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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jamie on May 17, 1999, at 9:58:01
I have been off the 60mg/day dosage of Prozac that I had been taking for 10 days now. I stopped cold turkey on my own due to the following: 1) health care provider no longer in business, 2) unable to get a new doctor before meds ran out, 3) weight gain regardless of exercise or dieting, 4) "NO" sex drive, 5) insominia and I'm sure I could go on. I am looking for a new doctor now as I am starting to feel suicidal. If it were not for my children I would be gone by now. I'm feeling really helpless and mentally pained. Is there anyone out there taking an antidepressant or some combination that does not cause weight gain, insomnia and loss of libido? I can't afford the weight gain, at this point I'm overweight by about 70+ pounds which also adds to my depression. I look forward to any and all replies!!!!!!
Posted by TC on May 17, 1999, at 11:51:34
In reply to Suicidal and Desperate, posted by Jamie on May 17, 1999, at 9:58:01
> I have been off the 60mg/day dosage of Prozac that I had been taking for 10 days now. I stopped cold turkey on my own due to the following: 1) health care provider no longer in business, 2) unable to get a new doctor before meds ran out, 3) weight gain regardless of exercise or dieting, 4) "NO" sex drive, 5) insominia and I'm sure I could go on. I am looking for a new doctor now as I am starting to feel suicidal. If it were not for my children I would be gone by now. I'm feeling really helpless and mentally pained. Is there anyone out there taking an antidepressant or some combination that does not cause weight gain, insomnia and loss of libido? I can't afford the weight gain, at this point I'm overweight by about 70+ pounds which also adds to my depression. I look forward to any and all replies!!!!!!
Jamie,
Please don't do anything drastic. Can you contact the state
to see if they can help you do anything with your meds. or some
local agency that can help you? Even the local salvation army may
help you in getting your meds. try what you can but don't give up.TC
Posted by mila on May 17, 1999, at 17:26:34
In reply to Suicidal and Desperate, posted by Jamie on May 17, 1999, at 9:58:01
Jamie,
I'm on effexor and though it causes loss of libido, it does not cause weight gain. Instead it causes weight loss. But this may not be the drug for you. If you need the prozac, please stay on it regardless of the side-effects for they are better then being suicidal. I have called drug companies and asked if they have a program for patients who cannot afford medication or who do not have insurance. Most companies have such programs and all you have to do is fill out a form with your doctor. They send the medication free right to your doctor. Goodluck getting the treatment you need. And please continue to write about anything you feel like. We care, and are here to help.
Posted by JD on May 17, 1999, at 18:21:22
In reply to Re: Suicidal and Desperate, posted by TC on May 17, 1999, at 11:51:34
Hi Jamie,
JD here--same person who responded earlier to your
post about stopping the Prozac. I can understand
how lousy you must feel, but it's good to hear
at least that you have the perspective to reach
out and to realize that things can (and will)
get better. As you realize, much of what you're
feeling comes from the "cold turkey" effect, and
yes, there are LOTS of options to try if Prozac
wasn't quite right for you in the long run. Some
people even find that changing to a different
SSRI like Zoloft or Paxil can be a big
improvement, but there are many other things
that people on this board can suggest. (Effexor
and Serzone come to my mind first for starters.)
The first issue is of course to see a doctor ASAP,
even on short notice. (Trust me this is possible
-- I once brought my grandmother to an emergency
room when she ran out of Paxil on vacation and
got severely depressed. Five minutes with a doctor and
she got a new prescription; by a week later she
felt much, much better.) As all of us who have
been through it know, depression can make even the
smallest things seem bleak and unsurmountable--
Have faith that the way you have been feeling
lately is not the way you are destined to feel
once you can get things sorted out.Take good care, and keep us posted!
Best,
JD
Posted by Ruth on May 18, 1999, at 21:00:54
In reply to Re: Suicidal and Desperate--many options!, posted by JD on May 17, 1999, at 18:21:22
Jamie-
It is good that you are reaching out here. It is also essential that you connect with a psychiatrist to help find ways of ensuring your safety. You may want to get back on prozac to stabelize things even if that means dealing with the side effects. Then with your doctor come up with a plan to go off it and try another med.>Hi Jamie,
>
> JD here--same person who responded earlier to your
> post about stopping the Prozac. I can understand
> how lousy you must feel, but it's good to hear
> at least that you have the perspective to reach
> out and to realize that things can (and will)
> get better. As you realize, much of what you're
> feeling comes from the "cold turkey" effect, and
> yes, there are LOTS of options to try if Prozac
> wasn't quite right for you in the long run. Some
> people even find that changing to a different
> SSRI like Zoloft or Paxil can be a big
> improvement, but there are many other things
> that people on this board can suggest. (Effexor
> and Serzone come to my mind first for starters.)
