At wits end

[Emma143]

Hi, I feel very anxious and depressed. Getting really horrible feelings. I’m on duloxetiene, and have just increased it from 30mg to 60mg a few days ago. I have just had a blood test and they say my vitamin D is borderline so I am just starting 1000 IOU’s of vitamin D tablets.

I haven’t worked for almost a year as I get terrible migraines and anxiety and depression. I hope to go back to work one day, but just can’t see it at the moment. I am so tired. I feel drained and tearful. I’m waiting for one to one counselling but have waited since before Christmas. I’m always at the doctors but feel she doesn’t know what to do for me. I just needed to air my thoughts and feelings.

Thanks for reading.

[Cimmy]

hi emma143, sorry to hear that your going through a rough time at the moment, I haven’t really got any good advice but just wanted you to know that you are on the best forum, there are so many caring people on here and we are always willing to listen and support you the best way possible. It does help putting your feelings out there. Hoping your feeling better soon. Take care

[Emma143 in reply to Cimmy]

Thank you for replying Cimmy and for your kind words. You take care too.

[beinganon]

There are lots of things I can say here—but I’ll keep it short: antideps are a one-way street for most. Oh well, the street branches off and goes in a different direction many times—but the path overall is one-way, if you get what I mean.

My personal story is fairly typical: One drug to the other, one added to existing three to counteract side effects, and on and on.

OK, there are some non-typical bits as well: A psychiatrist gave me Drug A, which made me feel so terrible+weird I lost my faith in g-d and couldn’t recognise my sister for about twelve hours [I was and am a staunch believer.] I mean, if it can be as bad as that... well, it gets worse. The very next day I staggered back to the clinic to report my sensations and she coolly says... “No kidding! Well, let’s see what else I’ve got for you...” and she gave me, ta-da, Drug B. It went on like that for more than a decade.

The best—the only—advice I can give you is: “This is a new drug,” “Let’s try increasing the dose,” “Let’s add a bit of Drug X and see how you do”... are all merely demonstrations of the fact that psychiatry is nowhere near a science or system of medicine. [One time, I was on two dopamine agonists; it was terrible; I changed my doc; he said what I really needed was a dopamine ANTagonist. I mean, what the...?]

There are non-pharma remedies for depression—even bad cases; some are frowned upon by docs because they, well, don’t help the industry—and as for some such as fish oil, even the most hardened psychiatrist will admit to its benefits. [I used 5,000 (five thousand) mg of EPA + DHA to get off antideps totally, cold turkey, one fine day, from SEVEN drugs including TWO antideps; the only side effect of fish oil is mild to moderate diarrhoea.]

[SCC1]

I have to say, DO NOT go off of any meds you are on now, without contacting your Dr. The person who said they went off theirs cold turkey, is maybe one of few who didn't have side effects from doing that. It could be harmful for your physical and/or mental health to go off of meds suddenly.

I'm not trying to scare you, but the following is reality: Any Dr will tell you the same thing about stopping meds all of a sudden. You will probably have severe withdrawal symptoms, AND you will go back to feeling how you had been before any meds were prescribed.

Also, when a person discontinues meds on their own, and if they feel worse, the time it takes for another med to kick in will not be worth the time you may spend feeling bad BC of stopping it without a drs approval.

If you would choose to go the "natural way"- vitamins/other, you have to first talk to your Dr to let them advise you on what to do about the meds you are on now. There are only so many natural remedies for illnesses, but there are specific meds for specific illnesses.

I hope you find relief soon.