It's OK to make broad assumptions until these assumptions affect peoples' health this morning the UK media is full of 'Prozac and Seroxat being bad for people with depression' ...... based on a State-side report Hull University have issued a 'report' telling the public that more depressed people should be prescribed exercise and not be put onto medication: because apparently medication is 'no better than a placebo' ..........

The media never reports the full story - I am going to search for who funded this 'research', who was asked the question - if it was taken from medical notes or were sufferers asked - hubby is going to find the Abstracts and Calls for Papers to see if we can find out why this 'research' was considered at all.

Do not stop taking your medication. This is a person journay between depression, yourself and your medical advisors. Some patients need an emotional boost and a short course will help get life back on track. Others, myself included, need to take medication for LIFE. To read that we are 'doing the wrong thing' when already vulnerable and for those who are ant-meds and those who worry about taking medication, this can be the straw that breaks the camels back. I've seen enough 'research' done where it's putting money into the College rather than putting sense into 'research'.

I've just caught the end of an interview with the Prof from Hull: he works in the Psychology Department, maybe that is the reason for his 'research' - if he puts a downer on medication will his speciality get more clients? It probably wont' get any more funding .........

This post has been edited by Lizzy: Feb 26 2008, 08:26 AM

i agree, i cant go without my meds......ive tried and i cant function. but this time i am doing more aswell as takin my meds...........more exercise for one thing and trying to cut out the sugar...........think thats gonna take longer than keeping up with the exercise!

well,from what ive been reading over the past 2 weeks,this is true.there has been loads of research done into it,and it seems there have been years of cover-ups and very dodgey clinical trials by the pharmesutical industry-who are making a HUGE profit from these meds.often when people are told to stay on meds for life due to 'relapse',these relapses are often withdrawal symptoms(but of course,these meds arent addictive,are they?bull!).

nobody should stop taking thier meds if they are truly helping them,but how do you know they are helping if you cant stop taking them because the withdrwal is so bad?

i am glad this is in the media at last,and that the drug companies are being exposed for the profit-before-people industry they really are.

dont stop taking the meds,not cold turkey,as this could potentially risk your life.but dont keep on taking them just because you think you have no choice.


there are 2 sides to everything,and i know the media is just trying to make money,but it is worth looking more into this as in some cases(including mine)the meds just keep you ill

For varying reasons I didn't take my full medication allocation last week: by Saturday I was on my knees, deeply depressed, tearful, edgy, irritable ...... I NEVER want to be as ill as I was in 1995. Some side-effects can be dreadful. Some people have problems with withdrawal probably because it is unsupervised. I've been there too - and survived. Seroxat has a bad press regarding withdrawal problems.

My problem is with the press - their apparent inability to report the whole research schedule: who funded the research, where did they find the information - no one has ever asked me about my mental health history with a view to research Papers. No one has ever talked to me about whether these reports have any truth in - hey, each one of us is different, there are historical, genetic, socialbe consequences to what ever meds we take! But this report seems to be saying that no one should be offered ADs unless very depressed - but personally when clinically depressed I have taken them, my mood has lifted, I have coped once more : however, my organic depression needs stabilising every day.

My meds have helped me.

Over the long term it has really helped me.

I am at ease with many things now,

even my depression.

It is not even a problem anymore...

I spend my personal life alone, and in silence, with my meds, and I actually choose to, because I am content.....I am happy.

And I am happy with myself.

That's great svendorrian!

What meds are you on? I want some!!

Welcome to your messenger
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Hi to All here.
I'm a new member, glad I found this group.
Very interesting to read the posts.

Well then I'm Lukey, male, 57 years.
I have a history of depression and anxiety for the past 12 or so years. Been to hell and back in this time.

Been on meds most of the 12years, Prozac and Seroxat mostly with the odd Valium.
So,my present situation is this:

Was on prozac for about 2years (20mg) up till january 08. The prozac did help me a lot during this time. For some reason about last november I decided to quit taking it, so I weened myself off over a 2 month pereod.

Did not notice any withdrawl effects till a couple of weeks ago when I started to get very Depressed and restless with anxiety....The past 2 weeks have been horrible, the exact same effects I had Before I took Prozac, as If ive gone back to day one.

