I have tried all the meds, even in lower doses. Have awful reactions and side effects. Do not work for me. \n\nI have faith in God and much to be thankful for. \n\nI do have a health condition where I have chronic pain and fatigue. Trying to get better treatment for that now!!! \n\nI have tried St. John's Wort, SAMe, 5htp and other herbs,\n\nI am trying to eat better, get more exercise and more sunlight. But it is hard to get a lot of exercise due to my health. I am also trying to keep my weight up where I have been sick. Do not need to lose weight!!!\n\nI do try so hard. I know it is a chemical imbalance. Really starting to work on the stuff I mentioned above. What else can I do? \n\nI can't afford much. I have went to therapy before. I do go to my doctors and specialists b/c I have to where I have been sick. \n\nThe finance thing is enough to depress anyone. And others have been sick too in my family. I am still very lucky. I love life and want to feel better. Any help appreciated.
202425
Sunlight, in the winter get a bulb that emits sunlight like tones or even a plant bulb. Also fresh air, mild exercises. Any exercises or stretching you do today that you didn't yesterday is an improvement.Not too much too fast so you get sore and discouraged.\n Try giving your time and energy to a group or cause, focus on others for a bit. Smile at people you come in contact with, make a nice comment to someone at least once a day. Trying to find something nice or comforting to another can often brighten your day as well. Balance your food intake into smaller more frequent meals. \nSet small goals for yourself, and mark their achievement even if only mentally. Reflect on your day don't dwell on the bad but remark on the good. As for the bad, Put it to bed so to speak before you go to bed yourself. recognize but don't let it be an excuse to feel bad, beat yourself up, or hold you back. Pick one area to improve on the next day. Also if you go to docs be sure to mention any  and all meds and supplements you are currently taking.\nGood luck, don't get discouraged by a bad moment, hour or day.
543431
St. Johns is not a good idea to take.. It's been a long time but I used to take that and had bad side effects. (dizzy, sick, headaches)  I've been on Prozac and gain weight with that... I've also been on Effexor XR.  If the DR ever prescribes you Effexor XR do not take it! It was the worst feeling I have ever had when trying to get off of it!!!  I have been on others and after the Effexor incident I will not take prescriptions anymore... I did a lot of research on what would be safe and I found a herbal pill called 5-HTP, it works I've noticed I've been calmer, happier, I can sleep at night, and I don't have panic attacks anymore.  You can find it online... I buy it from an online company Swanson... I've been using them for years for vitamins and such. They are trustworthy.  I've also seen it in CVS.
498371
OK, go to a different doc! A few years ago, I suddenlt lost ton of weight (70 lbs in 3 months) had constant migraines, vomiting, nausea, diareah and was fainting also. Every time I stood up, everything would get dark & dizzy. Finally after 5 docs, and about 40 visits to the ER (plus a ton of medical bills) I finally found a doc that helped me. I told her all my labs, scans, ect. were normal. She tested me for Celiac Spru, a test hardly anyone does (and a disease I have mentioned to other DOCTORS who had never heard of it!!!!) They check your blood for an antibody to gluten. Gluten is in almost everything, flour, cereal, salad dressing, broth... Anyway Celiac is NOT a food allgery, it is actually an auto-immune DISEASE that has no cure. Check out Celiac.org and read up on it. I had so many symptoms I thought I was dying of cancer. PLEASE get checked for this!! After a year of living Gluten-free, I am a whole new person, finally healthy again, no headaches, fainting, nausea, weight loss. This was a disease I have carried all my life, but it did not manifest untill I was 28, after the birth of my 3rd child. Also, if you test positive, have your kids checked, sisnce is is a GENETIC disease. Good Luck! If you do test positive, feel free to eamail me at cteretto@yahoo. It is a complete life change, and I have tons of resources. Best of luck to you, and I hope you feel better!!
281590
I am sorry that you are not feeling well. I don't know how long you have been taking your medication, but it takes 4-6 weeks for it to actually start making a difference. I know it is frustrating, because we are used to taking a Tylenol and feeling something almost immediately. I would suggest not drinking any tea to lose weight. It is dangerous, especially when you are taking other medication. It might even be negating the effects of your meds. The best way to lose weight is to go outside and take a walk! You don't have to run a marathon or work out for hours to feel better. Taking a walk is very good for anxiety and depression as well. I know that when I am depressed and feeling down, the last thing I feel like doing is getting out and doing something. Believe me though, as soon as you get out, you will feel better. You will also feel like you are accomplishing something, which will improve your mood. Losing weight is only the secondary effect. I know you think that losing weight would make you happy, but that has to come from inside. When you start improving your life in other areas, you will have the strength to start new things. Exercise is the best mood booster! I hope you feel better soon, and good luck to you!
