Posted by karaS on September 13, 2004, at 2:15:03
In reply to Re: Question for Simus » KaraS, posted by Simus on September 12, 2004, at 23:49:55
> > Did you ever send any of these doctors letters telling them how wrong they were and how much better you're doing now that you've been adequately diagnosed and taken off of those darn SSRIs?
>
> No. Well, my family doc is the same man who originally prescribed the SSRIs (oh, did I mention that I was soon thereafter suicidal as a result of side effects so he sent me to a Pdoc?),You'd think that would be his first clue that the medication wasn't for you!
and he has seen me continually get worse and worse until the Wellbutrin turnaround (which surprised him). My Pdoc is the same man I had years ago, and he is also very surprised that I am doing so well on the Wellbutrin alone.
I'm glad that at least your gp doctor got to see that he was wrong. That must have felt good at least.
>And I no longer have a great respect for the teaching hospitals.
I no longer have respect for any of the hospitals!
> > Unfortunately, years ago, the SSRIs were given to everyone for depression and they were really only the answer for a small subset of depressives who needed more serotonin. The rest of us got made worse by them.
>
> Yeah..
>
> > > The directory is redone every 4 years, and there were dramatic changes between every picture. I gained considerable weight and I am clearly "unhealthier" from directory to directory. I hate having my picture taken, ESPECIALLY when I know it is going to be "published".
> >
> > As for the pictures, I believe that you will finally get your system under control. You're on the right path now. Then you will lose weight. I was overweight for many years and never thought I'd be thin again. About a year ago I took off a lot of weight and have so far maintained it. That can happen to you too. Then your next directory picture will make you happy again and you'll finally and visually see all the progress you've been making.
>
> {{{smiles}}} You always seem to know just what to say...Now if I could only turn a little of that wisdom on myself...
> > > > I know that if I get myself out there I can do a lot better than this job but I was happy about this one because the evening hours would allow me time to interview during the day. What worries me is that my brain won't be up for any of the jobs and that once I get them, I won't be able to hold them. I started panicking about it a bit yesterday and today. The panic is good in some ways because at least it may get me moving to interview.
> > >
> > > This is exactly where I am right now. The tears started welling up when I read that. I understand so well. I don't want to let another employer down because of my health taking another turn for the worse. I don't know if I could do it one more time...
> >
> > I'm more worried about me than letting the employers down. They've never been all that concerned about me in the corporate world. The rejection is just horrible and my stomach is in knots now just worrying about this stupid job because of the ego thing and because of the implications for future jobs. (Sorry to make you tear up.)
>
> Implication for future jobs... That's exactly it.
Unfortunately, I spoke with my friend at the agency and they do want me to come back to that job this week. I have such mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I hate it and would be so relieved and on the otherhand I desperately need the money and don't want the ego-crushing rejection. I guess it's better for me to hang in there and leave on my own terms.> > The good days vs. bad days, do you also feel exhausted and malaise throughout your body - not just the brain fog on the bad days?
>
> I used to feel that, where everything used to be a major effort. But I am much better in that area now. But I am still not where I should be. I really don't even have depression (aside from the occasional fever) anymore.
>
> > When I'm in that kind of fog, it doesn't feel like anything can penetrate it. It's so scary. There's the usual brain fog of depression but then there's the complete brain fog of those days after I've finally gotten a good night's sleep after not sleeping well for at least a couple of nights.
>
> The SSRIs had a bad brain fog effect on me. The other brain fog doesn't bother me as much because it isn't as debilitating or as seemingly permanent.So your main brain fog problem was because of the SSRIs. Once you got them out of your system you were able to focus again? "The other brain fog" you described above is just a result of the adrenal fatigue and is not that big a deal as it is not as intense and not consistent. Am I interpreting correctly?
