Posted by deb on March 2, 2000, at 18:51:50
Hi everyone! I recently found this board and it is definitely where I need to be. For the past 14 years I have suffered with panic/anxiety and major depression. I have been medicated on and off since 1987. I was hospitalized in 1987, had an unhospitalized nervous breakdown in 1994 and another after the birth of my second child in June of 1998. Since June of 1998 I have been on paxil and buspar as well as xanax as needed. I have always been an optimistic person with a great sense of humor. I am a level headed, intelligent person and generally try to eat healthy and exercise. Since June of 1998 I have gained about 30 lbs on paxil and despite several attempts, cannot lose this weight. I have suffered numerous side effects from these drugs such as sexual dysfunction (haven't had a sex drive in YEARS and have been married for 10 years); weight gain and sluggishness. About one month my dr. weaned me off of paxil and started me on wellbutrin. After about 1 week of being drug free I had some heavy duty withdrawal....horrible, horrible, horrible. You name the symptom and I had it. So I recently went back on paxil (only 5 mgs) with the intention to wean off of it more slowly. The one thing I noticed in withdrawal was that without the drug I no longer felt "numb"....I actually cried (something that these drugs have not allowed me to do); I started to feel alive and passionate about things. However, the physical symptoms overwhelmed me and I started having panic attacks again. Anyway, I am seriously considering getting off of all of these drugs and have recently purchased some books on SSRI drug withdrawal. I am not quite convinced that my problems are biochemical and I feel that I might be able to "control" my anxiety and depression through nutrition and fitness as well as supplements. I do not understand how my problems can be labeled biochemical when no one has studied my brain or performed tests. It seems like such a bogus diagnosis with no medical basis. Anyway, I am educating myself on withdrawal and ways to cope with my problems without drugs. I used to believe that everything was biochemical but now I am beginning to have doubts. I have been slowly weaning myself off the wellbutrin and the buspar and have started again with withdrawal and these uncomfortable feelings. Does anyone out there have any thoughts on this? I could really use some advice.
Thanks
Deb
poster:deb
thread:25549
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000302/msgs/25549.html