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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by birdgirl on March 3, 2000, at 9:58:12
i am very new to this site, so forgive me for just butting in, but i wonder if anyone else has had this experience.
i was on celexa for two months, 20mg, expereienced the sexual decline, and was put on serzone, increasingly to counteract it. now i am off celexa,
slowly, and am taking 300 mg serzone. very recently i had had bad side affects, extreme dizziness and sleepieness. i am a 911 operator, so i tried to get ahold of my doctor who is of course out of town.
i took myself off the serzone, all at once, and have been off for three days. the dizziness is decreasing, but now i am very very emotional, weepy for no reason, etc.
i am on family leave right now, thanks god, so work is not an issue.
my qiuestion is, finally, has anyone else had this sort of experience with the serzone, dizziness i mean?
i am going to talk to my doctor on monday, when he returns and i will aoso talk about why no-one was avail. to see me about this. what happend to on-calls?
but, i wondered if anyone had any input on this stuuff i described. i have only been taking this ad stuff for about 4 months, and depressed severely for 20 years, so everything is very new.
\thanks for listening and sorry to run on so long.
anyone?
Posted by Sarah on March 3, 2000, at 11:00:52
In reply to withdrawal, posted by birdgirl on March 3, 2000, at 9:58:12
Hey birdgirl, go up to the top of the screen and click on the link for feb 20. There was a whole long thread bout Celexa. Very informative!
Posted by darling on March 8, 2000, at 14:47:49
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by Sarah on March 3, 2000, at 11:00:52
dear birdgirl,
i was on serzone for less than six months and experienced extreme sleepiness--i could hardly work & did nothing else but sleep--as well as some dizziness & generally felt confused & muddled throughout the day. i also up & quit it (though I have to admit i wasn't as depressed on it) but my withdrawal ended up being a severely manic episode--the first i have ever had (and probably not helped by the fact that i had gotten into the habit of having a lot of coffee to counteract, as best i could, the effects of the serzone). unfortunately, i have no good advice for you, just perhaps reccomendations--which really should be quite obvious (though not, of course, to me at the time) of what NOT to do. i ended up trying to regulate my own moods through alternating doses of caffeine & alcohol (and always, of course, chocolate) which seemed (though i'm now sure i was only deluding myself) to work for awhile, but i ended up only getting more & more manic, and pretty much lost most everything (job, residence, possessions--but thankfully not friends) over the next few months. after some time (but not long ago) i actually realized all this & made an unconcious suicide attempt (i almost drank myself to death), but have since returned to a life of meds & am currently avoiding all coffee & liqueur--though i do still allow myself a cup of green tea in the morning & whatever chocolate i desire.
anyways, sorry this ended up being more of a confession than anything else; i just want you to know you're not alone--hang in theredarling
Posted by Cindy W on March 8, 2000, at 21:23:44
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by darling on March 8, 2000, at 14:47:49
> dear birdgirl,
>
> i was on serzone for less than six months and experienced extreme sleepiness--i could hardly work & did nothing else but sleep--as well as some dizziness & generally felt confused & muddled throughout the day. i also up & quit it (though I have to admit i wasn't as depressed on it) but my withdrawal ended up being a severely manic episode--the first i have ever had (and probably not helped by the fact that i had gotten into the habit of having a lot of coffee to counteract, as best i could, the effects of the serzone). unfortunately, i have no good advice for you, just perhaps reccomendations--which really should be quite obvious (though not, of course, to me at the time) of what NOT to do. i ended up trying to regulate my own moods through alternating doses of caffeine & alcohol (and always, of course, chocolate) which seemed (though i'm now sure i was only deluding myself) to work for awhile, but i ended up only getting more & more manic, and pretty much lost most everything (job, residence, possessions--but thankfully not friends) over the next few months. after some time (but not long ago) i actually realized all this & made an unconcious suicide attempt (i almost drank myself to death), but have since returned to a life of meds & am currently avoiding all coffee & liqueur--though i do still allow myself a cup of green tea in the morning & whatever chocolate i desire.