> The first issue is of course to see a doctor ASAP,
> even on short notice. (Trust me this is possible
> -- I once brought my grandmother to an emergency
> room when she ran out of Paxil on vacation and
> got severely depressed. Five minutes with a doctor and
> she got a new prescription; by a week later she
> felt much, much better.) As all of us who have
> been through it know, depression can make even the
> smallest things seem bleak and unsurmountable--
> Have faith that the way you have been feeling
> lately is not the way you are destined to feel
> once you can get things sorted out.
>
> Take good care, and keep us posted!
>
> Best,
> JD
Posted by Jim Hardy on May 18, 1999, at 23:03:48
In reply to Suicidal and Desperate, posted by Jamie on May 17, 1999, at 9:58:01
> I have been off the 60mg/day dosage of Prozac that I had been taking for 10 days now. I stopped cold turkey on my own due to the following: 1) health care provider no longer in business, 2) unable to get a new doctor before meds ran out, 3) weight gain regardless of exercise or dieting, 4) "NO" sex drive, 5) insominia and I'm sure I could go on. I am looking for a new doctor now as I am starting to feel suicidal. If it were not for my children I would be gone by now. I'm feeling really helpless and mentally pained. Is there anyone out there taking an antidepressant or some combination that does not cause weight gain, insomnia and loss of libido? I can't afford the weight gain, at this point I'm overweight by about 70+ pounds which also adds to my depression. I look forward to any and all replies!!!!!!
Please don't do anything drastic. There are a lot of different antidepressants on the market and one of them is bound to help. Prozac has a repuation for causing insomnia but there are many other antidepressants that don't have this side effect. There are also antidepressants that don't affect your sex drive: Remeron and Serzone are two that come to mind off the top of my head. I know how bad one can feel at times, but there is hope. You need to find yourself a good psychiatrist. If money is a problem there are various government programs that can help, such as Medicaid. Try contacting your nearest social security office. And as someone else mentioned, I think the drug companies themselves will at times give these drugs to patients for free if you can't afford them. Good luck and feel free to write me if you want more info or just someone to talk to.
Posted by Jamie on May 21, 1999, at 14:52:49
In reply to Re: Suicidal and Desperate, posted by Jim Hardy on May 18, 1999, at 23:03:48
> > I have been off the 60mg/day dosage of Prozac that I had been taking for 10 days now. I stopped cold turkey on my own due to the following
> Please don't do anything drastic. There are a lot of different antidepressants on the market and one of them is bound to help. Prozac has a repuation for causing insomnia but there are many other antidepressants that don't have this side effect. There are also antidepressants that don't affect your sex drive: Remeron and Serzone are two that come to mind off the top of my head. I know how bad one can feel at times, but there is hope. You need to find yourself a good psychiatrist. If money is a problem there are various government programs that can help, such as Medicaid. Try contacting your nearest social security office. And as someone else mentioned, I think the drug companies themselves will at times give these drugs to patients for free if you can't afford them. Good luck and feel free to write me if you want more info or just someone to talk to.I would like to thank everyone for their kindness and support during a very difficult time. Just having someone to reach out to made a big difference. I spent alot of time reading some of the previous postings and was happy to find a drug combination that I plan to discuss with my "new" doctor next week. It seems as though some people had success with Prozac and Serzone for the depression and low libido. Hopefully there will be something else we can try for the insomnia and weight gain. Guess I'm not as much of a mess as I thought. Finally, I have hope again.
Posted by JD on May 22, 1999, at 4:28:19
In reply to Re: Suicidal and Desperate, posted by Jamie on May 21, 1999, at 14:52:49
So glad to hear from you, Jamie--especially
to hear you feeling better! I'm sure you'll
find a med or combo that will help out:
Prozac is notorious for libido & sleep
problems and there are a lot of things out
there that shouldn't cause as much
difficulty, or that can help take the edge off
of Prozac's "activating" effects. The trick
is always KNOWLEDGE, including a doctor
familiar enough with these meds to prescribe
them thoughtfully (i.e., not just "Take two
prozac and call me in the morning!").
Sounds like you're on your way to finding
a solution that works for you...
Wishing you all the best,
JD
This is the end of the thread.
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