Aantidepressant Medications??

Personally I started on a exercise and cleanse routine with Isagenix (www.cindyflesher.isagenix.com). It is amazig how the body heals itself.
Call me if you have questions,
C.
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Hi Heather,
Symptoms of depression can be headaches, not sleeping, sleeping too much, exhaustion etc. I've a family history of depression, and have learned that the best way for me to manage it is physical activity.
I don't know if you exercise regularly, but a good brisk walk or a run every day has been found to be just as effective as meds for mild or moderate depression.
I wouldn't want to advise you for or against the meds, but I would definitely make time to exercise every day too - it can only help. Hope you are feeling better soon

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad." Proverbs 12:25

Hello Heather,

Having been so severely depressed that I was suicidal. While I don't remember it my husband says that I once sat in front of the Christmas tree for 21 days straight. Yikes!

So you could say I have some exposure to feeling ill-at-ease spiritually. I have worked very closely alongside the medical profession, even supporting a prominent child psychiatrist one-on-one for a full year! Today I have learned the power of Faith in Christ (to scale any man-made obstacle), praise (to refocus my mind onto my blessings, my loved ones and others) and fasting (to reset my organ clock, balance my weight, eliminate scars, sores, headaches, gun dis-ease, dandruff, bad breath, you name it!!!!!)

Now that I've found genuine healthcare I'll never settle for less than the best and neither should you dear lady!

Believe well!

A. Z.
http://www.HomeOfficeMommy.com
Coming soon!

I'm sorry you are going through a tough time. I have struggled with depression for over 10 years now and I know it's tough. Everyone's experience will be different, but my symptoms included extreme irritability, lack of perspective (EVERYTHING was a HUGE deal), exhaustion, lack of concentration, very low initiative, and just generally not giving a dang. Even after 10+ years of treatment and meds, when things get bad for me, it all comes back to that state of mind.

Regarding your medications. First of all, have you been seen by a psychiatrist or is it your GP who is prescribing your meds? If it's a GP, I recommend you see a psychiatrist asap for an evaluation and second opinion. Personally I have been on three different antidepressants. I was also very against trying medication but things in my life were reaching a crisis point. On Prozac, I had the very rare side effect of my hair falling out. So I was switched to Zoloft. Zoloft was a nightmare for me. It swung me so far the other direction that I became manic. I don't tell you this to scare you; I have known many many people who did great on Zoloft. it was just not the drug for me. Finally my psychiatrist landed me on Celexa and that is what I've been on for several years now, and it's working great. I have no side effects at all.

My advice re: meds is to give them a try. Report any and all side effects to your doctor and be honest with them about how you're feeling. There are lots of different ones and it can take awhile to find the right one for you. Don't give up on them too soon.

And generally, with depression, I would say the best thing you can do, but honestly for me the hardest, is to love yourself. Sounds hokey, I know. But it's true. Be patient with the process of getting better and learning how to stay well. I have come to accept that for me, personally, I will probably always have a low level of depression hanging around. Learning how to manage it, and prevent taking deep dives, is my personal struggle. You will figure out over time how to best take care of yourself.

Be well and feel free to message me if you want to talk more.

I have been there, but I would say that if you are not feeling depressed explore it further with your therapist. Don't assume that they are right if you are feeling happy, but if they think you are experiencing depression then maybe give the medicine a bit and see if it does alleviate your symptoms. I know I didn't even realize how different I felt when I was depressed, until I wasn't anymore

I don't know your age but hormonal problems can cause all sorts of terrible symptoms. I have a friend who went through several doctors and blood tests and everyone told her she was OK. Poor lady, her hair was falling out. She is in her thirties. I'll ask her for her doc's name. Thyroid issues can manifest all sorts of problems too. Most doc just check TSH and leave it at that but you can have an OK TSH and still have thyroid problems. There is also a growing list of people who have lyme disease. The Lyme Induced Autism (LIA) group is very knowledgable about this. In both cases you'll need to look to alternative medicine because mainstream won't help. Just suggestions to consider, perhaps neither is your issue.

