I'm giving in Options

[Gia*]

I'm going to start Celexa again. Very low dosage and slooow in the beginning. I'm tired of feeling anxious all of the time. Depression is starting to set in and I'm not enjoying life anymore. Maybe I could get by with 10mg instead of 20. Time will tell. I'll keep you ladies posted. Oh if you're on anti-depressants, please post your experiences. I would love to hear about it.

[otter]

Gia - I TOTALLY gave in, too. Got really depressed in February and tried every natural remedy I could think of (herbs, acupuncture, massage, therapy, vitamins, Revival). Finally gave in and took Wellbutrin, but it didn't fix things and created a whole set of other problems. Started feeling lots better when I gave up and started weaning off the medication. And now I'm mostly fine. Weird, of course, but fine. But then, I was weird to begin with - it's just a different weird. Good luck, sweetie. I always said I'd never take anything, but life is too short for these stupid rules when things get bad. Keep me/us posted on how you're doing. We've all been there and you have all the sympathy you need. Otter

[joliejacq]

Gia, Lexapro saved my life (along with power-surge and a supportive family) when I "crashed" in April. I'm on 10 mgs. It hasn't taken everything away, but I'm so much better. Actually find happiness in things again - who'd have thought it possible? My doc has recommended staying on a full year (I also read this in "Depression for Dummies"), as it's common to relapse if you don't. I have no side effects from the medication, so this isn't a problem. I wish you luck, Gia. BTW, it took a full 6 weeks to even begin seeing improvement, so don't get discouraged. By 2 months, I was so much better. And I have a real fear of medications, but this one has been nothing but a huge help! Jacquie Thinking of you, Jacquie

[chriscarol]

Gia, Did you have a bad reaction before? Slow and low is the way to go. I'd print my long miserable med ride, but don't want to bore anyone.

[alice3]

I don't think I'm depressed...just anxious. I'd got the fidgetty thing with the gippy tum yesterday and woke this morning with the inner trembles and thought I'd likely feel the same again today! It helps to have something to take the edge off even if you keep off them most of the time. I prefer low diazepam and have had no side effects. I should visit my doctor for some more but you have to make an appointment (long wait) and then a long wait in the surgery (docs office) so I probably wouldn't turn up. At least when i visit my dentist I rarely get to sit in the waiting room!

[Gia*]

Yes ChrisCarol, I started paxil at 10mg then got bumped to 20mg. Holy cow, I honestly felt like I electrified! I had day with PA's from hell! I took 5 .50 xanax in 3 hours before I passed out. These darn doctors need to understand the side effects before prescribing meds. Anxious people need to start out low and slow with a benzo on the side.

[Gia*]

Hi Alice - What's a gippy tum?

[alice3]

Gippy tum (pronounced jippy).. when it feels unsettled ...playing up.

[AimeeDecorates]

Originally posted by Gia_Johnson Yes ChrisCarol, I started paxil at 10mg then got bumped to 20mg.  Holy cow, I honestly felt like I electrified!  I had day with PA's from hell!  I took 5 .50 xanax in 3 hours before I passed out.  These darn doctors need to understand the side effects before prescribing meds.  Anxious people need to start out low and slow with a benzo on the side.

That reminds me, I think doctors might pay attention if we reported all side effects to the manufacturers and the manufacturers would revise suggested dosages. A pharmaceutical rep lives next door to me and he said they definitely want to hear about it, because they "teach" doctors how to prescribe the medicines. And they do want satisfied customers or they won't be able to push, er, I mean sell, as many drugs. So call those manufacturers! Look on the Internet or just call 800 information and report all side effects. You may be helping someone else down the line.

[AimeeDecorates]

Originally posted by otter Finally gave in and took Wellbutrin, but it didn't fix things and created a whole set of other problems.  

I think one of the doctors in Suzanne Sommers book had a good point when he said that if depression is caused by dwindling hormones, as it often is in peri or meno, you are just masking the symptom with antidepressants. In these cases, it really does seem to make more sense to treat the *cause* of the problem, possibly with a low dose natural estrogen. As much as I'd rather use nothing at all, when you have intractable symptoms they really should be treated, preferrably with something that treats the actual cause of the problem.

[Gia*]

I agree with your about hormones, Aimee, but I was almost becoming incapcitated with anxiety and needed to get back on the AD's. I see my doctor next month and I'm going to have her do a hormonal panel. For some reason I can't convince her that I've been going through peri-meno. Gee, I'm only having hot flashes, night sweats, palps and periods every 45 -50 days for the past two years.

[Gia*]

Hi all- even though I'm at 5mgs of Celexa I've started to feel the agitation symptom today. It feels like my insides are vibrating. Not particularly anxious or panciky, definitely a feeling like I had way too much coffee. I'm only at 5mgs. Most docs prescribe at 20mgs! Can you imagine going through this 10 times worse? Having been through this exercise, the symptoms do wear off. The upside is I feel great mentally. I'm not obsessing as frequently throughout the day anymore. Now I wish my period would start...

