My first post

January 1, 2001

Sea salt is a weird thing. Didn't most of the salt harvested today come from

past seas?

Which " sea salt " is likely to be more contaminated and what with?

???

Regards

Re: Re: My First Post

Adrenal fatigue is not a known medical diagnosis

IMHO

Beware of health care providers

Selling this

Sent from my iPhone

CE Grim MS MD

Specializing in Difficult Hypertension

Senior Consultant to Shared Care Research and Education Comsulting Inc

Sharedcareinc@...

On Oct 5, 2008, at 4:51 PM, Sheilah <beachboyfan1@...> wrote:

> Thank you very much for this information.My friend got me to try sea

> salt a few days ago.I will research what you have told me before my

> next doctor visit.So,I can kinda guide her along.She's pretty good at

> listening to me.

>

> Maybe I should be the doctor.hahaa.jk

> Sheilah

>

> In hyperaldosteronism , " ms_sisyphus_00 "

> <ms_sisyphus_00@...> wrote:

> >

> > HI Sheila

> >

> > wow, about the edema legs, but also top of foot with Extreme

> itching/

> > clear " blister " ! i had that when i got really sick a couple of

> > summers ago;

> > i have longterm hypothryodi = hashimoto's autoimmine thyroid

> disease.

> >

> > turns out i did NOt convert the standard thyroid hormone med

> > (synthroid) which contains only T4 thyroid hormone (vs T3, the

> Active

> > hormone) and i remained hypothyroid all the years i was on meds!

> (IE

> > i had a below NOrmal Free t3 )

> >

> > --

> > anyway, having hypothryodi /low Free t3 (with a " Normal tsh " ) did

> not

> > help my adreanl glands ; because the adrenal and thyroid glands

> work

> > so synergistically

> > and after a lot of life/emotion stress -and the physical stress of

> > summer (no AC ) i got that blister and also a Ton of other symtpoms

> > that i had been living with became worse. ]

> > btw, the itching was incredibly fierce!!!!

> >

> > (i had slightly high BP for years , but postural hypOtension

> > (lightheaded when standing up) got MUCH worse that summer.

> >

> > ~*~

> > my new MD (alternative MD who also knows accupuncture) had me do a

> > 24hr cortisol saliva test. (and i Googled to learn more about the

> > symptoms! all of which i had lived with Since childhood!!)

> >

> > i have High cortisol on 3 of the readings (they test 4 salivas per

> > day and one's cortisol Should be in a Diurnal pattern:

> > highest in morning and decrease by bedtime so you can fall asleep

> and

> > stay asleep

> >

> > conventional medicine still hasn't learned much about this but a

> lot

> > of conventionally trained drs, who are now calling themselves

> > Alternative or holistic MDs , do use this test

> > (someone told me one part of medicare will pay for/uses it, But i

> > have not confirmed that myself!_)

> >

> > can you do a 24hr cortisol SALIVA test?

> >

> > *you can order a DiagnosTechs or ZRT labs, IF you live in any

> state

> > but NY or CA

> > (CA you need a dr on the order) but otherwise order yourself via

> > those sites or thru Canary club (an thyroid patient advocate

> website_)

> >

> > --

> > basically to help Adrenal Fatigue:

> > eat a low glycemic, healthy, whole food diet and NO caffeines or

> > sugars (or basically any fun stuff

> > and " stress management "

> >

> > i also take Vit C now (not megadoses but 500mg in am and pm)

> > and a good quality* ALL-B vitamin.

> >

> > --

> > turns out for anyone with " adrenal Fatigue " , diet and nutrition -

> and

> > glycemic control- is Extremely important to feeling better , and

> > helping the adrenals to heal.

> >

> > the adrenals and cortisol help to control inflammation in the body,

> > and keep allergies " under control.

> >

> > -Carol

> >

> > BTW< i have swelling in my legs:

> > note that Hypothyrodism is known to cause " salt wasting "

> > but reading even further

> > you can find studies and different drs saying that ALL the

> > electrolytes can be affected in hypothryodi patients

> > --and adrenal fatigue patietns!

> >

> > i actually use sea salt now (not a lot ) but it Seems to be helping

> > water go to the right places (

> > i also take magnesium and eat calcium/yogurt-plain

> > and TOns of salads for potassium.

> >

> > >

> >

> > >

> > > Now, I have a problem I hope someone can help me with.I am

> > currently

> > > taking medicine for my blood pressure and I have been diagnosed

> > with

> > > having an underactive thyroid.(I just found out by researching

> that

> > I

> > > have been taking this medicine wrong.So, I guess essentially that

> > > means,I have not even been taking it.)

> > >

> > > Anyway....I have been suffering for a month with my leg swelling

> to

> > > about twice its size.Was checked for clots,and that came back

> > > negative.

> > >

> > > Last week I went to the doctor, because at the top of my foot,I

> > have

> > > small clear blisters,and an intense..INTENSE itch that is driving

> > me

> > > mad.Literally.

> > >

> > > I have tried several things, but nothing has worked.My doctor

> said

> > > she sees this a lot,and there is nothing she can do about this.I

> > > found this hard to believe.I always believe that for any

> > > problem,there is a solution.She did say it could be they thyroid

> > > problem..so I have to go to the hospital tomorrow for tests.

> >

>

> eight: bold; color: #628c2a; font-size: 100%; line-

> height: 122%; } #ygrp-sponsor .ad a{ text-decoration: none; } #ygrp-

> sponsor .ad a:hover{ text-decoration: underline; } #ygrp-sponsor .ad

> p{ margin: 0; } o{font-size: 0; } .MsoNormal{ margin: 0 0 0 0; }

> #ygrp-text tt{ font-size: 120%; } blockquote{margin: 0 0 0

> 4px;} .replbq{margin:4} --> l>

March 24, 2004

Hi Kat

Welcome to the group! You will find lots of support, knowledge, and

understanding here. I think that everyone handles their spasms

differently here, but I do not recall hearing that anyone takes

demerol - I am sure if anyone does they will chime in and be

responding to you shortly.

