Depression

I suffer from depression and am back on the pills as of almost two weeks ago. Last year I was on the pills and I felt great and went off them in April as I started to gain weight. Now I am back on them as I have been feeling quite depressed again - anyone want to talk and share the frustration of this lack of serotonin problem.... Need friends that understand....

Hi joc,

I can relate.  The weight gain really gets to me as well; I was off my bipolar meds for a whole year, but my depressive episodes left me with no choice but to get back on the meds.

I am going to do my best to eat as healthy as possible, and I am going to exercise.  New Year's resolution; and I started yesterday.  I did chose a mood stabilizer that doesn't really cause weight gain, or so I have read.  I would definitely explore some more options, it would be great if there is an anitdepressant out there that at least has less chance of causing the weight gain.  I know there are definitely ones out there that are much worse than others.  Not sure if you want to share, but which medication are you on?  Anytime I want to know about side effects, I post about the med that I'm on and ask how it's affected people.  Then everyone posts about their experiences and it really shows me which side effects occur the most. 

It's hard because it's such a vicious cycle:  Being too depressed, so you go on meds, then you gain weight and that depresses you; or like you said, when we're depressed it's so hard to exercise etc...

Hang in there, I hope things get better for you.

that I was suffering from depression as I was not leading a balanced life and it seemed like I was becoming anorexic and was obsessed with the gym. My doctor put me on celexa and also gave me a prescription for clonanzepam which works as the anti depressant builds in the blood stream. I gained weight and did not work full time for awhile and my gym work outs became more moderate. Then I decided to go off my celexa so I could enjoy a sunny vacation as I find the sun and anti depressants make me sick. I was not off them long and when  returned I was depressed again, but I wanted to try something else. I read that effexor works really well for anxiety and social anxiety and also depression and seasonal depression which I have so she gave me a prescription and I used the clonanzepam for awhile, but then after a few months I noticied it working and the anxiety was gone and I was bounding out of bed in the morning and feeling ambitious at work and still going to the gym. For awhile it curtailed my appetite and I was eating sensibly and I actually lost some weight - but as time went on I noticed that I was gaining - however I was feeling well. I just could not stand that I had ganed almost 20 lbs so in March I went off them and sailed by for several months - however I have been slipping into depression as those chemicals are just not there for me naturally and so I went back to the doctor and we decided to try what worked and I have been taking it for two weeks - 75 mg, plus the clonanzepam as needed. I think it is working, but I still need the clonanzepam especially for work as I am in a call center and people call to complain alot and I have been feeling upset about this... I have been relying on my doctor as I have not had the best luck with psychiatrists and they have not really been any more successful than the MD. I am feeling alot of anxiety so hopefully you will not have anything bad to say about the effexor as I have been worrying incessantly about it not working - this is part of my problem - I worry all the time..... I just want it to work so I can go back to work and not feel bad anymore.....  

Getting By,

How are you? Someone suggested Topamax to me once. What is it prescribed for and how does it feel....???

Love to know more,

Joc

I know how you feel about anxiety - I suffer from social anxiety and often cancel out on people which makes them mad and never want to see me again - lost alot of friends that way. The drugs - especially the effexor helped me to become more social. I am sorry to hear that you are anxious, but that is how I was feeling before Xmas as it drew nearer I was filled with dread. I have another occasion on New Years Eve, but I think it will be ok - got the clonanzepam. Do you want to talk more about the outings and the occasions? At your pace.... OK?

I am feeling well today as I was able to stand work yesterday and I was so worried about it, but I managed to get through the day and we were busy. Your new career path sounds great and it does put you in touch with the healing enviroment and also health issues. I worked for an opthamologist for awhile - just part time. I have good typing skills and have thought of that career too - I just do not have the money as I am still paying off the loan from university many moons ago. We will see what happens - I am going to try the call center with the effexor as I was not on it and it may be easier to cope. At the moment I need the $$$ and the perks are real good - they awarded me some unpaid time off and recognized that they have been somewhat responsible for this breakdown as I have been handling a high volume of calls since I finished training in May and it is STRESSFUL - even for sound folks.

I went to the gym and feel picked up abit and I am going to try and go on Friday and the weekend too.

