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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Roxanne on March 24, 2000, at 12:58:23
I hope this message doesn't get posted twice as I forgot something in it, if it does, please bear with me. I need some encouragement here as my life is being utterly destroyed by panic attacks and depression. I am also hypothyroid and am having side effects from the Synthroid I take. I tried the tricyclics a few years back and couldn't tolerate them at all (got the "jerks") and now they want me to try the newer SSRI's. I have been given a prescription for Celexa but haven't had the guts to try it. I am so afraid of side effects from these drugs. A friend of mine began Celexa and got such bad dizziness she couldn't even walk. Anyone hear of dizziness being a side effect of Celexa (or any of the others, for that matter)? I wonder if Paxil or Zoloft would be any easier to take. I am very sensitive to meds. Help, I am going nowhere fast. . .
Posted by Noa on March 24, 2000, at 13:53:30
In reply to AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Roxanne on March 24, 2000, at 12:58:23
I'm curious--what side effects are you having from synthroid?
I am hypothyroid too, and trying to figure out how big a player this is in my depression.
BTW, there is a new book out on hypothyroid that I am waiting to see. In the meantime, the author has a website:
http://www.thyroid-info.com/
Posted by CarolAnn on March 24, 2000, at 14:28:05
In reply to AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Roxanne on March 24, 2000, at 12:58:23
Roxanne, don't let the fear of side-effects keep you from trying antidepressants. I have tried many differents types of these drugs, and the only side effect I have ever had was with the ones that cause fatigue. Since I already have extreme fatigue as part of my depression, those antidepessants made it worse. Other then that, nothing has ever been a problem as far as side effects, my only problem has been trying to find an antidepressant that will work for me. I am actually on Celexa (20mgs./day) right now and have had no side effects at all. Almost everyone has a different reaction to each of the antidepressants. All you can do is try it and see what happens. If the Celexa doesn't work out there are many other options, just don't let worries about side effects stop you from taking something that could turn out to be just what you need for your panic and depression. Good luck and keep posting, so we'll know how you are doing! CarolAnn
Posted by saint james on March 24, 2000, at 14:47:38
In reply to AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Roxanne on March 24, 2000, at 12:58:23
I need some encouragement here as my life is being utterly destroyed by panic attacks and depression.
James here....
Well you have got to do something, if the above is true ! Please remember that side effects don't cause permanate problems and go away if you stop taking the med. I would be very willing to put up with a minor side effect if my life was being "utterly destroyed" . There is no way to know if
you are going get a side effect till you try a med; reading about others side effects really has no dearing on what might happen to you.james
Posted by Kathie on March 24, 2000, at 17:10:44
In reply to Re: AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by saint james on March 24, 2000, at 14:47:38
I have been on Paxil for about a year. Initially I felt kind of weird and "drugged" while I was on them, and had to reduce the dosage. After a week or two, the "drugged" feeling went away and I felt better and better. The only side effect I can see now is weight gain, which is unpleasant and unwanted, but it beats the hell out of how I was feeling before I started the Paxil. I would go for the Celexa, were I you. Try it for a month...give the side effects (if there are any) time to diminish, as they often do. Putting any chemical in your body is bound to cause some kind of reaction, but eventually your body will adapt. It is well worth it if it turns your life around!!
Kathie
Posted by Roxanne on March 24, 2000, at 18:16:33
In reply to AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Roxanne on March 24, 2000, at 12:58:23
For many of us meds are the way to a more normal life. Without my meds I would probably dead by now. I know how destructive depression and panic can be. If you are afraid of side effects then start with a very low dose. Take 5 mg/day for a week and let your body adjust to it. Then try 10 mg/day for another week. Some people get good results on a low dose like 10mg while others find they need 20mg to start feeling better. Just let your body ease into the new meds.
Also, don't over-analyze every symptom that you may feel. In general they will fade away with a little time. Start this weekend while you can be home and not worry about outside factors but just get started.
Keep in touch with us. Almost everyone here has been through similar situations.
Chris
Posted by Victoria on March 24, 2000, at 18:23:38
In reply to AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Roxanne on March 24, 2000, at 12:58:23
I'm very sensitive to meds, too, and often find I only need small doses. One thing I do (with my doc's OK) is start new drugs off at very low doses: he prescribes a low dose to begin with and I start taking it by cutting the pills in smaller pieces and working up to the dose he prescribed. I think it helps my body get used to a drug with fewer side effects and I know it helps with my anxiety about side effects. The good thing is that, it seems, people who are sensitive to side effects often get the desired therapeutic effects at lower-than-usual doses. In my experience, once you find the right drug and the right dose (which can take some experiementing), it's like taking a vitamin pill--no big deal. I hope you find that drug and dose soon! Good luck!
