Jac, You probably don't remember me, but you sent me a butterfly bush last year! I was (and am, but not practicing at this time) a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist for the past 22 years. Every antidepressant has problems that can be associated with it, from sexual dysfunction to life-threatening electrical changes in the heart. I also consider that every time my son had strep throat, the antibiotics I gave him could cause Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. A tylenol with a viral illness could lead to Reye's Syndrome, or just a plain tylenol with a fever could be "the one" that causes liver failure in a person with a hidden hepatic illness. I totally agree that you should have been told of the potential for Serotonin Withdrawal Syndrome, and the possibility of another associated problem called Serotonergic Syndrome that can be associated with all SSRI's. Thats where having people who are trained specifically in the treatment of depression is invaluable. Primary Care Physicians can spot and begin treatment of depression very well these days (thank goodness for everyone who, like myself, uses a GP), but if I had cancer, I would want to see an Oncologist, not an OB/GYN. The same thinking should be applied to any illness requiring special training, in my opinion. For as many people as I have seen who have had problems with a particular antidepressant, I have seen four times as many do beautifully. My hope is that one day, the science of the mind/emotions will advance to the point that a swab or a blood test will be able to identify the type of depression a person has and tell us, like a culture and sensitivity test does for bacteria, which medication has the best chance of treating the disease. Until that time, even the most well-trained and brilliant minds will continue to do their best and offer medications in the treatment of depression. Not all will be sucessful or pretty, but for those who have truly had a case of Clinical Depression, at least someone is trying. Not to try when a patient is asking for help would be worse. I will take a patient who is suffering side effects from a medication (though never the goal) over a patient who is no longer around to have a side effect, anyday. Do I think medications are over-prescribed? Absolutely! Do I think that people who have no business prescribing them are doing so? Absolutely! Do I think even the most highly trained Mental Health professionals sometimes miss the mark or over-prescribe? Absolutely!! I also know a woman who was told she had the flu and had an Aortic Aneurysm which ruptured on the way home from the hospital. I cared for a woman who convinced herself she had a yeast allergy, treated herself at home with vitamins and dietary restrictions, and all the while had a brain tumor that took her life. Her diagnosis came after she had killed a man and was court commited for evaulation to stand trial. Most people are amazingly resilient. Some are not. I am championing for those who are not and need a little help along the way (myself included at one time). I know my thinking is in direct opposition to many, and I never wish to challenge someone's right to choose treatments that that they deem right for themselves or their families. I just wanted to say, these medications, warts and all, make it possible for many people to work, maintain families and relationships, and in some cases, just survive another day of depression. I just hope that someone who needs treatment sees this and doesn't decide to throw the baby out with the bath water. Lea