My husband had a myotomy last year, and he eats everything, but still

suffers from the occassional spasm. He uses pretzels and then water

at the moment to combat his spasms. He used to gulp ice water, but

that does not seem to have the same effect as prior to his surgery

now. There are many people on here that use little tricks like this -

they are listed in the database.

I think that you will find this group to be a wonderful support! It

is so nice to know that you are not the only one that understands

what you are going through!

> Hi there,

>

> I am so happy to find this group and to read the messages. I have

> already benefitted greatly from some of the posts.

> I have been struggling with " a " for about five years now. I had

> surgery in 2001 and find my eating to be about 80% better. But the

> pain remains (every week or two I have an episode). I have not

> noticed anyone mention pain killers. My pain is so bad I have to

> take demerol. Does anyone else take something for the pain? The

> food triggers are never the same. Sometimes I can get away with

> eating almost anything, sometimes not.

> Also, does stress exaccerbate symptoms for anybody?

> Looking forward to talking to you all.

>

> Kat

March 24, 2004

Yes, Kat, stress definitely exacerbates my spasm pain. Cindi

Welcome to the group!

____________________________________________________ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here

March 24, 2004

Welcome Kat,

Yes, stress does have an impact on Achalasia symptoms. I have been

taking Nexium for several months now. My spasms have completely stopped.

My acid production is very low, and I only eat bland foods.

I know you'll find lots of support here,

my first post

> Hi there,

>

> I am so happy to find this group and to read the messages. I have

> already benefitted greatly from some of the posts.

> I have been struggling with " a " for about five years now. I had

> surgery in 2001 and find my eating to be about 80% better. But the

> pain remains (every week or two I have an episode). I have not

> noticed anyone mention pain killers. My pain is so bad I have to

> take demerol. Does anyone else take something for the pain? The

> food triggers are never the same. Sometimes I can get away with

> eating almost anything, sometimes not.

> Also, does stress exaccerbate symptoms for anybody?

> Looking forward to talking to you all.

>

> Kat

>

March 24, 2004

Welcome "aboard" Kat --

I'm not sure how far back you went in the messages, but pain killers HAVE been discussed here. I don't have time to write up a big long post, so I'm going to take a shortcut and copy/paste a message that I posted to someone else on this subject on 2/13/04.

--------------------------------------------

The "spasm pains" are quite a hassle. I wish doctors would do more to address the problem -- they seem to focus only on the swallowing and not on the pain part of the disease. If you do a search in the archives on "spasm" you'll find info about ways to treat the spasm pains.

Here's some basic info that I've posted in the past -- different things work for different people, so it's basically just an experiment to find what works for your situation.

The official medical term for the "spasm pain" is "NCCP" -- Non Cardiac Chest Pain.

Here are some different coping methods to try:

-- Swallowing something warm or something cold

-- CCB medication (calcium channel blockers) -- I prick the shell of a nifedipine capsule and squirt it under my tongue. It absorbs into the bloodstream under the tongue (this is called a sub-lingual medication, meaning under-tongue) and relaxes smooth muscle tissue (which is what the esophagus is made up of.) unfortunately, it can also lower your blood pressure (usually only a problem if you already have low BP to begin with) and cause a headache afterwards

-- Nitroglycerin medication -- works in much the same way as the CCB mentioned above, and can also be taken sublingually for fast relief.

-- Certain anti-depressant and anti-convulsant medications -- some people don't have NCCPs when on these types of medications, believed to be a function of the medicine's effect on serotonin in the brain.

-- L'Argnine supplements -- some people have found these relieve NCCP symptoms

-- If symptoms are debilitating and none of the methods above help, you may need a narcotic pain reliever, but definitely try all the options above first, b/c if you're on narcotics you can't drive, work, etc., and the vast majority of people can find relief in a way that doesn't involve narcotics

Like I said, if you search through the archives you'll find people's personal experiences w/ the different methods. Welcome again!

Debbi in Michigan

PS -- for those not familiar with the setup, there's a Search box on each page, towards the top of the page. It will search the old messages for the keyword you enter in the box, starting with the most recent posts. It will search a few hundred messages at a time, so you just click "next" for it to search the next batch.

----------------------------------------

There was a person in the group who was in the ER several times a month and finally ended up with Stadol nasal spray to treat her NCCP's -- her doc finally decided to try a low dose of a daily anti-depressant medication (nortryptaline was the one she used, I believe) and her spasms practically stopped completely once the medication built up in her system.

I hope this helps!Debbi

PS -- I too notice an increase in symptoms (swallowing and NCCP's) when I am under extra stress.

Hi there,I am so happy to find this group and to read the messages. I have already benefitted greatly from some of the posts.I have been struggling with "a" for about five years now. I had surgery in 2001 and find my eating to be about 80% better. But the pain remains (every week or two I have an episode). I have not noticed anyone mention pain killers. My pain is so bad I have to take demerol. Does anyone else take something for the pain? The food triggers are never the same. Sometimes I can get away with eating almost anything, sometimes not.Also, does stress exaccerbate symptoms for anybody? Looking forward to talking to you all.Kat

March 24, 2004

Hello Kat,

Welcome to the group! I’m glad you’ve

had a successful surgery. I had my surgery in May of 2002 and am a proud owner

of a 2002 Asbun Myotomy.

;-)

I have never used pain killers for spasms,

but have heard that Naproxen works for some. and I both find that a diet low in carbohydrates have helped us to become spasm

free and many of us have success with L-Arginine. L-Arginine helps me a great deal….but being on the low carb diet now, I don’t find it necessary to take

anymore.

Stress seems to play a huge role in our disease,

and just about everyone with “A” seems to have a stressful event

story to go along with the onset of their first symptoms.

You’ve come to a wonderful group of

informative and caring individuals here who all share this annoying disease,

and whether you’re looking for support, a wealth of info, a place to

vent, or a friendly place to help and share your success story with others, you’ll

find it all right here.