> anyways, sorry this ended up being more of a confession than anything else; i just want you to know you're not alone--hang in there
>
> darlingbirdgirl, I'm sorry to hear Serzone didn't agree with you. I had some dizziness and sleepiness as well as mood swings, but this all passed, after two weeks, and I felt great on Serzone. I'd still be taking it if it helped with OCD (unfortunately, it made me a lot less depressed but didn't help decrease obsessions).--Cindy W
Posted by birdgirl on March 8, 2000, at 21:54:06
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by Cindy W on March 8, 2000, at 21:23:44
i am still on serzone, but instead of 300 i am taking 150 mg. i still havent been able to get a hold of my psychiatrist,
so i just quit taking it for 3 days, then cut the dose in half.
i am still on it, but with much less dizziness. i am grateful for the input i have received from the posters on this board.
i have also tried the self med caffeine, in the form of triple mochas with whipped cream. fortuneately i can blame the weight gain on the meds, haha.
i go to work on thurs morn for the first time in eight months. i am a police dispatcher. wish me luck.
birdgirl
byw, i finally got an appt with the doc on tues. i will be having a serious complaint about the lack of followup on the part of his office. i had called them and said i was haviong serious sideaffects, extreme dizziness and
unable to drive or walk very well. no phone calls, no pager numbers available, etc.
good thing i was with my husband and brother, who were able to help me out. crisis over, but i dont like to feel alone when i am having trouble with my meds.
good thing i worked on my assertiveness much earlier in my therapy!
Posted by juniper on March 9, 2000, at 1:01:35
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by birdgirl on March 8, 2000, at 21:54:06
i think you have an extremely valid complaint--if your p-doc does not take this seriously and confirm that this won't happen again, i'd use that assertiveness training and find a doctor who is consistently reliable.
good luck on your first day back----i'd love to hear how it went for you!
juniper
> i am still on serzone, but instead of 300 i am taking 150 mg. i still havent been able to get a hold of my psychiatrist,
> so i just quit taking it for 3 days, then cut the dose in half.
> i am still on it, but with much less dizziness. i am grateful for the input i have received from the posters on this board.
> i have also tried the self med caffeine, in the form of triple mochas with whipped cream. fortuneately i can blame the weight gain on the meds, haha.
> i go to work on thurs morn for the first time in eight months. i am a police dispatcher. wish me luck.
> birdgirl
> byw, i finally got an appt with the doc on tues. i will be having a serious complaint about the lack of followup on the part of his office. i had called them and said i was haviong serious sideaffects, extreme dizziness and
> unable to drive or walk very well. no phone calls, no pager numbers available, etc.
> good thing i was with my husband and brother, who were able to help me out. crisis over, but i dont like to feel alone when i am having trouble with my meds.
> good thing i worked on my assertiveness much earlier in my therapy!
Posted by birdgirl on March 11, 2000, at 15:56:36
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by juniper on March 9, 2000, at 1:01:35
well, here's the report on my return to work. i lasted exactly 26 hours. i work a 12 hour shift, so the first 12 hour day was exhausting, but no big deal. i went home very tired, but optimistic about my effort and future. the second day was fine until lunch.
when i came back from lunch, and officer was in the back yard booking a crushed wheenlchair into the evidence room. there had been a traffic accident, and this wheelchair bound person had been crossing the street. all traffic going both ways had stopped for this man, except for a guttersniper. he hit the man in the chair about 35 miles an hour, and he was transported to the hospital.
the motor officer said he was so handicapped with polio and scoliosis that it was hard at first to determine what was previous condition and what was damage from the accident. after that, we had a 78 yr old woman with alzheimers walk away from home, lost. this was at 1230. and by the time i went home at 6pm, she was still outstanding. i couldnt help but think of her, lost and afraid, as it got darker and colder.
my partner dispatcher got a call from her mom, telling her that her older sister had just been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.
another old lady called to report a "biker hippie" type who lived in front of her and he was blocking her driveway with his old jalopy. she had asked him to move it and he was very belligerent, backed the car down the driveway until it blocked her front door and filled her house with exhaust. then he put the car back and sat in front of her house and smoked cigarettes, bouncing the butts against her window and front door. i asked her how long this has been going on, she said 12 years. she had been so afraid of him she just couldnt bring herself to do anything but complain to the landlord, another elderly female who said, well im afraid of him too. this just broke my heart for her. i know i, anmd i'm sure others on this list know how it feels to be too afraid to defend yourself.
then i had a beaten wife call for help in our hispanic filled apartment house. it is somewhat accepted culterally in the hispanic culture for a certain amount of "home correction" so when you get numerous calls on 911 from this place, you know its bad. i had to try and talk to her while we rolled out there, and then have to explain to her that there was nothing more we could do, since the husband left prior to our arrival, and was in the wind. all we could do was patrol the area, and told her to call back on 911 if she saw him again.she of course didnt want us to arrest him, just tell him to not do it anymore. she couldnt leave since there was no where for her to go, and since she was an illegal immigrant she was too afraid to go to a shelter, even tho they or I for that matter dont care about that. a huiman in need is a human in need regardless of legal status, but you cant convince some of that, so they live a victimized life.