My delema is WhatDo I do now ? Am very tempted to go back on the prozac...I still have plenty left over.

My fears (anxiety) are :

1 Fear of side effects when first starting the pro.
2 Feelings of low self esteem that I cant do with out the pill.
3 Fear that the pills may have a negative effect thin time around
4 Fear of having to be on them the rest of my life


Would be good to get some feed back on this as its causing me great problems.

Cheers
Lukey

MEDS FOR LIFE, BABY !!!!!!!

i don't know if my meds did a lot for me..i stopped taking mine about a month ago(with permission from my doc) and it was tough the first few weeks and i'm still really depressed..but when i was on the meds i was depressed so i don't know..i guess meds help for some people and at one point prozac seemed to have been helping me but then i felt like it made me too hyper so i stopped and tried other drugs like zoloft, paxil, cymbalta..none really helped i don't know. i guess it depends on the person

I was on Paxil for 2 years and it seemed to help in the beginning. I could have done without the side effects but I guess that's price you pay for sanity. Due to insurance reasons I had to stop the meds and therapy. No money, no honey. Had I known it was going to be this painful to detox from my meds I'm not sure I would have ever started.

I know the pharmacutical companies make lots off of us from these medications. They also depend on us. What I can say, is that for myself, therapy has helped, exercise did not help, medication made the difference between night and day. I am a whole different person without the horrible thoughts going around in my head.

When I first went on meds the only concern I had was that I wanted to be on meds for life, because they helped me so much. My doctor said I would be on them for life, and I'm glad for it.

For years and years I didn't take medication because holistic/exercise advocates were was meds were so bad for us. Finally I got so desperate that I decided I had to at least give it a try. It was only a few days after that all these terrible thoughts went away.

I'm not saying exercise and therapy doesn't help, it likely will, but some people require medication to fix an imbalance. There is no other way.

A pill or two a day and I'm feeling good. It's ONLY a pill!!! And it makes you so you don't wanna end your life!!!

Makes sense to me.

This post has been edited by simpleblue: Apr 26 2008, 03:17 PM

My position on meds. right now is ambivalent.

I think unless you are VERY supervised-keep taking meds.!!

I had taken a gazillion meds. on the market for over 20 years. They've really worked to a point until about 6 years ago they didn't work very well anymore. I was on about 4 -5 meds. in 6 years because initially they'd work and then flatline and I had to be back to square one. I've been on Desyrel ( a much older one), Lithium, Paxil. And in 6 years--Zoloft, Wellbutrin (twice),Celexa and probably other ones I just can't recall right now.

I got off meds. with supervision about 6 months ago and I was better initially because I wasn't a zombie anymore but then could feel everything--my feelings became very intense and had to find ways to calm down-praying, eating healthy, exercise, mindfulness,music,reading, Sam-e, etc.

I now vacilatte between physical pain in my chest, tearfulness,sadness that is intense from an hour to days, and then it'll lift and I'll be happy again.

I really don't know what to do because the meds stopped working and trying to treat it holistically doesn't really work.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Whitelilly[color="#FFA500"][/color]

This post has been edited by Whitelily: May 7 2008, 04:14 PM

When I went holistic I was taking tiny peices of fresh Rhodiola Rosea herb about 4 times a week for my depression/anxiety. Because of Rhodiola, 2007 was the best year of my life. Feb 2008 I had a panic attack and stopped taking it because the panic attack made me scared of everything I was doing at the time. I'm still not sure if I should get rhodiola again or keep trying pharms that feel like they are putting me a step backwards.

I have not heard of Rhodiela Rose herb-I will look into that. I will not take St. John's Wort because it is a stand alone herb-it tends to interact poorly with other things. You can't even take Sam-e with it.
I am about to try 5-htp, which is a natural serotonin raiser. Sam-e really helps. It is safe to combine Sam-e and 5-htp.

