Post Natal Depression sufferer

[Linzip]

I Feel I need to talk to other women who are suffering what I am. I have a 15 month old baby daughter called Neve. She is absolutely adorable and I love her more than I love anything or anyone in the world. So why on earth do I feel so low all the time? I was diagnosed six months ago with PND and was given a drug called effexor. Whilst I think this drug has helped with the feelings of anxiety and overwhelming fear of dying, I don't feel as if I am getting better emotionally. I am still off sex, I still want to sleep all the time, I still can't find the energy and motivation to do anything (housework, exercise, cooking). I feel lonely, useless and miserable. I Just have no idea what to do with myself. My husband to be understands to a certain extent, but he has mood swings and bouts of frustration because our life isn't what it once was. I feel like I am letting him down. The sex part is a problem as we used to have a very active sex life, which has dwindled enormously and I know that is putting a strain on things also. Does anyone know how long this is going to go on for and what I can do to stop things spiralling out of all control. Help much appreciated. x

[wendabell]

hi just seen you joined and put a message on the main board for you.
Well it all sounds so familiar hunny.All your symptoms of this horrible illness has affected us all here.
It does take time to recover and sometimes the medication you are on needs altering to one better suited.You should tell your gp how you are feeling now and maybe ugest if you need to alter your medications.You will know when you are recovering as you get good days more often and bad days less and there speaks the voice of experience.
At least you made the first step and your gp is aware of your pni.Hubbys are great support if you keep them informed of how you are feeling as even mine finds my mood swings a little unbearable.
I have to go now but will post later.
i hope we can help you get through this illness and you will get through it honest but time is needed.
Please feel free to post on the main board and to answer threads too.And we also chat on other subjects we might be having problems with too.
But most of all you are not alone,and all you are feeling now no matter how bad believe me we have been there too.
love and hugs
wendy
x.x.x

[banana]

Hi Linzip.

no-one knows how long PNI can last for but apparantly there is an end to it and thats what everyone on here is striving towards. I hope that the forum will be of some use to you. It has been a tremendous help to me and talking on here can really make the difference to your day sometimes.

My only thought would be with your medication. It has stopped some of the problem but much of it still seems to be present. Would it maybe be an idea to see your doc and talk this through as you may benefit more from another med rather than the one you are on or alternatively something to go with it? I was on something called oxazepam along with my ad's and they really helped on my bad days.

Hope you are ok and look forward to getting to know you more.

Lana x

[Veritee]

Hi Linzip

yesterday I did a long reply to you - but looked to day and it is not here.

This does not often happen but obviously something went wrong this time.

So I will say again welcome to the forum and I hope we can support you here.

I think that others are right and you might consider going back to your GP and reviewing the medication you are on.

We all change over time and what suits you at one time may not suit you at others - and also we all have individual situations that are of concerned to us. Some people change their medication several times while they have PNI

For you if your lack of, motivation, sex drive, and energy and enthusiasm is a real issue this needs to be addressed

( sex was for me too, but luckily it was not high on the lists of my husbands concerns as out of the two of us I have the higher sex drive - he just wanted me to be happy and my moods to stabilise)

and while PNI in itself can lead to a lowering of motivation energy and libido so actually can many medications prescribed for PNI.

So if this is a major concern to you or your husband or both then perhaps you should be on something else rather than any medication that can have these side effect.

I can tell you about the drug you are on but I am not medically trained in any way, so you should go to your GP and ask them to review your medication.

But apparently Effexor may affect energy enthusiasm AND libido more than other Anti Ds. It is all a trade off as Effexor also has more of an effect on anxiety than other Anti Ds of this type.

*******************************
Effexor is a brand name for Venlafaxine which is similar and related to SSRIs ( SSRIs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in other words they stop your brain reabsorbing serotonin, the happy chemical, so that you have more floating about and feel happier)

However Venlafaxine is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor type which also prevents the reuptake of norepinephrine .

Which in words that I understand will help you not to be as anxious and panicky too - adrenaline makes you excited and also anxious and norepinephrine counteracts this.

But you need to be able to have a certain level of excitability to want a sex life and have energy and motivation and also to have any enthusiasm for life.
All medication is a balance between retaining the positive aspects and suppressing the symptoms that you do not want.


Anyway as I said I am no expert but it seems in your case that this drug in too sedating and too de-motivating for you.

It has dealt with your anxiety but in doing this left you tired, lack of energy and de-motivated.

From my non -expert perspective it seems to me that the extra norepinephrine you have in your brain due to the medication may be suppressing you too much.

So it might be a good idea to go back to your GP and tell them that you would like to be on a medication that has less chance of affecting your sex drive, energy and enthusiasm for life.

A simple SSRI like Prozac( Fluoxetine) might be worth trying for a while now or even a non SSRI older anti- depressant might be the one that suits you.

Obviously how you feel might not at all be down to the medication you are on. But if your symptoms are lack of energy, enthusiasm, motivation and libido it might be best not to take a drug that can carry these side effects.

All the best

Veritee

[Linzi]

Thankyou very much for your helpful advise. What you have said makes perfect sense and I will take your advice and go back to my doctors. Your site is fantastic, just to know I am not alone has given me comfort. Thanks again from Linzi x

[rach]

hi

yes the others are right these are prob the most comman signs of pni,i really feel for you and hope that the site helps you as much as it has for me.

i had very similare probs as you and have been on a numnber of diff antie d's all have there pros and cons some more effective than others so im glad that you are going to speak with your gp, on the plus side now that you are on anti d if changed in most case you can tell if helpful in only a few weeks as my gp advised as you alredy have in your system,.

i can also sypthise with you lack of sex drive as mine too went out the window and my hubby was not very understanding as you may have read in the sex and stuff thread (our duty)

hang on in and keep your chin up but please dont feel that just because you have been given a prescription that you can not go back and ask for more help or a change as you feel they arn;t working remember you have as much right to feel better as the next person.

big hugs love rach