Date:  Sat Mar 17, 2001 1:06am

Hi, I am Robin...I was on 60 mg of Prozac last year about this time when I got
pregnant. My psych. and doctor told me to go off of it cold turkey because of 
the pregnancy. During that time, I experienced withdrawal symptoms such as
major dizziness as well as severe depressive/crying episodes. My depression is
mostly situational...and I think that it can be controlled through excercise 
and diet (although I do not do either). After I had my baby in December, my 
psych. began to encourage me to go back on medication for depression. I was 
dead set against it because I didn't want to have to depend on medication to be
happy and stable. Over the course of the past few months, I felt myself 
slipping into a deeper depression and finally gave in.  He put me on Celexa 
this time. I have no clue why he decided to change the medication. Once I began 
taking it, I found that my symptoms got worse....excessive overeating (my main 
problem), insomnia, headaches, anxiety, worrying, avoiding social situations, 
etc. I began looking for some information on Prozac last night because I had an 
appointment to see my psych. today, thinking that maybe I needed to go back on 
Prozac.  That is how I stumbled upon the Prozac Awareness group and website. I 
could not believe what I read! I am so glad to have found out that these drugs 
are in no way safe or the right way to go for me.  I told my psych. about what 
I found on the adverse side effects of the SSRI's. He said that he did not know 
of any controlled studies...but that the drug has only been around for about 10 
years or so.  I think that my relationship with my psych. has ended as he has 
now told me to come back when I feel that I need to.  He told me that I should 
consider stomach stapling surgery for weight loss because everything else I 
have tried has failed.  Anyway, sorry this is so long!!  I have a lot to say
tonight.  I do have concerns about Redux and Phentermine too. I was on these 
for about 4 months during two different time spans. I am concerned that this on 
top of the Prozac, Effexor, Serzone, Paxil, and Celexa that I have been 
prescribed by various doctors will cause me to have heart problems. I feel that 
I have been misled and damaged by these drugs.  Will I ever be "right" again?  
Thanks for listening.

Robin

Response:
Date:  Sun Mar 18, 2001 1:00am

Hi Robin, welcome to the group.
Are you still taking Celexa ?

Charly

Date:  Sun Mar 18, 2001 6:09am

Yep...I have cut down to 20 mg now...and will
continue to do that for a week, then I will cut
down to 10 mg for a week...then, I will cut it
out completely.  I am having to take some over
the counter medicine too so that I can get to
sleep at night because of my insomnia.

Robin

Date:  Sun Mar 18, 2001 4:35am

Response:
About the only thing that will take off the weight is you, having the will
power to push away from the table, and watch the foods that you eat.
Exercise will be helpful.

I had gained a lot of weight being pregnant also, lost it all after the baby
was born, was put on meds cause the baby was injured at delivery by the doc.
and I had a hard time dealing with it. Now I weigh 10 lbs. than I did full 
term preg. and I had gained 60 lbs. being pg. I have been off the drugs for 
2 weeks now and have dropped 12 lbs. I think it was mostly water weight. 
I had been on those drugs for 5 years. Take it slow coming off the drugs, 
just take a little chip off the pill and do the same size of chip for about 
a week, and then do a little more and keep going. I did this and have had 
success getting off of them. I tried the cold turkey and thought it would be 
better to die than to go through the withdrawals so I got back on them. 
Do what you can to sleep little naps during the day, like at lunch time, etc. 
This seemed to help my stamina through it. I will be praying for you. 

Caroline

Date:  Sun Mar 18, 2001 6:17am

Thanks for the prayers...I need those.  As for
getting the willpower to push away from the
table...I have none of that, I never have.  I
have what they call morbid obesity...and another
thing is that I have something they call Binge
Eating Disorder and Bulimia.  I suffer every day
with these things.  I have tried everything and
remain as miserable of a person as I have always
been.  It was exciting at first to think that
there was a drug that could "fix" my mind problem
thus fixing my outside problem.  It is of no use
though because I would be endangering my health
even more with the drugs.  thanks for your
advice...I will keep it in mind.

Robin  

Date:  Sun Mar 18, 2001 7:02am

Response:
Robin, just so you know hormones play a very very big
role in all this,  you will notice that you will get
worse aroung your period,  and you are still haveing
the effects of the prozac if it has been only 1 year.
Give yourself 3-5 years to recover from it.

Cynthia