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depression and other s***
………I'm not sure how to say this…
So, I suffer from a seizure disorder, and because of said seizure disorder I take seizure medications. Due to said seizure medications I get major side effects, that I am finding out are depression, anxiety, RAGE, zero libido (and mnd you I am 25 when I should be horny like a bunny), which makes me more depressed! So we are trying new meds, which add to the stress, since they mess with my birth control, making htem less effective, and can cause serious birth defects (adding to my stress!)
Does anyone else deal with depression and anxiety? The stress of not having a job, studying to get my ACE cert, and spending $$ to start classes that may or may not be successful is FREAKING ME OUT!
Apparently it doesn't help that I am low in Vitamin D (I live in the land of no sun.)
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28 Replies
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I should note: I toold celexa…made me worse! Took prozac helped a little, but again SIDE EFFECTS!
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I take Lexapro and it works well for me. I don’t really notice any side effects, but of course everyone is different. My sister took Symbiax and gained a lot of weight…..and I don’t mean just like ten pounds. That was one of the side effects, and when she switched medications, she lost a lot of weight.
I also struggle with anxiety and panic attacks. I had gallbladder problems in May 2010 and it took over a week to be diagnosed. After my gallbladder removal surgery I continued to have severe pain, and spent the next two weeks in the emergency room every couple of days. Finally after every test imaginable, they gave me an anti anxiety med in my iv, and that solved the problem. My anxiety manifests as pain and nausea. My panic attacks have been so bad that I have been hyperventilating and can’t even catch my breath to talk. I also drool, yes drool, and I am usually on the floor crawling around. I know this sounds weird, but when I’m in an attack this is what seems comfortable to me. I saw a psychiatrist for a while, but when she said to me, “well I don’t know what’s wrong with you or what’s causing this”, I decided to see someone else. Since going to someone else and getting medication for when I feel them coming on, I have had fewer and fewer to date. I know the reason they started….I thought I was going to die because I hurt so bad before my gallbladder surgery. There is just no trigger for them now…I could have an anxiety attack just sitting in bed. At least they’ve become less frequent though.
I also went through severe depression during my whole pregnancy, and post partum depression for a long time. I didn’t want to take medication because it didn’t seem to work for me when I was younger, but looking back I should have. It was so bad, that I had a tubal ligation because I never wanted to go through that again, and my husband was all for it.
You sound like you have a lot on your plate, and maybe taking a breather, if you can, would help. I can’t say I know exactly what youre going through and I know how you feel because everyone has different stress levels and breaking points. Just know that there are others who experience similar things, and its good to have someone to talk to, whether it be a friend, therapist, or someone on here. Also, if you don’t feel like a med is working or don’t like the side effects, by all means tell your doctor. There are a lot of medications out there and you’ll eventually find one that works for you. I hope everything goes well for you with all of your studying!!!! -
The hard part for me is that my seizure disorder is a complicating factor. My neuro put me on lamictal bc it had little to no libido effects but it madee itchy and I felt like my throat was swelling. The only anti depressant that has shown to increase libido instead of lowering it is wellbutrin, and my neuro told the that I CANNOT take it bc it lowers the seizure threshold. Rawr!!!!! He put me back on tops ax, which I have taken before, but it makes my birth control less effective, and if you get pregnant on it you can have birth defects (and I do not want babies right now anyways.) it takes at least one month to wean off of, so by the time you realize you are pregnant, then get off the meda, you are almost through the third month.
I am SERIOUSLY considering stopping my seizure meds and tring some weed during the seizures to see if that will stop them. I have seen a bunch of people on the epilepsy forums talking about how they gave up on meds and started using pot to control their epilepsy, but there are also people who have their seizures triggered by pot so who knows…I still think it is worth a try. The downside is being high for a week at a time, and it is not a real prevention.
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Most people I find are on some sort of med nowadays….We need to get out of the rat race and back into the human race. So, please don't feel you are alone…..you're not.
Mood Disorders/Chemical Brain Imbalances/Depression run in my family……However, I had never had any issues with depression at all my whole life………Then~in 2000, my family experienced a very tragic and traumatic death and out of nowhere—Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome led into debilitating depression which then lead into a milder depression combined with seasonal affective.
Originally, they had me taking Paxil. This was the worst 2 years of my life……….Tons of libido—-UNABLE to have an orgasm. I now know how women can go postal—-Brutal thing to deal with. This, as you can imagine, created more problems between myself & hubby—on top of all the other crap we were already trying to cope with.