Heather,

I went on Zoloft after the birth of my son, well actually he was 4 month and I suffered until then. I felt so much better after just a week of taking it. It was a low dose and completely safe to take while nursing. I stayed on a year and slowly weaned off and felt great. I had no side effects or issues. If your doctor recommends you try it, then maybe you should. Depression is different for eveyone.

Good luck,
J.

I too am suffering from depression and am finally, after about a year, feeling like I am getting back to my old self. I did know I was depressed but I wasn't always sad. I was angry, unmotivated, tired, and felt like I was an outsider in my body. I was a different person. And I know it had a lot do do with being a new mom and sleep deprivation and weight gain. But I was angry that I had just done the most miraculous thing a woman can accomplish- given birth to a beautiful baby- and yet I HATED myself.
I spoke to my doctor and was also put on Zoloft because I was diagnosed with severe depression. I noticed an immediate change for the better. I felt like a weight had been lifted from me and where before I felt like I was drowning in everything in my life, I had my head above water and could finally tread water. It has been amazing to see the changes that have come with meds. I encourage you to try it out for a month and see if there are any changes in your life. (and I'm with you on not liking the idea of having to be prescribed antidepressants; but like my therapist says: if it were medicine for any other part of your body, there would be no shame. You're taking these just as a heart patient takes a pill to stay healthy). I hope that you're soon feeling back to your old self.

Hi Heather, zoloft is one of the older antidepressants it might make you feel fatiqued when you first start to take it, taking it at bedtime helps with this. Depression runs in my family and I have been on zoloft in the past. A low dose may not be enough and you may need to increase your dose as treatment goes on. If you do not start to feel better, you may need to try a different antidepressant, there are different kinds of antidepressants and you and the doctor will have to work together to find the right one for you. You should feel normal when taking the medication. The medication will take a few weeks to build up in your system and you will notice that you start to feel better. Decrease in brain chemicals usually are the cause of depression, the medication helps replace these chemicals. The antidepressant will help you, you would take insulin if you had diabetes, wouldn't you? it is the same thing. In my opinion, the best treatment for depression is talk therapy combined with medication. Once you start to feel better and have more energy exercise and good diet will help you maintain. It will be hard to get started when you are depressed as depression can cause fatique and a general feeling of malaise. Once you are feeling better try to push yourself to atleast get a walk in a few times a week, even a few stretches while watching t.v. will help. Hoping that you feel better.

After reading some of the post, I have to add: Antidepressants are not the same as ilicit drugs. You do not get high from antidepressants, they replace a chemical that you are lacking in your body. A reputable naturapathic healer would work with the medical society not against them. Many herbal remedies are not approved by the FDA and are more dangerous than any drug prescribed by a MD as the side effects are not documented or even realized. Sometimes people are prescribed medications that they do not need, sometimes people have bad reactions to medications. But these medications have saved many lives and it is dangerous to tell someone otherwise. As far as antidepressant labels warning against death, take a look at any medication label and it will warn against death, the FDA requires that if even 1 person out of 20 billion people died after taking a medication it has to be documented as a possibility. An educated practitioner would recommend that you explore all your options medical and holistic and maby a combination of therapies. You will find what is right for you. Please don't let people scare you.

While it may be possible that you are depressed - it sounds more like a hormonal imbalance. Did you have a full hormonal work up done?? All your hormones not just thyroid testing?? What about your vitamin D levels too??

If you are depressed - I believe that medications can be a "lifesaver" - while many women will tell you about weight gain - I had the opposite be true. I experienced a period of severe depression - I tried to avoid medication for a long time - but was not functioning well and finally got medical help. I took Zoloft for about 6 months - I started losing weight after starting the drug. It did lift my depression with few side effects. During this time - I also found out I had some major hormonal imbalances - started to treat those and then weaned from the Zoloft.

I am a chronic headache sufferer by nature - since age 7 I have had migraines - so I have taken an antidepressant for headache prevention before too - that one caused weight gain - and I went off of it.

You mention a therapist in your question, so though you say you don't feel depressed - it makes me wonder...

Best of luck to you getting the help you need.

The symptoms you are describing are what I experienced when I was on anti-depressant medications. I now use exercise and natural means to manage my occasional depression. It sounds like there could be a thyroid issue - which will mask as depression - or a a mineral deficiency. If you are interested in what I do that works well, feel free to email me back and we can have a conversation.

