because I felt el better and because doctors tell me to. Every time I come off the same problems come back.

i have heard from people on this forum though that the more you stop
and start- the less effective it is and so I am scared it will not work this time. So yes I wish I had just stayed on it the first time it would have saved me a lot of problems and given me a better life. It’s a gamble as to whether it will work this time- I have had some good days though.

Xxx

i also wonder if you had an overactive thyroid before and that is why you were suffering as it can present as anxiety.

Carnation, I think you are doing amazing and it is true you have come through it before without medication. It is always an option for you though x

[Mrsmitchell1984]

What dose are you on Sue- 20mg?

[Carnation]

Morning All

I've been thinking about this 'dairy' thing.
Personally I'm not totally convinced.
For one thing, both my mum and gran both had stomach ulcers and both of their doctors instructed them to drink glasses of milk which lines the stomach and protects it.
This used to be a thing when people used to go out on a drinking session. Someone might say to you, "have you had your milk?"
Then there is the need for calcium.
For me I need it. My nails are prone to be brittle as well as my bones as an early menopause probably caused an early offset of osteoporosis. :(
But saying that, I feel my dairy is not over the top anyway.
I don't eat cheese, milk is minimal in my cuppa. I only have cream with an occasional dessert. (that does up in the winter though). I do have butter on my toast and I do eat yogurts which are good for you in other categories.
My gran who used to eat mounds of dairy who coincidentally also didn't have her thyroid and lived to a grand age of 90! She had cream in her coffee with a swirl of brandy, cheese, full fat milk, butter and stodgy cream cakes with more cream! And a whole box of dairy milk chocolates every week.

Anyway, I've always gone on the assumption that everything is ok in moderation and a balanced diet.
And I eat much better now than I did years ago. Incredibly so.
I've had more problems with my gut since eating healthily to be honest.
I have chicken 2-3 times a week, fish twice a week, then maybe some pork and red meat once a week.
I have a mound of vegetables every day which will include kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, leeks, beans. Salad items most days. I eat beetroot a lot because I've been told it is good for throat conditions.
I rarely fry anything, if I do, I fry in the product's natural fat, i. e. Bacon.
I eat tuna and salmon in their natural oils.
I eat fruit daily.
I don't touch processed foods like pies or convenience meals. I don't eat sweets and rarely eat chocolate.
I make most of my meals from scratch using fresh produce. I don't drink coffee at all or fizzy drinks. My drinks consist of decaf tea, chamomile tea and water.
I only have alcohol for medicinal purposes for a cold or such like or a special treat.
I do eat a lot of bread and potatoes and that could be the culprit for my fat tummy.
I look at this list and compare it to what I used to eat.....

2-3 chocolate bars a day, fry ups, takeaways like Kentucky, McDonalds, pizza etc. Fresh cream cakes every day that followed a full size baguette oozing with several fillings and mayonnaise, red meat most nights for dinner such as burgers, mince, beef roast, steak, lamb, meatballs.
Crisps, sweets, more cakes, bacon sarnies, hot dogs, tubs of ice cream, milkshakes, pasta, coleslaw, potato salad. Thinking about it, huge amounts of cream. lots of sugar too. 3 teaspoons in my tea made with full fat milk.
Not forgetting lots of alcohol from wine to brandy, beer, Guinness, liqueurs...
And was as thin as a rake then.
Now I'm 2 stone heavier, have problems with acid reflux, indigestion, bloated tummy with tummy fat and I eat a healthy diet.
Can anyone explain that?

[Carnation]

Another thing, if alcohol is supposedly so bad for you, why did Jesus give it to his people?
It knocks the wheat free analysis in to oblivion as well

[Carnation]

And here's another....

Excitement can produce the some of the same symptoms in our body as anxiety, so is depression there to help suppress those feelings? Could the depression actually be helping us with our anxiety?

[Mrsmitchell1984]

And here's another....

Excitement can produce the some of the same symptoms in our body as anxiety, so is depression there to help suppress those feelings? Could the depression actually be helping us with our anxiety?

That’s a nice thought Carnation. I think if it isn’t that then it protects us from danger by making us withdraw. Like my cat who climbs up to the top cupboard and sits there so she is safe and away from danger. I guess we used to hide in caves around a fire.

Sally

[DustingMyselfOff]

Lots of stuff to reply to so let me try to get to them all - feel free to nag me if I forgot to answer anything.

Yes, I am on 20 mg. of generic Prozac. And I wonder if that's true about starting and stopping Prozac - it very well could be because I've heard the same about the colitis drug I used to take. Each time you stop and re-start, it's less effective.

Yes, I have Graves Disease, which is predominantly an over-active thyroid, but moreso, one that fluctuates severely. And yes, whenever I change doses (because our bodies change, our needs change) I go through about 6 weeks of anxiety discomfort as my hormones re-adjust to the new dose. That's why I am now paying out of pocket for the brand name: the generic was not consistent enough from bottle to bottle and I was constantly fluctuating.

Dairy: isn't it funny how things have changed? When I was in my 20's I had an ulcer, and the way I found out about it was by drinking a glass of milk before I ran out to do errands. By the time I got to the store, I was literally doubled over in pain. Got myself to an emergency room and they discovered the ulcer and my GI doc told me to stop drinking milk. Maybe it's an individual sensitivity, but whenever my ulcer was flaring and I would have a tiny bit of milk, the pain would escalate. So if you're content with the amount of dairy you're ingesting, Mrs. C..... keep doing what you're doing. You're an adult and free to make whatever choices feel right for you. Oh, and I have osteoporosis (probably from the years of being on steroids for my colitis) but the same doctor who wants to put me on meds for osteo is the one who insists I keep all dairy out of my system. She tol me to go read the studies that prove ingesting dairy does very little towards promoting bone health. Again:

I'm not sure about depression being there to protect us from excitement.... seems a little counter-productive, but who knows? Isn't the definition of depression, repressed anger? Maybe you're so angry at the things you've been dealing with and your brain just overloads and goes into depression?

Yesterday evening I was very OCD and irritable and antsy, and I had strange dreams in which I was frustrated and wanting to yell at everyone, and I woke up that way this morning. I'm going to chalk it up to the thyroid medication change - I've probably got another 4 or 5 weeks of my hormones re-adjusting to the new dose. I'm going to try not to think about it, analyze it, or dwell on it, just keep going on with life and the things I have to get done and hope it passes soon. Otherwise, will one of you help me bury the bodies of anyone who annoys me?
Sue

[Carnation]

Hi Sue, im not sure I agree with depression being repressed anger, I thought that was pain.
I see depression more as lack of self worth, confidence, disappointment, feeling lonely or left out and a general malaise of being melancholy.
I've been reading about pain in the body and how different things affect each part of the body.
For instance back ache is supposedly related to guilt.
It's all interesting, but obviously I don't know how reliable this information is.

I get those irritable days Sue where I seem to turn into a rottweiler.
Bad sleep, hunger, feeling tired can definitely turn on the switch. Its not you as a person, it's a glitch in our personality. Mr C knows to stay away from me when I am like that. He will be bound to set me off over something and has even said to me, "Is it ok if I breath?" or "Would you rather have the room to yourself?"
Sounds drastic and seems like I've taken some of Dr Jekylls potion.

On a good note I had a better day today
I've been in to town, been in several shops with ease, had a walk and in the dark, wanted to drive the car, but didn't because I didn't want to push the better mood.