I hate to belabor this point but I'm really stuck on this right now. I used to think that if I slept well and took care of myself that I could function well in a job. Now I'm realizing that that is just not the case. I can sleep well and get up and have a mind that is useless. I can't hold a job with days like that or at least not the kind of jobs that I've been used to. I am really scared. I have to be able to take something or change my lifestyle or diet or do something so that those foggy days are clearer. It's just so overwhelming to me right now. So I guess I'm drilling you because I want to believe that I can get rid of the worst of this just like you have. However, our brain fog issues might not be exactly the same. Mine is not caused primarily by SSRIs. There's the everyday brain fog of depression which I can function enough with but those other days are just indescribable and I'm just not sure what to attribute them to.
I can't stop getting a good night's sleep once in a while.> > I slept 8 hours the other night and woke up feeling so out of it. I could understand if I had slept for 12 or 16 hours straight but it was only 8! I wonder if MAOIs would help with this at all.
>
> Oh, I don't know... I would carefully consider that first...A lot of people on the main board take them. They seem to be one of the better remedies for those who are treatment resistant. I was always so afraid of them but the results people are having are impressive. They also say that the diets are not that restrictive or hard to handle.
> > I'm definitely going to have to try the teas. I have green tea here already and some Siberian ginseng in capsules. I think I've mentioned that the S. Gingseng gives me a strange feeling like electricity is going through my body but I can tolerate it in smaller doses.
>
> Hmmmm... Maybe you shouldn't do the ginseng.It could be the brand I have that was the problem or that I can only tolerate a small dosage. I'll see. I'd hate to give up on it completely since it's so good for adrenal fatigue.
> > Also, I'll have to try it when not on Effexor and try a different brand. Why the ginger? I really hate the taste of that one although green tea is really bad too.
>
> It was just one of those things in my studies that I found was supposed to be good for so many things, so I tried it and liked it. I think it is mentioned in the adrenal fatigue book...Yeah, it is in the book but I wonder what it brings to the table that the other herbs don't.
> > > > I'm thinking seriously of trying Cymbalta. I've been following the other people who are taking it on the main board and overall the reports seem to be quite good. Maybe that will at least get me to being semi-functional.
> > >
> > > That's a new one to me. What is it???
> >
> > It's a new medication that just came out. Hasn't even been out a month yet. There are some people on the main board who are trying it and they post journals everyday on their progress and a lot of us are following their results. It's like Effexor in that it is an SNRI but it's a more balanced SNRI. Effexor is mostly serotonergic until you get to the higher dosages and even then it's skewed to serotonin. Cymbalta is more evenly noradrenergic from the start. It's supposed to work faster than other ADs but the new ones always say that, don't they? I remember the same hype about Effexor which never panned out. Anyway, so far 3 out of 4 people seem to be seeing results and the fourth one is very treatment resistant (but then so am I).
>
> It may just work for you. I did pretty well on Effexor for 3-4 years (overlooking chronic hives).How awful for you. You must have felt you had to put up with that or else go back to the severe depression.
But getting off of it was a little harder than a SSRI.
I'm on a tiny bit of Effexor now (about 19 mg.) and I'm wanting to go off of it entirely but I'm not up for the rest of the withdrawal process yet. It's definitely not a fun withdrawal or "discontinuation syndrome" as the drug companies and physicians call it.
> > > > I keep meaning to try the ginkgo but I just hate trying these different things and dealing with all of the side effects. I know you understand. Have you had the nerve to try the licorice again?
> > >
> > > I HATE taking a new ANYTHING. I am going to go to the health food store and get ginkgo tea and licorice tea. It isn't as strong as a pill, but I can "sip" a little and wait to see how I react to each, and work my way up. That is how I got into ginseng and ginger.
> >
> > You could also try the tinctures. Then you could put drops into your drinks (tea or juice or a smoothy) and it could still give you that control but might make the taste better. The tinctures tend to stay fresh a long time too because their is a bit of alcohol in them.
>
> I like the tincture idea. Isn't Ouzo flavored with licorice??? LOL
>Now you're talking! I'll just get different liquers and put drops of various herbs in them. That way if they taste bad or give me horrible side effects, I won't know or care!
> God bless,
>
> Simus
>
Take care,
Kara
poster:karaS
thread:384584
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040901/msgs/390196.html