Posted by Alecto on December 19, 2004, at 19:29:01
Here I am, in all my glory:
I've been dealing with various mental illness symptoms for over a decade. I'm 29 now. I've been diagnosed with the following, at various points in time, and some in combination: unipolar depression, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dissociative disorder NOS. Bah @ all of that. The current consensus (between my therapist and psychiatrist) is unipolar depression and PTSD (as PTSD kinda covers the bits and pieces of the rest).
I'm taking 225 mg Effexor XR daily, 30 mg BuSpar twice daily, and 1250 mg Depakote ER daily. I've been on Effexor (first the regular kind and then XR) for probably 7 years now. BuSpar, for 3 years. Depakote for about a year and a half -- was started on it last year when the Effexor seemed to have pooped out. It's being used as both a mood stabilizer (despite my not having bi-polar) and as a migraine preventive. This year, my anxiety wasn't being controlled very well so my BuSpar dosage was doubled (had been on 15 mg twice daily).
I'm at the point where I know the Effexor has got to go. I'm not looking forward to weaning off it, but from a couple of previous trials with Paxil, I know to do the short-term Prozac trick with it. I *hate* being on so much damned medication. I hate the fatigue and brain fog (near constant) and feelings of wanting to just give up on everything (every once in a while).
I was diagnosed earlier this year with diabetes and with sleep apnea. I'm doing the appropriate therapies for each. This has not cut down on my fatigue or memory problems or brain fog much at all. One endocrinologist had me on thyroid medication, another took me off it. I've been evaluated for just about every endocrine disorder known to man. I've even had a blood test done for hemochromatosis.
I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. In the end of 1993, I went on hormonal birth control. In early 1996, I went on my first antidepressant. I weigh 150 lbs more now than I did in 1993. Whether it was the birth control or antidepressants, I don't know. But prior to being treated for diabetes, it was *impossible* for me to lose weight. Diet, exercise, etc. Not a pound. Now I'm losing, slowly.
I have an appointment with my psychiatrist in January, and hopefully I will convince her that it's time to switch the Effexor to something else. In the meantime, I feel so overwhelmed, and lost.
Thanks for reading this, and thanks for any advice you are able to give.
poster:Alecto
thread:431819
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041217/msgs/431819.html