I'm assuming part of the blood work they did was to check for any thyroid problems. Hypothyroid and depression are sometimes mistaken for each other, and you can have both at the same time. In my experience, the thyroid issue makes it hard for me to lose weight. The antidepressant did not help weight-wise. I was on a low Zoloft dose for 6 months and I felt better on it. I'd worked myself to exhaustion trying to be super mommy and I felt like I was forever tired but constantly on the go. My mind would be racing all the time with what needed to be done. I'd get 6 or less hours sleep per night. I felt constantly anxious and worried about everything. I had no idea what depression felt like (and it's different with everyone). With the medication it was like the hair on the back of my neck could finally stand down for awhile. I could ignore the vacuuming every so often and not let it bother me. I had no problems when I went off the medication.

I think I would get a second opinion. When my mother's kidney almost shut down, the docs told her she was depressed. She kept going to the doctor because she knew there was something wrong. sure enough Stanford finally diagnosed that one kidney was not functioning at all and the other was only functioning at about 75%. She had a procedure to fix the kidney that was still working and now she's fine. Don't settle for depression - they say that, give you pills to make you happy and send you on your way while the whole time something physical is going on. If you don't think you're depressed, don't settle for that diagnosis. That's a catch-all now - anytime they can't figure it out, they say you're depressed and take happy pills!

Hi Heather,

Did your doctor check your thyroid? If not, have her/him do that. You are seeing a therapist? I have generalized anxiety disorder, if your thyroid is normal, it's possible that you do have anxiety. Anxiety will make you feel depressed at times, but it's not like a depressive disorder where you feel it all the time. I have been taking Effexor XR for about 6 years. I have done well on it. I don't have panic attacks often anymore, maybe once a year. I also saw a therapist, it was the best choice I ever made. I am a huge proponent of therapy, and, if you need it, medication. The help is there for those of us that need it. But there are other options. I always recommend therapy, but there is yoga and meditation as well. Deep breathing and muscle relaxation exercises are options, too. I have to say, though, as much as Effexor has helped me, I would not recommend it. Should you ever take it and decide you no longer need it, the withdrawl is horrible. Zoloft is a good place to start if you're going to try medication. I believe there is a new one, Pristiq. You will find with any SSRI that they are often prescribed for multiple things. Most are for anxiety, depression, bipolar, etc. You can also try, like Allison said, xanax, klonopin or ativan. They are, well, they're sedatives to calm you and you only take them when needed. Just research your options, you have so many. Good luck and keep us posted.

T.

Hi Momma-
Depression is a serious illness. Ask yourself these questions- have you lost motivation to do things like get out of bed in the morning, go to work, play with your child? The thing to separate is not that you can't do it because of your pain, but that you don't WANT to do anything and CAN'T make yourself do anything- you feel like melting into the scenery, being alone, sitting in your own fantasy realm away from it all. THAT is depression. And I would not take prescription meds until you saw a psychologist/therapist who could recommend a decent psychiatrist. General practitioners should never be dosing or handing out depression meds. Their expertise lies elsewhere. As far as meds go, my husband has been medicated for years, and until he saw an actual psychiatrist, he was a mess. I have been diagnoses but opted out of meds due to the mild nature of the illness.
For your headaches, dizziness, exhaustion, and weight gain, there are many many things that could cause that. The number question is are you diabetic? Alot of people are not diagnosed, and those are some of the early symptoms. Another thing to have checked is your thyroid. These are not normal blood work tests. I had to specifically ask for them on my blood work because they were not included unless the doctor asked for them to be specifically.
Are you taking any allergy meds? Do you drink anything "diet?" Allergy meds can send your body haywire as far as dizziness and exhaustion, and aspartame poisoning (it really is not an acceptable sugar substitute- read up on it, it's really scary) can do ALL of those things. A friend and coworker of mine finally decided maybe I had something, so he read up on aspartame (he loves diet soda). he quit cold turkey and 3 days later he said he couldn't believe how well he felt! Anything with artificial sweetener, whether it be aspartame, saccharin, or whatever, is like injecting poison into your body. If you do suffer from diabetes, the best thing you can do for yourself is change your diet. I know that for me, headaches and weight gain came from diet products. I also believe that the dizziness did, too- or when you have too much refined sugar and carbs, even if you are not diabetic. It was a hard change, and I still struggle with it, but ALL of those things that you are experiencing, I did, too, and they are slowly fading away with a healthy lifestyle change.
Please, please, see a psychologist first, or a MFT. A good one is Russ Sempell. he came to my house. It was still full price, but it was worth a couple of visits to see the true issues. Explain to your counselor the issues and tell them what your general MD said. A good counselor will question the motives and want to know why the doc automatically put you on depression meds unless they have some other use as well. I am not a doctor, but from experience, this just doesn't sound kosher, and I would, if I were in the same spot, try something else. Don't assume you are depressed because someone prescribed you meds. Really have it checked by the people who study mental health and take some of those depression quizzes. Then talk to them, not to an MD. That is their specialty, what they do every day, all day. It really does make a difference.
I hope this helps and that you feel better soon. With depression on the rise, it's best to know your true issues. Get to know your body and what affects it as far as food and health go, fragrances and surroundings. It's amazing all the little things your body will share with you if you know what to listen for. I am almost 30, and just now beginning to see it. It took a really crazy, but genuinely precious woman to point me on the right path 6 years ago, and it is still a struggle, but WORTH every second.
Good luck momma,
-E. M

