I feel so much better!

Strange as this may sound, I don't think I'd ever realized how icky I'd been feeling lately.  Or I'd just been feeling that way so long, I'd forgotten what it was like to feel good.  How sad is that?

I am on a medication for depression that I just started taking a couple months ago.  I started out on 50 mg and then my doc increased it to 75 mg.  Around that time I started getting super dizzy when I stood up, but I'd been getting dizzy sometimes before that, so I wasn't sure the medication was causing it.  I also started having terrible trouble with constipation for the first time since surgery.  Then I gained a little weight, which apparently is a common side effect of this med.  I see my doc in a couple weeks, but decided on my own to reduce the dose to 50 mg again and possibly discontinue it altogether, but it's one you have to cut back on a little at a time.

Well, I've been on the 50 mg for a few days now, and this morning I realized I was not getting dizzy when I stood up!  I've also been able to poop twice now without much trouble.  And I just feel better.  I can't really explain what it is that feels better, but I feel better.

Just wanted to share.

that is great news! i hope everything continues on a positive trend for you!

It's good to hear that you're feeling better Kelly. You deserve every single minute of it.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the 50mg dose keeps you out of the darkness.

Jim

 Happy to hear you're feeling better.
Bon bon bon.

It sucks when you don't feel good.  Glad you're feeling better! 

Glad you are feeling better. That is fantatsic. If I went off my meds it would be a downward spiral. I know since I've tried it a few times. NOT gonna try that again!

I often worry about people stopping depression medicine when they are feeling good. For me and a lot of people it is a chronic illness, just like diabetes or something. Folks don't feel the need to go off their diabetes meds becuase they are feeling better and I worry when folks decide to give up their depression meds becuase they are feeling better. Some peopole have told me they were ashamed to be on the meds. We have a weird society.

But that is TOTALLY not what you are doing. You are going off it because it makes you feel bad. Sounds like a good choice and that it is working out for you.

Sorry for hijacking and going off on one of my favorite rants! Embarrassment about fat and about depression are two of my favorite rants. I'll just shut up now...

Oh, I am on two other meds in addition to this one.  I cannot be without meds.  My depression is absolutely a chronic thing.  This was just a third med we added a couple months ago because I wasn't feeling well then.  It seems like I am going to be able to tolerate it at a lower dose.  And I had labs done not long ago when I'd been on the lower dose and they showed it was right in the middle of the therapeutic range, but my doc thought he'd rather have it near the top of the range so we increased it.  However, the side effects just weren't tolerable.  I did try living with them for a while to see if maybe my body would get used to it and they'd go away, but apparently that was not going to happen.  I'm definitely not ashamed of being on meds, no more than I would be if I needed meds for diabetes or anything else.

That's such good news! I hope it continues. :) Take care and keep us posted.

 I'm glad you're feeling better and finding that balance of meds vs side effects!