Guest guest Posted June 12, 2002 Report Share Posted June 12, 2002 Thanks to everyone with the supportive letters regarding the antidepressants! It's so good to have such friends. I need to make clear why my husband is against the antidepressant medications. Actually there are two reasons. About 12 years ago, I was put medication for seizures (Klonipin) and was on it for 7 years. It really did change my personality and I had a difficult time stopping it. I swore I would never take another medication that affected neurotransmitters (at the time that I would never take ANY other medication). Needless to say, I've had to give in and take medications and I even medicate for pain if I have to, but the antidepressants are just too similar in action to the Klonipin. Also, my stepsons take Prozac (they live with their Mom and she had the put on it when they were 11 years old) and we've researched quite a bit about it. There are many people who go through a difficult withdrawal from it, and he doesn't want me to have to endure that again. I can't say I blame him. The more I think about it, the more I think I would rather wait and see how it goes. I know that St. 's Wort reacts chemically in the body, but you never hear of people having withdrawal symptoms when they stop it. I will ask my rheumy, though, when I see him next week. But, as you can see, my husband has a very real reason to be prejudiced against this. Again, thank you all for such support. It's a difficult situation and hopefully it will work itself out. I'm certain if my depression gets bad my husband will change his mind. He's actually been on Prozac before, so he's not totally closed minded about it. Love to all, Carol [ ] Antidepressants Carol,I don't think the choice belongs to your husband as to what meds you need or how many. If there is any way,you should get him to join you in an Arthritis Self Management Program. This is a program that spouses are encouraged to participate and learn coping skills for both of you. My last class we had 3 couples and it was amazing how little the spouse understood about the disease process and at the end of the six week session,the results and changes in attitude were very significant. Hugs June Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 13, 2002 Report Share Posted June 13, 2002 Hi June, The support group that you mentioned for couples is that sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation? I know that we have support groups here in south Florida, but nothing like you mention. It wasn't a very positive experience for my husband and I when he would come with me. We would go out for a light snack after the meeting and then he would tell me everything I was doing wrong with my disease. But if they teach you coping skills, this would be a productive thing that we could both hopefully benefit from. It has to be a very difficult thing to accept that your life partner isn't the same person that you married and that person that she used to be is gone forever. I know from my perspective, it is difficult at times to accept! It is sounding more and more like Canada is light years ahead of us here in the states. Thanks for your input. How is the prednisone going? Gentle, tender, across the border angel hugs, Debs in FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 13, 2002 Report Share Posted June 13, 2002 Hi Debs, and all The program can also be found in this book which I am sure your library would carry a copy of…also there is a book put out by the arthritis society alternative book also…maybe there is a synopsis of the program so that your husband might back off your disease a bit…also the Canadians do have an arthritis bill of rights..hope this helps in some way Sincerely The Arthritis Helpbook: A Tested Self-Management Program for Coping with Arthritis and Fibromyalgia by <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books & field-a uthor=Lorig%2C%20Kate/104-8646725-5023945> Kate Lorig, <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books & field-a uthor=Fries%2C%20%20F./104-8646725-5023945> F. Fries, <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books & field-a uthor=Gecht%2C%20Maureen%20R./104-8646725-5023945> Maureen R. Gecht Or Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions: Self-Management of Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema & Others <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892818255/qid=1023966000/sr=1-3 /ref=sr_1_3/104-8646725-5023945> The Arthritis Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to Alternative Therapies and Conventional Treatments for Arthritic Diseases For more than 10 years, The Arthritis Society has helped thousands of people with arthritis improve their lives through the Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP). We invite you to learn more about this exciting program and how you can benefit from participating. What is ASMP? ASMP is a health promotion program designed to help you: * better understand your arthritis * learn ways to cope with chronic pain * take a more active role in managing your arthritis/ Who can participate in ASMP? If you have one or more of the many types of arthritis, you will benefit from participating in ASMP. Your partner, family member, friend or other support person is encouraged to attend ASMP with you. As a participant in the class, they too will benefit from learning about your arthritis and how it affects you. What does ASMP offer? By participating in ASMP, you will have a chance to learn new information and skills, discuss new ideas and share experiences about: * exercising with arthritis * managing pain * eating healthy * preventing fatigue * protecting joints * taking arthritis medications * dealing with stress and depression * working with your doctor and healthcare team * evaluating alternative treatments * outsmarting arthritis: problem solving While ASMP does not replace your medical care, it does help you work with your health-care team in looking after your health. What are the benefits of participating in ASMP? Participants of ASMP report the following benefits: * less pain * better able to move around * increased understanding of arthritis * learned new ways to cope with arthritis * more active in managing arthritis We invite you to learn more about the program's background which includes research that confirms these benefits and explains their importance. How does ASMP work? ASMP is taught over a six-week period in weekly two-hour sessions. Each program usually has from eight to 14 people and is led by trained volunteer leaders. Most of the leaders have arthritis themselves or are health care professionals. They are all interested in helping people with arthritis, and have successfully completed a 15-18 hour ASMP Leader Training Workshop. The leaders usually work in pairs and follow a standardized course outline to ensure continued quality of the program. Does it cost anything to take ASMP? There is a small cost to participate in the program. The registration fee covers a small portion of the cost of providing the program. It also covers the cost of providing you with The Arthritis Helpbook, an excellent resource written by arthritis specialists Dr. Fries and Dr. Kate Lorig. ASMP is also available on cassette tape for use by the blind. We are able to keep the cost of the program low through the support of our trained volunteer leaders, our local communities and Searle Canada and Pfizer Canada, the program's sponsors. Where is ASMP available? ASMP is available in many communities across the country. It is usally held in wheelchair-accessible community settings. To find out if there is a program near you, you can call 1-800-321-1433 to speak to someone at your provincial office of The Arthritis Society. If ASMP is not available in your community, you can help The Arthritis Society to provide it. Training of new volunteer leaders takes place throughout the year. You can speak to the ASMP Co-ordinator in your province to learn about being trained as a volunteer ASMP Leader. Re: [ ] Antidepressants Hi June, The support group that you mentioned for couples is that sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation? I know that we have support groups here in south Florida, but nothing like you mention. It wasn't a very positive experience for my husband and I when he would come with me. We would go out for a light snack after the meeting and then he would tell me everything I was doing wrong with my disease. But if they teach you coping skills, this would be a productive thing that we could both hopefully benefit from. It has to be a very difficult thing to accept that your life partner isn't the same person that you married and that person that she used to be is gone forever. I know from my perspective, it is difficult at times to accept! It is sounding more and more like Canada is light years ahead of us here in the states. Thanks for your input. How is the prednisone going? Gentle, tender, across the border angel hugs, Debs in FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2002 Report Share Posted June 14, 2002 Thanks for the information. Yep, now I am positive that Canada is light years ahead of the US! I will try to travel to the library to do some research even though I am on complete bed rest. If I want to get this problem resolved, I will have to put forth some effort. Thanks again and hope you have a pain free evening, Gentle, tender, South Florida angel hugs, Debs in FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2002 Report Share Posted June 14, 2002 Debs, Stay in bed and go on line to the library. You can see what books they have sometimes look at them. But get the titles and see if amazon sells them and most time you can read a good deal of the book right from amazon. If you can't find the library connection I will ask my friend. I forget just what it is but no reason for you to leave your bedrest. I will get it today from her or better yet I'll ask Laurie, she will know. Hope you are resting and feeling better. Lynn (MeMom) Auntblabbie2000@... wrote: > Thanks for the information. Yep, now I am positive that Canada is light > years ahead of the US! I will try to travel to the library to do some > research even though I am on complete bed rest. If I want to get this > problem resolved, I will have to put forth some effort. > > Thanks again and hope you have a pain free evening, > > Gentle, tender, South Florida angel hugs, > > Debs in FL > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 10, 2005 Report Share Posted December 10, 2005 Elinor, Best to get your husband to a doctor who specializes in depression. I can recommend one, Dr. Tim , in Santa , I saw him the year my mother was dying and he really, really helped me. He knows CMT and about people living with disability and he is exceptionally kind. He is about 54 or 55 years of age, with degrees from U of Mich at Ann Arbor, UCLA, and dozens of other degrees and certifications. He knows his depression medications too. His phone is 310-315-0303. The only anti-depressant I know of that at one time showed up on the CMT toxic medication list is Zoloft. I just looked at the list again (by Garreth Parry, MD, CMT expert) and it is not there. There are so many newer medications out