Hi Heather,

If you don't feel depressed you aren't...Depression is a feeling. Antidepressants should ONLY, if ever, be used in extreme circumstances. If you don't like the way it makes you feel (which one of the many side effects is depression) you can't stop taking it. Once it gets into your bloodstream you have to wean off it slowly. Some antidepressant's side effects list death as a result of discontinuing use.

Personally, I think you need a good source of nutrition to help with your symptoms. ALL of them can stem from a low immune system that can be caused by a number of things. Exercise will help as well, even with the exhaustion. Don't depend on yourself..take a class at the Y so you can be held accountable. I always recommend an absorbable multivitamin and a detox of the home and body because I think a lot of things stem from the chemicals in our world. Adding another one is not usually a solution. If it turns out I'm wrong, the antidepressant will ALWAYS be there. It just should never be your first option!

God bless!

M.

It's interesting they have diagnosed depression when you are not feeling that way.

I had PPD and the depression for me was caused by sleep deprivation (my baby was eating every two hours around the clock for the first two months). I didn't feel "depressed" but I felt very anxious. You know the normal feelings of freaking out adjusting to life with a newborn? It was that but intensified.

Anyhow, I'm on a low dose of Zoloft and it made me feel good within two weeks! It really does work. I'd recommend trying to keep it low as I hear that weight gain is possible with a higher dosage. I personally didn't experience side effects, and people I reached out to also said the meds worked great for them. I started taking the meds when my baby is 6 weeks old, and he is 7 months now. My OB wants to keep me on the meds past winter, since seasonal affective disorder would probably not help things.

Good luck and hang in there! The meds, in my opinion, are not a big deal and they are prescribing that one because it is safe to nurse. My baby has not displayed any adverse effects either. You can always look into alternative treatments, like talk therapy if you prefer not to take meds but it sounds like the depression is taking a physical toll. It is crazy how PPD is 100% chemical when it felt like an emotional problem.

I would not be willing to try "anything," just because a doctor says it's safe. I would do the research on my own, and weigh the pros and cons--especially if you don't feel depressed. Depression/sadness is a feeling. You would know if you were sad, I think. I don't know how long it has been since you gave birth, but all of those things could just be related to being a new mommy. My advice would be to take some time out to pray, read something spiritual, or just search your heart, even if it's just sitting outside, or getting up before baby/kids to have your coffee and quiet time. I hope you are feeling happy and healthy and strong soon!

I had the antidepressants reccomended for the headaches,
as prevention. It did help alot.
I was not sleeping well for years with my kids and job.
When they start helping ( a few weeks later) I was really awake and fresh during the day and peaceful at night. (and the house, husband and kids don't stress so much). I believe it is good (for awhile). I did stop, hoping to diet/ either on or off that one is hard!
Good Luck!

