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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Nathan_Arizona on July 23, 2007, at 17:26:59
Over the past 4 months or so, I've been feeling really really good, so I started (without consulting with my pdoc) to taper off prozac.
I've been prozac free now for at least a month.
At first I thought "YIPEE" I really don't need this stuff at all! I feel GREAT!
Over the past month or so, I watched my depressive symptoms return however. First the anxiety, then the terminal insomnia, now the crying and hopelessness. I wrote them off as occurring for all sorts of reasons, but its obvious.
I finally admitted today to my pdoc today that I felt like crap, wasn't getting anything done, was stressed to the max and had stopped taking my prozac.
I don't really know why I stopped - all I know is that I SO wanted to be not sick.
But I don't know if that is ever going to happen for me.
It sucks.
Posted by scratchpad on July 23, 2007, at 18:02:28
In reply to The realization that I really do need meds., posted by Nathan_Arizona on July 23, 2007, at 17:26:59
>
> I don't really know why I stopped - all I know is that I SO wanted to be not sick.
>
> But I don't know if that is ever going to happen for me.
>
> It sucks.Doesn't it, though?
(((Nathan Arizona))) hope you aren't put off by a hug.sp
Posted by obsidian on July 23, 2007, at 21:47:54
In reply to The realization that I really do need meds., posted by Nathan_Arizona on July 23, 2007, at 17:26:59
sorry nathan, I wish it hadn't gone that way for you :-(
I am quite sure I don't "need" meds, but sometimes they make things easier
I have fantasies about ditching the whole lot of them all at once! be gone foul pills! I would saythey make me feel like a "dangerous character"
so how can we embrace this better living through chemistry?
Posted by Phillipa on July 23, 2007, at 22:22:07
In reply to The realization that I really do need meds., posted by Nathan_Arizona on July 23, 2007, at 17:26:59
Well if this was your first depressive episode wouldn't you doc want to see if you still needed it. What I don't get is clinical trials are for weeks not years. And we take meds for years. I hope it works well for you again. It should as it lasts about five weeks in your system so some should still be there. I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you. But it's great you have a med that works for you. Love Phillipa
Posted by Bonnie_CA on July 29, 2007, at 9:51:28
In reply to The realization that I really do need meds., posted by Nathan_Arizona on July 23, 2007, at 17:26:59
I know the feeling. When I learned that I would probably never stop taking medications, I felt so defeated. I'm more at peace with it now. I can accept that this is what I have to do to be a productive member of society. I was originally diagnosed with GAD. That is something that they like to try to treat with CBT. There's a chance of not being on meds. But then, things got worse, and it made more sense to have a diagnosis of BP2. And that disorder, you have to take meds for life. Oh well. I figure things could be worse! I could have never found the right meds, and just been couped up in my house all day long, barely being able to sleep and never being able to leave. I wouldn't have beeing *living*. So I am a very cooperative patient and I always take my meds.
-Bonnie
Posted by elanor roosevelt on July 29, 2007, at 22:58:50
In reply to Re: The realization that I really do need meds. » Nathan_Arizona, posted by Bonnie_CA on July 29, 2007, at 9:51:28
been there
done that
again and again
hang in there
Posted by Daky on August 1, 2007, at 19:19:30
In reply to The realization that I really do need meds., posted by Nathan_Arizona on July 23, 2007, at 17:26:59
Nathan, I understand how you feel, having stuggled with the medication issue for years. At this point, I have made peace with it and have decided that I'd rather live a full life on meds than half a life without them. And as Phillipa mentioned, we are lucky to find meds that work. Some people have to really try several to find relief.
Would you feel the same way if you were diabetic and needed to take insulin daily? Probably not, because there's no stigma attached to that. Yet, with mental illness, we somehow feel we should be strong enough or do more to fight it. I think that it's biochemical and it's genetic (at least for me) and we are "wired" differently. It's an illness and there are meds for it. Where is the weakness in that?
This is the end of the thread.
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