463122
"I take meds but I guess they are not working too well."\n\nWho prescribed your meds?? What are you taking? Contact your doctor immediately and let them know they don't work.
202384
i works really well, i know loads of people who kept trying all the herbal rememdies such as st johns wort and wouldnt do anything for them, and it also reacted with other meds they where on! Citalopram is the one that worked wonders for my partner, but all the anti-depressants in the drug group SSRI's work well, its just finding one that doesn't give you bad side effects. \n\nGood luck what ever you choose
223648
First of all, let me say that I am very sorry for both you and your husband. My Mother is 5 years into treatment for Lymphoma and I know how hard it can be. I am concerned about the fact that you think God has healed him, yet he is obviously very ill. I understand that you want to turn to faith in this situation. You need to grasp the fact that faith is not a plan. Neither is cutting back your paycheck if you cannot afford to do so. Is he on chemo? Any treatment? There are many medications he can be given with chemo that will help him enormously to feel well enough to manage himself while you are at work. He can try many of the different blood cell booster shots. He also may want to look into anti-depressants. Depression will inhibit his immune system and cause his energy to fall lower that it would be from the cancer itself. His oncologist needs to be aware of your concerns immediately. Your families should also be involved. Most often family members want to help but don't know what to do. Please feel free to contact me through my Q&A page if I can help more with specific questions for your doctor or medications to ask about. Good luck.
487015
I have treatment resistant depression and possible bipolar disorder.  The first thing to realize is that bipolar disorder is an illness, not a personality defect, result of sin or personal weakness.  \n\n"Healing" can come in many ways; medication is vital, as bipolar is a disruption in the chemical and possibly structural set up of the brain, just like diabetes is a disruption in the chemical and structural set up of the pancreas.  \n\nCounselling, both secular and Christian, can give you a safe outlet to express the emotions that come with having an illness like this-anger, fear, sadness and so on.\n\nIf you've not allowed yourself to feel, then I'm guessing you've also not grieved the illness and what it has taken away from you and the problems it's caused?  It is okay to cry and to grieve-and even to get angry at God and tell Him as much.  He knows how you're feeling and wants you to open up and let Him know.  \n\nThere is a good book called, "Grieving Mental Illness", by Virgina Lafond.  It walks you through the grieving process as it relates to having to live with a life-long mental illness.\n\nYou can ask for prayers from friends, loved ones, pastors and so on-but remember we are to pray, "Thy will be done" and sometimes God's answer is, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2Cor.12:9) \n\nI have created a good helping team who have enabled me to see improvement in my illness that we thought would be impossible.  This team includes my doctors (family doc, psychiatrist, and endocrinologist), a mental health worker/counsellor, my pastors, friends and family.  Each one has their own way to help me or care for me and very rarely do these team members overlap-each has their own special way to help.\n\nGood luck and God's blessings to you.
423104
I wish I could tell you how to be taken seriously about your pain.  I have had migraines, fibromyalgia and other problems from car accidents.  I just try to get from one day to the next.  I quit going to the emergency room for migraines when my daughter, now 25 was little and I was pregnant.  The nurse did not give me the anti-nausea drug with the pain med.  Narcotics only make me feel worse in the end, so I don't go there.  \n\nOn the other hand, a friend who is an ER nurse tells me that bums go in claiming to have toothaches and they get strong pain medicine which they take out and sell, then return for more. The hospital is afraid to not give for fear of being sued!  What a topsy-turvy world!\n\nI go to acupuncture and it has helped some.\nHave you tried adding extra magnesium? It helps for migraine and muscle spasms.  It isn't a cure but it does help, just not right away.
551308
i said the same thing and for 2 yrs . i suffered from depression and it was just getting worse.So i asked for meds. honestly they help. and no one can force pills on u.
79809
there are other pain releivers that are just as strong. goto you doctors office and see if they can give you samples. I wouldn't trust online. I've heard some are watered down, contaminated and/or not even the real thing. There are some programs to that help you with getting medication if you don't have insurance and can't afford it. talk to your doctor and/or social worker for more info.
