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From: Gerry ([email protected])
Date: 02/12/03
Time: 21:44:24
Remote Name: 144.137.205.205
Again, I'm posting here because, as I check daily and see more experiences posted that are so bad, the more angry I get that so many are effected and so little seems to be being done to help sufferers, in fact, sometimes, quite the opposite, due to ill educated, or even arrogant, general practitioners and a total lack of public awareness. I've always found it helpful to read and investigate as much as I can and there are a couple of sites which have some good information, even bearing in mind that they're semi commercial in purpose. One is :-
http://health.homepage.dk/ssriwithdrawal.htm
There are some good hints and stories similar to people here. The other is :-
http://www.prozactruth.com/celexa.htm
In Australia, the government, in its wisdom, decided to allow GPs to prescribe SSRIs, where previously only phsychiatrists were allowed to. As a result, they get handed out like lollies it seems, without the doctor having any knowledge of the dangers, apart from what they may read in the leaflet regarding contra-indications. Then, when patients go back, describing either drug effects, or withdrawal effects, they're greeted, as I was, with, "You obviously need to raise the dosage", or, " Obviously you ARE depressed and so you have to stay on them". Only when some cohesive stand is made, by some recognised body or organisation, will anyone sit up and take notice I believe. There are only a few higher profile individuals, such as Dr Healy in the UK, who try to make these issues public, whilst, at the same time, have to fight the power of the drug companies. The anti depressant market is worth billions of dollars and the drug companies defend their ethics and profits as a result. I'm now convinced that all of these SSRIs have similar if not identical withdrawal effects and that the only way to get off them is by a very gradual decrease in dose and frequency. I'm now at a point where I take 1/4 of a 20mg tablet of Cipramil every 48 hours, which I've just stretched to 60 hrs but I still feel the 'brain shocks', headaches etc when I'm at the limit of my time between doses. The positive is that they get less as time goes by. Doctors who say "take half a tablet for two weeks and then stop" just have no idea at all I'm afraid. It should take anyone effected to go to their GP, be assertive and tell him or her that they HAVE to take notice of the real side and withdrawal effects - even give them web page addresses such as this one. Only by them being educated in these issues will they ever take notice. Any GP knowing the possible serious effects and yet still prescribing is then failing in their duty of care, and could even be sued as a result. I'm sorry to go on at such length but, in my case, I found that the anger I had when I found out so much about the bad effects of SSRIs, became one of the things that helped me have the determination and motivation to get off them. This site, as many have said, is an oasis, as well as a good way of exchanging information and I get the feeling that all of us feel an awful lot better just knowing we can post to it. As they say, "knowledge is power", arm youself with it and go to your doctor and say, "now, I know more about these drugs than you do and you're going to listen to ME" There is a way past all this, we all have to hold that uppermost in our minds. Regards to everyone :)