I bitched enough and finally got my GP to refer me off to a psychiatrist. I literally told him if I didn't get off soon…..I was gonna show up with a large gun and start shooting. LOL—-I was only half kidding too…..that was a dark place to be……..
So, the psychiatrist changed me onto Effexor. It has worked well. I have managed to get down to 75mg a day instead of the 300mg I was originally taking.
So, 11 years later…………after one heck of a tumultuous roller coaster ride of being up and down on meds, on and off different ones, I still need that 75mg it seems.
My psychiatrist has explained it like this–
As I have such a strong genetic line of history of depression…….I have carried this gene that laid dormant. Until–it was awoken. Now, it may likely never go back to sleep. I was getting frustrated by not being able to get off the effexor completely.
I am good with taking the 75mg a day now. I have come so far, and survived so much, that if I require a little capsule each day to help me bop along happily in balance………..I am good with it.
Exercise has helped tons. Releases all those feel good ju ju chemicals………
Taking the Vit D will help, but it needs to be taken with calcium in order to metabolize properly.
Please check with your Dr or pharmacist before taking anything though. Yes, even vitamins.
Or search an online pharmacological reference for known drug interactions.
Sometimes, certain vitamins can't be taken within an hour or two or certain meds etc…..
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hi sensual.. wow, you are really dealing with alot right now. very good advice from reenie and aly! i can't add much to that, but i would say try the pot – it could work. and if not, like aly said there are so many different meds out there, so hopefully you will find something that works. As for me, i went through a couple of years of severe chronic insomnia which was caused by emotional stress in a relationship (he was an alcoholic with borderline personality disorder). being such a health nut, i wanted to try all the "natural" sleep aids and was afraid to go to a doctor because i thought pharmaceuticals were "bad." looking back, i should have gone to the doctor sooner. the insomnia progressed into anxiety, then to clinical depression. all of these are basically the result of low levels of serotonin. I went on Ambien (which i believe saved my life) for several years, then switched to Clonazepam (Klonopin) which is an anit-anxiety med, but works better than Ambien for me, for sleep. (by the way Klonopin is also prescribed for seizures). I have been able to reduce my dosage at times, but my priority is SLEEP, not how much medication i am taking. I have no sex drive at all, but that happened after i went through early menopause/adrenal fatigue. I recovered from that (with increased vitamin intake and certain herbs), but never got my sex drive back. I'm about to turn 45, I'm married, so sex isn't such a big deal to me anymore. Now I prefer back rubs or foot massages, lol. I thought pole might help, but it didn't really, however exercise is super-important for anything related to anxiety, so I am happy to have a workout that is fun and to be a part of this community. I wish you the best of luck with everything. 🙂
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I want to note a few other things. The depression started creeping in when I found out they were shutting down the site I worked at so I would be losing my job. Then my fiancee got into Grad school up here so we realized we would be leaving everyone and everything we ever knew. Then I found out my daddy had emphysema, neural problems, his lung function was 2% away from needing a lung transplant, and a few other issues…the list of stresses just kept growing to the point where I had a panic attack for two days straight and had to go on disability for two weeks! Anyways, things have gotten better, but I Still have major stresses along with my fiancee being stressed out as well. I desperately want a libido. I have been on this medication since I wad 21, so I have no idea what it is like to have a normal sex life and it is awful!!!! I have read abouten stopping their medication so they can have sex. I cannot help but feel it is almost unfair. I do know depression runs in my family, but I really suspect the medication is the cause. There are tons of people complaining of suicidal thoughts on Keppra. There is even a term called “Keppra rage.” I did not even associate the fact that me getting upset over the stupidest things could be bc of my meds. I thought it was hormones, but my hormones should not be all the time!
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well i would say ask your doctor about clonazepam. every time i have had to get a new doctor, they try to get me to try something else (because it's addictive) and nothing else has worked, or caused terrible side effects. i am very sensitive to meds but this works for me. that keppra sounds awful!
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Good lord sweetie………Too much to go through in a short period of time…..Huge hugs and support to you~~
First—-Breathe…..Say it with me Breathe…….
Second—Don't stop meds. It is seriously dangerous. Really dangerous. I can't stress that enough.
How long have the 2 of you been together?
What do you guys enjoy doing together that is fun?
