Well I took the plunge. I didn't even take a chance on changing my mind. I drove directly to the pharmacy to have my SSRI filled. I did not want to come home first and research the meds and have too long to think about it and change my mind.

Based on my examine and history, my neurologist seems to think my seriton is still low and we discussed my options and choose to give an SSRI a go. He seems to believe this is going to make a big difference for me and help eliminate my headaches, pressure and dizziness. We'll see. So far everything this new doctor has said has been true with my experience.

He said he has treated others with SSRIs with the same symptoms as mine and they have gotten much better.

This was the same plan of attack he suggested back in April when I first saw him, but I refused to take the med at that time.

I feel at this time, despite my improvement over the past 3 years, that I just can't handle my life like this so I am going to move forward with the plan.

I'll share any success.

Best to everyone,
Gloria

Nice one Gloria!

So what's the med and how are you going to start dose-wise?

S :cool:

Hah, awesome!

What did he give you?

Gloria, good for you. No pressure...you just took a doctors advice. Keep that chin up...don't worry. I am doing well, no side affects as of yet. Let us know how it goes, be kind to yourself.

Good for you Gloria! I too have been given many a pill by doctors that at the beginning I was just way too frightened to take. Plus we were given so many different diagnoses at the beginning that it was hard to know what to do.
I think that a year ago I took Lexapro for about 4 days and then freaked out about it. At this point of my illness though I am willing to try something. We just can't keep living in limbo. I just don't have a doctor anymore that I go to, or I think I would start looking into other things. I did make an appointment with a hormone doctor though to have that checked out.

Keep us updated on your progress and I hope that it works for you. Fingers crossed!

I think its great that you try this route. You've been sufferring for way too long to not give it a shot. Let us know how it goes!
Joni

Good for you Gloria. I'm so proud of you for just getting it filled and not researching first. That's the mistake I have been making for years. All the Drs. I have seen have suggested an SSRI and I refused or let them write it out but I never got them filled because I would ask for peoples opinion or researched to the point of making myself crazy.

A couple times I would get them filled and try them for a few days and quit because I was scared but this time I decided the same thing to take them without researching or asking anyone else what they thought about it. We all deserve to feel better and if this helps that's great.

Best wishes to you my friend and please keep us posted on your progess.
Jill

Thanks for the support everyone.

Since I had a few questions, I thought I would just paste what I sent to someone in an email that asks about my appointment.




"My appointment went pretty well. Basically he said that based on my progress and what is still lingering, he thinks that because of the injury my seritonin is low (says it is quite common when there is an injury to your central system) and he put it frankly that I can keep plodding along doing natural things to help my brain chemicals balance out and eventually they will or I can take the SSRI and help get there faster. I wasn't leaving without a game plan and so I choose the SSRI.

I didn't even take the time to think it over; I just drove straight to the pharmacy and had the script filled. I took the first dose last night and so far so good. I am hesitant to say this but even after a bad night's sleep my tinnitus is the lowest it has ever been this morning. I hope the SSRI has somehting to do with it.

I feel fine this morning and when I took the zoloft I felt horrid the following day. The neurologist said the zoloft is a much harder prescription and the pills are hard to tolerate. He made up a game plan with the fluxotine (that is what he prescribed). I had to open up 10 tablets (20mg) and poor the powder into 200 cc of cranberry juice. I take 1 teaspoon once a day for one month and if needed, I increase the following month to 2 teaspoons and so fourth. I figured it out, it is about 2 .5 mg of the fluxotine that I am taking so it is a very small dose. Fluxotine is in the Prozac class. He says it is one of the most tolerated SSRI's.

Basically he says that by increasing my seritonin my headaches and dizziness should diminish. He said that has been his success with other patients with similar symptoms as mine.

My blood pressure is extremely high despite the biofeedback so that worries me a bit. I developed this year, pulsating tinnitus on my left side that I hear when I lay on that side. I also have an irregular heartbeat and shakiness. He thinks it is the high blood pressure. I tend to agree since it seemed to all start the beginning of this year. He believes it is due to my weight gain and stress. High blood pressure does run in my family but mine was always very good prior to this year so I tend to think he may be right.