My Mom was the greatest person, mother, wife in earth. She was the most spiritual, humble, compassionate, beautiful person I¡¦ve ever known. She was my rock, my faith, my comfort and my guidance, I feel as if I am lost in limbo without her. She had such a story, she was the oldest girl of 13 Children, and she raised her brothers and sisters while her parents ran the bar they owned across from Leavenworth Prison. When she wasn¡¦t doing that she was working in the bar. It made her who she was; she never drank, smoked or swore. She gave my Dad 40 years of her life. She lost her first born child when she was only 23. My brother Todd died of cancer when he was only 2, but yet she had the strength and courage to have 2 more children. I had told her so many times that I did not know how she could overcome that. With him being my only child at the time, I think I would have had to lie down and die beside him. She went head to head with a few Demons¡Kreal ones¡Kand a couple of my boyfriends, and let me tell you she was not afraid to tell them where to go. º My heart has been broken ever since January 5, 2005 when she was diagnosed she was given 6 months to 1 year, but she fought like hell for 1 year AND 6 six months. I am so grateful for all of the extra time that we were given. When she was told of this horrible news, she refused it, would not accept it. As did my Dad, my Sister and I. How could someone so full of life, someone whose eyes sparkled so bright be given this terrible burden? It wasn¡¦t fair, but even then she was teaching us something. She was so brave and never once did she let her faith fall. I spent every moment I could with her, every lunch hour, anytime Dad needed a break, to cook, didn¡¦t matter what I was there! I just wanted to soak her all in, time was running out. Mom grew weaker, the pain intensified, and she had so much confusion from all the meds and so came the need for her to have someone by her side 24/7. I basically moved back ¡§home¡¨ for the last month to help Dad. My sister was called and was also told to come ¡§home¡¨, time was running short. It was not until this time that she actually gave up, ¡§I want you to know that I can¡¦t fight this anymore, I am tired and I have decided to give up. I want you to know that you girls are the light of my life and I love you¡¨. And I told her that we understood, we would be ok and there was a little boy waiting for her and now it is his turn, we had kept her long enough. I thanked her for showing me the kind of person I wanted to grow to be and let her know how much I loved her And a few days later she was gone, I was there with her and holding her hand at that very moment. She was only 59¡Kand I am 29¡KI still need my mom. She once was the greatest person, Wife and Mother on earth and now she is the most beautiful of all the Angels in heaven. My Sister will be here for the Thanksgiving holiday and we have decided that it is time to start going through her things. Deciding how we are going to divide her art, and all her possessions that meant so much to her. What to do with her clothes, her shoes, her books. Call me crazy but I always hope that something from her will show up somewhere, she was the type to tuck little notes away that you would end up finding. I look for her all the time in my dreams; I could sit in pure silence for hours waiting to her voice. I miss her so much; I thought this was to get easier as time passes? Just when I feel that I am up on my feet, they get knocked out from underneath me. How do I deal? What about this hole I feel in my chest? I too hate the cemetery, to see her and my brothers granite stones laying side by side just rips me apart, I never go and I do feel guilty about that, but I don¡¦t feel that is where is ¡§she¡¨ is. June was the month we lost her, to be precise¡KJune 29th, 2006 11:13 am. I hate this month¡Kand I hate that day even worse.

Good news. I met with my doctor yesterday. He came in announcing that I had a glowing report, excellent results on my labwork. He looked at my nails and said that I had suffered some sort of trauma 4 months ago (he could tell by the indentations and growth of the nails.) The only thing I could come up with was that I took a really hard fall on my left knee while helping my niece move into her new college apartment. Sounds trivial, but it was a solid hit, and brought tears to my eyes and deep bruises from my knee to my toes. He said that definitely could have been the cause. So, hopefully, mystery is solved. I said that I wanted to try getting off of the Effexor antidepressant, and he said not to try doing it now, during the holidays. That I should do it, slowly, weaning off. So, other than exercise and eat better, that's my plan for the new year. I can't tell you how relieved I was. I really was afraid it was something more serious. I am terribly guilty of not taking care of myself these last two years, and it could have cost me. I lost a dear friend to breast cancer in June, and she fought so hard to stay alive. She always ended her emails with "listen to your body." This episode was a wakeup call to me......thanks for listening to my ramble.

Yes! I've been on BCP forever because of PCOS. My doctor told me the same thing about getting off the pill to see if I'm in menopause or not. She said I had to be off it for 3 months before she could do an accurate blood test because my hormones would even out by then. About 3 months ago (while still on the pill) I started having the hot flashes and lots of headaches and aches and pains. I decided to go off the pill to see what would happen. I also went to a proper GYN and she said I only had to be off the BCP for 7 days before she could do the FSH test and determine whether or not I was menopausal. Result was a 32 she said was post menopausal. I haven't had a period for 2 months now off the pill, however these past few days I have had a lot of cramping, am very bloated and am having discharge that looks like ovulation. I don't know if that means I'll get a period or not. They say you are not officially in menopause until you have had no period for 12 months. So to answer your question: I felt that my menopause had started breaking through the BCP as well because I was experiencing those same symptoms...maybe the BCP just masked the menopause until it started coming on too strong to be masked??