My take on this story was that the pharmaceutical companies did not publish all the information they had. Something like 37 trials were ignored and in most of those, ADs performed as well as or worse than placebos. I don't think their message was to encourage people to quit, but to raise the issue that the meds may not be all they're cracked up to be. It seems they've worked best for those with severe depression, but not so much for those with mild to moderate depression. The message is to take an honest look at what you're taking and consult your doctor if you feel you should make changes. Some people have good experiences with medication and truly need it - others can probably do without it. Personally, I think they're over-prescribed and an unfortunate result is that traces of ADs can now be found in most drinking water.

ADs are big business and making huge profits for pharma companies, who often let quality control lapse. There was a recent story about Effexor being made in Puerto Rico and sold in the US - with paint residue from the machinery. Same with Lipitor. Cholesterol drugs have also recently been unveiled as a big moneymaker with few actual effects. In fact, the relationship between cholesterol and heart disease is negligible but was heavily promoted by the AHA in tandem with pharma companies because pharma had a drug to sell. In return, the AHA received a share of the profits. Sort of makes you wonder who you can trust anymore when it comes to health. I think that's what happens when healthcare is allowed to be based entirely on consumer-driven capitalism.

I always had faith in anti-depressants. I thought these meds would be a cure. I then started a course and realised they do not make you skip down the street. the effects are either very,very subtle for me or non-existent and I lean towards the latter. I have tried lots of anti-depresants but Im impatient. If I take a pill, I want a benefit. i mean if Im in pain and I take a painkiller, half an hour later, it has eased that pain, so why cant I take an anti=depressant and it ease my depression within half an hour??

When I woke up after a few says of giving up the meds, my god what a bleak world I woke up in.

People were different, the sun shone a new and alien light upon my body, night was shadowed by dread and darkness was in everything.

I will stick with the meds as long as they stick with me. See my avatar.

This post has been edited by kirkwuk: Jun 22 2008, 12:44 PM

Insightful post. I've tried going w/o anti-depressants and it was like a return to the proverbial hell. My wife, who always wants me to shelve the meds, saw this story and thinks that just because it was featured on the news that my meds dont help me--it's all in my head...

I think that people that have had no experience with the meds before may be quicker to think that way then people whose life has changed for the better because of them. I can't say that if I hadn't had to take them, that I wouldn't think that way. I had to stop taking prozac because my medical insurance went away, and I thought I could do it. Turns out (go figure) they make my life much more enjoyable for me and those around me. I will be going to the doc on Monday to start back on Prozac, and just so long as it continues to help me as it did before, will stay on it as long as it is beneficial to me.

I know that some people feel weird about AD because they effect your mood (some people say they affect who you are, which I can understand). However, for me, I have a chemical imbalance in my brain. Meds help correct that imbalance. To me it is as simple as taking antibiotics for an infection, although I can totally understand why other people might not feel that way.

Glad to see this thread still runs. I have organic depression: which is a chemical imbalance: so medication helps. Without my ADs I wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. I have accepted that I will need them for life. I don't know how long that life will be so any good day is a bonus ;-). Hubby and I have a life together again

I took AD's for years mostly prozac. They did make me fell better. I had side effects that just became unbearable. One is hyper sensitivity to the sun. I'm very light complected so almost cannot go out during the day. I also felt lethargic most of the time.
The worst part was an inability to reach climax. I went to DR's had test done, talked to the shrinks. Nobody even hinted that this was could be a side effect of the AD's I'm talking with a man and he says I was on AD's and I could not !!!!. I'm sitting there thinking the dirty SOB's.
I stopped taking AD's about 3 years ago. I go through some bad times. I seem to have a seasonal worse time, summer. Where it almost becomes unbearable.
I would not reccomend getting off drugs. Unless you have something to fall back on. I have been in a recovery program AA, for 22 years, and also have several years of therapy.

I apologise, I only read the first post, so if I am repeating someone elses point I am sorry.

You made some good points here, yes, the media does not present the whole story, but neither do we. We are all inclined to hear what we want in the news, just as drug companies and doctors can take their own conclusions from a study.

The news coverage I saw said that "Anti depressants, in particular SSRIs are only useful for some of the people taking them."

