nervous about taking meds

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
nervous about taking meds
15
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 2:42pm
Last week I went to a walk-in clinic to find out where I could get treatment for ED (therapists, etc) in my hometown. The doctor I spoke to was not of much help. First of all, he wanted to put me on prozac right on the spot, not knowing any of my medical history or the severity of my bulimia. I was shocked by this. I thought it was extremely unprofessional of him to just assume how severe my ED is. So I refused the meds, mostly because I'd rather get over this without them. I am not very comfortable with having to take meds to get better because I'm sure how safe they are. Plus there was something about him that made me not trust him. He was very unsympathetic about ED, and made me feel stupid about it. Needless to say, I'm never going back to him again! What got me the most, though, was that he used to treat people with eating disorders! I would NEVER want him to be my therapist! Not in a million years!!

So since that visit, I've been thinking about anti-depressant drugs and how safe they are and all that stuff. I did some research today on the net and found out that SSRIs (prozac) are the kind prescribed the most, and when used in conjunction with therapy (which I'm starting next tues) is the most effective way to recover from bulimia. So I'd like to know how you guys feel about prozac. Do you think it's safe? I'm going to talk about meds next week during my therapy seesion. I guess I just need to learn more about it before I go on them.. if I go on them, that is.

If any on you ladies has any info or insite on prozac or other anti-depressants, please feel free to share it. I'm nervous about putting stuff into my body that I don't know very much about.

Thanks,

Stephanie

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2003
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 4:18pm
Hi Stephanie,

I don't know if this will be of any help, it is just my opinion, but I will not take meds for depression or ED. I am already on meds for epilepsy and I feel I don't want to take anything else. I am starting therapy soon too.... as a matter of fact I had my intake appointment last week, and got a call earlier today to schedule an appointment for therapy. I told her I would call her back.... not sure why but I am scared/nervous about starting therapy again.

You are doing the right thing seeking help elsewhere... that guy sounds like a jerk!

Meds do wonders for some people, along with therapy.

Whatever your decision is, I wish you the best ((((HUGS))))

Michelle

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 6:50pm

Hi Stephanie,


Love & hugs, Kristina

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2004
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 8:25pm
Yeah, I'm on Prozac right now. It hasn't made me gain any weight. I've also been on different dosages of Zoloft in the past, and that never made me gain any weight either.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 10:12pm
Thanks Kristina, I'll look into 5-HTP as well. I'm pretty sure that I don't NEED to be on drugs. My feelings have improved significantly since I've moved back home. I know that therapy will be very beneficial for me; I'm actually very anxious to start it! I'll keep you posted on how everything goes with that and the meds.

Thanks again!

Steph

P.S. You're right Michelle, that guy was an ass! And thanks for your insite :) It helps to hear about other people's experiences.

P.P.S. Stardoll, hun, I want to wish you all the best with your situation. I've read some of you posts and I can tell that you are going through a very rough time right now. Don't give up. You can live a happier life. You are more than your ED!

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-24-2004
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 11:51pm
Thanks for your support. I definitely appreciate it. I'm having fun at college so far, but the eating stuff really is posing a problem. I just want to lose weight so badly. I met some girls that live next door to me, and they are really nice. One of them was telling one of her other friends about how skinny she is, and it just made me really jealous. I wish that people would say things like that to me more. I hate hearing it about someone else and not myself. Does that make sense? I know it sounds really selfish and petty. It means a lot to me that the ladies on this board understand what I am going through, though.
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-14-2003
Wed, 09-01-2004 - 10:07am
I felt the same way you did about taking meds. I was TOTALLY against going on medication for my bulimia. I was terrified of the side effects. I didn’t want to have headaches, sleeplessness, emotionless, weight gain, etc. I fought my therapist about it, I fought my parents about it, I even fought my brother and sister-in-law about it. I kept saying “no, no, no… I don’t need Prozac. I can do this on my own!” Well guess what, I finally broke down, did a ton of research (I am talking a ton here) and started taking Prozac about 4 weeks ago. I started slowly, 10 mg/day. And after 1 week, I upped it to 20 mg/day. At about week 3, I didn’t notice any difference… so I asked if I could up it to 40 mg/day (they say the most effective dose for bulimia is 60 mg/day). I go to see my therapist on the 7th, and see how things are going. I am just starting to see a difference in my attitude/behavior/thoughts. They say it take 2-6 weeks for Prozac to start working. I was EXTREMELY apprehensive about taking Prozac… but I realized that I needed help. I could not do it on my own. I could not pull myself out of the bad place that I am in. I was trying and trying and trying… and all that trying wasn’t helping.