He wants me to bump my exercise up from 1/2 hour to 1 hour a day walking and wants me to use my arms. I told him my head feels heavier when I try to push myself but he says to keep trying as it will really help to balance the chemicals in my brain plus it will help with the blood pressure.

He doesn't believe the soreness in my arms is neurological. He says I have developed fibromialga (not sure if I spelled that right) which is common in individuals with low seriton levels.

So here I am with a game plan. I'm actually not nervous about taking it. I feel a little relieved with a plan in mind.

Oh I did ask him what the most common side effects that will eventually diminish with the fluxotine and he said increased energy and nauseau but said putting it in the cranberry juice usually stops the nauseau. I'm neauseous all the time so that doesn't bother me as I'm pretty use to it."






I do appreciate your friendship and support the last few years; it makes this junk easier to tolerate. I'll keep you posted as my progress with the fluxotine goes on for those of you considering this route. Good luck to all of you as well.

:angel:

You are doing great! It sounds like you are covering all the bases. I think this is a good thing. Give yourself a pat on the back....;)

Hi Gloria,
Good luck with all of this! I hope it works for you. You deserve to get rid of this junk, you have been suffering with this for so long. I hope that this year brings recovery for you. Work on walking longer... maybe just add 5 minutes a week to build up to 60 minutes. Or take a walk with someone else you enjoy talking to, that may take your mind of things and make walking easier.

Happy new year and I'll keep checking this site to see how things are going.
Joy

I really hope this helps you Gloria -- Mt feeling is that it will definately help you deal with this better and my guess, let you progress to 100% by removing the blocking factors. Also, just remember 4-6 weeks is sometimes what it takes, but that doesnt mean you have to stick it out for 4-6 weeks to know that a med isn ot the right one for you. Zoloft wasnt for me as you know.....

Or take a walk with someone else you enjoy talking to, that may take your mind of things and make walking easier.



Hi Joy - It is nice to have someone to walk with. An older lady I know had a mild heart attack and was off work for 3 months and I was walking with her at least once a week. It was so nice to have a friend again. I don't really have any friends any more since I've been dealing with this junk, but to be honest I can't really deal with people my age right now anyway. She recently went back to work and I am going to miss our 2 hour walks. It was nice catching up with things going on in our lives. It made me forget about how my head felt during the walks and to not feel so alone with this junk.


I really hope this helps you Gloria -- Mt feeling is that it will definately help you deal with this better and my guess, let you progress to 100% by removing the blocking factors. Also, just remember 4-6 weeks is sometimes what it takes, but that doesnt mean you have to stick it out for 4-6 weeks to know that a med isn ot the right one for you. Zoloft wasnt for me as you know.....

Thanks Tummy. So far so good. I had a bad experience trying the zoloft back in Dec. 2005 too. Actually I was a wreck on it by the 2nd day and quit taking it after day 4. I have had no side effect from the fluxotine as of yet. I actually feel quite relaxed; something I have not experienced in years so I'm staying quite positive.





Take care,
Gloria

It was so nice to have a friend again. I don't really have any friends any more since I've been dealing with this junk, but to be honest I can't really deal with people my age right now anyway.

I'm with you on this. And it sucks. People my age want to go out and do stuff, and I just don't feel up to it. I have a good friend I hang out with sometimes, just take it easy and relax. That's about all I'm good for nowadays.


I'm glad you're doing well on your meds. I'm definitely having some side effects from the Zoloft but not severe, and nothing like the Lexapro last year. I do feel pretty relaxed too. I hope this will work for both of us!

Hi Gloria,
I'm sorry that you feel so alone in all of this. But I also know how you feel. When i was feeling at my worse, I didn't really talk to to anyone the whole time. I really think that people just don't get it. It makes me much more sympathetic to people who have other chronic conditions that makes them feel sick all the time. It's really hard to deal with this inner ear stuff and then on top of it feel alone in the battle. But I will say, those that stick with you through it are your true friends. It's also hard to keep a positive attitude when you feel like crap (at least for me it is), but the brain is a huge part of our healing. if you can try to find the strength to truly believe you will feel better, that helps your recovery a lot. I wasn't very good at that. I tended to fall into the hole of "this is horrible, and I'm scared it will never go away". that didn't help me. I even did that during my second bout with this stuff, even after it went away the first time!