The reason for this is, that anti depressants have become the tranquilizers of our generation. They are often over-prescribed, for example, I was put on citalopram the first day I spoke to a psychiatrist. I had a reaction and I became suicidal, they took me off those and put me on efexor, which pushed me into mania-which I thought was me getting better, but realised later was actually a totally other kettle of fish. The efexor had stopped working for me. When I told the doctors they upped my dosage, which didnt help at all, so when I saw this news I thought I would stay on my efexor and wait to talk to my doc.
As it happens I forgot them for a few days, I got cold sweats, shakes, I didnt know what was wrong-until I realised I had forgotten to take my tablets. When I saw my doctor and told him what I was thinking he agreed that perhaps I fell into the category of those who would not be helped by anti depressant medication.
At present I am off my meds since february. I have noticed no difference, Im still depressed, irritable, angry, tired and not sleeping right. My brain is all over the place and my motivation and libido are non existent.
Reading some of the information on the internet I think the things applying to me most are bi-polar 2, or Borderline Personality.. My doctor hasnt given me a diagnosis.. They havent run any blood tests, and my counselor is on maternity leave until next year..

My point is that the conclusion of the study was that the majority of people taking anti depressants do not need them, some certainly do, but of the millions of people taking these medications the number for whom they are actually beneficial is substantially lower. This costs the HSE here in Ireland, the NHS in the UK and whatever the rest of the world have, millions a year. But in fairness, if you were taking a medication that was useless to you, would you still want to take it? Some of the side effects and effects that these medications can have are scary-and worthwhile if the medicine helps, but just pointless if it doesnt. And I cannot imagine taking anti depressant medication when it is not needed is very good for your body-just speaking from a biological point of view.

As depression is obviously a very complex illness, and there are so many illnesses with similar or identical symptoms I think that its a good thing they did this study-it may prompt the people who are handing out anti depressants like sweets think more about their decision, and make lazy diagnoses a thing of the past, then maybe we can all get the treatment that were hoping for. Rather than the lottery we are faced with at present.
Im sure the study was part of someones thesis, these things often are. But as the number of people taking anti depressant medication worldwide reach epic proportions, perhaps we need to look at why-is everyone really that depressed or is it just too easy to get prescribed anti depressants?

That news story was not intended to tell everyone taking those medications to stop, but to encourage people who may be taking them unnecessarily that they may have more success with another type of treatment.


Edit=I would also like to point out that all of the alternatives are being taken off the market in Ireland, 5-HTP, Rhodiola, St Johns Wort, are now not available without prescription-the Irish Government are also trying to ban the sale of high dose multivitamins, as depression can have a link to nutritional deficiencies (B6, & Zinc being the most important)
My doctor is not allowed to prescribe me St Johns Wort as I am in public healthcare and my treatment is provided by the state.
I also notice a few people talking about how they tried herbal remedies, and funnily enough, Natural remedies when they are proven to work become mainstream medicine (for example look at Valerian Root, the plant that provides the chemical basis for Valium...)

Im not sure but I think a few people have a misunderstanding of what "Holistic" means. To treat someone holistically you are treating that person as a whole. The treatment involves getting to know the client and tailor making a treatment to suit that person.
I am a Holistic Therapist, and I have the sense to know that I cannot take my treatment into my own hands, but that I can contribute to my treatment. I realize that doctors have their place in my treatment. Sadly most doctors do not see a place for natural remedies-which I think could play a large role in treatment for this illness, if the doctors started looking at each of us as individuals, and treated us all individually, then perhaps we would all have more success.

Different things work for different people-the problem up until this study was that some doctors were under the misunderstanding that by prescribing a pill they are dealing with the issue, when in reality they are attacking the symptom and not the cause, thats the main problem with modern medicine.

This post has been edited by Giz: Aug 16 2008, 07:40 PM

After a lifetime of depression, I'm convinced that I need to be on ADs. Never knowing or being treated for depression, I used the common methods a chemical imbalanced depressive could find: alcohol and drugs for 33 years.

When that stopped working, I hit bottom and sobered in a 12 step program.

Instantly fully depressed, I struggled to keep sober and alive for 4 years. Also I was in therapy the whole time. Going Against the therapists and the 12 step recomendations, I sought medical help. I was immediately started on ssri. That has helped me THE MOST of anything to date.

