45 replies to this topic

[Crystal Eagle]

Sarah Rushton said:

Reboxetine is not available in the U.S.; Zispin is marketed here under the brand name Remeron and is also available generically.

fyi

I didn't know that.

*wonders why :confused: *

[Ikelim]

yensen said:

Personally, I wouldn't take any of the seratonin anti-depressants, even if it seemed to be a matter of life and death.  I read an article in the NY Times and apparently there's a decent amount of annecdotal evidence (and evidence that their studies that would reveal the same thing have been quickly canceled and covered up by Eli Lilly) that one of the possible side effects is complete pyschosis.  They had several stories about people who had been feeling a little down, took prozac or paxil or something, and a few days later killed their entire familys.  Freaky stuff.  But I guess if you haven't yet you're ok =)

Yeah... It happens. Eric Harris (one of the two Columbine shooters) was perscribed Luvox, which is in the same Family as Prozac and Paxil, after he told a psychiatrist that he was experiencing Homocidal/Suicidal thoughts.
It did have a side effect, it basically stopped him from feeling many emotions as he normally would have, which is a part of the reason he and Dylan (who didn't take anything) did.

[kohoutekdriver8]

I have never believed that the Columbine shooting, or any other, was caused by antidepressants.  They happened IN SPITE of them.

Kip Kinkel, the mentally ill Oregon boy who killed his classmates, had a personal arsenal PURCHASED BY HIS FATHER that could have stocked a third world army.  Had his parents not died, IMHO they too would be in prison as accomplices, as they should have been.  He sounded like a combination of schizophrenia and spoiled brat.:mad:

[AgainstAllOdds]

I took Fluoxetine 20mg, took them for about 5 months, they were fine for me.:)

[RBowden]

Andrea Pleant said:

I've been on various anti-depressants for over 17 years now :eek: With so many of them the side effects were worse then the depression.

That was true of every single one I ever tried, but especially the SSRI's. Horrific is the only word that comes close to  describing the side effects of those. I was prescribed all sorts for severe anxiety and nothing worked. In most cases it made the symptoms ten times worse, plus other lovely effects like nausea and vomiting, hot and cold sweats, uncontrollable shaking and muscle spasms.

The longest I ever took a drug for was 6 months and that was Zispin (I think the actual drug is called Mirtazipine). That was just awful. I kept saying how bad I felt and I just got "well keep taking it, I'm sure you'll feel better soon".
The weight gain was horrible - I was constantly ravenous and I had to eat or I'd feel dizzy and faint so I put on over a stone in a month. My self-esteem plummeted and I was constantly tearful. The worst side effect though was drowsiness - I had to sleep for 10 hours or I couldn't get up the next day, so to get up for work at 6.30am I'd have to go to bed at 8.30pm. Then the next morning I'd be like a zombie. It scares me looking back how I used to drive the 18 miles to work. I used to turn up at work not remembering how I got there.

When I eventually said enough was enough, I had to endure weeks of horrible withdrawal symptoms. And the best bit of all was being told by a doctor other than my GP "but Zispin isn't prescibed for anxiety anyway so why were you taking it?". Great - 6 months of hell for nothing, and no wonder it didn't work!

All this has taught me that I will never, ever take another pill no matter how bad I feel because it just isn't worth it. I've managed without for three years with only natural alternatives and the difference has been dramatic. The simple truth is, for a lot of people drugs just aren't the answer.

[Crystal Eagle]

For the past 2 1/2 years I've been trying homeopathy, with the intention of coming off the anti-depressants because of the side effects. But no success :( There was no change in my overall state of depression/anxiety, though several other problems were dealt with. I'd suffered from thrush for years and some days I was in so much discomfort I could hardly move, but that has cleared up completely following homeopathic treatment. Also facial acne has been reduced following the homeopathy. Though these problems weren't what I was referred with, it has made life more bearable.
Also when I was first ill I was taught self-hypnosis by a psychiatrist, with the intention to help the anxiety. It can help for a mild attack but is no use for a full blown panic attack. It has turned out useful for dealing with back pain, while waiting for the painkillers to kick in!