Hi Heather,

I have two friends with clinical depression: one gave birth to twins two months ago, and the other is due in two weeks (both are first-time parents). The mother of twins is blessed to have a husband who is a neonatal pediatrician, so he gives her a great deal of comforting advice about medication, etc. The bottom line from her perspective is this: the best thing a mother can do to care for her children is to care for herself. She took antidepressants throughout her pregnancy, and after the twins were born she suffered badly from post-partum depression so an anti-anxiety drug was added and she's doing much better. She wasn't able to breast feed for very long due to both the PPD and medications to counteract it, but the twins are healthy and doing very well, and so is she. During pregnancy her docs managed her antidepressant dosages to minimize risk to the babies, and as I said they are doing great with no effects from the medication she took during pregnancy. My other friend stayed off the meds during most of her pregnancy, and suffered so badly she felt her baby would have to be adopted b/c she wouldn't be able to care for her. She finally got back on the meds, but after talking with others in the same situation she's realizing she needs to up the dosage to have any benefit, and the risk to the baby is minimal. They both have different dosages of different meds, b/c the med combination that works for one person might not work for the next--it has to be personalized to your needs.

In your situation, b/c you're not sure you're depressed, I'd get a second opinion about your diagnosis first. But don't be afraid of taking meds if they're needed--like my friend said, you have to care for yourself before you can care for your children effectively. Best of luck!

J.

Has your doctor checked your thyroid levels, or checked allergies to milk or wheat? What kind of blood work? Did your practitioner check your vit D levels, this also can cause many symptoms?

To assist with headaches try to take notes of when they happen, what you have been doing or eating. Changes in sleep patterns, dehydration, and certain foods such as foods containing nitrates, nitrites,(found in hot dogs, bacon and other processed meat) MSG, red wine, chocolate can be problematic, artificial sweeteners can cause headaches such as aspartame.

Processed foods contain higher amts of sodium and sugar, white flour, white sugar will drain your energy and also cause increased cravings for more of the same without offering any real nutrients.

The low level medication should not cause problems, but if you want to try some form of exercise in the morning (30-45 minute walk) that will help your mood, metabolism, and increase serotonin levels.

Make sure to eat real foods, whole foods such as fruits, vegies, oatmeal brown rice, fish, beans and lentils( power foods: blueberries, salmon, raw almonds, broccoli, spinach, lentils, black beans etc.)

Hope this helps, RN with over 20 years experience.

i have anxiety.. not depression.. you may be the same.. i wake up happy... depressed people are usually depressed.. or sad.. not me.. i am just anxious about stuff... or feel like things are to much.. or i can't get the laundry done.... or supper on the table at a decent hour.. or work is work... i am on xanax.. only when needed.. and it works great.. i also take paxil - the least dose each day.. just to make my moods better.. good luck.. if you don't feel depressed than you probably aren't.. but you just need to take it easy... taking walks helps.. playing music around the house.. good luck

The doctors tried to put me on medicine 11years ago and I refused and got into a wellness home. That was the best thing I could have done for my health and my family.

If you would like a natural solution let me know and I will share with you.

N. Marie

All of these are signs of depression or a medical cause other than depression it was good that you went to see your dr.I have depression was diagnoses yrs ago before kids and after ny 2nd it turned into postpartum depression.I didn't take anything after my daughter but with my 3rd I did when she was 3 months old I took Zoloft 50 mgs was prescribed but I cut it down to 25 it helped take the edge off.Now I weaned myself to nothing I don't want to be on it anymore i'am going to try hard not to use anything prescribed but to go the natural way Primrose Oil was suggested by the Ob.The side effects are horrible to be on medications but so are the effects of depression

i was diagnosed with depression after the birth of my twins. my symptoms were: extreme anger towards my husband, very irritable, exhaustion, no control of emotions. I was not myself, but since i just gave birth i thought it was just due to my situation. i spoke with a wonderful psychiatrist who recommended starting with a low dose of zoloft, but also strongly recommended getting enough rest, take naps whenever I need them, hire/get help with the twins, get proper nutrition, and some form of light exercise (yoga was my choice). She also recommended I limit my exposure to stress. I started w/25mg and slowly increased the dose as needed to manage my bandwith to reacting to stress. After 9 months, I'm now am taking 150 mg of zoloft. I was going to weekly appointments with my Dr and after 6 months reduced it to once a month. Depression has different symptoms and my dr helped me understand this disease. My side effects were hot flashes, vivid dreams, and a little shaking of my hands. Congratulations on taking steps to feeling better.