Some of my dearest friends I have met through

this group. and I found each other last October, and we try to get

together once every couple of months for lunch and a movie, and I organize a little

get together every February in the bay area for anyone wishing to attend. I

believe many others here have found friendships through this group as well!

I hope you will find something that works

well for you so that you don’t have to continue to take the Demerol!

Take Care, and hope to hear more from you.

Sandi

in No CA

my first post

Hi there,

I am so happy to find this group and to read the

messages. I have

already benefitted greatly from some of the posts.

I have been struggling with " a " for

about five years now. I had

surgery in 2001 and find my eating to be about 80%

better. But the

pain remains (every week or two I have an

episode). I have not

noticed anyone mention pain killers. My pain

is so bad I have to

take demerol. Does anyone else take

something for the pain? The

food triggers are never the same. Sometimes I can

get away with

eating almost anything, sometimes not.

Also, does stress exaccerbate symptoms for

anybody?

Looking forward to talking to you all.

Kat

December 27, 2004

Hi Lynn,

Sounds like you made it

Welcome aboard!

These

www.drugawareness.org

www.alternativementalhealth.com

are good resources.

Best,

Jim

I've been lurking on the side for just a little bit, but long enough

for this group to make a difference in the quality of my life. Thank

you for those willing to share their experiences. I will now share

mine that perhaps it will help someone else.

SSRIs had initially been prescribed for me for " peri-menopause

fatigue " . I believe it was Effexor - honestly, my memory of the past

5 1/2 years has been distorted by the SSRIs - I have taken Paxil,

Effexor, Prozac, and a couple that I can't recall the names of

because I didn't last a week on them - thought I would jump off a

cliff. MY gyn raved about how wonderful these drugs were for

treating women who were pms, perimenopause, or menopausal.

Reluctantly I began the prescription, and truly struggled through

the first month with fatigue so overwhelming, I could barely get out

of bed most mornings, and then so wound up at night, I could not

fall asleep for several hours. Of course, I never felt rested and

complained that the fatigue was worse. Doctor's solution was to

increase the dosage. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with Lupus -

- about 5 years ago. After 4 years on various SSRIs, Vioxx, HRT (my

cycles abruptly stopped shortly after starting Effexor), Allegra,

Flonase, etc., I was a walking medical disaster and had become very

depressed and was not taking any joy in living. I am someone who was

mostly happy and enjoyed near perfect health, and hadn't taken much

of anything previous to the SSRIs.

One " disease " after another kept cropping up as meds were added.

Tired of being coerced by health care providers to add more drugs

and monitor with bi-weekly appointments ($$ for them!), even in my

mind addled state, I began to wonder what would happen if I started

to eliminate the drugs one by one. I strongly suspected these drugs

to be the cause of my illnesses. Vioxx was the first to go - heart

distress 'mysteriously' disappeared, then the allergy meds - okay,

so those were helping I discovered but I did not want to take

anything that I absolutely didn't have to. Then, after a great deal

of reading up on Effexor, I asked my doctor to switch me to Prozac --

my intent at that point was to get off the drugs all together, but

I was very fearful of stopping the Effexor on my own after all I'd

read about the withdrawal from that. I was started on Prozac at a

fairly high dose, but started to taper down after a couple of months

when the side effects I'd been experiencing from the Effexor began

to subside. After a couple of months of tapering off the Prozac, I

was down to 20 mg/day, but was struggling with what I now know to be

Prozac withdrawal. I wanted off them, but the health care provider I

had switched to wanted to add busparin as we tapered down the Prozac

to manage the mild anxiety attacks I was having.

I have no way of knowing how much was Prozac withdrawal and how much

was Buspar side effects, but at that point, I began having suicidal

thoughts, severe anxiety attacks, and I cried over everything and

nothing. I stopped taking everything at that point. The next year

was a living hell, depression, anxiety, I left my husband (and

returned 3 months ago - that's another story of Prozac despair that

is still being resolved). I stopped the HRT as well and that helped

considerably with the anger (I am normally a very placid type, the

anger and abrasive behavior was considerably out of character for

me) and also the anxiety attacks stopped all together finally. It

has only been the past six months of my life that I've again begun

to enjoy life, but it is a struggle for me, there are many down

days, but fewer and fewer as time goes on. Although,I feel that I

may never be " right " again, I believe that I will be able to

continue to improve.

SSRIs have damaged my mental stability, eyesight, fitness/body

health & weight, relationships, career, and financial stability. I

have experienced job loss (I am gainfully employed but no longer in

the field I was in previously), hair loss, severe dry skin,

premature menopause, and developed serious acid reflux (for which I

now do have to take a prescription drug to manage).

I was physically present at my only daughter's wedding and have some

recall, but no recollection of pleasure in the planning or wedding

itself - that is the period during which I was having anxiety

attacks and everyone blamed them on her wedding plans, which I did

not and do not feel was the case at all. I feel really robbed there

but that is what really got my attention. Doctors continue to tell

me that my reverse in health status is not related to the SSRIs but

I know better, thanks to this group and others like it where I have

lurked on the side to read about others like myself.

Oh yes, and the Lupus? I don't have it, never did. A myriad of test

results from seven months ago show that I am in perfect health. I am

healthier than most my age (54) and the only real health issue is

losing the rest of the 80 lbs. I gained while on the SSRIs (I've

lost some). False test results due to the drug? Someone else's test

results in my record? I'll never know because the results are no

longer in my records. I guess you could say they are " missing " . I

have little faith in health care providers and only access

healthcare that is absolutely necessary and refuse most

prescriptions. My doctor looks at me like I have a few screws loose,

I guess I no longer fit into our pill to fix everything society, but

I actually feel mostly sane and stable for the first time in more

than five years.

My adult children are glad they have their mother back (for the most

part) and I am enjoying my first grandchild. Now, I am supporting my

husband through his Prozac withdrawal - he's about halfway there, I

hope. A drug that should NEVER have been prescribed for him under

any circumstances. But he was never asked about critical family

health history before it was prescribed.

