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advice please on whst to tell dr

Posted , 4 users are following.

Desperate_now
Desperate_now

I am so fed up with self I don't know what to do. Been on antidepressant for past 8 years for 5years fluoxetine 20mgs only, then combination of fluoxetine 20 mgs and clomipramine 3x daily, 15 months ago fluoxetine increased to 40 then 60 MGs. Had course CBT DEC - July. Came off clomipramine whilst having CBT as I was doing OK. Sept this year saw a deterioration in mental health GP decided to change meds to Mirtazapine, I had to gradually reduce fluoxetine over 3 weeks but was prescribed diazepam to help with increase in anxiety at this time. I then started mirt 15mgs 8 weeks ago. Sleep immediately improved, but also started with very bizzare vivid dreams which i still have, then weight gain which hasn't gone down well with me. I gave also suffered with swollen ankles and feet (Gp does know)  all my muscles ache  msking me feel old and making it harder to carry out fairly simple tasks which pre mirt i had no physical problems doing. today I have noticed a tingling sensation in my finger tips. I am due to see Gp next week do I continue with mirt, ask to see psychiatrist (not seen one for approx 18 years.) I keep telling myself there is nothing actually wrong with me, and feel i am just making it all up, then I the next breath I am suspecting i may have some undiagnoed psychiatric condition. ( having a nursing background doesn't' help either). I feel nobody cares and wishing i could die. ( don't think i would do anything) but thanks for reading this any reptiles will be great fully recieved

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • elizabeth59941
    elizabeth59941 Desperate_now

    Posted

    Hiya diane  i was on mitazipine for ten years and took myself of them went on citalopram for 3 weeks and they were horrible dident have anything for 2 months and thought i was loseing my mind back on low dose ov mitazipine and been on them for a week have to give it time but thd dreams and sensations in your fingers are due to mit give it a bit more time when you go see your gp ask to see someone  higher hope you get there hun take care liz x
  • zaphod
    zaphod Desperate_now

    Posted

    Sound like you have quite severe clinical Depresssion, to be honest, I don`t know of a better Antidepressent than Mirtazipine (although I have always taken it at 45mg),if you can stick with it, the weight gain will return to normal, but it may take a year or so.

    Hope you get sorted, try and ask for a refereral to a consultant Psychiatrist, these usually are less frightened of prescribing than yor average GP. And if you need Things like Diazepam, and sleeping Tablets to get you on an even keel again, then they are more likely to let you take them for an extended time, wheras GP`s are frightened to death of anything classed as "addictive".

    Good Luck

    Paddy

    • Desperate_now
      Desperate_now zaphod

      Posted

      Thanks Paddy for taking time out to reply I am having a much better day today, When I wrote blog I was having a really bad, I am so up and down, i know if i don't go out during the day my mood quickly drops. I took voluntary  redundancy from a very stressful role in the nhs inn June 2012 and thought my anxiety and depression would improve. People have said get another job but i don't want the responsibility or to be committed to too much. I do some voluntary work 1 day a week and that is enough.I have to admit I do feel I have more motivation but I need to give myself a hood talking too at times. On bad days my mood does improve in the evening. I mentionrf to my Gp about s
    • zaphod
      zaphod Desperate_now

      Posted

      Well, with regards either working or getting a good 8 hours sleep, either one I look upon as 33% of my day filled with things other than thoughts of depression.

      If you can manage to both work and sleep, then you`re 2/3rds of the way there.

      I`m not trying to be flippant or simplistic, just a positive way of looking at things.

      Which obviously may not be realistic just yet.

      All the best

      Paddy

  • waveman
    waveman Desperate_now

    Posted

    Hi there Diane, hope I can shed some light on some of the issues you are having with Mirtazapine. I too was taking fluoxetine and a cocktail of Fluoxetine & Ciprimil for over 5 years after my divorce in 2001, whilst also receiving CBT and EMDR for severe depression. LIfe changed for the better around 2006 and was finally discharged from treatment and meds reduced over a short period to zero. 12 months ago this Christmas, successive redundancies and the demise of my relationship of 10 years caused a relapse into depression. Initially I was taking 15mg of Mirtazapine which helped greatly with sleep but had no affect on my poor appetite and mood .........as the initial sleep benefit wore off after several weeks the dosage was increased to 30mg which I have been taking since earlier this year. During this period I have been receiving one-to-one counselling however although I find it beneficial to talk to someone having become increasingly isolated, I today returned to my GP out of sheer desperation as I fear the depression is overwhelming me. Earlier today the GP increased the dosage to 45mg which I will start tonight, hoping that the dosage will help me control things again. Like you and many others here I'm sure, I am happy to accept a rather bland, sort of middle-of-the-road state of mind which OK you may lose the high points but it hopefully and more importantly removes the very destructive lows resulting in a tolerable medium. As for side effects, these will no doubt differ from person to person however vivid dreams etc. are quite common and shouldn't be feared, especially in the initial stages of the drug or after a dosage increase. I sympathise with you regarding any weight gain as I know all ladies are more conscious about that than men however a very positive thing to take from that is that you actually care about that and yourself which has my admiration. In conclusion, all I can say is if you believe that the negatives of taking this drug are far outweighing the positives, you must approach your GP and express your concerns and perhaps try a different drug better suited to your needs and well-being ........If it's not working for you then you dictate the course of action not your GP !

    I wish you the best of luck and hope we can both turn things around for sanity's sake............take care and maybe chat again sometime.

    Good luck to all reading this post also.

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