Where have the good people gone?

Hi Hightower,

I think i'm the same as you been taking flu for about 14 weeks now and to be honest havent felt it working for the last 10 weeks. This last month has been really bad!

I've noticed that people arent talking much on here and Melbi has gone and i miss her!

I think i'm going to have to change my antidepressant completely. bum!

Sorry to hear your not feeling well at the moment.

Take care

The orb fairy

Hey Orb Fairy,

Isnt it a kick in teh head when you are taking these things religiously to find they arent really doing you much good at all?! I do, i just wanted to get back to being my usual self and have confidence, self esteem and love my life......I am gonna go see if changing AD completely is a good idea for me as these pills arent doing much anymore and im not sure if 40mg will fix the problem.

I have no idea why people arent talking anymore - its a shame cos we're all here to support one another and if no one chats, we all suffer in silence.

Speak soon

Sounds like discussing things again with your GP would be a good idea. Do you see a psychiatrist as well, or have any other support such as counselling or CBT? I took fluoxetine for a while last year and had the dose increased to 40mg but it didn't really help very much. I found it hard to ask about changing AD as it had been such a big decision to go on them at all, that I had it in my head that they must work and it was my fault that they weren't.

Hope it goes well for you.

hi. im quite new to this, only found this site a few weeks ago while researching flu on google. reading peoples experiences has been good therapy knowing im not alone. ive only been taking 20mg of flu for 3 weeks. obviously im not expecting miracles as its far too early. got another appointment next week so dont know whether i will continue with 20mg for another month or up it to 40mg. i must admit i have combined my flu with a couple of nights out on the bevvy which i know wont help at all and will probably set me back again!! good luck.

Hi Gretchel,

I think id book an appointment and see teh GP sooner rather than later.....just hate talking about it tho cos i guess im kinda in denial still.

I see a counsellor once a week and have read a book on CBT and Depressive illness - both were great helps but i keep dropping off the ladder still.

Thanks for your advice.

Richieboy,

I was the same when i first found this site - it was like a breath of fresh air finding others who shared my thoughts and feelings. Now i guess im just leveling out and need a new pick me up.

I will certainly say that mixing booze and Flu is a BAD IDEA in the first 3-4weeks....i did it on the 27th Dec and woke up with thoughts of jumping thru my bedroom window on my mind.....but fought them off and gave up beers for 6 weeks which helped loads. Now i just have a few here and there but no heavy sessions.

I hope both you guys get thru this and we all get to live normally once again.

thanks hightower, i appreciate your advice. i went out on saturday and had a skinful having been off the beer for a few weeks. ive felt suicidal and had some horrible thoughts since then, only now being on this site and trying to pick myself up and doing some exercise am i feeling better. i missed taking a day of flu as well. so the combination of missing my flu and drinking far too much was a seriously bad idea and one i wont be repeating in a hurry again. 1 step forward and 2 steps back it seems. thanks again.

RB,

No worries, always glad to help anyone on here as we all need it.

I have no real idea where these thoughts and feelings come from - thats what really gets my goat. I wouldnt mind if i was at the edge of a cliffe or in the worst place on earth but i was having them while i was at home in my bed!! Its mad.

I am reading books and having counselling to try and get myself back to normal but im so scared it wont happen - i have been so positive til recently cos i hoped that thinking positive would make me feel good and it did for a while but now i feel like i did in the first place.

Mayeb I need more books and more research AND some new ADs!!

Speak soon

Hi HT, gretchal and RB,

I must admit i'm still drinking :shock: I know its wrong and wont help me in anyway but i cant help it. Although i'm not physically addicted, i am mental. I've used alcohol for so long as a coping mechnanism that i cant seem to break the habit! i also self harm which increases when i dont drink so feel like catch 22 really! Which is worse?

I'm seeing a pyschatrist tomorrow so i'll ask about my AD's and anything that can help me stop drinking! i also see a pyschcologist once a week, which is working. Its going to take along time because i keep skirting round issues and making jokes about them! But we'll get there!lol

Everyone keep in touch, i will let you know if my meds change.

Take care

The orb fairy

Morning All,

I kinda been following your posts Orb and have seen you are fond of a drink or two. I would say that if you dont feel any better or worse for still drinking while on Flu then no real need to stop unless you think its a massive contributor to the problems.

Alcohol is a great coping mechanism as you mention, makes you feel high when ur low, brings your emotions to the surface and can potentially help the cause......but in the same breath can add to it.

I thought alcohol would have no significance when I started Flu but now know it has done nothing but make my condition worse as it allowed me to think everything was fine until I had a massive come down and then felt suicidal. I never wanna feel that way again so havent drank any serious amounts since.

I believe the Psychiatrist will help you understand the underlying problems and give you ways to cope with them better and try avoiding using alcohol.