Lynn

December 28, 2004

Dear Lynn

Welcome to SSRI Crusaders.

I have read your intro. post and just want to tell you that this

journey into a personalised hell is not as uncommon to our readers

as you might think ...........very far from it. OK I'm a bloke

(fell'a) man, male ok ok over grown boy !!!

rofl,

but I had a wife and have 3 daughters ...........and I just can't

get my head round how the OB Gyn's in your country get it into their

stupid little mind sets that SSRI's are a " cure " for ladies problems.

The truth is very from that.

What you have described is iatrogenic disease.

What does the word " iatrogenic " mean?

Iatros means physician in Greek, and -genic, meaning induced by, is

derived from the International Scientific Vocabulary. Combined, of

course, they become iatrogenic, meaning physician-induced.

Iatrogenic disease is obviously, then, disease which is caused by a

physician.

Lynn ........when going through hell don't stop & ssri crusaders is

a great resource for those willing & now enabled to complete their

journey & return from a " personalised hell "

Regards

(moderator)

Effexor(Venlafaxene)survivor who considers himself lucky to be alive.

ps I hope your hubby reads the group or better still becomes a

member.....not only do these drugs damage bodies, they destroy

family relationships

>

> I've been lurking on the side for just a little bit, but long

enough

> for this group to make a difference in the quality of my life.

Thank

> you for those willing to share their experiences. I will now share

> mine that perhaps it will help someone else.

>

> SSRIs had initially been prescribed for me for " peri-menopause

> fatigue " . I believe it was Effexor - honestly, my memory of the

past

> 5 1/2 years has been distorted by the SSRIs - I have taken Paxil,

> Effexor, Prozac, and a couple that I can't recall the names of

> because I didn't last a week on them - thought I would jump off a

> cliff. MY gyn raved about how wonderful these drugs were for

> treating women who were pms, perimenopause, or menopausal.

> Reluctantly I began the prescription, and truly struggled through

> the first month with fatigue so overwhelming, I could barely get

out

> of bed most mornings, and then so wound up at night, I could not

> fall asleep for several hours. Of course, I never felt rested and

> complained that the fatigue was worse. Doctor's solution was to

> increase the dosage. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with

Lupus -

> - about 5 years ago. After 4 years on various SSRIs, Vioxx, HRT

(my

> cycles abruptly stopped shortly after starting Effexor), Allegra,

> Flonase, etc., I was a walking medical disaster and had become

very

> depressed and was not taking any joy in living. I am someone who

was

> mostly happy and enjoyed near perfect health, and hadn't taken

much

> of anything previous to the SSRIs.

>

> One " disease " after another kept cropping up as meds were added.

> Tired of being coerced by health care providers to add more drugs

> and monitor with bi-weekly appointments ($$ for them!), even in my

> mind addled state, I began to wonder what would happen if I

started

> to eliminate the drugs one by one. I strongly suspected these

drugs

> to be the cause of my illnesses. Vioxx was the first to go - heart

> distress 'mysteriously' disappeared, then the allergy meds - okay,

> so those were helping I discovered but I did not want to take

> anything that I absolutely didn't have to. Then, after a great

deal

> of reading up on Effexor, I asked my doctor to switch me to

Prozac --

> my intent at that point was to get off the drugs all together,

but

> I was very fearful of stopping the Effexor on my own after all I'd

> read about the withdrawal from that. I was started on Prozac at a

> fairly high dose, but started to taper down after a couple of

months

> when the side effects I'd been experiencing from the Effexor began

> to subside. After a couple of months of tapering off the Prozac, I

> was down to 20 mg/day, but was struggling with what I now know to

be

> Prozac withdrawal. I wanted off them, but the health care provider

I

> had switched to wanted to add busparin as we tapered down the

Prozac

> to manage the mild anxiety attacks I was having.

>

> I have no way of knowing how much was Prozac withdrawal and how

much

> was Buspar side effects, but at that point, I began having

suicidal

> thoughts, severe anxiety attacks, and I cried over everything and

> nothing. I stopped taking everything at that point. The next year

> was a living hell, depression, anxiety, I left my husband (and

> returned 3 months ago - that's another story of Prozac despair

that

> is still being resolved). I stopped the HRT as well and that

helped

> considerably with the anger (I am normally a very placid type, the

> anger and abrasive behavior was considerably out of character for

> me) and also the anxiety attacks stopped all together finally. It

> has only been the past six months of my life that I've again begun

> to enjoy life, but it is a struggle for me, there are many down

> days, but fewer and fewer as time goes on. Although,I feel that I

> may never be " right " again, I believe that I will be able to

> continue to improve.

>

> SSRIs have damaged my mental stability, eyesight, fitness/body

> health & weight, relationships, career, and financial stability. I

> have experienced job loss (I am gainfully employed but no longer

in

> the field I was in previously), hair loss, severe dry skin,

> premature menopause, and developed serious acid reflux (for which

I

> now do have to take a prescription drug to manage).

>

> I was physically present at my only daughter's wedding and have

some

> recall, but no recollection of pleasure in the planning or wedding

> itself - that is the period during which I was having anxiety

> attacks and everyone blamed them on her wedding plans, which I did

> not and do not feel was the case at all. I feel really robbed

there

> but that is what really got my attention. Doctors continue to tell

> me that my reverse in health status is not related to the SSRIs

but

> I know better, thanks to this group and others like it where I

have

> lurked on the side to read about others like myself.

>

> Oh yes, and the Lupus? I don't have it, never did. A myriad of

test

> results from seven months ago show that I am in perfect health. I

am

> healthier than most my age (54) and the only real health issue is

> losing the rest of the 80 lbs. I gained while on the SSRIs (I've

> lost some). False test results due to the drug? Someone else's

test

> results in my record? I'll never know because the results are no

> longer in my records. I guess you could say they are " missing " . I

> have little faith in health care providers and only access

> healthcare that is absolutely necessary and refuse most

> prescriptions. My doctor looks at me like I have a few screws

loose,

> I guess I no longer fit into our pill to fix everything society,

but

> I actually feel mostly sane and stable for the first time in more

> than five years.