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I am very sensitive to medications too. I took ONE dose of lamictal and started itching. I was on celexa for 2 days and could not stop crying. They said it would take 2 weeks to see if it would affect me..yeah right!
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While I have no idea what kinds of medication is out there for seizures, I know that Anxiety and Depression medication are only a temporary measure. This is what my doctor told me, that they are ONLY meant to be TEMPORARY. Just so everyone knows.
I dealt with depression for a long time, and I still deal with anxiety. Interestingly, the two often go hand-in-hand, one often masking the other. My depression masked the anxiety I dealt with every day…because if I didn't care, I wasn't scared, right?
It took me a long time to get through it, and the thing I found most helpful (and still find helpful when it comes to anxiety) is balance. For every negative thing you think, about yourself or about others or the world, you must balance it with something positive. Cut out the things that are poisoning you- obviously, with great care and control. Be honest with yourself, but also be kind.
I've got the hormones of a frigging farm wife- constantly kicking out babies, and constantly having sex to make more! I want to do it like a rabbit and I'm always hormonal! Especially around "that time," I go insane sometimes. I've felt every single emotion I could name at the same time, it gets that bad sometimes. So, you CAN be hormonal all the time. It's possible. It sucks, but it's possible! This comes with it's good and bad points, and comes with it's ups and downs. Sometimes I'm hot as a furnace, and sometimes I'm just…not. So, it comes and goes!
Like I said, I don't know a lot about medication when it comes to those for seizures, so talk to your doctor about it, at length! Seriously. He or she needs to know about all these things, about all the stresses and concerns. You may eventually find a medication that works for you.
And, lastly, if you need someone to talk to, I'm usually free- but, obviously, there are many women here who are like that, and are willing to talk! Know that you aren't alone. We're here with you on your journey, and we do care. 🙂
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Oh, and I was going to say, technically the doctor is right. Medication takes 2 weeks or so to effect you…but that doesn't mean it takes two weeks for the withdrawals from the previous medication to effect you!
As far as I'm aware (this is mostly anxiety and depression medication, but I think it's similar for most others), medications will effect the chemicals in your brain. These are the chemicals which tell us how to feel, how and what to think, what's going on in life. You have a flood of endorphins, and you feel happy! But, that also sometimes happens with seretonin, and others. Doctors don't really know how it all works yet…it's all very complicated!
So, think about it this way: One medication may increase the amount of one certain chemical in your brain, where another medication may decrease another chemical. So, when you stop taking one of them, your chemicals aren't right! Your brain is waiting for that medication to come back, it thinks it doesn't need to do what the medication was doing, so you're imbalanced. This can show itself as depression and anxiety, or as suicidal or homicidal thoughts, as extreme happiness or sadness, as uncontrollable crying…as so much stuff.
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Hi, I'm another one with depression. I have a family history of it (there have been 2 suicides in my paternal line, and probably a lot of undiagnosed depression as well).
Right now I'm trying to deal with having extreme difficulty waking up in the mornings (not as trivial as it sounds). So no, you're not alone.
I'm currently on Pristiq 100mg. Prior to that I was on Lexapro. Pristiq seems to work fine for me most of the time.
My depression seems to get worse in winter, and coming up to Christmas. I've had several bouts of feeling suicidal over the years, and have had psychiatric treatment, hypnotherapy, and counselling at various times, to help me deal with things.
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I would recommend reading Dr. Brian Weiss’ books. he’s a psychiatrist who has a lot of experience with hypnosis and past-life regression therapy. The idea is that we have all had previous lives and ailments in this lifetime are likely due to some trauma that has happened in a previous lifetime. After learning about the past trauma, the person is cured. He’s helped thousands of people, and you don’t have to believe in it for it to work. He doesn’t take private patients anymore but he’s trained others to do this type of hypnosis, so you should be able to find someone. He also does workshops around the country.
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Word of warning with the weed. I suffer from depression and anxiety, brought on by childhood abuse and I also suffered from severe postpartum depression after my son was born. I'm luckily in a place now that I don't need the meds. My GP told me that weed is good for anxiety and mild pain relief in small doses. If you smoke too much it can have the opposite effect. Meaning it can bring on more attacks and make you more depressed. He recommended that I smoke a small amount ( like one or two hits at most ) a day and the rest just eat well and exercise. Talk to your GP, before you try anything in some cases weed reacts badly with prescription meds. I'm very luck to have a doctor that I feel comfortable with and is honest and frank about things like this. Hopefully you are too. Hugs and love to you.