516118
oh man do I know what your talking about. I have been to the dr. he says they cant find nothing. I dont know about you or how you feel but I am sick all the time. and i am not a hydro......how ever you spell it.My joints ache my muscles hurt, I feel like I have the flu all the time.`I am really getting sick and tired of being sick and tired.I dont know what else to do.I have felt like this for a long time.I know this hasnt helped you any. Just thoght I would share a little about how I feel.If you would like to e-mail any body about this I am here. klinedarlene@yahoo.com. Have a nice week-end.
634377
Can you please give details your condition can be remedied with appropriate homeopathic remedies without side effects or complications. Please explain exactly what you are feeling and going through in your own words for a correct answer !\nTake care and God bless you and your family !
14548
Find answers to these issues and you will live with less pain \n\nMore effective, guilt-free communications with family and friends about symptoms \nAvoiding frustrations at the doctor's office, which may range from discussing symptoms to requesting specific therapies \nHandling demands on limited time \nKeeping up with job duties or household tasks without causing a flare-up \nStriving for and maintaining a better quality of life—one that makes you both happier and healthier \nHow to respond to hurtful comments from others \n\nTreatment\nIn general, treatment for fibromyalgia is with a combination of medication and self-care. The emphasis is on minimizing symptoms and improving general health.\n\nMedications\nMedications can help reduce the pain of fibromyalgia and improve sleep. The ones most commonly recommended by doctors include:\n\nAnalgesics. Over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may ease the pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. However, its effectiveness varies with individuals. Tramadol (Ultram) is a prescription pain reliever that may be taken with or without acetaminophen. Your doctor may have you take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) — such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Anaprox, Aleve) — in conjunction with other medications, but NSAIDs haven't proven to be effective in managing the pain in fibromyalgia when taken by themselves. \nAntidepressants. Your doctor may prescribe antidepressant medications, such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor) or doxepin (Sinequan) to help promote sleep. Fluoxetine (Prozac) in combination with amitriptyline has also been found effective. Sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) also are effective if you're suffering from depression. These medications may be beneficial by affecting serotonin levels in the brain. \nMuscle relaxants. Taking the medication cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) at bedtime may help treat muscle pain and spasms. \nBenzodiazepines. These drugs may help relax muscles and promote sleep. Usually, doctors avoid benzodiazepines in treating fibromyalgia because they haven't been shown to have long-term benefit and have the potential for drug dependence. \nPrescription sleeping pills, such as zolpidem (Ambien), may provide short-term benefits for some people with fibromyalgia, but doctors usually advise against long-term use of these drugs. These medications tend to work for only a short time, after which your body becomes resistant to their effects. Ultimately, using sleeping pills tends to create even more sleeping problems in many people.\n\nDoctors don't usually recommend narcotics for treating fibromyalgia because of the potential for dependence and addiction. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, haven't been shown to be effective in treating fibromyalgia.\n\nCognitive-behavioral therapy\nCognitive-behavioral therapy seeks to increase your belief in your own abilities and teaches you methods for dealing with stressful situations. Therapy can be provided via individual counseling, audiotapes or classes, and may help you manage your fibromyalgia.\n\nTreatment programs\nInterdisciplinary treatment programs may be effective in improving your symptoms, including relieving pain. These programs can combine a variety of treatments, such as relaxation techniques, biofeedback and receiving information about chronic pain. There isn't one combination that works best for everybody. Your doctor can create a program based on what works best for you.\n\n  \nSelf-care\nSelf-care is critical in the management of fibromyalgia. Important aspects of self-care include taking these actions:\n\nReduce stress. Develop a plan to avoid or limit overexertion and emotional stress. Allow yourself time each day to relax. That may mean learning how to say no without guilt. But don't change your routine totally. People who quit work or drop all activity tend to do worse than those who
155867
there are some herbal meds that can help. but i need more info about your health and other meds that you are on. contact me direct @ widowmaker54@yahoo.com\ni'm an herbalist and i will do my best to help you. my info is free.
616146
st john's is the herbal alternative, however, if you find an other one, it probably wont work either.  Just get the scrip or try therapy for the time being (it works great)
608816
My boyfriend and I have clinical depression.  But after several years of medication experimentation, we both found a medication that enables us to be free of the symptoms of depression and free of side affects from the meds.  We take Abilify, Wellbutrin and Zoloft and we are living normal happy lives.  It's been my experience that you can be physically active, eat good and take vitamins, but all these things won't help depression.  Only medication can do that.  If you're not happy and positive, your meds aren't working for you and you need to change them.  Tell your doctor after trying them for at least 3 months, that you want to make a change.  They don't always work the same day. You have to give them time.  Good Luck!.....)(