> I hope this message doesn't get posted twice as I forgot something in it, if it does, please bear with me. I need some encouragement here as my life is being utterly destroyed by panic attacks and depression. I am also hypothyroid and am having side effects from the Synthroid I take. I tried the tricyclics a few years back and couldn't tolerate them at all (got the "jerks") and now they want me to try the newer SSRI's. I have been given a prescription for Celexa but haven't had the guts to try it. I am so afraid of side effects from these drugs. A friend of mine began Celexa and got such bad dizziness she couldn't even walk. Anyone hear of dizziness being a side effect of Celexa (or any of the others, for that matter)? I wonder if Paxil or Zoloft would be any easier to take. I am very sensitive to meds. Help, I am going nowhere fast. . .
Posted by Cindy W on March 24, 2000, at 21:03:41
In reply to Re: AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Victoria on March 24, 2000, at 18:23:38
>
> > I hope this message doesn't get posted twice as I forgot something in it, if it does, please bear with me. I need some encouragement here as my life is being utterly destroyed by panic attacks and depression. I am also hypothyroid and am having side effects from the Synthroid I take. I tried the tricyclics a few years back and couldn't tolerate them at all (got the "jerks") and now they want me to try the newer SSRI's. I have been given a prescription for Celexa but haven't had the guts to try it. I am so afraid of side effects from these drugs. A friend of mine began Celexa and got such bad dizziness she couldn't even walk. Anyone hear of dizziness being a side effect of Celexa (or any of the others, for that matter)? I wonder if Paxil or Zoloft would be any easier to take. I am very sensitive to meds. Help, I am going nowhere fast. . .
Roxanne, I agree with the above postings. Antidepressants can be very helpful while you're trying to get your life back. I've been fortunate to have never had any really bad side effects, just minor inconveniences, and they either disappeared with adjustment to the medication or went away when I changed to a different medication. You might want to talk to your pdoc about starting with a very very small dose of Celexa, and increasing it very very gradually. Several people have mentioned success with this method. Hope you won't be afraid to take a chance...you have nothing to lose but the depression.
Posted by Roxanne on March 26, 2000, at 12:14:50
In reply to Re: AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Noa on March 24, 2000, at 13:53:30
> I'm curious--what side effects are you having
from synthroid?
>
> I am hypothyroid too, and trying to figure out
how big a player this is in my depression.
>
> BTW, there is a new book out on hypothyroid that
I am waiting to see. In the meantime, the author
has a website:
> http://www.thyroid-info.com/Noa, the side effects I am having from Synthroid
are increased anxiety and panic which they warned
me may happen, also heart palpitations, increased
sweating, especially at night and strangely,
weakness and dizziness which sometimes gets really
nasty. I wake up at night and can't sit up in bed
as things are spinning around so badly. They have
had me on many different strengths and even took
me off of it for awhle but it just seems like once
you start on this drug you can never quit it. I
am now on the lowest possible dosage again and am
trying to work my way up to a stronger one but I
had to cut back this week due to heart
palpitations and jitteriness. Synthroid is a drug
I don't think much of and I have inquired about
getting the Armour thyroid but no one seems to
want to use that anymore. I think the company
that makes Synthroid must be giving these docs a
kickback or something.
Are you on thyroid meds now???
Posted by Roxanne on March 26, 2000, at 12:36:43
In reply to Re: AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Noa on March 24, 2000, at 13:53:30
> I'm curious--what side effects are you having from synthroid?
>
> I am hypothyroid too, and trying to figure out how big a player this is in my depression.
>
> BTW, there is a new book out on hypothyroid that I am waiting to see. In the meantime, the author has a website:
> http://www.thyroid-info.com/Noa, wow, I completely zoned out on your question, guess that's another side effect of Synthroid. I believe that being hypothyroid is a MAJOR player in the depression area. I have always been prone to anxiety attacks but been able to control them before my thyroid went wacko and then is when the depression started in a big way. I truly think if I didn't have to deal with the thyroid issue I could deal with the rest of it without meds. Thyroid trouble is one lousy thing to have. . .
My cat just fell off the back of the couch, what a surprise to both of us. BTW, he was diagnosed a year ago with hyperthyroidism and we took him for the radioactive iodine treatment and he is a much happier kitty now.
Posted by Noa on March 26, 2000, at 14:37:36
In reply to Re: AFRAID TO TAKE ANTIDEPRESSANTS, posted by Roxanne on March 26, 2000, at 12:36:43
Yep, it seems Syntroid has a hold on the market, but there are several brands of T4, or levothyroxine. Perhaps you would do better on a different brand.
Also, your idea of taking Armour Thyroid suggests you want to see if having some T3, or triiodothyronine (sp.?), in addition to the T4 might help. You can achieve this by taking synthetic T3, or Cytomel. There is even a T4-T3 synthetic combo called thyrolar.
This is the end of the thread.
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