>

> My adult children are glad they have their mother back (for the

most

> part) and I am enjoying my first grandchild. Now, I am supporting

my

> husband through his Prozac withdrawal - he's about halfway there,

I

> hope. A drug that should NEVER have been prescribed for him under

> any circumstances. But he was never asked about critical family

> health history before it was prescribed.

>

> Lynn

December 28, 2004

Dear Lynn

Welcome to SSRI Crusaders.

I have read your intro. post and just want to tell you that this

journey into a personalised hell is not as uncommon to our readers

as you might think ...........very far from it. OK I'm a bloke

(fell'a) man, male ok ok over grown boy !!!

rofl,

but I had a wife and have 3 daughters ...........and I just can't

get my head round how the OB Gyn's in your country get it into their

stupid little mind sets that SSRI's are a " cure " for ladies problems.

The truth is very from that.

What you have described is iatrogenic disease.

What does the word " iatrogenic " mean?

Iatros means physician in Greek, and -genic, meaning induced by, is

derived from the International Scientific Vocabulary. Combined, of

course, they become iatrogenic, meaning physician-induced.

Iatrogenic disease is obviously, then, disease which is caused by a

physician.

Lynn ........when going through hell don't stop & ssri crusaders is

a great resource for those willing & now enabled to complete their

journey & return from a " personalised hell "

Regards

(moderator)

Effexor(Venlafaxene)survivor who considers himself lucky to be alive.

ps I hope your hubby reads the group or better still becomes a

member.....not only do these drugs damage bodies, they destroy

family relationships

>

> I've been lurking on the side for just a little bit, but long

enough

> for this group to make a difference in the quality of my life.

Thank

> you for those willing to share their experiences. I will now share

> mine that perhaps it will help someone else.

>

> SSRIs had initially been prescribed for me for " peri-menopause

> fatigue " . I believe it was Effexor - honestly, my memory of the

past

> 5 1/2 years has been distorted by the SSRIs - I have taken Paxil,

> Effexor, Prozac, and a couple that I can't recall the names of

> because I didn't last a week on them - thought I would jump off a

> cliff. MY gyn raved about how wonderful these drugs were for

> treating women who were pms, perimenopause, or menopausal.

> Reluctantly I began the prescription, and truly struggled through

> the first month with fatigue so overwhelming, I could barely get

out

> of bed most mornings, and then so wound up at night, I could not

> fall asleep for several hours. Of course, I never felt rested and

> complained that the fatigue was worse. Doctor's solution was to

> increase the dosage. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with

Lupus -

> - about 5 years ago. After 4 years on various SSRIs, Vioxx, HRT

(my

> cycles abruptly stopped shortly after starting Effexor), Allegra,

> Flonase, etc., I was a walking medical disaster and had become

very

> depressed and was not taking any joy in living. I am someone who

was

> mostly happy and enjoyed near perfect health, and hadn't taken

much

> of anything previous to the SSRIs.

>

> One " disease " after another kept cropping up as meds were added.

> Tired of being coerced by health care providers to add more drugs

> and monitor with bi-weekly appointments ($$ for them!), even in my

> mind addled state, I began to wonder what would happen if I

started

> to eliminate the drugs one by one. I strongly suspected these

drugs

> to be the cause of my illnesses. Vioxx was the first to go - heart

> distress 'mysteriously' disappeared, then the allergy meds - okay,

> so those were helping I discovered but I did not want to take

> anything that I absolutely didn't have to. Then, after a great

deal

> of reading up on Effexor, I asked my doctor to switch me to

Prozac --

> my intent at that point was to get off the drugs all together,

but

> I was very fearful of stopping the Effexor on my own after all I'd

> read about the withdrawal from that. I was started on Prozac at a

> fairly high dose, but started to taper down after a couple of

months

> when the side effects I'd been experiencing from the Effexor began

> to subside. After a couple of months of tapering off the Prozac, I

> was down to 20 mg/day, but was struggling with what I now know to

be

> Prozac withdrawal. I wanted off them, but the health care provider

I

> had switched to wanted to add busparin as we tapered down the

Prozac

> to manage the mild anxiety attacks I was having.

>

> I have no way of knowing how much was Prozac withdrawal and how

much

> was Buspar side effects, but at that point, I began having

suicidal

> thoughts, severe anxiety attacks, and I cried over everything and

> nothing. I stopped taking everything at that point. The next year

> was a living hell, depression, anxiety, I left my husband (and

> returned 3 months ago - that's another story of Prozac despair

that

> is still being resolved). I stopped the HRT as well and that

helped

> considerably with the anger (I am normally a very placid type, the

> anger and abrasive behavior was considerably out of character for

> me) and also the anxiety attacks stopped all together finally. It

> has only been the past six months of my life that I've again begun

> to enjoy life, but it is a struggle for me, there are many down

> days, but fewer and fewer as time goes on. Although,I feel that I

> may never be " right " again, I believe that I will be able to

> continue to improve.

>

> SSRIs have damaged my mental stability, eyesight, fitness/body

> health & weight, relationships, career, and financial stability. I

> have experienced job loss (I am gainfully employed but no longer

in

> the field I was in previously), hair loss, severe dry skin,

> premature menopause, and developed serious acid reflux (for which

I

> now do have to take a prescription drug to manage).

>

> I was physically present at my only daughter's wedding and have

some

> recall, but no recollection of pleasure in the planning or wedding

> itself - that is the period during which I was having anxiety

> attacks and everyone blamed them on her wedding plans, which I did

> not and do not feel was the case at all. I feel really robbed

there

> but that is what really got my attention. Doctors continue to tell

> me that my reverse in health status is not related to the SSRIs

but

> I know better, thanks to this group and others like it where I

have

> lurked on the side to read about others like myself.