I need to maintain the 12 step program. I did stop therapy as it Couldn't work without meds! I was frozen in my childhood years without escape. ADs allow me to feel ordinary without all the fears and anxieties. Now I can practice my steps and live life's ups and downs much better than I ever knew possible. If I miss a day of meds, I find out Very quickly. It reminds me of what life Was like the first 50 years.

Sure I can still be depressed, but it is manageable now with meds. I just upped my dose to 40mg, but grateful its here even without any insurance.

No one knows what depression is like unless they have it. How can they tell me what meds can do!
I can't help another alcoholic unless I have the disease also.

Yes! Keep taking your meds. I have tried to go without them several times, and each time it was failure. I slowly, almost imperceptibly, slipped back into crippling depression. I've seen the same thing with my brother. In fact, I can tell very quickly when he's been off his meds, and my sister said she can tell when I've gone off them.

Some people may not need to take them "forever", but some of us probably do have to stay on them. But I don't see that as a problem. I feel lucky that I am alive at a time when there is effective treatment for my depression. I am thankful for these meds which have saved my life without a doubt.

Yes! Keep taking the meds. What really ticks me is when my friends start asking "...Well... meds...? Really? Aren't they bad for you?"

I can't stress enough that it's a personal journey and people around you oddly seem to try to steer you away from medication. My dad was on AD's for a while and my grandmother on my mom's side was bipolar, so my parents always ask "Did you take your medication today?" because they get it, they know my brain is low on serotonin and medication will make me feel better! My bf is a little more reluctant because he's scared of addiction, but still on board. But a couple of people who know what I'm going through ask me if I've considered natural pills (been there), alternative medicine (been there), and it's really hard for me to make them understand that this was totally last resort. And it's even harder to explain that I'm not against medication (that one can be a struggle!).

Popular culture, friends, sometimes family... there's a lot of pressure. But keep taking your medication, do what your doctor told you!!! Behave!!! :)

Kisses to all from Portugal
JupiterMoon

Most of my family and friends don't even know I'm on medication. I can't tell my family because they don't believe depression is a real illness - it's all in your head and you can just think happier thoughts and get over it kind of thing.
More of my friends know I'm on them than my family and that's simply because I know they will not judge me. They are more compassionate.
I was on prozac, zoloft and now effexor. The highest dose of effexor seems to be the most effective for me and it is working. I can totally tell if I miss a day though because my lips tingle (weird, huh?). Last week the pdoc said these would be lifelong meds. I guess that was a shock to me because of the way I grew up (thinking that I would get over it), but it makes perfect sense. It's not like the meds heal the imbalance permanently, they have to heal it everyday to keep me stable.

I've also been on meds... prozac... however, finally managed to get rid of them. But's that was soooo difficult.... The first weeks were a a hell. Though now I'm rather better, managing my 'disorder', as they say, by own efforts, I still believe meds are not the worst solution.. at least you know you have something to help you out.. just in case.

I've been off and on fluoxetine since the mid 1990's, and have come to regret every time I've gone off of it. When I'm taking my meds, I feel "normal" and life is so much easier - it's wonderful to not have to struggle to get through each day. But after a while, I start feeling like I'm "fine," that I can handle things on my own, and how nice it would be to not take a medication that has stigma and side effects attached to it. Well, I've slipped into depression again, and started taking fluoxetine again today. I feel like such a failure - first, for having stopped taking the meds and slipping back into this dark hole, and also for having to get back onto them. What makes it harder is that I'm very much in love with someone who believes that exercise, natural remedies, and the holistic approach can solve just about any ill. He's trying to be supportive, but my being on medication is kind of like the 800 lb gorilla in the room. But I just can't continue to feel this bad, especially when I know that relief is around the corner when the fluoxetine starts to kick in. I wish that people would understand that some of us may need this medication for the rest of our lives, and that having to take it doesn't make us weak or defective. Although, I guess that is how I am feeling about myself right now.

the weight gain sucks, trying to get phsyc to add Wellbutrin to my abilify. would love to speak to live people, interactive if possible. I'm not sure how old the post are, some seem really old. I hope people are still posting.

