ABOUT TO START MEDICATION - VERY SCARED!

PM29 · ‎24-08-2016

I've spent the last three weeks scrolling through these forums seeking for comfort through other people's questions/answers - so I thought it might be time to start my own...

I am a 29 year old female and about 4 weeks ago I started to feel the following symptoms 24/7: dizziness, short of breath, tightness to my upper shoulder, insomnia, and the overall feeling like I was about to either pass out or that my heart was going to give in.

I have since been in and out of the docs getting all the tests done imaginable, with everything coming back normal. In the end, my doc has put it down to Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and as it stands, I have both "long term" and "short term" medications prescribed from my GP, staring at me as I type, however, I can't help but be totally frightened about taking either of these options. Whilst I find comfort in the success stories (people who have stuck it out with long-term meds and have come out the other side), I can't help but also be frightened of the horror stories out there (about side effects, addictions, difficulty to withdraw).

Aside from these two options with meds, I'm also booked in to see a psychiatrists to hopefully start to help manage whatever underlying issue may be causing this in my life. I have also started meditation and deep breathing exercises every day. All that's left to put in place is to decide whether or not I should go down this medication path.

I would love to hear some feedback from the Beyond Blue community on their own experience with either contemplating, starting, struggling, and successes with medications. I look forward to all your thoughts.

topsy_ · ‎24-08-2016

Hi PM 29

The idea of being on Medication seems to frighten a lot of people. I've been on meds for 25+ years, & I wouldn't still be here if I hadn't been.

It seems people worry about meds changing who they are & side effects.

To my mind meds don't change or alter who you are. They allow you to be the person you always were before being assailed by mental illness.

And there can be side effects. In all my years on meds the most common has been weight gain. I've been big for so long now I'm used to it!

Nausea can be a problem for some. But if the meds are started slowly & increased slowly, that can help diminish it.

I think the main other one is feeling "dopey"/hung over. Again I have only experienced this at the beginning or after a dose increase. It goes away too.

I think you have done marvellously well to organise all the support you need. I really hope everything works out well for you. Take care, Lyn.

Fairywings · ‎24-08-2016

hello gorgeous and welcome I'm Venessa very nice to me. I have been medicated for the last 16years, im now 36yrs old, suffering from depression, bipolar and borderline personality disorder xx Medication is something you shouldn't be afraid of in some instances it's a temporary thing and in other cases it's much longer term, this all depends on the person, not one of us are the same we all have diff levels of needs. I know it can seem daunting at the very start but seems like to me you are in good hands and your meds can be monitored. Being someone who started out on a number of different medications to help with my severe psychosis i was left very nonfunctional so to speak so i decided to take a turn and try something different. The medication has been my saviour in stabilising my mood disorder, depression. bipolar and has enabled to live life and do the things i have wanted to do in life. That is not to say that I don't have an episode every now and again yes i do one a month, that's better than multiple everyday so i guess what i am trying to say is that yes when u find the right one that works for you it can work wonders and enable you enjoy a better quality of life so to speak. I hope this has helped a little please let me know how you do get along with the meds and I am happy that u r seeing a psychiatrist to help you thru this. I have been seeing mine since i was just 20 years old, so 16years now xx please take care and feel free to keep in touch with us we are all here to help you thru this time. I am also happy that you are engaging in some mindfulness stuff it is very therapeutic and will help ur soul to heal and journalling can also be a fab tool writing all ur feelings down better than keeping them locked away xx take care now Venessa 🙂

Moonstruck · ‎24-08-2016

Hello all - once again I am reading posts about meds - I seem to be one of the few I've come across on Forum (I am sure there are many more) whose GP won't provide a script for one for me - no meds, except for some mild sleepers, which are monitored regularly of course (Govt doesn't allow repeats of this one) and I ration them carefully - so she can be assured I don't over-medicate. But nothing else for during the day. I find it very difficult to cope on my own - very difficult. I have posted before about this (people must be getting bored hearing my story) on my own threads - don't be scared PM 29 - i wish you all the best....x

thomas16 · ‎30-08-2016

Your post is very similar to my situation! I'm a 26 male and out of the blue 6 weeks ago, I started having dizzy spells (to the point where i was going to faint), fast heart rate, headaches, stiff neck and weight loss. I've been to the ER, Cardiologist, had CT scans of the brain and all the blood tests under the sun. Good news is that it isn't anything physical (i was thinking my heart during the whole process) but i have been told it's anxiety and have been put on anti-depressants for the last week and a half as well as seeing a Psychologist once a week. It's still very early days but reassuring myself that it is anxiety and nothing physically wrong is helping with the symptoms and ongoing negative thoughts. I was very hesitant about starting on the meds, having googled side effects and even put it off for a few days. Finally, i just built up the courage to take them and haven't looked back. I get light headaches, affected sleep and had slight nausea for the first few days which has now passed. Everyone is different when it comes to meds, the only thing you can do is take them and see how they make you feel. You can always speak to your doc about it if they aren't working well! Good luck.

radiojammer · ‎02-09-2016

Hi, sometimes you have to try different meds out before you find the right ones. I tried two lots of anti ds, both which gave me nausea (no vomiting) and suppressed my appetite. The 3rd kind the GP recommended didnt make me feel sick and gave me no other side effects. They worked for me and I'm now off them. Not all meds give you side effects, it can be offputting reading up on the kinds of side effects that some meds can give you but it is worth persisting with meds before you find the ones that are right for you. Remember you may not have to go on medication forever, it will depend on your circumstances and meds need to be monitored by a doctor. I'm on anti anxieties for now but hope to go off them in the future. I hope you can find some medication which works for you.