>

> Oh yes, and the Lupus? I don't have it, never did. A myriad of

test

> results from seven months ago show that I am in perfect health. I

am

> healthier than most my age (54) and the only real health issue is

> losing the rest of the 80 lbs. I gained while on the SSRIs (I've

> lost some). False test results due to the drug? Someone else's

test

> results in my record? I'll never know because the results are no

> longer in my records. I guess you could say they are " missing " . I

> have little faith in health care providers and only access

> healthcare that is absolutely necessary and refuse most

> prescriptions. My doctor looks at me like I have a few screws

loose,

> I guess I no longer fit into our pill to fix everything society,

but

> I actually feel mostly sane and stable for the first time in more

> than five years.

>

> My adult children are glad they have their mother back (for the

most

> part) and I am enjoying my first grandchild. Now, I am supporting

my

> husband through his Prozac withdrawal - he's about halfway there,

I

> hope. A drug that should NEVER have been prescribed for him under

> any circumstances. But he was never asked about critical family

> health history before it was prescribed.

>

> Lynn

December 28, 2004

Dear Lynn

Welcome to SSRI Crusaders.

I have read your intro. post and just want to tell you that this

journey into a personalised hell is not as uncommon to our readers

as you might think ...........very far from it. OK I'm a bloke

(fell'a) man, male ok ok over grown boy !!!

rofl,

but I had a wife and have 3 daughters ...........and I just can't

get my head round how the OB Gyn's in your country get it into their

stupid little mind sets that SSRI's are a " cure " for ladies problems.

The truth is very from that.

What you have described is iatrogenic disease.

What does the word " iatrogenic " mean?

Iatros means physician in Greek, and -genic, meaning induced by, is

derived from the International Scientific Vocabulary. Combined, of

course, they become iatrogenic, meaning physician-induced.

Iatrogenic disease is obviously, then, disease which is caused by a

physician.

Lynn ........when going through hell don't stop & ssri crusaders is

a great resource for those willing & now enabled to complete their

journey & return from a " personalised hell "

Regards

(moderator)

Effexor(Venlafaxene)survivor who considers himself lucky to be alive.

ps I hope your hubby reads the group or better still becomes a

member.....not only do these drugs damage bodies, they destroy

family relationships

>

> I've been lurking on the side for just a little bit, but long

enough

> for this group to make a difference in the quality of my life.

Thank

> you for those willing to share their experiences. I will now share

> mine that perhaps it will help someone else.

>

> SSRIs had initially been prescribed for me for " peri-menopause

> fatigue " . I believe it was Effexor - honestly, my memory of the

past

> 5 1/2 years has been distorted by the SSRIs - I have taken Paxil,

> Effexor, Prozac, and a couple that I can't recall the names of

> because I didn't last a week on them - thought I would jump off a

> cliff. MY gyn raved about how wonderful these drugs were for

> treating women who were pms, perimenopause, or menopausal.

> Reluctantly I began the prescription, and truly struggled through

> the first month with fatigue so overwhelming, I could barely get

out

> of bed most mornings, and then so wound up at night, I could not

> fall asleep for several hours. Of course, I never felt rested and

> complained that the fatigue was worse. Doctor's solution was to

> increase the dosage. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with

Lupus -

> - about 5 years ago. After 4 years on various SSRIs, Vioxx, HRT

(my

> cycles abruptly stopped shortly after starting Effexor), Allegra,

> Flonase, etc., I was a walking medical disaster and had become

very

> depressed and was not taking any joy in living. I am someone who

was

> mostly happy and enjoyed near perfect health, and hadn't taken

much

> of anything previous to the SSRIs.

>

> One " disease " after another kept cropping up as meds were added.

> Tired of being coerced by health care providers to add more drugs

> and monitor with bi-weekly appointments ($$ for them!), even in my

> mind addled state, I began to wonder what would happen if I

started

> to eliminate the drugs one by one. I strongly suspected these

drugs

> to be the cause of my illnesses. Vioxx was the first to go - heart

> distress 'mysteriously' disappeared, then the allergy meds - okay,

> so those were helping I discovered but I did not want to take

> anything that I absolutely didn't have to. Then, after a great

deal

> of reading up on Effexor, I asked my doctor to switch me to

Prozac --

> my intent at that point was to get off the drugs all together,

but

> I was very fearful of stopping the Effexor on my own after all I'd

> read about the withdrawal from that. I was started on Prozac at a

> fairly high dose, but started to taper down after a couple of

months

> when the side effects I'd been experiencing from the Effexor began

> to subside. After a couple of months of tapering off the Prozac, I

> was down to 20 mg/day, but was struggling with what I now know to

be

> Prozac withdrawal. I wanted off them, but the health care provider

I

> had switched to wanted to add busparin as we tapered down the

Prozac

> to manage the mild anxiety attacks I was having.

>

> I have no way of knowing how much was Prozac withdrawal and how

much

> was Buspar side effects, but at that point, I began having

suicidal

> thoughts, severe anxiety attacks, and I cried over everything and

> nothing. I stopped taking everything at that point. The next year

> was a living hell, depression, anxiety, I left my husband (and

> returned 3 months ago - that's another story of Prozac despair

that

> is still being resolved). I stopped the HRT as well and that

helped

> considerably with the anger (I am normally a very placid type, the

> anger and abrasive behavior was considerably out of character for

> me) and also the anxiety attacks stopped all together finally. It

> has only been the past six months of my life that I've again begun

> to enjoy life, but it is a struggle for me, there are many down

> days, but fewer and fewer as time goes on. Although,I feel that I

> may never be " right " again, I believe that I will be able to

> continue to improve.

>

> SSRIs have damaged my mental stability, eyesight, fitness/body

> health & weight, relationships, career, and financial stability. I

> have experienced job loss (I am gainfully employed but no longer

in

> the field I was in previously), hair loss, severe dry skin,

> premature menopause, and developed serious acid reflux (for which

I

> now do have to take a prescription drug to manage).

