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Desperate for answers - help

Posted , 9 users are following.

katperd
katperd

Hi all, 

it all started for me in 2009 after a stressful experience and a bad cold/flu. I came down with post viral symptoms, from excruciating headaches to inability to walk etc. Eventually I had to stop work and go to my parents' home for a few months. I checked into a private hospital in Greece, I did a bunch of tests/MRI etc and they found a thyroid issue (autoimmune) which I now control plus got given antidepressants which miraculously worked! I was taking 20mg Cipralex for the last few years and I have managed to stay healthy and i recovered. I don't think you ever get rid of this thing, but at least the antidepressants helped a lot.

For the last few months, I have been seeing a private doctor who has prescribed a bunch of supplements etc. that I have been taking. I have been feeling good, so I foolishly thought I could come off the antidepressants and asked her advice, she seemed to think it wouldn't be an issue so I started reducing them since May 2016.

In mid Sep 2016, and whilst almost off the antidepressants (on 5mg every other day) I came down with a cold again. Since then, my life has been hell. To cut a long story short, most of my initial symptoms started coming back, headaches, dizziness, malaise, aches etc. I have started back on antidepressants in an attempt to balance my system out, it's been 10 days now that I am back on 20mg Cipralex and truth be told I have improved a little bit, but I am so worried that I have unbalanced my system and will take ages to function again.

My worst fear is that the specific antidepressant has stopped working for me (they do 'poop out' after a while), and as I have been on it since 2009, maybe it has run its circle.

Every day is hell, I am also panicking a lot, and experiencing anxiety, depressive thoughts and even suicidal ones.

Could it be the antidepressant taking effect again? 

I am so confused and don't know what to do. Said doctor hasn't been very useful, she said I suffer from Pots/Dysautonomia, which I think is not true as I don't experience tachycardia /palpitations which is the hallmark of the disease. I think she 's got it wrong, and I don't know what to do/who to trust.

Anyone with a similar experience? Please help.

1 like, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • paddiwhack
    paddiwhack katperd

    Posted

    Hi Katperd

    Firstly I am so sorry to hear that your health has declined. I am assuming you live in Greece? Do you have family/friends who can support you at this time whilst you are so low. Feeling y well and panicky is not pleasant at all. Has your doctor offered any medical support with this?

    I feel like you are feeling pretty desperate and from your feelings at the moment it seems really important you tell a professional person the emotional thought you are having.

    Try to hold the thought that you felt so much better with the anti depressants Andy you can and will feel well again. They do take some time to have their positive effect. TRy and review how you are feeling over a weekly basis.

    Are your parents nearby? Can you confide in them?

    Please go back to your doctor, or see another.

    Wishing you feel stronger emotionally very soon

    • katperd
      katperd paddiwhack

      Posted

      Thank you for kind thoughts, I Iive in London but my parents are in Greece hence the hospitalization there. I live with my boyfriend who is very supportive and talk to my mum on the phone every day. They are all worried.

      I'm seeing a number of doctors next week when I fly to Greece for half term. And will rerun all tests. I will also see a neurologist to discuss antidepressants and my options. What a messy situation!

  • GeorgiaS
    GeorgiaS katperd

    Posted

    Have you tried St John's Wort and other herbs that go well with it like Damiana, Gingseng, Gingko biloba etc?

    • paddiwhack
      paddiwhack GeorgiaS

      Posted

      Hi GeorgiaS

      St Johns wort I believe can be helpful but also bus not advised to be taken alongside certain medications so please. Heck first if you decide this may be useful to you

    • GeorgiaS
      GeorgiaS paddiwhack

      Posted

      I take it and other herbs instead of resorting to medications, which can have terrible side effects. And I think that people are sensible enough to find out about anything they're going to spend money on and take.

  • clivealive
    clivealive katperd

    Posted

    Did the "private doctor who has prescribed a bunch of supplements etc" include Vitamin B12 among them?

    • katperd
      katperd clivealive

      Posted

      Nope! She said she's not sure it will help. Although I will definitely try it in a couple of weeks

  • phillis55984
    phillis55984 katperd

    Posted

    Were you ever diagnosed with ME or CFS?  I know that deprssion itself can cause an horrible array of physical symptoms, so if I were you I would want to have a doctor run you through other tests to eliminate anything else that could be going on.  I did see that you had a thyroid issue, and that can cause the body to go bonkers.  But were you ever diagnosed with ME or CFS?  Perhaps I misread or didn't read your post thoroughly, but I didn't see that.  What other tests besides the thyroid test were done?  I wish I could be more helpful, but I wanted you to know, at least, that I had read your post and am wishing you the very best luck  in getting the "balance" back that had you feeling well.

    • phillis55984
      phillis55984

      Posted

      Okay.  Me again. I reread your post and see that you did have "a bunch of tests and an MRI" when you were in the hospital in Greece. I apologize.  My brain fog has spoken, and I need to stay offline today.  Again, I apologize.

    • katperd
      katperd phillis55984

      Posted

      Thank you :-) I have never been diagnosed, no. My thyroid is under control however and I truly feel there's a deeper root in this

    • clivealive
      clivealive katperd

      Posted

      Vitamin B12 Deficiency is also linked to thyroid problems as well as CFS/ME
    • katperd
      katperd clivealive

      Posted

      The new doctor has me on B complex pills but I have read that injections are so much better
    • clivealive
      clivealive katperd

      Posted

      If you are B12 Deficient and with all the medications you are on you may well have an absorption problem and Injections will be the solution.

      Ask your doctor for a serum B12 and a serum Folate test as the two essent6iallly work together.

      I wish you well

  • jackie00198
    jackie00198 katperd

    Posted

    If your antidepressant was working before you started tapering off, I don't know why it would stop being effective as you're getting back on it. When you started getting back on it, did you ramp up very slowly, or suddenly start taking a large amount. That could be problematic. Also, an antidepressant can take several weeks before it starts fully working.

    • katperd
      katperd jackie00198

      Posted

      True, I'm worried that it has lost its magic! I literally bumped up to 20mg overnight. That was not fun! I honestly thought that with the bigger dosage everything would click again and I d be feeling perfectly fine within a week. Although I'm better I'm nowhere near perfectly fine and on top of that in have anxiety and suicidal thoughts to boot. I hope and pray it's just the drugs taking a hold again and that in a few days I ll be as good as new. But I am honestly petrified that I got my grace period of 6 years and now it's back with a vengeance

    • jackie00198
      jackie00198 katperd

      Posted

      If I took 20 mg of an antidepressant overnight I would end up in the hospial. Starting low and going slow is a much safer way to take meds, especially antidepressants. Your body may be adjusting to that sudden dosage. By the way, if you do have ME/CFS, sensitivity to antidepressant in particular in very common.
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