What's on your mind?

[MacMadame 81]

And you aren't sleeping.... did your doctor give you some sleeping pills?

I did a triathlon today and they messed up the times. They posted everyone's times up until the run but not including the run. At that point, I was in FIRST PLACE in my age group! I knew it wouldn't last though. I was 8th in the swim, 7th in the first transition, 9th in the bike and 6th in the second transition. The only reason I was in first place is that the good swimmers were bad bikers and vs. versa. I'm only an okay runner so I figured I'd drop.

But for one hour it was AWESOME!

I finished 255 out of 401, which is considered a middle of the pack finish overall and 9th out of 12 in my age group. I was only 15 min. slower than the 1st place finisher though. And a lot of people who won awards in their age groups were slower than me!

[Malaika 50]

That's AWESOME Mac - Congratulations

Daisy -- sorry you had such a bad day ... just focus on Thursday evening and having your feet planted in Las Vegas for 4 days ... we are going to have a GREAT time ... hopefully you won't even give home a second thought while you're here.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Congratulations Mac! that is so awesome!

VA, thanks. I am so glad I planned this trip. It's really whats keeping me going at this point. I can't wait til Thurs. I need to get away from here really badly.

[*susan* 1,709]

Mac, you absolutely are amazing! I am so impressed by you.

Daisy, chin up. Time to start focusing on the positive instead of focusing all your energy on the negatives. Think about what is good in your life. I think you going to visit Vegas and Bearded is going to do you a world of good. Is your daughter trying to run your life, or is she just concerned because she sees how down you have been?

[Bornagainbabe 4]

Mac, did you get into all this fitness after you lost weight or had you been active when you were younger and then gained weight? I'm just curious about your 'story' and how long you were overweight for and your battles with it etc. I was quite fit before and just after I got married 22 years ago and used to go running and playing squash several times a week with my husband. It was only after the children were born that everything went downhill, although there was always the potential for me to gain weight as I had had food issues from a very early age. After my son was born things got much worse as I began drinking a lot to cope with the stress and then that led to a general lack of control........

Daisy -hope your sickness is getting better. I get nausea sometimes when I am very stressed or when I'm sleep deprivated so that could be contributing to your problems.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Daisy, chin up. Time to start focusing on the positive instead of focusing all your energy on the negatives. Think about what is good in your life. I think you going to visit Vegas and Bearded is going to do you a world of good. Is your daughter trying to run your life, or is she just concerned because she sees how down you have been?

My daughter is not trying to ruin my life, but she says she can't be around me because I am depressed. I have tried just every anti depressant on the market and have had horrible side effects. I told her to stop her Lexaapro for a few weeks and let me know how she feels after that.

It's easy to say focus on the positive but it gets to a point when you are depressed that you can't "just snap out of it" I have been this way before but was able to take an anti depressant which helped tremendously. They took that one off the market because it causes liver failure, and I haven't ever been able to find one I could tolerate after that.[/color]

[Ky.hen 5]

Great job Mac!

Daisy, I'm sorry for your troubles and hope things get better soon.

[Ruthi 60]

What has your therapist said about this? Has he or she given you a psych referral to try any new medications?

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

No, I can't take those medications. I get sweaty, headaches, nauseous, feel like I drank 1,000 cups of coffee, and they make my insomnia worse. The one I can take which is one of the oldest ones, amitriptiline, causes horrible weight gain. I think that was the beginning of all my gaining weight. All the newer ones which are the SSRI's cause me every side effect that is listed is possible.

[Malaika 50]

Have you tried Venaflaxin (Efexxor)? I have no side effects from it like I did on other anti-depressants ... it's more of a mood stabilizer than an anti-depressant - it levels out the seratonin and 2 other hormones that as you get older your body quit producing as much of.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Yes, I have tried effexor. I am thinking about trying it again because I think when I tried it, that was before it came with the extended release or whatever the newest one is. It's supposed to come on slower and more evenly, so that you don't get such a big dose when you first swallow it.

Right before my dad died, my dr. wanted me to try it but my ins. would not pay for it and wanted me to try Paxil Prozack Zoloft

Cymalta, etc all which I have tried already. He has to write a letter telling them I have tried everything other than the extended release types. I am sort of afraid to try again, because going through those side effects is so hard.

[Ruthi 60]

I take the extended release effexor too. If I dont take it, I have side effects but none while I take it regularly. They cant pry it away from me now.

[DownInSocal 12]

Put me on the list for extended release Effexor. I think you should try it again. Beware it has wicked withdrawl symptoms! Effexor is not one to be forgotten in the daily regiman. I have withdrawn from it so if anyone needs a plan to stop taking it send me a message. I started taking it again when I started feeling depressed. I am glad I did.

That drug saved my life in 2004. No joke. I would have ended it for sure.

HEY? For those who had surgery how did you cope with taking your Effexor??? I have been worried that I might miss a dose and get the dreaded withdrawls. I would have asked but figured I was the only one on the board who was taking it.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I found some samples in the medicine cabinet for the 37.5 Efexor extended release from the last time I tried it.

I am going to call my dr. and ask that he write the letter to ins. that I tried all the others they wanted me to try first.

If not, WasA told me she got some from Canada for a really good price . If I can take them, I may have to go that route.

[Bornagainbabe 4]

I am on Cipramil which is branded as Citalopram over here and that is a good one for anxiety and stress as well as depression. I have been on it for about 6 years now after switching from Prozac and am on a high dosage of 60mg/day. I still get really bad periods now and then but find I can now identify them sooner and gradually climb out of the hole.

When I had my sleeve they gave me it in liquid form but I haven't had much trouble with taking tablets. It was forgotten some days but I was ok. I try not to forget to take them but occasionally forgetting doesn't seem to affect me adversely. At least I don't think so!!!