>

> I was physically present at my only daughter's wedding and have

some

> recall, but no recollection of pleasure in the planning or wedding

> itself - that is the period during which I was having anxiety

> attacks and everyone blamed them on her wedding plans, which I did

> not and do not feel was the case at all. I feel really robbed

there

> but that is what really got my attention. Doctors continue to tell

> me that my reverse in health status is not related to the SSRIs

but

> I know better, thanks to this group and others like it where I

have

> lurked on the side to read about others like myself.

>

> Oh yes, and the Lupus? I don't have it, never did. A myriad of

test

> results from seven months ago show that I am in perfect health. I

am

> healthier than most my age (54) and the only real health issue is

> losing the rest of the 80 lbs. I gained while on the SSRIs (I've

> lost some). False test results due to the drug? Someone else's

test

> results in my record? I'll never know because the results are no

> longer in my records. I guess you could say they are " missing " . I

> have little faith in health care providers and only access

> healthcare that is absolutely necessary and refuse most

> prescriptions. My doctor looks at me like I have a few screws

loose,

> I guess I no longer fit into our pill to fix everything society,

but

> I actually feel mostly sane and stable for the first time in more

> than five years.

>

> My adult children are glad they have their mother back (for the

most

> part) and I am enjoying my first grandchild. Now, I am supporting

my

> husband through his Prozac withdrawal - he's about halfway there,

I

> hope. A drug that should NEVER have been prescribed for him under

> any circumstances. But he was never asked about critical family

> health history before it was prescribed.

>

> Lynn

December 28, 2004

Dear Lynn

Welcome to SSRI Crusaders.

I have read your intro. post and just want to tell you that this

journey into a personalised hell is not as uncommon to our readers

as you might think ...........very far from it. OK I'm a bloke

(fell'a) man, male ok ok over grown boy !!!

rofl,

but I had a wife and have 3 daughters ...........and I just can't

get my head round how the OB Gyn's in your country get it into their

stupid little mind sets that SSRI's are a " cure " for ladies problems.

The truth is very from that.

What you have described is iatrogenic disease.

What does the word " iatrogenic " mean?

Iatros means physician in Greek, and -genic, meaning induced by, is

derived from the International Scientific Vocabulary. Combined, of

course, they become iatrogenic, meaning physician-induced.

Iatrogenic disease is obviously, then, disease which is caused by a

physician.

Lynn ........when going through hell don't stop & ssri crusaders is

a great resource for those willing & now enabled to complete their

journey & return from a " personalised hell "

Regards

(moderator)

Effexor(Venlafaxene)survivor who considers himself lucky to be alive.

ps I hope your hubby reads the group or better still becomes a

member.....not only do these drugs damage bodies, they destroy

family relationships

>

> I've been lurking on the side for just a little bit, but long

enough

> for this group to make a difference in the quality of my life.

Thank

> you for those willing to share their experiences. I will now share

> mine that perhaps it will help someone else.

>

> SSRIs had initially been prescribed for me for " peri-menopause

> fatigue " . I believe it was Effexor - honestly, my memory of the

past

> 5 1/2 years has been distorted by the SSRIs - I have taken Paxil,

> Effexor, Prozac, and a couple that I can't recall the names of

> because I didn't last a week on them - thought I would jump off a

> cliff. MY gyn raved about how wonderful these drugs were for

> treating women who were pms, perimenopause, or menopausal.

> Reluctantly I began the prescription, and truly struggled through

> the first month with fatigue so overwhelming, I could barely get

out

> of bed most mornings, and then so wound up at night, I could not

> fall asleep for several hours. Of course, I never felt rested and

> complained that the fatigue was worse. Doctor's solution was to

> increase the dosage. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with

Lupus -

> - about 5 years ago. After 4 years on various SSRIs, Vioxx, HRT

(my

> cycles abruptly stopped shortly after starting Effexor), Allegra,

> Flonase, etc., I was a walking medical disaster and had become

very

> depressed and was not taking any joy in living. I am someone who

was

> mostly happy and enjoyed near perfect health, and hadn't taken

much

> of anything previous to the SSRIs.

>

> One " disease " after another kept cropping up as meds were added.

> Tired of being coerced by health care providers to add more drugs

> and monitor with bi-weekly appointments ($$ for them!), even in my

> mind addled state, I began to wonder what would happen if I

started

> to eliminate the drugs one by one. I strongly suspected these

drugs

> to be the cause of my illnesses. Vioxx was the first to go - heart

> distress 'mysteriously' disappeared, then the allergy meds - okay,

> so those were helping I discovered but I did not want to take

> anything that I absolutely didn't have to. Then, after a great

deal

> of reading up on Effexor, I asked my doctor to switch me to

Prozac --

> my intent at that point was to get off the drugs all together,

but

> I was very fearful of stopping the Effexor on my own after all I'd

> read about the withdrawal from that. I was started on Prozac at a

> fairly high dose, but started to taper down after a couple of

months

> when the side effects I'd been experiencing from the Effexor began

> to subside. After a couple of months of tapering off the Prozac, I

> was down to 20 mg/day, but was struggling with what I now know to

be

> Prozac withdrawal. I wanted off them, but the health care provider

I

> had switched to wanted to add busparin as we tapered down the

Prozac

> to manage the mild anxiety attacks I was having.

>

> I have no way of knowing how much was Prozac withdrawal and how

much

> was Buspar side effects, but at that point, I began having

suicidal

> thoughts, severe anxiety attacks, and I cried over everything and

> nothing. I stopped taking everything at that point. The next year

> was a living hell, depression, anxiety, I left my husband (and

> returned 3 months ago - that's another story of Prozac despair

that

> is still being resolved). I stopped the HRT as well and that

helped

> considerably with the anger (I am normally a very placid type, the

> anger and abrasive behavior was considerably out of character for

> me) and also the anxiety attacks stopped all together finally. It

> has only been the past six months of my life that I've again begun

> to enjoy life, but it is a struggle for me, there are many down

> days, but fewer and fewer as time goes on. Although,I feel that I

> may never be " right " again, I believe that I will be able to

> continue to improve.