Depression manifests itself so differently in so many different people. No one will feel the same way. For me, it's loneliness and a feeling that I can't do anything well.

I've tried several medications - no one will have the same response to the same medications. I had to try several before I felt I had the right one. I have not used one since getting pregnant with my son 4 years ago.

Last year, the FDA required a warning be issued for all the drugs in this class because of the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and tendancies (especially in teenagers).

Here are the medications available (I may accidentally leave some out - almost all are called SSRI's - Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors).
I've put their brand names first with the generic names behind. Not all have a generic version available, and even so, a generic medication is NOT the same as the brand because they're usually made by different manufacturers and only have to be 80% equivalent to be approved.

Prozac - fluoxetine HCl
Cymbalta - duloxetine HCl (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor)
Zoloft - sertraline HCl
Abilify - aripiprazole
Effexor XR - venlafaxine HCl
Pristiq - desvenlafaxine
Wellbutrin -Bupropion
Paxil -paroxetine
Celexa - citalopram
Lexapro - escitalopram

Weight gain is a common side effect of many of these medications. Also, many are very short-acting, and because they affect hormone levels in your brain, you will have to wean yourself off of them when you discontinue.

There are a lot of options, and it may be a good temporary aid in helping you get back to your normal self (even if you're not feeling depressed). If you disagree with the diagnosis, I'd see another doctor for another opinion.

Good luck.

First point - I am not a physician or health care provider. My comments are solely opinion and not based on anything other than my own life experience.

If it were me, I would be concerned that an anti-depressant would exacerbate the weight issues. You may want to research the side effects. The medication may or may not be appropriate, depending on your specific situation.

I personally love the book "The Edge Effect" by Eric Braverman, MD. He looks at these issues from an "integrative" perspective - i.e., considering the whole person (rather than solely treating symptoms).

I do not believe in masking "symptoms" - in my humble (non-medical) opinion that is how our bodies tell us that something is amiss. Sometimes medication IS appropriate; sometimes there is a deeper physical issue which needs to be addressed first.

If it were me I would do my own research, check out some books at the library, and consult with trusted health care professionals (seeking multiple opinions if necessary).

Good luck to you and I wish you true happiness and wellness.

There is no shame in taking medications, especially if it will help you. I have experienced depression and anxiety and a mixture of them both for several years. In tough times I have found that low doses of anti-psychotic medications helped. But everyone is different and responds to medications differently so it may be different for you. If you want to try something “safer” I know of an herbal supplement called Luminex that you can look into. It’s made by a company called Melaleuca if you want to research it. Look at www.melaleuca.com I haven’t used it yet myself, but it I have heard great things from people that have. It contains natural ingredients including St Johns Wart, griffonia seed, folate, and vitamin B12 that help with depression and anxiety. Let me know if you are interested or have any questions.

When they did your blood work, did they check your thyroid? Being hypothyroid is quite common in women and can cause all of the symptoms you describe. Make sure you doctor did this test. Having a TSH of approx. 1-5 is considered normal, although people are getting low in the 4-5 range, and may require a thyroid hormone supplement at that level. Make the doctor tell you the exact numbers, not just tell you it's normal.

I have found that doctors tend to diagnose many things they can't figure out as depression. And they are quite often wrong. If you don't feel depressed, then you probably aren't depressed. Keep pushing.

Hi There
I feel for you! I see you had blood work done. Did they test your thyroid thoroughly? Because what you describe is very much like what I had and it turns out I have antibodies to my thyroid which means even though I make the hormone my body attacks it so I need replacements. Is fairly common but a lot of doctors don't test for it unless you demand it or keep pestering them.
good luck!

I've tried a lot of different meds for depression and I found that Cymbalta was most helpful. And I actually lost weight. I also was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, just a thought...you may want to check into that.