To me the fear of depression greatly outweighs any of the other fears you mentioned.I dont like feeling that life is not worth living,so I will do whatever it takes to avoid this.Also,people depend on me to be able to function and I simply cannot,without meds and therapy.I have tried too many times with disasterous results.However,this is a personal decision that you need to make for yourself,IF you are mentally capable of making a rational decision without your meds.Good luck with whatever you decide.

Hi I'm Adawan, new to the forum. I totally agree--do NOT stop taking your meds. Besides dealing with dep and anxiety issues, I work part time for a psychiatrist and have seen too often what happens when ppl think they no longer need the meds, or that they aren't working (yet) and stop taking them. It can mean real disaster. Whatever you hear on the news or on commercials that urge you to sue, don't change anything with your meds until you've consulted your psychiatrist
Adawna

Adwana - I have found that my medication helps A LOT! It means Hubby and I have a life together again. I can usually face people rather than remain at home. If sufferers need to stop their drugs they also need to be guided through a withdrawal programme.

Browse round, join in !

Here's my question: How can I tell if medications are causing adverse effects? I've heard the horror stories of conditions worsening after certain medications. How can you tell if the medication itself is causing the problems or if its your condition is getting worse?

This post has been edited by Burgy: Jan 7 2009, 02:18 PM

I've often wondered this myself. I don't think there is any way to tell, exactly. One option would be to discuss your adverse effects with your doctor to find out if what you are feeling is something that is a commonality with other patients on the drug. If you take yourself off the medication without discussing with your doctor first, there could also be serious side effects coming off some of these meds suddenly. So I most definately would not make that decision on my own.


Shanban

I will have to say it, i went "cold Turkey" on my meds back in August. I just felt i wasn't me anymore. So i stopped them full stop, didn't tell my GP or anyone.

Felt fine, on top of the world for about a 2 months. Than come November, hit rock bottom again. Started Self harming, suicide thoughts.

Trust me it wasn;t a nice place to be in. Luckly i have a doctor who is understanding, and she got back on the pills on a small dose for a couple of weeks, than we built it back up slowy.

For the last 6/7 weeks, i've been in a consent battle with my moods. Went down very quickly, In the end i ended up with an emergency appoirtment at the Doctors. Hence why she thinks i'm not copeing.

My Advice, TAKE YOUR MEDS!

as said i would not go of the meds until you discuss it with your GP but if you are determined to go off them do so slowly like 3 quarters for a week then half and then quarter. i did this with the valium i was on for 16 years and so far no side affects it has now been a month and hoping it stays that way.

Kitty Kat - moods can be caused by a drop in blood sugar so making sure that we eat properly makes a HUGE difference. Maybe a hike in your medication might help, when my mood is low I double my doseage - 5mg at night and 5mg in the morning. Eventually my mood evens out and I feel better. it is trial and error for a while which is annoying when we want to feel well 'now'!

[How's the weather in Derby? I love Castleton area ;-) ]

I sort of had a similar experience, I quit taking mine because I felt like I wasn't me, and then I actually began to feel better. I think I lasted a little longer than you did, I went from July until the last week of December and now I've slid back down to feeling horrible. I want to be back on the meds again, but I think I should try something new, maybe different meds will help me feel more normal.

That was how i felt, i just didn;t feel like me. So i stopped. BIG mistake!!

I'm so fed up at the momemt, i've got a doctors appt. at 9.20 this moring, i hate SERTALINE. on 150mg. It's doing my nut!
Got see about getting them changed.

I must go, i'll talk to you guys later.
take care
kat
x

Ok got back from the Docs early, Just been at work trying to sort out what she said..

Last week i had to go and see the Duty Doctor as an emergency, she upped my doseage from 100mg to 150.

Today, she has uped i again to 200mg. And given me 2 weeks worth, if i still the same like i do at the moment, she is going to refer me to see a Shrink. :(
She thinks i might Biploar.

I just don't know what to do, to think anymore. I have had black espoides before but never have they lasted this long.

My head is spinning around that much, i don't feel like i can cope anymore. To relive some of the mess in my life, i have started to self harm.

I know this is posted on the wrong link, but i just needed to tell someone, before i scream