Thanks for your advice on Topamax as it was suggested to me at one time. Zyprexa has also been suggested to me. At the moment I am going to give the Effexor another chance as it seemed to work the last time and I was not taking the clonanzepam at all after 8 weeks - I was able to sleep and not have the anxiety attacks. I guess it was just the weight gain that was bothering me - no matter how hard I worked out I was still gaining and it made me angry - especially when I had been so thin and lost so much weight. In the end I do have to consider the importance of my mental well being and abandon my hang ups about weight - especially since it has been proven that I need these drugs and function better on them. I just find that people bother me about my weight and also I see girls that are flaunting their figures and wearing tight clothes and they are so thin (like I used to be) and it makes me feel bad. When I try dating I see alot of men asking for girls to be thin and declining second meetings as I am visibly heavier than I should be. ALso the media really makes me sick - they make heros out of anorexic's like Angelina and Keira - I was their size and my family was ready to put me in the hospital because they thought I looked awful - but mags and TV tout it as beautiful and normal and they call women like Kate Winslet fat - it really bothers me. I do not watch TV and I know someone that rips off movies from the internet and I don't care as that industry deserves to lose money - they are all wrong!!!! I am sick of Angelina Jolie - she is so sickly looking - I wish they would stop giving her and several others so much publicity -  Anyway enough of my rant.....

I am reading The Secret - it seems silly, but I am going to give it a chance. 

Tonight a friend and his fiance are taking me out for dessert - know what you mean about anxiety.

Write anytime..... U take care ok - oh another thing - I am glad I did not go t our company Xmas party as apparently they had pole dancers - that would not have encouraged my self esteem

JOC  

I understand what you are going through. I graduated from uni with a BA in 94 so I am older and for a long time I resisted the drugs as I wanted to be thin and hated the idea of being fat. I just took the clonanzepam and it helped me with the anxiety. My psychiatrist at the time understood my issue with fatness and did not push me - however in the end as I have aged and life has become more complicated I have been more responsive to the meds approach. Sometimes I think if I did not have to work I might not need the drugs because I could investigate the alternatives - but I need the $$$ and still pay off university loans so at the moment I have to work. I have heard that some women improve with menopause so perhaps I will blossom in my late forties and be drug free - I really aspire to be I really do... I wish u luck with u studies and also u visit with the psychiatrist. U can write anytime to talk if needed....

They say Wellbutrin does not make u gain weight. Also I was on celexa and I did not gain weight and for awhile on the effexor I did not gain - I am back on the effexor. That is just for your information...

Take Care,

JOC

Floppington

Really - Actually when I was last on the Effexor I did feel irritable sometimes, but then people were making me angry and doing things - it was at work and sometimes people try my patience. However I noticed a lifting of spirits and also almost no anxiety. It seemed to work for me after 8 weeks. If he has been on it since July then it should be working - if it is not maybe he needs more or less - I take 75mg - but some people take 120mg and I have heard that meds need to be adjusted. I have no idea about the male and female thing , however it seems if you read the forum that everyone has a different body chemistry and some things work for some that do not work for others. I know people that do not gain weight on any of these pills and then others (like me) that gain - who can explain it? Your friend needs to see the doctor or specialist and re-evaluate the treatment - Effexor is not cheap so if it is making someone worse then why bother? He may need another drug treatment altogether for his problems - I really cannot say - but if something is not working I would try something else. When I went off the Effexor in March - I felt sick for a week, but then I was fine - there is a withdrawal period. I hope he finds something else.

I will make it out tonight as it is just across the street and not too threatening. Sometimes the travel time gets me down. I do not have a car, but I do drive and I find commuting tiring at times. Sometimes I just want to protect myself from things too eh? I hope you will make it out too.....

Happy New Year and write soon

Joc

Hi Getting By

I was tired and napped for several hours today.... I have to work in the morning so I am glad. I hope you feel well. Write when u can.

Joc

Hi Joc,

I hope that you had a wonderful day.  Don't worry if you can't make it to the gym today.  Like you said, you can go Saturday and Sunday.  It is great that you are feeling good about work.  I am so happy for you.  I wish I could work too.  But I have fibromyalgia too and haven't been able to work for years.  I know that being able to hold a job would be good for my self esteem.  Sometimes I think about part time, it is just that I never know if I will wake up feeling good from one day to the next. 

Let us know how you are doing when you get the chance.

Hugs,

getting by

I went through the whole disability thing but still got denied at the end because I was seeing a physicians assistant instead of a real doctor at the time.  I didn't realize that there was that much of a difference or that they would deny me.  I have an md now so I will start all over again. 

I like to paint with acrylics, wood burn, make jewelry and work with rocks.  I have a rock saw and I slice and shape stones and try to make jewelry out of them.  I have done some crosses and teardrop shapes.  Where I am in Michigan we have Petoskey stones.  They aren't real hard so they are easy to work with.  It is actually coral from aabout 350 million years ago.  They make cool jewelry and are pretty when they are polished.

I hope that you have a good nights rest so that you aren't tired tomorrow.

hugs,

getting by