[otter]

Aimee - I agree about the hormones, too - but in my case, we'd already tried that and hadn't gotten anywhere (So Gia, it doesn't necessarily work). Now I'm back off both the AD and the estrogen, feeling great, still with no clue what caused the depression to begin with. Makes me worry it will come back as mysteriously as it came, so I'm going to ignore thinking about that and just enjoy every happy hour I can get my hands on. Good luck, Gia - I'm glad you're a little better even if jittery. Otter

[chriscarol]

Personally, the AD pooped out at around age 39. I also started having night sweats around the same time. Then I went on a crazy try a psychotropic ride. I've come to the conclusion the hormones can be stronger than the meds. SSRIS are usually the recommended class of drugs for PMDD, so I would think that could carry over into Peri. More estrogen didn't help. Time is my ally. The jitters should pass. God, I recall being so desperate and throwing up on Serzone daily in hopes of relief. NO CIGAR there after weeks of throwing up. I was desperate. I wouldn't take Serzone again, as it can cause liver damage. Gia, Glad you feel better!!! You too Otter. Depression and anxiety can be dreadful. I also have a LONG history of a nasty premenstrum. Heck, my gynecologist was the first to prescribe Prozac for my severe PMS. This was at about the same time double blind studies showed that natural progesterone did squat for PMS, ala Katherine Dalton. My gyn. had followed that route previously. GOD, this has been a long ride.sigh

[chriscarol]

It has gotten better, however. I still take Effexor and just added low dose nortriptyline. WHATEVER WORKS!!!

[Gia*]

Nortriptline (sp?) made my heart race big time! Wow! I guess everyone is different with meds and hormones.

[chriscarol]

Med poop out is common, so that's another good reason for starting with a low dosage. Also, since the estrogen is high, then low, if you have a history of bad PMS, your brain reacts to the shifts, since it is like kindling, in it's reaction to hormonal shifts. I hate progesterone, so take a baby dose of estrodial in patch form. It is recommended just use HRT in peri, to relieve flashes, for only 5 yrs. I don't get Suzanne wanting to cling to her periods. And, since NHRT is unstudied I can't imagine why a breast cancer survivor would take the risk. I also say, WHATEVER WORKS!!!;)

[robertls]

I have been on Paxil for 5 years at 10mg. It probably doesn't even work for me anymore (put on because of panic attacks) but....because of my anxiety I am scared to try and go off of it because I read all those scary stories on the internet. (seizures, suicide, anxiety from hell). Then I am talking to a woman at my daughters riding lesson and she was on Paxil 40mg for 3 years and just stopped taking them in one day because she didn't know you had to wean yourself off. I said "What happened" imaginging the worst of course because that is my personality and she said "Nothing". Ohhhhhhhhh to be that carefree and not "What ifing" all the time.

[chriscarol]

Paxil and Effexor are suppose to be equally difficult to stop. I weaned off Effexor, but unfortunately 9mos. later was hit by peri panic from hell. I had NO withdrawal symptoms, but weaned slowly. I also have heard horror stories about people's discomfort when they skipped a day of the medication. I never noticed anything skipping a day. I do think it's best to wean, however. Prozac is likely the easiest to get off of. Essentially, according to my psychiatrist and studies, all SSRIS work the same, but their withdrawal can vary due to drug clearance, I would think.

[Gia*]

You're paxil dosage is on the low side which is probably why it stopped working. At any rate, if you really want to get off of paxil, start by going from 10mgs to 7.5 for a week to 5mgs another week alternating between 7.5 and 5mgs, etc. I did this with Celexa with no side effects. Unfortunately, paxil is the worst one to wean off of. Good luck!

[Gia*]

Well ladies, I've made it to day 4 @5mgs. I plan on bumping to 7.5mgs on Thursday. I know I'll feel slightly jittery but that should pass in a few hours. My goal is to make it 10mgs and stay there. I feel better already. But then, that could be a placebo effect.

[otter]

Gia - great news! And who cares if it's a placebo effect - as long as you feel better. Happy for you, my dear Otter

[chriscarol]

It could be placebo, but the SSRIS supposedly work quickly for PMDD, so perhaps they'd work quickly for peri symptoms. For years I added Zoloft, to Effexor for just 2 weeks out of the month. The jitters should level. I tried 10mg of Prozac recently, felt relief for a week, then the misery returned.

[chriscarol]

I've been worse!!!!!:cool: I just want "the cure," as I could be the perimeno poster woman. I never had much patience for feeling premenstrual, so feeling that way most of the time is exhausting. Well, hopefully that crying jag is the last for the day. As my husband said, "You should stop wearing mascara until this is over." I end up sobbing it onto my pillow case. I could try waterproof.:mad::mad:

[joools]

My anxiety level has reached a new high after reading some posts regarding AD use in the Google discussion groups! Was recently prescribed an increase in my Effexor dosage and thought I would read something reassuring. Anyone ever been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and, if so, I am sure the condition must worsen during menopause. Age has not brought wisdom, in my case, but increased worry. Thanks for any advice.

[chriscarol]

If read that many women in their forties are misdiagnosed with Bipolar during perimenopause. I thought perhaps I was Bipolar, but after 4 mood stabilizers making me so depressed I couldn't get out of bed, I've decided to save any diagnosis until the hormones level. Shoot, I've asked myself could I be Bipolar often. I did have a hypomanic reaction to one antidepressant. If that feeling could be bottled. Intense anxiety can be within the bipolar spectrum, but the hormones surely complicated any diagnosis at this juncture.

[chriscarol]

Oh, mood and anxiety disorders will worsen during menopause, no doubt about that.

[chriscarol]

What's the Effexor dosage, joools?? I took 225mg for a long time, with the Zolofts premenstrually. At time I took 250 mg of Zoloft before my period. Now I take 150mg of Effexor, plus just added 35mg of nortrityline. I've tried the arsenal finding that the hormones are more powerful than the AD.

[chriscarol]

I do speaka de Englesh, pardon typos.

[joools]

I am not totally convinced that I suffer bipolar disorder, although my mother did. I did have good results with six months of taking Effexor 75mg/once daily and a low dose of Lamictal. But, then the depression/anxiety reared its ugly head again. I read with interest and amusement an earlier post by you (Chris) in reference to Virginia Wolfe. Do you suppose she was unipolar or bipolar? Not that it matters, of course. Just curious. I do wonder if short term memory loss can be attributed to menopause or specifically mediation, as indicated in those horrible Google discussion groups.