That is why I think these boards are so helpful. You have other people who can tell you that things will get better because they have been where you are. I know your problem is different, that it is not inner ear related. But I'm so happy you found a doctor that knows what is going on, and it's awesome that he told you that other patients with the same problem have gotten better. So you know you will too! I'm glad the medication is helping and I hope that it continues to help you.

You will get your entire life back. it will happen. I'm sorry you have had to deal with this for so long, but you are a remarkably strong woman, and I truly admire that.

Big Hugs,
Joy

I have to say, I totally understand too...also what sipa and Joy said...great posts.

I have lost some friends over my inability to continue my typical ways. Some just have died off over the 17 months....others, left early on. That said, I have had great family support...and I know how strong my relationship with my spouse is. For that I am so grateful. I have 2 very close friends that have been so supportive..and again, very grateful.

Not many understand the chronic nature this illnesses bring. How very sick you feel...how it can drop you to your knees....and break your spirit. It is hard to keep positive...but then something will inspire you.

I have found much support and inspiration on this board, and with you Gloria. You are a strong, brave WOMAN! You love your family, and try your best to be well for them. I feel glad to know you.

;)

isn't it weird how people just turn their back on you as soon as you go through a hard time? i mean i don't think any of us on this board would ever leave a friend if they were going through this and not us. i was lucky enough to have only lost a few friends but a good handfull of them are still around and still very supportive. with time this thing just dies down and when we are all out of it and 100% again we will be stronger and have better lives at the end because we can weed out all the negative stuff as this illness dies

I think that people tend to "fall" out of our lives not because they consciously are fed up with us and don't want to be around us... I think it's because they just don't know how to interact with a friend who all of a sudden is such a different person. I think our society doesn't have a lot of patience of sympathy for something that lasts more than a week or two. Unless it's a broken bone or a visible handicap. It's hard to understand why someone could be dizzy for so long. Even my primary care doctor (who is an amazing doctor) almost had her ja

I didn't finish my post before accidentally posting it... oops :)
let me finish it....
almost had her jaw drop to the floor when I told her I was dizzy all the time, that it wasn't bouts of dizziness, that it lasts for months and months. So if a doctor doesn't understand imagine what people who aren't in healthcare think. They just don't get and don't know what to do about it... so they almost just disappear. It's sad, but i think that is where it all stems from.

And this is even more bizarre:

The World Health Organization estimated in 2003 that 303 million people worldwide were migraineurs and that in 2004 there were almost 20 million migraine attacks happening every day. If you consider that some 50% will experience dizziness (I think that's correct off the top of my head) and a lot of them are chronic it has to make you wonder why this thing is so under-recognised yet so common!!

S :cool:

it has to make you wonder why this thing is so under-recognised yet so common!!

I keep wondering about that too. I read in several places that dizziness was one of the main reasons people go to the ER. It's obviously very common, yet most doctors (who aren't specialists) seem more confused about what to do and what's wrong than anything else.

Or perhaps it's just that the effects of dizziness are difficult to quantify.

Well, ok, that's hard to believe too.. The health insurance companies know exactly how much money this is costing. Maybe the problem is that we go back to work too early/often and the economic cost is too low... :D


re friends: I don't think they do it maliciously (fade out.) It's likely more a matter of us not participating in usual activities, and after a while most people get tired of asking if you want to go to something only to be turned down.

Yep...all well said.

I went to a very well known and respected neurologist in Portland maine. He never mentioned migraine...or anything for my dizzys. He actually never gave me a diagnosis....400$ later.

I guess I don't understand how we can expect our friends to understand, when the medical professionals don't have a clue. Just "don't think about it"...or "relax"...that is great medical advice.

Charlotte,
I agree with your last sentence. "just don't think about it or relax", is what they will say, and it actually really makes me mad. If their world was spinning 24/7 or if they had horrible headaches and bouncy vision on top of the dizziness, i can gaurantee they wouldn't just be ignoring it.