now, so I'm sure a good doctor diagnosing depression can help your husband. Email me direct if you like. ~ Gretchen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2005 Report Share Posted December 31, 2005 Also, I wish docs would use tests to determine levels of hormones, and neurotransmitters, if possible. That makes a whole lot of sense. It seems still to be 'trial and error'. > > >NOTE: I think this is important. As you all know, I am not a big fan of > > >the FDA's approving > > >sometimes dangerous pharmaceuticals and devices. However, sometimes the > > >claims > > >against the pharma companies are unwarranted. I believe this is one. > > > > > >The most dangerous time for severely depressed people is when they begin > > >gaining > > >energy, but still have not recovered yet from the depression. When taking > > >antidepressants, > > >a person should be monitored closely. This does not mean the > > >antidepressants themselves > > >are dangerous. It does mean that this period is the most likely time > > >someone may attempt > > >suicide - as she/he is gaining energy but still is depressed. This means the > > >antidepressants are starting to work -- not that they are inherently > > >dangerous. > > > > > >Antidepressants saved my life. They are a huge help to many people. That > > >doesn't mean > > >that they are not overprescribed (I suspect they are). In particular, > > >young people are too > > >quickly prescribed drugs, from all I have read. That means only that > > >doctors and patients > > >should be judicious about medication, not that the medication is > > >inherently bad or > > >dangerous. > > > > > >--------- > > >Depression Drugs Safe, Beneficial, Studies Say > > >Suicide Risk Rejected, But Critics Question Validity of Findings > > >By Rob Stein and Marc Kaufman > > >Washington Post Staff Writers > > >Sunday, January 1, 2006; A01 > > > > > >Antidepressants, such as Prozac and similar drugs, help many patients > > >overcome their > > >often disabling psychiatric disease and do not increase the risk for > > >suicide, according to > > >two large studies being published today that counter recent concerns about > > >the popular > > >medications. > > > > > >The findings from two independent, federally funded studies -- the first > > >of their kind -- > > >spurred some psychiatrists to call for the Food and Drug Administration to > > >reevaluate its > > >warnings about the drugs, which have been blamed for a decline in their use. > > > > > > " The take-home message from these studies is that we have treatment that > > >is effective > > >and that the risk from depression is far greater than the risk of > > >treatment, " said Darrel A. > > >Regier, director of research for the American Psychiatric Association, a > > >group that has > > >been critical of the warnings. " These studies are very important. " > > > > > >Some other medical professionals, however, questioned the results, saying > > >they failed, for > > >example, to show that the drugs were more effective or safer than a placebo. > > > > > > " The big bulk of the response to antidepressants is the placebo response, " > > >said Irving > > >Kirsch, a psychologist at the University of Plymouth in England. " I don't > > >think these studies > > >are very informative. " > > > > > >Critics also said the findings indicate that most patients do not benefit > > >from the drugs. > > > " These pills can be useful pills, but they don't match up to the hype > > >we've had that they > > >really cure the illness, " said psychiatrist Healy of Cardiff > > >University in Wales, who > > >added that the research could not rule out the possibility that the > > >medications increase the > > >risk for suicide among some patients. " As far as the risk for suicide, > > >this sheds very little > > >light on that issue, " he said. > > > > > >One of the new studies, of nearly 3,000 adults suffering from major > > >depression, found > > >that about one-third experienced a full remission within weeks of taking an > > >antidepressant, while another 15 percent experienced some improvement -- > > >meaning > > >nearly half got at least some benefit. The second study, of more than > > >65,000 patients, > > >found that the risk of suicide for both adults and teenagers drops after > > >treatment begins, > > >with the newest drugs appearing to be the safest. > > > > > >Regier said the new studies provide strong evidence for the safety and > > >effectiveness of the > > >drugs. And he said he fears that the FDA warnings, which were issued in > > >2004 and 2005, > > >could lead to an increase in suicides because psychiatrists may be > > >reluctant to prescribe > > >the antidepressants. > > > > > > " What the FDA initiated was in some ways a natural experiment, " Regier > > >said. " This is the > > >kind of rigorous scientific information the FDA should consider in > > >evaluating its decisions. " > > > > > > Temple, the FDA's director of medical policy, called the findings > > > " reassuring " but > > >said they do not settle the issue. The agency was continuing to study the > > >drugs' safety in > > >the hopes of clarifying their safety further, he said. > > > > > > " There's no question that many psychiatrists are worried that the public > > >fuss about > > >suicidality will lead to the failure of some patients to use > > >antidepressants when > > >appropriate. We are very worried about that, too, " Temple said. > > > > > >After rapidly increasing in use for a decade, the number of prescriptions for > > >antidepressants dropped 2 percent for the first 10 months of 2005, > > >according to IMS > > >Health, a pharmaceutical consulting