well, then it was time for me to go home, the old alzheimers patient still missing, the beaten woman hopeless, the wheelchair crushed, and my partner in tears about her sister. to make matters worse, i am apeer cpounselor at my department for over 9years, and everyone looks to me for help. so i went home, cried all the way there, and cried for the next 8 hours. i went in to work this morning, and after 1 1/2 houirs told the sergeant i had to go home and would probably not be back. i have to go in monday to talk to the chief of police. i had been on stress related light duty for 9 months and returned to work after months of therapy, several changes of meds and a denied worker's comp claim. so i am done as a dispatcher. the last time i worked was the 4th of july 1999, and when i went home tyesterday, i was right back to the same level of stress.
sorry to go on so long, but you did ask how my first days back were.
If any of you have to deal with a coldhearted cop or dispatcher, maybe it isnt that they don't care, maybe like me, they care too much.
Thanks for your interest juniper.
Birdgirl
Posted by juniper on March 11, 2000, at 20:58:51
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by birdgirl on March 11, 2000, at 15:56:36
wow, what a tough return. you seem to be very empathic and bear a lot of the stress of those with whom you work. combined with your own stresses, this seems pretty destructive. i don't know what the balance is that allows someone to work with others who are in pain, empathize with them, but not allow their burden to overcome them. it's something i'm searching for.
have you ruled out dispatching? .....i read a snippet somewhere about the fact that if a dog has a bone, and he spends quite a lot of time and energy digging a hole in which to bury the bone, then digging it back up, the dog will still take a new bone with meat on it in lieu of the older one, if one is offered. the author made a parallel between this dog and humans, who hold on so tightly to something to which they have devoted time and energy even if a better alternative comes along.....
i imagine this will be a stressful time for you as you are examining your options...i hope that you recognize that you have a lot of support. and even if you feel at the same level of stress as last year, you still have those months of therapy and attention to meds under your belt to refer to to stablize you.
i hope that your meeting goes well, and that you'll use some of the care you invest in others on you.....
peace.
juniper
Posted by darling on March 14, 2000, at 16:11:20
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by juniper on March 11, 2000, at 20:58:51
dear birdgirl,
very sorry to hear that your job did not go well; but i am glad to hear that you at least care about your work & the people involved, even though it can cause difficulties--i am always heartened to hear that others are so sensitive as i can be. i hope you find an occupation that allows you to express all your compassion without overwhelming you.
i've currently been unemployed for almost six months, and am having extreme difficulty finding a decent position that will accept me due to the fact that my manic episode has left me with a very very bad credit report. oh well, one pushes on, but it is so sad that i seem to be disappointing everyone around me.
so are you still drinking the mochas? just your mention of them made me crave one, but i'm still resigning myself to green tea.good luck,
darling
Posted by birdgirl on March 15, 2000, at 0:46:45
In reply to Re: employment, posted by darling on March 14, 2000, at 16:11:20
> dear birdgirl,
>
> very sorry to hear that your job did not go well; but i am glad to hear that you at least care about your work & the people involved, even though it can cause difficulties--i am always heartened to hear that others are so sensitive as i can be. i hope you find an occupation that allows you to express all your compassion without overwhelming you.
> i've currently been unemployed for almost six months, and am having extreme difficulty finding a decent position that will accept me due to the fact that my manic episode has left me with a very very bad credit report. oh well, one pushes on, but it is so sad that i seem to be disappointing everyone around me.
> so are you still drinking the mochas? just your mention of them made me crave one, but i'm still resigning myself to green tea.
>
> good luck,
> darlingyes, i am still drinking the mochas. i know it is really bad to overdose on this stuff, fattening, high in caffeine, etc. but i have applied for a position as a manager of a coffeehouse, and i chalk it up to pre-employment interview research. i hope they give me a shot at it. i think it would be fun to run a coffeehouse, poetry readings and open mike night and all that.
after considering the dog and bone theory mentioned earlier, i decided that was a very valid point.
so i am looking for more work elsewhere. i also put in at a parrot supply/pet store. not as much pay as the other job, but more joy. i also get to go on jury duty, which i am very glad of. the City pays two weeks full salary, and i get to read all day.
i will know more in three weeks as to where i will end up employment wise, but whatever i do, it wont be dispatch. i am done there.
i just heard on the news right now that one of our helicopters went down and one of my dear friends was the police observer in it. the news say only serious bruises, i pray they are right for once.
sorry to run on. gotta find out if my guys are okay.
birdgirl
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