Posted by vixis on May 8, 2002, at 14:59:12
Hi
I''ve been feeling awful recently and wonder if anyone can offer advice.
About six years ago, my only child died suddenly of a rare viral infection....she was just nine. I got pregnant in a couple of months (which was lucky, considering I was 37) and again a year and a half later - I have two young sons now. I seemed to recover from the bereavement OK, but got what was diagnosed as post natal depression after my last baby. I took various antidepressants, first Prozac, which made me very anxious,then another (sertraline?) and finally amytryptilline, which made me oh, so sleepy. I thought stress from a demading career was partly causing the depression, so I packed it in and got a far less demanding job. I managed to go without medication.
A couple of months ago, my sister died of breast cancer a couple of weeks before her 40th birthday. My dad had a heart attack and stroke (but survived). Since then, I've felt dreadful on some days...all the feelings over my daughters death have returned and I feel confused and guilty...i even feel that people in my village are giving me dirty looks and hating me because my child died. I know logically that this is all rubbish, but sometimes I get wrapped up in these thoughts and feel sick with worry. I don't actually feel depressed in the form I did before (a kind of heavy misery in the mornings) but this anxiety feels like the edge of lunacy sometimes. I'm not taking anything except St Johns Wort and Kava... I'm giving up the SJW in case it's contributing to the anxiousness.I have some antidepressants (lofepramine) I was prescribed for the PND and am wondering whether to start taking them. (Dont like the idea as coming off the amytrip was very difficult) Or is it wise to mask these feelings - should I ride this particular horse out?
All helpful suggestions welcome
poster:vixis
thread:105613
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020503/msgs/105613.html