company. > > > > > >Antidepressants such as Prozac transformed the treatment of depression > > >because they > > >were considered highly effective and safe, allowing many more patients to > > >use them. As a > > >result, they quickly became among the most widely used prescription > > >medications. The > > >drugs, however, fell under a cloud when reports indicated they increased > > >the risk for > > >suicidal thinking, particularly among teenagers. > > > > > >Those reports led some critics to press for stronger FDA action, and in > > >2004 the agency > > >ordered companies to include a " black box " warning saying that > > >antidepressants could > > >increase suicidal thinking in young people. That warning was followed by a > > >July 2005 > > >public advisory that said adults beginning on antidepressants should be > > >closely watched > > >because of preliminary studies suggesting that they, too, could be at > > >greater risk of > > >suicidal thinking and behavior. > > > > > >The new studies are the first large-scale efforts to independently > > >evaluate the drugs > > >without using data from drug companies' studies. Both were funded by the > > >National > > >Institute of Mental Health and conducted by independent scientists. They > > >are being > > >published in today's issue of the American Psychiatric Association's > > >American Journal of > > >Psychiatry. > > > > > >In one study, E. Simon of the Group Health ative, a large, > > >private nonprofit > > >health insurance company based in Seattle, analyzed data from 65,103 > > >patients who took > > >antidepressants between Jan. 1, 1992, and June 30, 2003, comparing the > > >rate of suicide > > >attempts and death from suicide attempts before and after treatment began > > >-- the first > > >such study to track patients over time. Previous studies had examined > > >reports of suicidal > > >thoughts among patients. > > > > > >The researchers found that the risk of attempted suicide was 60 percent > > >lower in the > > >month after treatment began and that it continued to decline. While the > > >overall risk for > > >suicide was higher for adolescents than adults, the reduction in risk was > > >about the same > > >for both groups. When the researchers specifically examined 10 of the newest > > >antidepressants, such as Prozac -- the ones that have come under the most > > >suspicion -- > > >they found that the risk was even lower. > > > > > >While some people may react negatively to the drugs, the findings indicate > > >that for most > > >patients the medications do not increase the risk of suicide, Simon and > > >others said. > > > > > > " There may very well be individuals who are sensitive to these > > >medications, and doctors > > >should monitor their patients carefully, " Simon said. " But on average most > > >people are not > > >at higher risk. If anything, they appear to be at lower risk for a serious > > >attempt at suicide > > >or dying of suicide. " > > > > > >The second study involved the first analysis of data from a $35 million > > >ongoing trial > > >known as Star-D, which is designed to provide the first large-scale > > >analysis of various > > >depression treatments in real-life settings. > > > > > >The analysis involved 2,876 adults around the country who took the > > >antidepressant Celexa > > >at 41 sites representing different types of settings, including clinics, > > >psychiatrists' offices > > >and primary care providers' offices, for up to 14 weeks. Within an average > > >of eight weeks, > > >28 to 33 percent of patients experienced a complete remission, and 10 to > > >15 percent > > >experienced some improvement, the researchers found. > > > > > >Although the response rate in some previous studies has been better, > > >researchers said the > > >findings were encouraging because drugs often fail to perform as well in > > >real-world > > >settings, where many of the patients also have other mental or physical > > >problems and > > >treatment is often more complicated. There was no indication the drugs > > >increased the risk > > >for suicide. > > > > > > " This is very good news, " said psychiatrist Rush of the University of > > >Texas > > >Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, who led the study. " We were able to > > >achieve a > > >significant level of remission in a group of patients who are difficult to > > >treat in a real- > > >world setting. That's encouraging. " > > > > > >The study will continue to evaluate how best to treat patients who do not > > >respond, > > >including whether other drugs or a combination of drugs and therapy may be > > >effective. > > >The current FDA review of suicidal thinking in adults taking > > >antidepressants will ultimately > > >analyze much of the existing clinical data on the subject. It is scheduled > > >to be completed > > >this summer. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Opinions expressed are NOT meant to take the place of advice given by > > >licensed health care professionals. Consult your physician or licensed > > >health care professional before commencing any medical treatment. > > > > > > " Do not let either the medical authorities or the politicians mislead you. > > >Find out what the facts are, and make your own decisions about how to live > > >a happy life and how to work for a better world. " - Linus ing, > > >two-time Nobel Prize Winner (1954, Chemistry; 1963, Peace) > > > > > >See our photos website! Enter " implants " for access at this link: > > ><http://.shutterfly.com/action/>http://.shutterfly.co\ m/ > action/ > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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