PS weed can increase libido in women, but like I said, before please talk with your doc before you change anything with your meds and ask about taking a combo of things. When I was at my worst after my son was born. I took Zoloft and Clonazepam ( (( in the morning and Trazidone( an antidrepessiant that will make you crazy sleepy) in the evenings.These are all meds that have been on the market for awhile so they have a large body of research behind them.Maybe going "old school" would work for you. And like Runemist said we are all here for you and are happy to listen to you if you need to bitch and moan. xoxo
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Heya. Such a lot you're going through at the moment, sorry to hear that. Just wanted to make one small point though: You said you're on birth control, and that you're very sensitive to medications. I'd also say I'm pretty sensitive to things, and found that birth control pill destroyed my libido and caused depression. I tried all the three main "groups" of birth control pill, same effect from all, in varying degrees.
I know it's one tiny factor in amongst a whole host of troubles you have, but if one of your other medications makes it less effective anyway, might it be worth abandoning that for a few months and using other (non-chemical) means?
It did take a few months for the after effects to let up, I'm afraid to say, so if this is contributing, it's not going to be an instant fix.
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I can relate to much of what you have posted. As for the sex drive thing, no matter what meds your are on (or not on), your not going to be horny when you have depression and anxiety in the mix. How turned on can you be when you have all that crap circling in your head?! They say that the biggest sex organ for women is the brain and I believe it, penises don't care about trivial things like depression and anxiety, they just need a good breeze and it's game on.
Add to that your seizure medication. That is something you cannot compromise on, so learning to deal with and function around a low or non-existent sex drive may be more important than worrying and stressing about it. I have about two or three days a month (oddly enough, when I'm ovulating – that baby making gene must run strong) that I have a glimmer of a sex drive, so I've learned to capitalize on those days in an attempt to keep a semi-normal sex life going.
Instead of worrying about birth control could you possibly do a Mirena type non-hormonal insert? That would be one less medication and set of side effects to deal with.
As for how to deal with the depression and anxiety – I really, really try to stay away from meds. Cognitive Behavorial Therapy is what I have used (after years of failed attempts with meds). There is a book by David Burns called Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. It uses CBT to help with depression.
There was a study where they divided depressed people into two groups – the groups had to wait 4 weeks to see a doc. One group was given the book, the other was not. Guess which group did not request to see a doc and felt better at the end of those four weeks? Yup, the group with the book. They then gave the book to the other group, and the outcome was the same. The success that these groups achieved was not short term, they maintained these gains for up to three years.
Learning tools and techniques for changing the thinking patterns that keep you locked in this cycle are far more beneficial then meds, IMO. He also has a book for anxiety called When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life. Same principle, CBT.
I realize everyone's journey and battle is unique and there will be different strokes for different folks, but I thought I would mention what I had found helpful.
I wish you all the best, it sure does suck getting dealt these cards, but that doesn't mean you can't change your hand to get ahead of the game.
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I wish I could stop the birth control but I 1) am taking it for debilitating cramps that are still tolerable even with the lessened efficacy of the pill ( I am talking so bad I would be up all night on the tub popping pulls at the age of 12. My mom put me on the pill, I did not pick it.) 2) I still use condoms, but if it fails, I need that backup since anti epileptic drugs can be severly deforming to a fetus, especially the one k am on. I researched it last night and I guess a new study came out on my new med about it being a pretty bad tetragogen. I am going to consult a nurse soon about the possibility of an iud or a stronger birth control. I am hoping that getting my vitamin d up will help.
With regards to the mj, I never take more than two vapor hits, since I am a lightweight. 😉 I had 1/4 of a prescription strength brownie once and I was so gone for 6 hours! I did not like that at all! They said 1/2 a brownie was a full dose, so I took a 1/2 dose!!!
I have a psyc appointment on the 4th nut it is getting to thf point where I am sick of medication. I have a pharmacy in my house. I addition to all this crap, I also suffer from weekly debilitating headaches. No more pills!
I try my best to keep my mood up by dancing, reading, playing with my crazy pooches, etc, but oye it is not as easy as it seems. Now these drugs are making it hard for me to stay awake throughout the day.