I tried the 5-HTP that was also suggested to you, and it did not do anything for me. I took it for about a month and a half and saw no change at all. I really tried to exhaust all my option before going on an AD. Also, 5-HTP isn’t regulated by anything… b/c it is a “natural” drug, there are no rules and regulations to make sure that it doesn’t cause any adverse side effects itself. And also, you aren’t supposed to stay on it for longer than 2 months. What happens at the 2 month point when you have to stop taking it? You may just go back to your old ways if you aren’t ready to come off something like that yet.

Anyway, don’t rule out prozac. I was at first, and I think I only delayed my getting better. Do some research… Prozac isn’t all bad… however, I don’t plan, or want to be on it for the rest of my life. Think of it kinda like a personal trainer at the gym. It gives you a tad bit more motivation and “oomph” to get you moving and working in the right direction. Good luck with whatever you decide…and you can always contact me about stuff… I know this disease all too well.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
Wed, 09-01-2004 - 7:45pm
Hey Stardoll,

I know what you're saying about wanting to hear people tell you how skinny you are. When I was in highschool, I lost about 20 lbs (safely -- I was overweight) and everyone was like, wow you look so good now, blah blah blah. It made me feel SO good about myself. Plus all the guys started talking to me, and I was way more popular. Then this past year I put on about 15lbs. At first I was really upset about it, trying really super hard to lose it, and beating myself up every time I ate something that I deemed "bad" for me.

BUT lately I've been doing a lot of thinking. While I do want to be more toned, I don't necessarily want to be super thin. I dont' want to spend the rest of my life fighting with my body to be a size three. I want to be able to enjoy food and not worry about how many calories I'm eating, or how much fat is in it. It's not easy thinking like that, and trust me I still have a long way to go, but I have faith in myself, and the rest of us, that someday we will. it'll take lots of work, but I think it'll be worth it in the end.

So I guess what I'm trying to say to you is, try not to focus every part of your life on your weight. I'm sure that you are a beautiful girl, inside and out. And chances are, most people don't even see what you see. it's all a matter of trying to think positive. I know it's hard, but I believe you can do it! So again I wish you luck with everything. I hope you have a successful year in college and make lots of great memories too!

Best wishes (and big hugs!)

Stephanie

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
Wed, 09-01-2004 - 8:00pm
Hey Allio79,

Thanks for your reply! I'm definitely going to talk to my therapist about meds and such when I have my first appointment. I don't FEEL like I need them. I'm acutally feeling much happier these days. My life has taken a turn for the better, and I see a lot of positive changes up ahead :) But I will see what my therapist has to say and then go from there.

Thanks again for sharing your experience with prozac, etc. I want to ask you one thing though... where did you do your research? On the net? the library? I did a bit, but I didnt' really find a lot that I was looking for. Any tips? Let me know :)

*hugs*

Stephanie

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-14-2003
Thu, 09-02-2004 - 10:45am
Almost all of my research was from the internet. I did get some information from some pharmacists, but 95% of my info was from the internet. I googled prozac and bulimia, prozac and side effects, prozac and weight gain, Fluoxetine and bulimia... you just have to start probbing for different items to get the right results.

I would have to say I was in the same place you are in now about a month ago. I was starting to feel better, starting to act better, and stopping my bulimic ways... then something happened... and I crashed again. For the past 2 months, I have b/p every day... sometimes more than once. So finally I said, enough is enough. I need to try something else. If you get to that point, I think you will find that medication will help you.

Here are some links that may help you get started to have some more questions answered

www.healthyplace.com

http://www.depression-forums.com/


http://depression.about.com/cs/sideeffects/a/sidefxindex.htm

http://www.crazymeds.org/

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
Thu, 09-02-2004 - 9:49pm
Thanks hun! You've been a great help :) I'll be sure to let you know what I decide to do once I figure it all out. I'd also like to wish you all the best in your journey to recovery. You deserve it!

*hugs*

stephanie

Pages