Im pretty sure most of us will have skirted around issues with our psychologist/counsellor as its hard admitting things...even if it is to a complete stranger. But do as best you can to be open and honest, its all going to aid the recovery process.

We'll all get there in the end, just no idea where that end it!!

Speak soon, all the best

HT babe whats up your normally my becon of strength on here and always full of usefull advice!

Sorry to hear your down i think everyone goes through these bad weeks every now and again and it sucks but you know that it will pass and things will be better another week soon x

I noticed that it had gone quiet on here too. My internet broke all last weekend and i only got on recently again.

I hope everyone keeps posting as it all helps us to read each others feelings etc

Well hope today has been a better day for everyone

Love

Nicki B

Hey Nicki & co,

Im ok, just some weird things happening upstairs that i cant explain so I made the boldest of moves today.........

When i first started Flu i was taking it just b4 bed and then didnt sleep, so i changed it to the mornings b4 brekkie and it helped so much......now im sleeping almost perfectly but when I wake up and take it i get a fuzzy head, dizziness and all sorts going on so havent taken one yet today and gonna transfer back to taking it before bed. Hopefully it will work and ill sleep well and the effect will be ill get better thru the nights....theres my theory lets see what happens.

If it gets worse ill be back down the docs, if it works ill let u all no - fingers crossed peeps.

I will say one thing tho - i felt better this morning not having my tab than i would when id usually take it but im starting to feel as though my head is stuffed with cotton wool and im all bunged up upstairs!! Could be Flu withdrawl or something?!

Im not being very quiet atm.....im making as much noise as I can on here so that others join us and share their experiences and get better.

We're all in this one together guys....lets get thru this annoying thing.

Hi HT,

I admit i was wounded when you made the statement that i like a drink or two, but it's a fair statement! I dont like the fact i need a drink to take the edge off things. I'm trying a herbal remedy called kudzu, it's supposed to reduce cravings and the amount you can tolarate! worth giving a go!

When i starting taking flu i used to take it first thing in the morning but it used to make me feel fuzzy :? , not good when you have the morning run to school, so started taking it bout 10.30 with something to eat and that made it a whole lot better.

Unfortunately the underlining causes are far to many to mention, the biggest one being guilt. To talk thru each and every one of them is going to take time but we'll get there in the end!

my meds have been changed tho to mirtazapine which i'm supposed to take at bedtime, it will make me drowsy but it might help me sleep!

Can i still post on here tho, even if i'm not taking flu?

Take care everyone

The orb fairy

Hi Hightower

You said you were in denial still - I can relate to that! It's about a year since I started on fluoxetine (after a couple of months of going to GP but not wanting to start on ADs) - since then I've been on various meds, am seeing psychologist, psychiatrist and CPN regularly, and have been in hospital for a month - and I've only recently managed to admit that I have depression! I'm not very quick on the uptake!

I don't know about withdrawal from fluoxetine - I replaced it with another AD without any tapering off and didn't have any problems - but I'm not sure it would have an impact so quickly as it has a long half-life. Hope you get on ok with changing the time of day you take it.

Take care.

Gretchel

Yep it's general post time again.

Forgot to mention in my PM to you HT, you shouldn't notice a great difference taking your tab in the evening. You may remember last week i forgot to take mine in the morning. Was waiting for any weird effects but had none. I've been told that flu stays in the system up to six months after you stop so 12 hours won't make a difference mate.

Hi Orb Fairy

Of course you can still contribute to the flu forum. You have experienced the effects for some time after all. I dabble in the citilopram forum with someone that used to be on flu. I hope you have more success with Mirtazapine. Best wishes my dear. x

Morning All,

Hope you all had pleasant evenings?

MP, thanks for the heads up re pill transition.....much appreciated.

Orb,

It is great that you still post on here even though you arent on Flu anymore....means you have a kind nature and want to pass on any info you can.

Hey Gretchel,

I kinda was in denial.....wish i was in Egypt tho!! (Sorry, poor pun!)

I didnt want to admit I had an illness that i associated with people who have real worries in their life and cant cope.....turned out it was me that couldnt cope even tho i tried my hardest. Fuse blew and i plunged into darkness - fighting my way to the light with the hep of you all.

Out of the psychologist, psychiatrist and CPN which is most helpful do you think?

Im on a mission to get some information to help me (and others) get thru this poxy illness!!

Orb,

When i first started Flu i drank as though nothing was wrong, wont make that mistake again.

Any remedy you can take that will replace the need for a baseball bat to the head to induce sleep is great. I felt like head-butting a wall at the beginning but now im into a good pattern.

Im hoping my transition to evenings will make it better and reduce the fuzzy head....worked last night so finegrs crossed.

Im sure the underlying causes of your depression will get sorted, just talk your heart out to the counsellor(s) and offload everything - better out than in.

Anyway, enough rambling from me, time for a cuppa

Have a great weekend all x

Speak soon