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I also suffer from anxiety (really bad) and depression. I have a prescription for Prozac and Lorazapam (for emergencies) but I choose not to take them. I used to be on Zoloft, then Luvox a decade ago for a few years but had nothing but bad luck and bad side effects. I try my best to treat my mental health in a natural way but it's hard. I'm very against meds only because I had such a bad experience. They are also very dangerous meds with dangerous side effects too. I honestly think antidepressants have an opposite effect on me causing me to get even more depressed. Funny someone mentioned the green herb. I sometimes use it to treat my illness. It's the only thing I have found to work to stop general anxiety or stop a panic attack. I would have just a little and suddenly all my worries are GONE and I'm happy dancing around listening to music and then I can finally FOCUS! Sleeping pills suck and don't work on me but herb helps me have the best sleep and rest of my life. My brother has a legal license to use that herb. I'm considering trying to get it only because I wouldn't want to be busted in a legal matter. I've done my research on the plant. I used to be very against herb over a decade ago until I did my own research. My doctor even told me it's safe. 🙂
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When I got my medical mj card I got it mainly for chronic debilitating headaches. I had waited for years, pushing the idea to the side in the hopes that inwould find something by going to my regular doctor. After trying massage, chiropractors, acupuncture, Botox injections, muscle relaxers, hard narcotics, migraine pls, barbiturates, you name it, i’ve done it, I woke one morning crying not wanting to go to the hospitals so cuz I was on so much pain and on the verge of vomiting, so I called a clinic and made an appointment. I took them some records showing I suffered from headaches of unknown origin, epilepsy, and a back inkury . All 3 qualified me. Now depression is added to the mix. I miss being in California where I could go to acdispensary and pick out the type I want. Where I live, I could lose my lease for growing it, soni have to get it from others therefore I cannot control what I get. The problem is, I need an indica bc it is the high cbd content in indica is what stops seizures, whereas, the high thc, low cbd content in sativas can trigger seizures. The ONE thing I miss about CA.
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Yeah, CA is the best as far as access to all kinds of herb. i recently watched a good documentary on netflix (called – "the union – the business behind getting high). hopefully people will become more educated about the medical benefits this herb has to offer, and it will become more available to people who are suffering needlessly. Just want to wish you good luck with finding what you need…. and thanks for posting, MrsNaughtywed 🙂
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Another poler who suffers from depression and anxiety here. I really don't want to use drugs to help me unless I'm completely desperate (haven't been for a few years). That includes weed and alcohol. Poling and physical activity DEFINITELY helps, but unfortunately we can't spend 24 hours poling 😀
Feeling like birth control will always have something to do with it. Been dying to go off of it, but it has a bunch of other benefits as well (making periods regular and less horrible, preventing pregnancy). So I've continued for now.
It's so nice to be on here and know that there are others who suffer – no one in my life is open about their depression or anxiety or simply doesn't have it, so I'm tired of feeling like a complete Debbie Downer. The positive, outgoing personality is definitely revered in our culture, and it gets very frustrating for people who are depressed/anxious. Most of us our actively seeking remedies but it's not something you can just get rid of overnight. People who have never been anxious or depressed will never understand.
I've never been on meds, but my depression/anx definitely comes and goes in cycles. It's mild/moderate at most but it still blows and it makes it worse to feel like no one else in your life is going through the same thing.
But overall…YAY for poling!
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I just got done watcing "The Union" and I LOVED IT! It was really well put together.
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Pole Nerd –
What kind of cyclical type is yours? Is it by season? The doc told me my vitamin D levels are definately contributing to my problem an gave me a scolding. She said the 800 units I was taking per day wasn't enough and told me that I would be fine taking 2,800 per day if I had to.
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hi sensualscimitar https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif so glad you liked the movie!! you can def take up to 2,800 mg of vitD per day, just make sure its D3 (most of them are). luckily, it's cheap!!
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So I went back and looked at my old seizure calendars. Now mind you, these were all recorded before I started medication, and I clearly remember having them as early as 12. I cannot remember them sooner then that. I found a pattern. They hovered mostly right around my periods, sometimes during ovulation. I guess that is when estrogen levels are highest. I did some googling a found this to be rather common in females with epilepsy. I found an article saying estrogen aggravates seizures, while progesterone can help suppress them. One study showed the depo-provera shot helping some girls get some relief. DUDE!!!!!!!!! I have a consult with a nurse soon. I am going in with that article and a bunch of others, with butt load of questions in hopes that the depo shot can help me.
*fingers crossed*
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