Price tag symptoms and conditions

The first time I took Zoloft, it was a brand new drug with a high price tag and people were just beginning to talk about depression--openly. I had a positive experience with it. I have PTSD and severe depression due to trauma as a child and later from an abusive husband. I had a major depressive episode shortly after the birth of my 2nd child, exasperated by postpartum depression and thyroid storm. I became suicidal at a time when I seemingly had all I ever wanted. It saved my life in that regard.

I had stubborn baby weight that needed to come off. Also, I tend to be an emotional eater. Zoloft helped curb my emotional eating and I lost weight. Some people say overeating or eating disorders are akin to OCD behavior, both anxiety based, so in that way it makes sense. When Lithium was added, then changed to Depakote, I had a tremendous weight gain--I was PUFFY! At that time Bi-Polar was the flavor of the month--not that it isn't real--it just seemed that at the time, everyone was BiPolar. I later went off all meds and was OK for about 3 years when the ugly beast reared its head again.

Zoloft at one point both saved and ruined my life. The first time on Zoloft as a young wife and mother I think the verdict was still not out with all the side effects. I was unable to engage in sex. Not only did I not have any sexual urge but my body couldn't. I talked to a therapist and psychiatrist to no avail--it was MY problem--that the birth of a child brought up abuse issues--men are the only ones with sexual side effects! After being sexually NORMAL my husband and I were told that it was psychological. That didn't do a lot for our relationship. It also made me more distant and quiet. The new Me-on-Zoloft was like my repressed alter ego. The new me was all the more reason to need to stay on meds--just see how depressed and troubled I am. My husband and I divorced due to bad medicine and I didn't know any better. Had all the information been out there at the time, things could have been different.

I went back on Zoloft with mixed results. As a creative writing major at the university, it was like someone flipped a switch and all creativity left me. I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate and recall information for discussion or tests. I was however , more focused in the mundane--dinner, dishes, laundry, regular exercise, all the routine stuff. The anxiety before going back on zoloft made me want to rip my hair out and I was overwhelmed by everyday stuff. I would wash a dish and fight the urge to run around the table before washing the next one. Part of that, I think, was the pressure of being a single mom with 3 small children, going to school full-time and working part-time. Whew! and with little support from anyone, no dad in the picture.

Through the years I have been on many other things and this will probably be the pattern for the rest of my life. Paxil made me a suicidal zombie to the point that my kids cried and made me go to the hospital--they didn't know the suicidal ideation at the time. Effexor caused flabby weight gain and myalgia. Last year I went in the hospital again for depression (job loss, 2nd divorce, mother's death & all at once). The psychiatrist talked me into going on Pristiq claiming it was like Effexor but with none of its bad side effects. BS!!! Once again, I was duped and still weigh 33 pounds over what I did. I am AGAIN back on Zoloft and it seems fine. The devil you know is better than the one you don't know--I guess. I haven't been back on it long enough to know what will happen this time but it can't be worse than the other things out there. I'm tired of being the psychiatric community guinea pig. Everyone is different; my best friend gaied 25 lbs. on Zoloft and takes Paxil (I can't), my sister only does well on Welbutrin, my friend's mom has been on Effexor for years and it keeps her sane. You just have to find your fit. My problem has been from the medical community not being forthcoming with information and the reluctance to listen to a 'crazy' patient.

I have severe Fibromyalgia, as well as several spinal injuries. I have been taking Celebrex for six years now, and have experienced none of the problems described in the side-effects sheet provided with it from the pharmacy. It relieves my pain for several hours, and helps with the inflammation that keeps me from being a productive part of society. Without it I experience difficulty in doing even the simplest of tasks, because my pain level increases so drastically. My only complaint about this drug is that it is so expensive my welfare insurance constantly fights me on it; insisting I take generic forms of it which do not work as well, and DO cause me many side-effects that are not only unpleasant but are also unacceptable. While sympathetic to those who have experienced difficult side-effects, Celebrex has my vote; though I wish wholeheartedly someone would speak to them about the outrageous price tag they attach to it. I have worked in pharmacies, and know they more often than not charge $200 and upwards on many popular meds for which their cost is in the less than $20 range. Shame on them for this. And shame on the government for allowing them to do so. No wonder people are buying drugs outside the USA. But I digress. Celebrex is a very good and effective drug. I just wish I did not have so many problems keeping it in my medicine cabinet. Thank you for listening.

I have been on this for 1 month. The first two weeks was fine then I started feeling bloated big time. I do exercises for my stomach and I know I have good core muscles and I can't hold my stomach in. I'm not working right now need to be looking for work but I have been waiting for the bleeding to stop and the bloating to disappear. I am getting off of this. All of the head problems people are having are due to the extra drug in Yaz that deals with moodiness. I have been on tons of different anti- everything and usually it takes at least 3 to 4 weeks to adjust to your brain. If not it's not for you. I am completely off of meds now because I took the steps to freedom in Christ in a book called Breaking the Bondage by Neil T Anderson. I took ortho tri-cyclene before years ago and it did great compared to this stuff. Taking something to help with moodiness just causes a person to be numb to their feelings. The feelings don't go anywhere the pile up and that's why you find yourself at times crying uncontrollably. The only way to heal these things is to face them and the only one that can take that pain from you is Jesus. I know I tried everything. Exercise and changes in your eating habits will help with period problems. Water water water will help with acne.

I've had Mirena in four approximately 5 months now. It wasn't unbearingly painful to have inserted and I was having mood swings and riding emotional roller coasters months before I had it placed. I spotted for about 6 weeks after it was placed, but my periods now have gone from 4-6 days a month to 2 or none. My only concern is that I now have some vulva fissures that I can't really relate to anything else but this. I talked to a midwife about it and she believes that it's due to a lack of estrogen. She said that breastfeeding can sometimes decrease estrogen to the point of thinning the skin and causing these fissures, but I don't know. I never had this problem with my first child and the only thing different is that I'm using Mirena. I don't know if I should have it removed or wait it out until my son weans and see if there is a change. My insurance paid to have it inserted, but I have no insurance now and I dread seeing the price tag to have it removed.