That kind of a comment doesn't help at all. When I went to my primary care doctor she may not have had a really good idea of what was going on, but at least she was sympathetic and listened to me. She sent me to an ENT and she did her best. I appreciated that. If you don't know, that's okay, but don't give lame advice that is insensitive.

i have a friend that couldn't for the life of her understand why i was so down all the time and she was dizzy for one day and she was on her death bed.

i was like. give me a break. her whole world was over cause she was dizzy for one day and she can't understand why someone who is dizzy 24/7 could be down?

i found that funny

Doesn't sound like much of a friend...You deserve better then that...;)

Doesn't sound like much of a friend...You deserve better then that...;)


oh trust me i have better than that. by friend i meant sister-in-law

Got ya dude...

I am sure you do..you seem like a great guy. She sounds like a dope...:cool:

Got ya dude...

I am sure you do..you seem like a great guy. She sounds like a dope...:cool:

how are you doing with the migraine meds? im on day 4 and seem to be doing ok. alittle better everyday. small steps

hi Gloria- I just read this post and am hoping that the ssri has helped you. When I first went on 10mg of paxil when I had this junk, it took a couple weeks to work, but it was the first real relief I had from this junk since my first episode. After the paxil started to kick in, i loaded up on magneium and coq10 and feverfew. I truly believe this recipe helped me rid the head monster. I also avoid dairy, cheese, and chocolate and msg.

hope your starting to turn the corner

Big hug from NYC

JB

Good for you c&R...I am doing good. Some days, I have tons of energy and feel symptoms very slight. Then I tend to overdo. The next day, I tend to still pay a bit. Could be migraine with pain, or eyes jumpy. I can usually tell in the morning. I open my eyes and my head seems to buzz trying to make sense of what my eyes are taking in? Make sense?

I had a great night last night. My hubby and I were playing with my daughter...I laughed and played just like I did prior to this crap. It is the best hour I have had since sick. Then it came back a bit in the evening.

I think it is helping..but like you said..it is slow. Keep in mind, many don't even notice a change until 5-6 weeks on the med.

:cool:

Its really strange how you can feel so different one day and the next... Today I feel so out of it... Not crazy dizzy mind you, but my head just feels like it is completely heavy... If it makes sense, I can feel my head... Something is just not right.... Weird... But charlotte, I think your in good shape and I think you might just wake up soon feeling pretty good!

hi Gloria- I just read this post and am hoping that the ssri has helped you. When I first went on 10mg of paxil when I had this junk, it took a couple weeks to work, but it was the first real relief I had from this junk since my first episode. After the paxil started to kick in, i loaded up on magneium and coq10 and feverfew. I truly believe this recipe helped me rid the head monster. I also avoid dairy, cheese, and chocolate and msg.

hope your starting to turn the corner

Big hug from NYC

JB


Hi JB,

It is so nice to hear from you. Howie and I were talking about you and how the paxil helped in your case. It is wonderful you are still doing so well. I am taking the magnesium still but not as much as the doctor recommended (500 mg). I need to boost that as well. The problem is I take my synthroid for hypothyroidism in the morning and you can't take certain supplements for a few hours after because it decreases the effectiveness of the synthroid. I take the magnesium at lunch and then in the evening. I'm going to try increasing it at each dose. You are taking 500 mg. if I remember correctly, right? Co-Q10 was upsetting my stomach but I was taking it as I was coming off the klonopin so that could have been causing the problems. Now that I am off it (a year now), I may try it again.

I'm also commuting into Philly once a month for TRT for my tinnitus so I'm hoping between the SSRI and the tinnitus therapy, this year I will make lead way with this head monster.

How are things going in NYC for you? Playing lots of squash again? I'm glad you popped back in here on the boards. It is always nice to hear of someone continuing to do well after this junk. Funny thing is it was your progress, Howie's progress and Jill's improved mental outlook that got me to thinking about giving this SSRI another try. The zoloft I tried back in Dec. 2005 had a horrible effect on me and I only took it for 4 days. So far so good on the fluxotine. No side effects that I am aware of so far.

Hugs right back at you!

:)
Gloria