>

> SSRIs have damaged my mental stability, eyesight, fitness/body

> health & weight, relationships, career, and financial stability. I

> have experienced job loss (I am gainfully employed but no longer

in

> the field I was in previously), hair loss, severe dry skin,

> premature menopause, and developed serious acid reflux (for which

I

> now do have to take a prescription drug to manage).

>

> I was physically present at my only daughter's wedding and have

some

> recall, but no recollection of pleasure in the planning or wedding

> itself - that is the period during which I was having anxiety

> attacks and everyone blamed them on her wedding plans, which I did

> not and do not feel was the case at all. I feel really robbed

there

> but that is what really got my attention. Doctors continue to tell

> me that my reverse in health status is not related to the SSRIs

but

> I know better, thanks to this group and others like it where I

have

> lurked on the side to read about others like myself.

>

> Oh yes, and the Lupus? I don't have it, never did. A myriad of

test

> results from seven months ago show that I am in perfect health. I

am

> healthier than most my age (54) and the only real health issue is

> losing the rest of the 80 lbs. I gained while on the SSRIs (I've

> lost some). False test results due to the drug? Someone else's

test

> results in my record? I'll never know because the results are no

> longer in my records. I guess you could say they are " missing " . I

> have little faith in health care providers and only access

> healthcare that is absolutely necessary and refuse most

> prescriptions. My doctor looks at me like I have a few screws

loose,

> I guess I no longer fit into our pill to fix everything society,

but

> I actually feel mostly sane and stable for the first time in more

> than five years.

>

> My adult children are glad they have their mother back (for the

most

> part) and I am enjoying my first grandchild. Now, I am supporting

my

> husband through his Prozac withdrawal - he's about halfway there,

I

> hope. A drug that should NEVER have been prescribed for him under

> any circumstances. But he was never asked about critical family

> health history before it was prescribed.

>

> Lynn

August 28, 2006

>

> Ok. This is my first post, and I just really started admitting (to

> myself) that my son (7) might need some help other than I can

give.

> I keep thinking " Oh he'll grow out of it " , but his compulsions are

> starting to effect our family life. When we go shopping I have to

> put him in the cart (which he thinks is really humiliating)

because

> his compulsions involve stepping on mine and other's feet - twice.

> He must touch everything twice and have both feet land on the

floor

> at the same time after crossing every threashold. These days it

> takes us forever to get anywhere.

>

> At first I thought it was just normal for kids. I thought it was

an

> extension of don't step on a crack or break your mother's back

sort

> of thing. However, he has told me that he doesn't want to do these

> things, but if he doesn't his brain hurts. I've never once

described

> OCD to him, but that's a pretty good description in my book. I

guess

> I should be thankful that he only has to do things twice and not

> more.

>

> So my question is...can children outgrow these compulsions? Should

I

> just wait it out? Right now we homeschool so a lot of his

> compulsions are pretty mild. School brought them out so much

worse.

> I have been telling him that it's brought on by stress and that as

> he gets older he'll get better at managing it. I don't want to

make

> a big deal out of it or I feel like he'll worry about it more than

> he already does.

>

> Thanks for your time, any advice would be appreciated.

> JSummers

>

Hi,

My name is Becky and I have a 12 year old daughter with ocd. I

can't say if they will outgrow some of their compulsions, but I do

feel that my daughter has learned to manage them better. There is a

maturity that she has now that she did not have at 7. Is your son in

therapy? CBT (cognitive behavorial therapy) along with medication

has helped. I hope I've been some help to you. Take care and God

bless.

August 28, 2006

Hi,

My son is also 7, and we also homeschool. He has more of the bad thought type of

OCD than actual compulsions. His compulsion is telling us about the bad thoughts

and the way that he says it. About growing out of it, I wouldn't count on that.

The earlier you get help the better. I would not wait it out. And it probably

will get worse. Ben has done so much better since he has been in therapy, so

much better. He goes once a week and does Exposure Therapy and Behavioral

Therapy. From what I have read, it may start with only twice and then

progress. There is a good book called Mr. Worry about a boy with OCD. If you get

a diagnosis, it might be a good book for your son. Ben could really relate to

in the story, though he had different issues. You can talk with you

pediatrician and you may want to seek out a child therapist who has experience

with OCD. It took a bit of time for me to face the facts that he has OCD, but it

is important to find out. The symptoms that you describe are OCD. And though it

may come and go, therapy will make it much better for everyone, and you can head

this off before things get too bad. We haven't tried meds yet, it hasn't been

needed for us, though I am trying St. 's Wort. Jury's still out on that

one. Take care and don't wait for it to go away. Taking charge of it is tough

at first but is empowering for everyone.

J

My first post

Ok. This is my first post, and I just really started admitting (to

myself) that my son (7) might need some help other than I can give.

I keep thinking " Oh he'll grow out of it " , but his compulsions are

starting to effect our family life. When we go shopping I have to

put him in the cart (which he thinks is really humiliating) because

his compulsions involve stepping on mine and other's feet - twice.

He must touch everything twice and have both feet land on the floor

at the same time after crossing every threashold. These days it

takes us forever to get anywhere.

At first I thought it was just normal for kids. I thought it was an

extension of don't step on a crack or break your mother's back sort

of thing. However, he has told me that he doesn't want to do these

things, but if he doesn't his brain hurts. I've never once described

OCD to him, but that's a pretty good description in my book. I guess

I should be thankful that he only has to do things twice and not

more.

So my question is...can children outgrow these compulsions? Should I

just wait it out? Right now we homeschool so a lot of his

compulsions are pretty mild. School brought them out so much worse.

I have been telling him that it's brought on by stress and that as

he gets older he'll get better at managing it. I don't want to make

a big deal out of it or I feel like he'll worry about it more than

he already does.

Thanks for your time, any advice would be appreciated.

JSummers

August 28, 2006

i dont think they outgrow it, but they learn to handle it better. my 5 yo dd

has been in therapy and it has helped wonderfully.

sharon