meds... losing confidence....

I've been on various antidepressants, more or less permanently, for at least the last 6 years, probably more.

I'm currently feeling really negative about my meds. One (a new, anti-anxiety med) I think I will have to drop cos the side effects are just too much for me to deal with. I think my GP will be OK with this but he may want me to try something else ...

But in thinking about this I have taken stock of all the meds I am on (for asthma and back problems as wella s the depression). I have looked at all the side effects and feel I really want to stop my antidepressants. I have a long list of side effects and am finding them increasingly difficult to cope with. For example, I have weight gain, leading to all sorts of other problems (and I have been unable to shift ANY weight despite a real effort with calorie intake and a BIG exercise programme). I have the lack of libido associated with my SSRI, which is difficult for me and particularly my hubby to come with. I have the more minor sypmtoms such as dry mouth and tiredness (from the dothiepin), I really really want to try to cut them down. I know my GP will be reluctant for me to do this, and I don't really want to go against his guidance as I trust him and he has treated my depression (and me!) well. But at the same time I really want to try this. Any ideas / suggestions / comments? The meds are not appearing to tackle my depression effectivelya t the moment - I am stuck in a slump and have been for some time. I have tried a lot of combinations of meds, including many of the ssris, but have been troubled by adverse reactions to several of them. I'm currently on dothiepin and escitalopram.

thanks
Caroline

Well..my opinion is that PERHAPS all these side effects could be the result of taking so many diffent meds at the same time AND for so long as you stated. Also..you did not mention your age...but if you are approaching menopause or peri-menopause...THAT could have a tremendous impact when added into the mix.

I would talk with my Doctor about all this. Make him understand that this is life-altering for you.

Are you in therapy..or have you been in the past.
?

Hang in there...and do NOT abruptly stop any of your meds..until you at least vent your concerns w/your Doc!
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~Dottie

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dottie said:
Well..my opinion is that PERHAPS all these side effects could be the result of taking so many diffent meds at the same time AND for so long as you stated.

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thanks, dottie, I will discuss this with my GP on Friday. However, I have had med changes over the years so it is not that I have been taking these particular meds all that time - I have had several combinations. Also, the side effects have been there all the time; I have been persevering in the hope of getting better. It's not taht they have recently started to bother me - they have always bothered me.

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Also..you did not mention your age...but if you are approaching menopause or peri-menopause...THAT could have a tremendous impact when added into the mix.

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Possible but I think these things are related to the drugs rather than menopausal symptoms.

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I would talk with my Doctor about all this. Make him understand that this is life-altering for you.

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Oh, I will - I do little med changes and alterations (such as reducing one med when things are going well) with his support but without direct consultation, but something as major as stopping them all I have to talk to him about, I know!

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Are you in therapy..or have you been in the past.
?

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I'm seeing a counsellor at the moment - but appointments are only fortnightly. I'm in England and we don't have the same access to therapy as folks in the us seem to have.

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Hang in there...and do NOT abruptly stop any of your meds..until you at least vent your concerns w/your Doc!

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Certainly won't! Thanks for the advice and observations, dottie.

Caroline

caroline,

i'm a firm believer that no one knows you better than you. alot of times, a dr can put someone on an AD and just keep them there as long as they're "reasonably ok". what about in the few cases where depression can run its course (situational depression)? that was the case with me.

i was coming out of it on my own and the meds were affecting more than they ever had because my body was wanting to feel better. i complained to the dr about this and he said, "you just need more." this went on for about another 8-12 mos. one day, i just stopped. the third day i noticed the grass greener (literally) and heard the birds singing. it had been years. the AD's were keeping me from "waking up" from the depression that had passed. i was too medicated to know. i look back and the only sign of that is that i all of the sudden felt too medicated.

do i recommend you doing what i did? certainly not! you need to talk with your dr about this! i could've ended up in the hospital with convulsions the dr said. i went off of five meds at one time. also, it depends on the type of depression you have. mine was situational.

AD's can be life saving drugs for sure. i also believe that, just as they dull the depression, they dull the good as well. however, it gets to a point with some (as it did with me at the time) that there is no good to dull.

i want to say again...this should not be done on own! i was stupid. i want to say again...what happened with me is not the case for alot of ppl who need and take AD's, therefore this post doesn't apply. however, i have talked with others like me and sometimes share this story. i AM saying that i believe in listening to our bodies, especially when our minds and bodies are being medicated.

be safe and let us know.

kd

caroline-i have found that occasionally detoxing the body helps with the buildup of residual toxins the meds leave. I have used milk thistle and dandilion root combinations found in my healthfood store. there are other types of detox programs also. pm if you want more info.
w_i

Thanks, kimmydawn - it's clear you put a lot of time and thought into this reply.

I hear what you say about talking to my GP and I promise not to do anything before talking to him. Unfortunately when I have reduced my meds in the past I have got to a certain point and then come crashing into a major depression. I guess the question is can I survive and ocme out the other end of a major depression, if it were to happen. I'm not sure I want to try it in order to find out.... On the other hand my body appears to be crumbling rapidly at the moment. More symptoms today, and the thing is I am on so many meds now I am not sure what is a side effect and what is maybe something I should worry about.
I agree with what you say about listening to your body. I know I am lucky with my GP and he would not intentionally keep me on a-ds unless he felt I needed it. He trusts me with a lot of the week to week management of my meds in terms of reducing when I have been stable and better for a long time. I only see him when there is a problem really. But I am so unhappy with the way I am feeling and the weight of my meds right now that I just don't know what to do.
Thanks for the input.
Caroline

Hi w_i
this sounds really interesting to me. I will look at the healthfood shop when I go into town and see if I can find this combination. I have seen lots of detox programs but am not sure I can do the highly structured ones with specific nuts and seeds etc. Detoxing in some form sounds like a good plan though. Thank you!
Caroline